1. Organization, Structure, and quality in Business Writing
BUS3382 Business Communications
Troy University

2. Organizing Business Writing
Direct Strategy
Receiver is receptive
Receiver requires no education about topic
Message is routine
Indirect Strategy
Receiver may be upset or hostile
Receiver must be persuaded or educated
Message is sensitive

3. Organizing Business Writing
Paragraph Coherence
Repeat a key idea or key words.
Use a pronoun.
Use an appropriate transitional expression.
Time Association
Cause-Effect
Contrast
Active voice--Use for most business writing.
Passive Voice--Use to emphasize an action or the recipient of the action–rather than the actor or to break bad news

4. Structuring Business Writing
Common types of documents s
Memos
Letters
Reports

5. E-mails Subject Line Summarize message clearly and concisely.
Avoid meaningless one-word headings, such as "Help" or "Urgent."
Opening
Frontload main idea immediately.
Avoid reviewing background.

6. E-mails, cont’d Body Organize information and explanations logically.
Cover just one topic.
Use numbered and bulleted lists.
Consider adding headings for visual impact.
Closing
End with action information, dates, and deadlines.
Summarize the message.
Provide a closing thought.

7. Memos Include Guide Words Date: To: From: Subject:
Set left and right margins of 1.25 inches.
Single-space the body.

8. Letters Outdated writing style: produce a permanent record.
are confidential.
convey formality and sensitivity.
deliver persuasive, well- considered messages.
Parts of Letters
Letterhead
Dateline
Inside Address
Salutation
Body
Complimentary closing
Signature/Name

9. Reports Prefatory Parts Title page Letter of transmittal
Table of contents
List of figures
Executive summary

10. Reports, cont’d Body of Report Introduction or background
Discussion of findings
Summary, conclusions, recommendations
Supplementary Parts of a Formal Report
Footnotes or endnotes
Works cited, references, or bibliography
Appendix

11. Quality of Information
Develop a variety of effective sentences
Simple
Complex
Compound
Compound-complex
Improve writing techniques
Develop parallelism, balanced construction
Avoid dangling and misplaced modifiers

12. Quality of Information, cont’d
Draft powerful paragraphs
Include a topic sentence and support sentences that expand and explain the main idea
Use techniques to build coherence
Repeat a key idea or key words
Use a pronoun
Use an appropriate transitional expression