1. Planning Business Messages
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Excellence in Business Communication

2. Effective Business Writing
Purposeful
Audience-centered
Concise
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Excellence in Business Communication

3. Three-Step Writing Process
Planning your message
Writing your message
Completing your message
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Excellence in Business Communication

4. Excellence in Business Communication
Analyze the Situation
Purpose
Schedule
Audience
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Excellence in Business Communication

5. Excellence in Business Communication
Define Your Purpose
General
Inform
Persuade
Collaborate
Specific
Realism
Timing
Delivery
Acceptability
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Excellence in Business Communication

6. Excellence in Business Communication
Profile Your Audience
Identify primary audience
Determine size
Determine composition
Gauge level of understanding
Consider expectations and preferences
Estimate probable reaction
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Excellence in Business Communication

7. Excellence in Business Communication
Gather Information
Viewpoints of others
Reports and company documents
Supervisors, colleagues, customers
Audience input
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Excellence in Business Communication

8. Audience Information Needs
Required information
Accurate
Ethical
Pertinent
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Excellence in Business Communication

9. Excellence in Business Communication
Adapting the Message
Channel
Medium
Rapport
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Excellence in Business Communication

10. Communication Channel
Oral
Telephone
Face-to-face
Speeches
Electronic media
Written
Letters
Memos
Reports
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Excellence in Business Communication

11. Excellence in Business Communication
Media Richness
Informational cues
Feedback
Personal focus
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Excellence in Business Communication

12. Communication Channels
Use An Oral Channel
Use A Written Channel
Need immediate feedback
Relatively simple message
Don’t need permanent record
Easy to assemble audience
Encourage interaction
Don’t need immediate feedback
Detailed, complex message
Need permanent record
Large, dispersed audience
Minimize distortion
Primary oral communication media include face-to-face conversation, telephone calls, speeches, presentations, and meetings. Oral communication offers immediate feedback. This is the channel to use when you want the audience to ask questions and make comments or when you’re trying to reach a group decision. It’s also the best channel if your message has an emotional component and you want to read the audience’s body language or hear the tone of their response.
Written business messages can provide a permanent record of detailed, complex information. The most common written business messages are letters, memos, and reports. Both letters and memos can be classified by function into three categories: (1) routine, good-news, and goodwill messages; (2) bad-news messages; and (3) persuasive messages. Reports and proposals are factual, objective documents that may be distributed to insiders or outsiders. In length, they range from a few to several hundred pages, and they are generally more formal in tone than a typical business letter or memo.
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Excellence in Business Communication

13. Excellence in Business Communication
Electronic Media
Voice mail
Teleconferencing
Videotape
Computer conferencing
Faxing
Instant messaging
Web sites
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Excellence in Business Communication

14. Electronic Communication
Advantages
Speed
Time-zones
Dispersed audience
Disadvantages
Content issues
Privacy
Productivity
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Excellence in Business Communication

15. Relating to the Audience
Use the “you” attitude
Emphasize the positive
Establish credibility
Be polite
Use bias-free language
Project company’s image
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Excellence in Business Communication

16. Excellence in Business Communication
The “You” Attitude
Instead of this: To help us process this order, we must ask for another copy of the requisition.
Use this: So that your order can be filled promptly, please send another copy of the requisition.
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Excellence in Business Communication

17. Excellence in Business Communication
The “You” Attitude
Instead of this: You should never use that type of paper in the copy machine.
Use this: That type of paper doesn’t work very well in the copy machine.
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Excellence in Business Communication

18. Emphasize the Positive
Instead of this: It is impossible to repair your vacuum cleaner today.
Use this: Your vacuum cleaner will be ready by Tuesday.
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Excellence in Business Communication

19. Emphasize the Positive
Instead of this:
Cheap merchandise
Toilet paper
Used cars
High-calorie foods
Elderly person
Pimples and zits
Use this:
Bargain prices
Bathroom tissue
Resale cars
High-energy food
Senior citizen
Complexion problems
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Excellence in Business Communication

20. Establish Your Credibility
Find common ground
Explain your credentials
Refer to a trusted authority
Provide ample evidence
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Excellence in Business Communication

21. Politeness and Courtesy
Promote goodwill
Practice diplomacy
Use tact
Be prompt
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Excellence in Business Communication

22. Excellence in Business Communication
Bias-Free Language
Gender
Race or ethnicity
Age
Disability
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Excellence in Business Communication

23. Project the Company’s Image
Be a spokesperson
Convey the right impression
Minimize your own views
Maximize company interests
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Excellence in Business Communication