Completing Business Messages Chapter 6 Completing Business Messages Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Learning Objectives Discuss the value of careful revision and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your first drafts and the work of other writers List four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages Describe eight steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing and give four tips on making your writing more concise LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to do the following: Discuss the value of careful revision, and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your first drafts and the work of other writers List four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages Describe eight steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and give four tips on making your writing more concise Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Learning Objectives List four principles of effective design, and explain the role of major design elements in document readability Explain the importance of proofreading and give eight tips for successful proofreading Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to do the following: 4. List four principles of effective design, and explain the role of major design elements in document readability 5. Explain the importance of proofreading, and give eight tips for successful proofreading 6. Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Revising Your Message The revision task can vary somewhat, depending on the medium and the nature of your message. For informal messages to internal audiences via electronic media, the revision process is often as simple as quickly looking over your message to correct mistakes before sending or posting it. However, do not fall into the common trap of thinking that the fundamentals of good writing are unimportant. These qualities can be even more important in electronic media, particularly if these messages are the only contact your audience has with you. With more complex messages, try to put your draft aside for a day or two before you begin the revision process so that you can approach the material with a fresh eye. Then, start with the “big picture,” making sure that the document accomplishes your overall goals before moving to finer points such as readability, clarity, and conciseness. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Evaluating Your First Draft After you have completed a first draft, you may be tempted to breathe a sigh of relief, send the message on its way, and move on to the next project. Resist this temptation. Successful communicators recognize that the first draft is rarely as tight, clear, and compelling as it needs to be. Careful revision can mean the difference between a rambling, unfocused message and a lively, direct message that gets results. The third step of the three-step writing process involves four key tasks: revising your message and then producing, proofreading, and distributing it. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Evaluating Your Message To evaluate the content of your message, answer these questions: ● Is the information accurate? ● Is the information relevant to the audience? ● Is there enough information to satisfy the readers’ needs? ● Is there a good balance between general information (giving readers enough background information to appreciate the message) and specific information (giving readers the details they need to understand the message)? When you are satisfied with the content of your message, you can review its organization. Answer another set of questions: ● Are all the points covered in the most logical order? ● Do the most important ideas receive the most space, and are they placed in the most prominent positions? ● Would the message be more convincing if it were arranged in another sequence? ● Are any points repeated unnecessarily? ● Are details grouped together logically, or are some still scattered throughout the document? Next, consider whether you have achieved the right tone for your audience. Is your writing formal enough to meet the audience’s expectations without being too formal or academic? Is it too casual for a serious subject? Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Evaluating, Editing, and Revising the Work of Others Help the Writer Succeed Understand the Writer’s Intent At many points in your career, you will be asked to evaluate, edit, or revise the work of others. Before you dive into someone else’s work, recognize the dual responsibility that doing so entails. First, unless you have specifically been asked to rewrite something in your own style, remember that your job is to help the other writer succeed at his or her task, not to impose your writing style or pursue your own agenda. In other words, make sure your input focuses on making the piece more effective, not on making it more like something you would have written. Second, make sure you understand the writer’s intent before you begin suggesting or making changes. If you try to edit or revise without knowing what the writer hoped to accomplish, you run the risk of making the piece less effective, not more. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Revising to Improve Readability Vary sentence length Keep paragraphs short Use lists to clarify and emphasize Add headings and subheadings After checking the content, organization, style, and tone of your message, make a second pass to improve readability. Most professionals are inundated with more reading material than they can ever hope to consume, and they’ll appreciate your efforts to make your documents easier to read. You’ll benefit from this effort, too: If you earn a reputation for creating well-crafted documents that respect the audience’s time, people will pay more attention to your work. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Varying Your Sentence Length Short (up to 15 words) Medium (15–25 words) Long (over 25 words) Effective documents usually combine a mixture of sentences that are short (up to 15 words), medium (15–25 words), and long (more than 25 words). Each sentence length has advantages. Short sentences can be processed quickly, and they are easier for non-native speakers and translators to interpret. Medium-length sentences show relationships between ideas. Long sentences are good for conveying complex ideas, listing multiple related points, and summarizing or previewing information. Each sentence length has disadvantages. Use of too many short sentences leads to choppy, disconnected writing. Medium sentences lack the punch of short sentences and the informative power of longer sentences. Long sentences can be hard to understand, since they are packed with information. They are also harder to skim because readers can absorb only a few words at a glance. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Keeping Your Paragraphs Short Most business readers are put off by large blocks of text, so the optimum paragraph length is short to medium in most cases. Unless you break up your thoughts somehow, you will end up with lengthy paragraphs that are guaranteed to intimidate even the most dedicated reader. Short paragraphs, generally 100 words or fewer, are easier to read than long ones, and they make your writing look inviting. You can also emphasize ideas by isolating them in short, forceful paragraphs. However, do not go overboard with short paragraphs. In particular, be careful to use one-sentence paragraphs occasionally and only for emphasis. Furthermore, if you need to divide a subject into several pieces in order to keep paragraphs short, be sure to help your readers keep the ideas connected by guiding them with plenty of transitional elements. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Using Lists to Clarify and Emphasize Show sequence of ideas Heighten visual impact Emphasize key points Simplify complex subjects Provide visual breaks Expedite skimming process An effective alternative to using conventional sentences is to set off important ideas in a list—a series of words, names, or other items. Lists can show the sequence of your ideas, heighten their impact visually, and increase the likelihood that a reader will find key points. In addition, lists help simplify complex subjects, break up a page or screen visually, and ease the skimming process for busy readers. Regardless of the format you choose, the items in a list should be parallel; that is, they should all use the same grammatical pattern. For example, if one list item begins with a verb, every item should begin with a verb. If one item is a noun phrase, every item should be a noun phrase. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Adding Headings and Subheadings Descriptive Headings Informative Organization Attention Connection A heading is a brief title that tells readers about the content of the section that follows. Subheadings are subordinate to headings, indicating subsections within a major section. Headings and subheadings serve these important functions: Headings show your reader (at a glance) how the document is organized. They act as labels to group related paragraphs and organize lengthy material into shorter sections. Informative, inviting, and in some cases intriguing, headings grab the reader’s attention; making the text easier to read, and helping the reader find the parts he or she needs to read. Using headings and subheadings together helps readers make the connection between main ideas and subordinate ones so that they can understand your message more easily. Moreover, headings and subheadings visually indicate shifts from one idea to the next. Headings fall into two categories. Descriptive headings, such as “Cost Considerations,” identify a topic but do little more. Informative headings, such as “A New Way to Cut Costs,” guide readers to think a certain way about the topic. Whatever headings you choose, keep them brief and use parallel construction throughout the entire document. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Editing for Clarity Long Sentences Hedging Sentences Faulty Parallelism Dangling Modifiers Long Noun Sequences Camouflaged Verbs Sentence Structure Awkward References Once you have reviewed and revised your message for readability, use the following guidelines to make sure that your message is clear: Break up overly long sentences. Do not connect too many clauses with coordinating conjunctions. Long, complicated sentences are difficult to read and understand. Rewrite hedging sentences. Sometimes you have to use phrases such as it may be or it seems that to avoid stating a judgment as a fact. Nevertheless, when you have too many such “hedges,” you come across as being unsure of what you are saying. Impose parallelism. When you have two or more similar (parallel) ideas to express, use the same grammatical pattern for each related idea. Parallelism can be achieved by repeating the pattern in words, phrases, clauses, or entire sentences. Correct dangling modifiers. Sometimes a modifier is not just an adjective or an adverb but an entire phrase modifying a noun or a verb. Be careful not to leave this type of modifier dangling with no connection to the subject of the sentence. Reword long noun sequences. When nouns are strung together as modifiers, the resulting sentence is hard to read. You can clarify the sentence by putting some of the nouns in a modifying phrase. Although you add a few more words, your audience will not have to work as hard to understand the sentence. Replace camouflaged verbs. Avoid changing verbs into nouns and adjectives, which then require the use of another verb just to get your point across. To enliven your messages, use verbs instead of noun phrases. Clarify sentence structure. Keep the subject and predicate of a sentence as close together as possible. When a subject and predicate are too far apart, readers have to read the sentence more than once to figure out who did what. Likewise, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases usually make the most sense when they are placed as close as possible to the words they modify. Clarify awkward references. Business writers sometimes use expressions such as the above-mentioned, as mentioned above, the aforementioned, the former, the latter, and respectively. These words cause readers to jump from point to point, which hinders effective communication. Instead, use specific references, even if you must add a few more words. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Revising for Clarity Issues to Review Ineffective Effective Overly Long Sentences Taking compound sentences too far The magazine will be published January 1, and I’d better meet the deadline if I want my article included because we want the article to appear before the trade show. The magazine will be published January 1. I’d better meet the deadline because we want the article to appear before the trade show. Dangling Modifiers Placing modifiers close to the wrong nouns and verbs Walking to the office, a red sports car passed her. [suggests that the car was walking to the office] A red sports car passed her while she was walking to the office. Once you have reviewed and revised your message for readability, use the following guidelines to make sure that your message is clear: Break up overly long sentences. Do not connect too many clauses with coordinating conjunctions. Long, complicated sentences are difficult to read and understand. Rewrite hedging sentences. Sometimes you have to use phrases such as it may be or it seems that to avoid stating a judgment as a fact. Nevertheless, when you have too many such “hedges,” you come across as being unsure of what you are saying. Impose parallelism. When you have two or more similar (parallel) ideas to express, use the same grammatical pattern for each related idea. Parallelism can be achieved by repeating the pattern in words, phrases, clauses, or entire sentences. Correct dangling modifiers. Sometimes a modifier is not just an adjective or an adverb but an entire phrase modifying a noun or a verb. Be careful not to leave this type of modifier dangling with no connection to the subject of the sentence. Reword long noun sequences. When nouns are strung together as modifiers, the resulting sentence is hard to read. You can clarify the sentence by putting some of the nouns in a modifying phrase. Although you add a few more words, your audience will not have to work as hard to understand the sentence. Replace camouflaged verbs. Avoid changing verbs into nouns and adjectives, which then require the use of another verb just to get your point across. To enliven your messages, use verbs instead of noun phrases. Clarify sentence structure. Keep the subject and predicate of a sentence as close together as possible. When a subject and predicate are too far apart, readers have to read the sentence more than once to figure out who did what. Likewise, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases usually make the most sense when they are placed as close as possible to the words they modify. Clarify awkward references. Business writers sometimes use expressions such as the above-mentioned, as mentioned above, the aforementioned, the former, the latter, and respectively. These words cause readers to jump from point to point, which hinders effective communication. Instead, use specific references, even if you must add a few more words. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Editing for Conciseness Delete unnecessary words and phrases Shorten long words and phrases Eliminate redundancies Recast “It is/There are” starters Once you have edited your sentences for clarity, focus on conciseness. Three-fourths of the executives who participated in one survey complained that most written messages are too long. Use the following guidelines to write concisely: Delete unnecessary words and phrases. Some combinations of words have more efficient, one-word equivalents. In addition, avoid the clutter of too many or poorly placed relative pronouns (who, that, which). Even articles can be excessive (such as repeating the in a list of items). Shorten long words and phrases. Short words and phrases are generally more vivid and easier to read than long ones. Eliminate redundancies. In some word combinations, the words tend to say the same thing. For instance, “visible to the eye” is redundant because visible is enough, without further clarification. Recast “It is/There are” starters. If you start a sentence with an indefinite pronoun, such as it or there, odds are that the sentence could be shorter and more active. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Revising for Conciseness Issues to Review Ineffective Effective Unnecessary Words and Phrases Using Wordy Phrases for the sum of in the event that prior to the start of for if before Redundancies Repeating Meanings absolutely complete basic fundamentals follows after free and clear complete fundamentals follows free Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Using Technology to Revise Your Message Use technology when it is time to revise and polish your message. Avoid drudgery and minimize errors with word-processing functions such as cut and paste and search and replace. Software tools such as revision tracking and commenting can keep track of proposed editing changes electronically and provide a history of a document’s revisions. In addition to the many revision tools, the following four software functions can help to bring out the best in your documents: A spell checker compares your document with an electronic dictionary, highlights unrecognized words, and suggests correct spellings. A computer thesaurus gives you alternative words, just as a printed thesaurus does. The grammar checker can perform some helpful review tasks and highlight items you should consider changing, such as passive voice, long sentences, and frequently misused words. A style checker can monitor your word and sentence choices and suggest alternatives that might produce more effective writing. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Comments Attached to a PDF File Reviewers can use a variety of tools to modify text, insert comments, record audio commentary, and “rubber stamp” documents. All the comments, corrections, and other markups are listed in order and can be filtered by reviewer. Figure 6.4 Comments Attached to a PDF File Adobe Acrobat lets reviewers attach comments to any document in PDF format, even if it was originally created using software the reviewers don’t have. Source: Adobe product screenshot reprinted with permission from Adobe Systems Incorporated. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Producing the Message Production Quality Effectiveness Professionalism Importance Effectiveness Now it is time to put your hard work on display. The production quality of your message—the total effect of page design, graphical elements, typography, screen presence, and so on—plays an important role in its effectiveness. A polished, inviting design not only makes your document easier to read but also conveys a sense of professionalism and importance. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Designing for Readability Design affects readability in two important ways. First, if done carefully, design elements can improve the effectiveness of your message. If done poorly, design elements can act as barriers, blocking your communication. Second, the visual design itself sends a nonverbal message to your readers, influencing their perceptions of the communication before they read a single word. Effective design guides your readers through your message, so be sure that your business documents are based on the following elements: Consistency. Throughout a message, be consistent in your use of margins, typeface, type size, and spacing. Also be consistent when using recurring design elements, such as vertical lines, columns, and borders. Balance. To create a pleasing design, balance all visual elements, including text, artwork, and white space. Detail. Pay attention to details that affect your design and thus your message. For instance, headings and subheadings that appear at the bottom of a column or a page can confuse readers when the promised information does not appear until the next column or page, and narrow columns with too much space between words can be distracting. Restraint. Strive for simplicity in design. Do not clutter your message with too many design elements, too much highlighting, or too many decorative touches. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Design Techniques You can make both printed and electronic messages more effective by understanding the use of white space, margins, line justification, typefaces, and type styles. White space provides visual contrast for your readers, and gives them a resting point. White space includes the open area surrounding headings and margins, the vertical space between columns, the space created by ragged line endings, and indents or extra space between paragraphs. Margins define the space around your text and between text columns. They are influenced by the way you place lines of type, which can be set (1) justified (flush on the left and flush on the right), (2) flush left with a ragged right margin, (3) flush right with a ragged left margin, or (4) centered. Justified type is frequently used in magazines, newspapers, and books because it can accommodate more text in a given space. However, without special attention from experienced designers, justified paragraphs often have awkward gaps and variable spacing between words and letters. Typeface refers to the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters. Serif typefaces (such as Times New Roman) have small cross lines (serifs) at the ends of each letter stroke, and are commonly used for text. Sans serif typefaces (such as Arial) have no serifs. They are ideal for display treatments that use larger type. Type style refers to any modification that lends contrast or emphasis to type, such as boldface, italics, underlining, and other highlighting and decorative styles. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Designing Multimedia Documents Multimedia documents can convey large amounts of information quickly, engage people in multiple ways, express emotions, and allow recipients to personalize the communication process to their own needs. To design and create multimedia documents, you need to consider the following factors: Creative and technical skills. Depending on what you need to accomplish, creating and integrating multimedia elements can require some creative and technical skills. Fortunately, many basic tasks, such as adding video clips to a web page, have gotten much easier in recent years. Tools. The hardware and software tools needed to create and integrate media elements are now widely available and generally affordable. Time and cost. Even though the time and cost of creating multimedia documents have dropped dramatically in recent years, you still need to consider these elements. Make sure that the time and money you plan to spend will be paid back in communication effectiveness. Content. If you have the skills, time, and tools, you might be able to create graphics or other media elements. If not, you will need to find these items and secure the right to use them. Message structure. Multimedia documents often lack a rigid linear structure from beginning to end. You must plan for readers to take multiple, individualized paths through the material. Compatibility. Some multimedia elements will require specific software on the recipient‘s viewing device. Another challenge is the variety of screen sizes and resolutions, from oversize LCD monitors to tiny mobile phone displays. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Multimedia Tools The window at the left shows all the stored audio and video elements available for use. The window at the right previews the video or screencast, frame by frame. Figure 6.6 Multimedia Tools Desktop software tools such as the Camtasia screencasting program let business communicators assemble a variety of multimedia documents and presentations. Source: Copyright © 2012 by TechSmith Corporation. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Using Technology to Produce Your Message Templates and style sheets Page setup features Column and paragraph formatting Numbered and bulleted lists Information in tables Images, text boxes, and objects By improving the appearance of your documents, you will improve your readers’ impressions of you and your messages. The following are some production technology features that you can use: Templates and style sheets. You can save a tremendous amount of time by using templates and style sheets for print and online documents. Page setup. Use page setup to control margins, page orientation, and the location of headers and footers. Column formatting. Most business documents use a single column of text per page, but multiple columns can be an attractive format for documents such as newsletters. Paragraph formatting. Paragraph formatting controls can enhance the look of your documents. You can offset quotations by increasing margin width around a single paragraph, compress line spacing to fit a document on a single page, or use the “hanging indents” feature to offset the first line of a paragraph. Numbered and bulleted lists. Let your word processor or online publishing system do the busywork of formatting numbered and bulleted lists. Tables. Use tables to display any information that lends itself to rows and columns: calendars, numerical data, comparisons, and so on. Images, text boxes, and objects. Your word processor will accept a wide variety of images (using industry-standard formats such as JPEG or GIF). Text boxes are small blocks of text that stand apart from the main text (great for captions, callouts, margin notes, and so on). Objects can be anything from a spreadsheet to a sound clip to an engineering drawing. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Formatting Formal Letters Letterhead Stationery XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx Date Inside Address Salutation The Message Complimentary Close Signature Block Formal business letters usually follow certain design conventions. Most business letters appear on letterhead stationery, which includes the company’s name and address and other contact information. The first thing to appear after the letterhead is the date. Next comes the inside address, which identifies the person receiving the letter. After that comes the salutation, usually in the form of Dear Mr. or Ms. and then that person’s Last Name. The message comes next, often running several paragraphs and sometimes running over to a second page. After the message is the complimentary close, usually Sincerely or Cordially. Last comes the signature block: space for the signature, followed by the sender’s printed name and title. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Formatting Formal Memos XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx XXXX: xxxxxxxxxx XXXXXXX: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Memo Title Headings The Message Memos have largely been replaced by email, IM, and other electronic media in many companies, but they are still used in the workplace. Most memos begin with a title, such as Memo, Memorandum, or Interoffice Correspondence. Four headings usually follow: To, From, Date, and Subject (Re:, short for Regarding, is sometimes used instead of Subject). Memos usually do not include a salutation, complimentary close, or signature, although signing your initials next to your name on the From line is standard practice in most companies. Bear in mind that memos are often distributed without sealed envelopes, so they are less private than most other message formats. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Proofreading Your Message Create a Checklist to Check For: Writing Errors Design Flaws Layout Problems Review Production Issues Such As: Misspelled Words Punctuation Errors Inconsistent Fonts Problems with Page Numbers Look for two types of problems: (1) undetected mistakes from the writing, design, and layout stages; and (2) mistakes that crept in during production, anything from computer glitches such as missing fonts to broken web links to problems with the ink used in printing. Be particularly vigilant with complex documents and complex production processes that involve teams of people and multiple computers. Strange things can happen as files move from computer to computer, especially when many fonts and multimedia elements are involved. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Distributing Your Message With the production phase finished, you are ready to distribute the message. As with every other aspect of business communication, your options for distribution multiply with every advance in technology. When planning for distribution, consider the following factors: Cost. This is not a concern for most messages, but for lengthy reports or multimedia production, it might well be. Printing, binding, and delivering reports can be an expensive proposition, so weigh the cost versus the benefits before you decide. Convenience. How much work is involved for you and your audience? Although it is easy to attach a document to an email message, things might not be so simple for the people on the other end. Time. How soon does the message need to reach the audience? Do not waste money on overnight delivery if the recipient will not read the report for a week. Security and privacy. The convenience offered by IM, email, and other technologies needs to be weighed against security and privacy concerns. Distribution technologies continue to advance, so be on the lookout for new ways to put your messages into the hands of your audience. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Summary of Objectives This concludes the PowerPoint presentation on Chapter 6, “Completing Business Messages.” During this presentation, we have accomplished the following learning objectives: Discussed the value of careful revision, and described the tasks involved in evaluating your first drafts and the work of other writers Listed four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages Described eight steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and given four tips on making your writing more concise Listed four principles of effective design, and explained the role of major design elements in document readability Explained the importance of proofreading, and given eight tips for successful proofreading Discussed the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages For more information about these topics, refer to Chapter 6 in Excellence in Business Communication. Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Copyright © 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall