Handout 2: Written communications PowerPoint presentation Communication in a business environment Handout 2: Written communications

Uses of different written communications – external Letters – formal communication; when information is complicated or technical; as confirmation or for later reference. Fax – used to send copies of documents instantly; useful when a signature is required; original document is retained by sender.

Uses of different written communications – internal Reports – used to document researched information. Memos – usually formal communication. Email – can be internal or external communication; less formal, quick to send to many recipients, with or without attached documents; can be used for confirmation or urgent written communication.

A set format for documents used by an organisation. House styles A set format for documents used by an organisation. Any documents produced by an organisation will conform to its image, eg: they will all show the logo be of same colour of paper same font set document layout. Apart from standard business conventions for the layout of eg letters and reports, organisations may have their own house style which reflects their image. High street stores are instantly recognised by their logos. In each store of that organisation the name is instantly recognisable by the fact it will be of the same colour, font size and style –an organisation’s house style for its documents performs the same task. It also ensures that all its documents are consistent in style. House style may also control the font style and size margin settings whether letters should be justified or not type of bullet point to be used etc.

Summary of house style factors Font style and colour Size of font Style and position of headings Spacing Justification of the text Size of the margins Position of date, references and addressee’s details on letters. A house style means any documents from the organisation are instantly recognisable as being from that organisation and means that everyone in the organisation knows what any letter, invoice, internal report etc should look like and presents a unified, professional image.

Your written communication must be suitable for Fit for purpose Your written communication must be suitable for the intended nature, purpose, reader type of information to be communicated. It is important to know the purpose and audience of any information to be communicated to ensure The correct degree of formality to be used The level of technical content The depth of information required. The type of information will dictate the type of communication – if the content is formal, it is likely to require a letter.

Every written communication should … be presented in the format required adhere to agreed business conventions have the correct degree of formality be unambiguous in meaning be accurate in terms of grammar and spelling and details included. be completed by the required deadline. Whatever the written method of communication, it is important that the product is accurate and readable. Carefully check all documents for sense and accuracy before sending them. Use the spell and grammar check on your word processor, but beware also of homophones where mistakes can often occur – their/there; site/sight; to/too/two; etc. Watch out for keying errors like out/our or form/from. No spell checker will identify homophonic or keying errors. The secret lies in careful proofreading.

Accuracy Correct grammar Sentence structure Punctuation Spelling. This is important for: Understanding Impression Liability. Correct grammar – may seem old fashioned but its purpose is to ensure everyone correctly understands the intended meaning. Sentence structure – the way the sentences are formed should make the message easy to read and understand. Ask a colleague to read through your written work to see if they can easily understand what you mean. Punctuation – again makes understanding easier for the reader. Compare the meaning of the following sentence punctuated in different ways: ‘Woman without her man, is nothing.’ ‘Woman: without her man is nothing.’ Spelling – incorrect spelling (especially incorrect use of homophones such as there/their) give the reader a very poor impression of the writer. Understanding – it is essential that the intended message is understood; misunderstandings lead inevitably to wasted time and create bad feeling. Impression – an organisation’s image rides on the quality of its external communications: if a web page is full of misspelt words and poorly punctuated and constructed sentences, it may make the reader think it is not a professional organisation or one they can trust. Liability – written communications leave a lasting record, for this reason it is important that they contain information that is not open to misinterpretation or that could lead to legal proceedings for breach of promise.

General rule for structuring communications Introduction Main content Summary. When producing documents, the information needs to be presented in a logical order in a way that makes it easy for the reader to understand. It is useful to split the information into an introduction, the main part of the communication and a summary that could be a conclusion, the action to be taken next or simply a close to the communication.

Methods to structure information Paragraphs to separate the text into readable chunks. Headings to group information according to topic and indicate to the reader in advance the subject of the text. Paragraphs Sometimes it is useful to number paragraphs to show a specific order. Similarly, bullet points can be used when there is no specific order required. Headings Provide a summary in a single line or just a few words of the content of the text. Summarising information that you read or hear is an important skill. Get into the habit of highlighting the important information and discarding that which is unnecessary for your purpose.

Readability Ensure communications are written in such a way as to be easy to understand for the reader Do not using technical jargon or over-complicated sentences. Keep sentences concise – to the point. Don’t be tempted to slip in extra words: phrases such as ‘true facts’, ‘advance planning’, ‘honest truth’ are all twice the length they need to be! All facts are true, all planning is done in advance and the truth is honest by definition!