Chapter 6 Organizing and Writing Business Messages Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Copyright © 2003

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 2 Formal Research Methods Search manually – books, articles, and other secondary sources Access electronically – Internet, databases, CD-ROMs Investigate primary sources – interviews, surveys, focus groups Experiment scientifically – tests with experimental and control groups

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 3 Informal Research and Idea Generation Look in office files. Talk with your boss. Interview the target audience. Conduct an informal survey. Brainstorm for ideas. Develop a cluster diagram.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 4 Using a Cluster Diagram to Generate Ideas 1. In the center of a clean sheet of paper, write your topic name and circle it. 2. Around the circle, record any topic ideas that pop into your mind. 3. Circle each separate area. 4. Avoid censoring ideas. 5. If ideas seem related, join them with lines; don’t spend time on organization just yet.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 5 Organizing Data Listing and outlining Grouping ideas into patterns. Direct pattern for receptive audiences Indirect pattern for unreceptive audiences

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 6 Organizing Cluster Diagram Ideas Into Subclusters Analyze the idea generated in the original cluster diagram. Cross out ideas that are obviously irrelevant; simplify and clarify. Add new ideas that seem appropriate. Study the ideas for similarities. Tips

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 7 Group similar ideas into classifications (such as Purpose, Content, Development, and Form). If the organization seems clear at this point, prepare an outline. For further visualization, make subcluster circles around each classification. Organizing Cluster Diagram Ideas Into Subclusters Tips

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 8 Audience Response Determines Pattern of Organization If pleasedIf neutral DIRECT PATTERN Good News or Main Idea If mildly interested

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 9 Audience Response Determines Pattern of Organization If unwilling or uninterested If hostile INDIRECT PATTERN If displeased or disappointed Bad News or Main Idea

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 10 Composing

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 11 Creating Effective Sentences Recognize phrases and clauses. Use short sentences. Emphasize important ideas. Use the active voice for most sentences. Use the passive voice to deemphasize the performer and/or to be tactful. Avoid dangling and misplaced modifiers.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 12 Recognizing Phrases and Clauses Clauses have subjects and verbs; phrases do not. Independent clauses are complete; dependent clauses are not. Phrases and dependent clauses cannot function as sentences. Independent Clause: They were eating cold pizza. Dependent Clause: that they want to return for a refund Phrase: to return for a refund

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 13 Using Short Sentences Sentence Length 8 words 15 words 19 words 28 words Comprehension Rate 100% 90% 80% 50% Source: American Press Institute

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 14 Emphasizing Important Ideas Position the most important idea at the beginning of the sentence. Make sure the most important idea is the subject of the sentence. Place the main idea in a short sentence.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 15 Use the Active Voice for Most Sentences Active voice: We lost money. Active voice: I sent the message yesterday. (The subject is the performer.)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 16 Use the Passive Voice To Deemphasize the Performer and/or To Be Tactful Passive voice: Money was lost (by us). Passive voice: The message was sent yesterday (by me). (Passive voice test: Ask “By whom?” If you can fill in the performer, the verb is probably in the passive voice.)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 17 Avoid Dangling Modifiers Dangling modifier: To be hired, an application must be completed. Revision: To be hired, you must complete an application. Revision: To be hired, fill out an application. (In the last example, you is understood to be the subject of fill.)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 18 Avoid Misplaced Modifiers Misplaced modifier: The patient was referred to a psychiatrist with a severe emotional problem. Revision: The patient with a severe emotional problem was referred to a psychiatrist.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 19 Effective Paragraphs

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 20 Drafting effective paragraphs Discuss only one topic in each paragraph. Arrange sentences in a strategic plan. Link ideas to build coherence. Use transitional expressions for coherence. Compose short paragraphs for effective business messages. Effective Paragraphs

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 21 Discussing only one topic in each paragraph Group similar ideas together. Start a new paragraph for each new topic. Effective Paragraphs

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 22 Direct Plan: main sentence followed by supporting sentences (for defining, classifying, illustrating, and describing ideas) Pivoting Plan: limiting sentences, main sentence, supporting sentences (for comparing and contrasting) Arranging Sentences in a Strategic Plan Effective Paragraphs

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 23 Indirect Plan: supporting sentences, main sentence (for describing causes followed by effects) Arranging Sentences in a Strategic Plan Effective Paragraphs

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 24 Linking ideas to build coherence Sustain the key idea by repeating or rephrasing it. Use a pronoun (... to fulfill three goals. They are...). Dovetail sentences. Connect the beginning of each new sentence with a word from the end of the previous sentence (... to hire new employees. These employees...). Effective Paragraphs

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 25 Using transitional expressions for coherence Recommended expressions: additionally also as a result for example in other words therefore Effective Paragraphs

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4e Ch. 6, Slide 26 End