The Seven Components of Writing Style

1: Language Use simple language Remove unnecessary words Avoid clichés (over used words) Use specific language Use technical terms carefully Use non discriminatory language

2: Sentence Structure Sentence sprawl (too many ideas to grasp) Readability Punctuations

3: Paragraph Structure Subject Background Purpose opinion

4: Rhythm 5: Tone The “You” approach 6: Order of Information To inform To persuade To instruct

7: Lay Out Headings Numbering Underlining Indenting White space

Defining Audiences Your audience’s knowledge level Adapting to your audience’s knowledge level Adapting to different knowledge levels

Audience Roles Their needs and their task Writing to an operator and writing to a decision maker Switching roles Audiences organizational distance

Elements of distance Formality and power Adapting to the Audiences Distance 1: Audience Near 2: Audience far and below 3: Audience far and above 4: Multiple audiences

LECTURE 11 Audience Analysis

Audience attitudes Feelings about message and sender Expectations of form

Identifying your Audiences The initial audience A gatekeeper The primary audience The secondary audience The key decision makers A watchdog audience (using political, social,economic powers)

An Introvert Write a memo and let the reader think about your proposal before responding An Extrovert Try out your idea orally, in an informal setting An Intuitive type Present the big picture first; stress the creative aspect of your proposal

A Thinking type Use logic, not emotions to persuade show that your proposal is fair, even if some people may be hurt by it. A Feeling type Show that your proposal meets the emotional needs of people as well as the dollar-and-cent needs of the organization A Perceiving type Show that you have considered all the alternatives. Ask for a decision by a specific date. A Judging type Present your request quickly

What will the audience’s initial reaction be to the message? In a subject line show that this message is important Make the action as easy as possible Suggest a realistic deadline Keep the message short and to the point

How much information does the audience need? Define terms, Explain concepts Use examples Link new information to old one Use paragraphs and headings to break up new information into related chunks Test the initial draft on your own

What obstacles must you overcome? Start your message with an area of agreement or common ground that you share with your reader Make a special effort to be clear Avoid statements that may arouse anger in the reader Limit your statement or request to the smallest possible area Show that your solution is the best

What expectations does the audience have about the appropriate language, structure and form of your message? Avoid contractions Avoid terms that carry emotional charges e.g. criminal, feminist, fundamentalist, liberal etc. Use first name sparingly Direct or indirect structure Use footnotes Number items Bullets Give your contact/organization.

Analyzing Individuals Perception Emotions Gender Education Profession Social background

Some authentic Observations: Audience 1: Bureaucratic, prefers to work alone and carefully .He is very consistent, likes facts and statistics (Controller) To motivate him write in a matter of fact tone, incorporate a good deal of information, including methods and data, instead of stating one conclusion, offer various options .Emphasize tradition, process and system.

Audience 2: Your boss is enthusiastic, idealistic, a cheerleader, he is creative and is eager to change things based on his ideals. Sometimes prejudiced (Crusader).To persuade a crusader adopt an enthusiastic and informative tone .Emphasize how your ideas tie to his ideals or “dreams” .Remember he will be persuaded by the value of the idea itself.

Audience 3: He is a “Peoples’ Person” Audience 3: He is a “Peoples’ Person” .He works as part of a team, does not like to make decisions to change things, and will avoid conflicts and risks (Collaborator). To persuade a collaborator adopt a trusting and non-threatening tone. Avoid long, detailed, enthusiastic, explanations. Back up your argument from the organizational policies or goals you know he agrees with.

Audience 4: Your boss is a “Business Person”; he likes action and results, and bases decisions for change on results, not ideals. He is decisive and efficient, sometimes even domineering (Commander). To persuade him, adopt an efficient and results-oriented tone. You might prefer a short summary format, stating your own conclusions and recommendations clearly. Since commanders are motivated by results and power, emphasize the outcome for the company as well as “what is in it for them”?