Writing Business Messages Business communications

The Basics Writing Business Messages Planning Composing Revising

Planning Identifying Your Purpose Why am I sending this message? Inform Request information Give responses Confirm decisions Provide directions Textbook: 35-43: Understand each step of planning

Planning: Objective What do you want to achieve? Inform Persuade Promote Goodwill

Planning: Choose a Channel Blog E-mail Face-to-face conversation Face-to-face group meeting Fax Instant message (chat) Letter Memo Phone call Report or proposal Voice mail message Videoconference wiki Textbook: page 36 chart

Planning: Analyze the Audience Primary Audience Who is it? Relationship? Position? Knowledge? Expected Response?

Planning: Analyze the Audience Secondary Audience Who else is it? Difference to primary audience? More background information? Reshape message?

Composing Adapting to the Task and Audience Be careful of the tone Tone- how the receiver feels upon getting a message Provide Audience Benefits Use empathy Use “You” Language

example

Audience Benefits Sender Focus Audience Focus The human resources Department requires that the enclosed questionnaire be completed immediately so that we can allocate our training resource funds to employees. Our warranty becomes effective only when we receive an owner’s registration. We are proud to announce our new software virus checker that we think is the best on the market.

Audience Benefits Sender Focus Audience Focus The Human Resources Department requires that the enclosed questionnaire be completed immediately so that we can allocate funds to employees. By filling out the enclosed questionnaires, you can be one of the first employees to sign up for our training resource fund. Our warranty becomes effective only when we receive an owner’s registration. Your warranty begins working for you as soon as you return your owner’s registration. We are proud to announce our new software virus checker that we think is the best on the market. Now you can be sure that all your computers will be protected with our real-time virus scanning.

Audience Benefits “I/We” View “You” View I’m asking all employees to respond to the attached survey about working conditions. I have granted you permission to attend the communication seminar. We have shipped your order by UPS, and we are sure it will arrive in time for your sales promotion December 1. Because your ideas count, please complete the attached survey about working conditions. You may attend the seminar to improve your communication skills. Your order will be delivered by UPS in time for your sales promotion December 1.

Organizing the e-mail Subject line Must be informative Summarize central idea Abbreviate Make your subject line talk (verb) Capitalize initial letter of principal words Query: Request:

Organizing the e-mail Start with a greeting: Dear Mr. Thorne, Hi Carol, Thank you Sylvia, Janet,

Organizing the e-mail Opening with the main idea Front load Restate the purpose

Organizing the e-mail Explaining in the Body Cover only one area Keep the e-mail less than 100 words Use white space Double space between paragraphs Use bullets if possible Listing Giving instructions

Closing Include cordial expressions Include your name All the best Warm regards Best wishes Include your name Include a signature block 5 or fewer lines

E-mail assignment Find a partner Select a proverb in Arabic Organize a 1-2 minute oral presentation for next week You must do the following: show the proverb in English on a PPT slide explain the primary Emirati/Arab/Islamic cultural value it represents.

E-mail assignment E-mail due Wednesday, February 29 One member of your group (only 2 people per group maximum) needs to email me the following: the names and ID numbers of the partners the English translation of your proverb. If more than one group selects the same proverb, the first group to email me will be allow to present it and the others will be required to find another proverb.

E-mail assignment Include the following: To: robyn.albers@zu.ac.ae Cc: your partner Subject line (proper capitalization) Greeting Opening line Body Remember to include audience benefits Closing Signature block Correctly written e-mails will earn you BOTH credit.