Completing Business Messages

Chapter 5: Learning Objectives Learn how to… Evaluate drafts and Proofread Checklist Ensure that each message follows main idea/thesis and has a logical order, as per business Message Outline Improve readability -Modifiers Improve clarity and concision -Parallelism -Redundancy Use software tools for revision-thesaurus, dictionary, Grammarly Use principles of effective design for document readability- White space, margins, titles Distribute your message

Tips for Success “Revision can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be: it’s simply reading your own work with a critical eye, and it’s necessary if you want to write well. The art of writing is really the art of revision.” -Leo Babauta, Author and blogger

Revising Your Message

Evaluating Drafts and Proofread Content and Correctness, Organization, and Tone. Your work, and the work of others Content and Correctness: Accurate, relevant, complete, grammar and usage. **when evaluating someone’s work: Focus on making the piece you are editing more effective, not on being more like something you would have written. Organization: Logical and convincing order Important ideas have the most space and greatest emphasis Repetition Logical grouping of details Tone: Formal, but not too formal

Editing for Clarity and Conciseness

Proofreading Your Message Make multiple passes Use perceptual tricks Obtain impartial reviews Distance yourself Be vigilant Stay focused Practice caution

Largest Problems: Clarity And Conciseness Run-On sentences/poor sentence structure Redundancy- repetition, too many adjectives (enthusiasm??) Faulty parallelism Dangling, squinting and misplaced modifiers

Redundancy Redundancy is the using of unnecessary words or using them for a second time (repetition). E.g. -If all of us cooperate together, we will succeed. -• If all of us cooperate, we will succeed. • If all of us work together, we will succeed The three brothers had nothing in common with each other. The three brothers had nothing in common.

Parallelism Parallelism is the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction. Look out for faulty parallelism when any of the following constructions are present: -a and b -a, b, and c. -a or b -not only a, but also b e.g. I like to walk and biking. I not only like to eat cheese, but also eating crackers. In order for Elise and Josh to finish repairing the walls, they will tape, fill, and finish painting the walls.

Modifiers A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause which functions as an adjective or an adverb to describe a word or make its meaning more specific. Examples: Adjectives: modify a noun. E.g. pink bunny, hyper child, Adverbs: modify a verb e.g. run quickly, read thoughtfully, hastily grab, Toughie!! “ONLY”-functions as both!!!-modifies whatever it is closest to! “John hit Peter in the nose.” -Only John hit Peter in the nose. (John was the sole hitter)-adjective -John hit only Peter in the nose. (hit one person)- adjective -John hit Peter in the nose only. (just the nose was hit)-adjective -John only hit Peter in the nose. (the nose was hit, not scraped, punched or ?)-adverb

Using Technology to Revise Your Message Revision tracking (MS Word) Commenting (MS Word) Spell checkers: watch out for homonyms Thesaurus: not all suggestions are correct for your situation Grammar Checker: limited ability to identify mistakes. (Grammarly.com) Style checker: can suggest word alternatives and promote consistency

Activities 1) Complete practice sheets to practice clarity and grammar -modifiers, parallelism, redundancy -3 booklets with extra explanation. 2) Complete in Text Chapter 5- Apply Your Knowledge #1-5, pg. 105 3) Practice Your Skills-Exercises for Perfecting Your Writing pg. 105 #1-21, 30-41, 46-49 4) Activities- Pg. 107, #1,4, and 5

Producing Your Message

Designing for Readability Balance Simplicity Consistency

Designing for Readability White space Headings Margins Layout Typefaces Typestyles

White Space- Element of Design

Typefaces and Typestyles Enough said. You should not use more than 2 or 3 typefaces or fonts in a document

Designing Multimedia Documents Creative and technical skills Tools Time and cost Content Message structure Compatibility

Distributing Your Message Distribution Method Cost Convenience Time Security and Privacy

Real-World Applications Why should you let your draft “age” a day before you begin the revision process?

Real-World Applications Why is it important that your business messages be clear and concise?

Real-World Applications How does design contribute to a document’s overall effectiveness?

Chapter 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media

Learning Objectives Electronic media for brief messages and compositional modes Social networks, user-generated content sites, and community Q&A sites Applying the three-step writing process to email messages Applying the three-step writing process to blogging and microblogging Applying the three-step writing process to podcasts

Tips for Success “Customer reviews in the hotel industry are king.” -Mandy Farmer, President, Accent Inns

Using Electronic Media for Business Communication

Media Choices for Brief Messages Social networking Email Instant messaging Text messaging Blogging and microblogging Podcasting Online video

The Human Side of Electronic Communication Keep emotions in check Remember that electronic messages are permanent Try face-to-face when electronic communication fails Respect information security and privacy

Compositional Modes for Electronic Media Conversations Comments and critiques Orientations Summaries Reference materials Narratives Teasers Status updates and announcements Tutorials

Communicating on Networking, UGC, and Community Q&A Sites

Social Networks Gathering market intelligence Recruiting and connecting Marketing communication Fostering brand communities Location-based social networking Facebook MySpace LinkedIn Specialized networks

User-Generated Content Sites Make it valuable Make it easy find, consume, and share Keep it short YouTube Flickr

Community Q&A Sites Dedicated customer support sites: Get Satisfaction Public sites: Yahoo! Answers Members only sites: LinkedIn Answers Build your personal brand Demonstrate commitment to customer service Counter misinformation

Creating Effective Email Messages

Planning Email Messages Ensure every message is useful Distribute only to necessary recipients Respect the chain of command

Writing Email Messages Write compelling and informative subject lines “Tweetify” the opening lines of email messages Business email is not equal to personal email

Completing Email Messages Include an email signature Check before you send Revise and Proofread Favour simplicity

Creating Effective Instant Messages and Text Messages

Understanding the Benefits and Risks of IM Rapid response Low cost Conversational feel Device compatibility Security User authentication Archiving Competing IM systems “Spim”

Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful IM Planning IM messages requires the same care as other types of communication Writing business IMs is more formal than writing personal IMs Completing IMs requires checking carefully before sending

Creating Effective Business Blogs

Understanding the Business Applications of Blogging Project management Crisis communication Company news Market research Brainstorming Customer support Viral marketing Public and media Relations Media influence Recruiting Employee engagement Policy and issue discussions Community building Continual information stream

Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful Blogging Plan for an entire communication channel Consider your audience, purpose and scope Write with a personal style Provide value Curate Evaluate content and readability Provide newsfeed capability Use tagging

Creating Effective Podcasts

Understanding the Business Applications of Podcasting Replace traditional audio and video Training Marketing Sales Recruiting

Real-World Applications Is it ever okay to use an indirect approach when writing an email? How can you put off the bad news when you have to state your purpose in the subject line?

Real-World Applications For what purpose could a company use social networking technologies? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this technology from the company’s point of view?

Real-World Applications Why do you think good internal communication improves employee attitudes and performance?

Real-World Applications What do you think is important about matching the formality of your message to the formality of the situation and audience expectations?