1. Communicating in Written Form
Topic 4-1
Topic 4-2
Topic 4-3
Regardless of your career choice, you will find that you will spend a considerable amount of time reading. On many occasions you will need to read on the job. You will find that reading is to understanding the total company that you work for. You will also need to read to complete your work tasks.

2. Reading and Writing at Work
Topic 4-1
Reading Skills
Effective Writing

3. Reading at Work Learn about your company
Vital to understanding how their work relates to the total company structure.
Understanding equipment instructions
Many times workers must read
Following instructions on forms
Simplifies the task of collecting appropriate and complete information
Critical to responding to inquiries
Many of the policies and procedures related to your job will be available in written form. Many policies and procedures related to your job will be available in written form. A manage may explain how a particular task is to be done or what policies are to be followed. You will find it helpful to read the written version of what is being presented.
Understanding Instructions for Equipment – Sometimes demonstrations of the equipment are provided however the employees are expected to read and follow the written instructions.
Forms are developed to simplify the task of collecting appropriate and complete information from customers, clients, investors etc. It is vitally important that the employees are able to gather the information from the forms.

4. Improving Reading Skills
Comprehension (the ability to understand what has been read)
Focus
Identify purpose
Scan
Summarize
Sequence
Picture
Checkup
Reread

5. Improving Reading Skills
Vocabulary
Determine meaning through content
Determine prefixes, root word, and suffixes
Use the dictionary
Speed
Focus your attention
Time your reading
Read as a single process

6. Writing at Work Revising others’ writing and making changes
Identify the intent
Focus on the purpose of the task of the message
Be candid
Be objective

7. Writing at Work Preparing communication s for others to review
Composing communications and revising them before distribution

8. Writing at Work Purpose driven writing Policies and procedures
Plans in progress
Seeking or providing specific information
Sending messages to customers
Follow-up to oral discussions

9. Writing at Work Effective summarizing
Understand what is at issue or what is critical
Listen and read attentively Identify the critical points
Write as concisely as possible
Review the summary to make sure it actually reflects the meeting

10. Characteristics of Effective Writing
Clear
Logical; focused; targeted
Concise
The fewest and most direct words possible
Courteous
Expected polite, considerate behavior of business
Complete
Provides all the necessary information
Correct
Accurate and up-to-date

11. English Skills for Business
Complete sentences
Proper grammar; no contractions
Correct rules of punctuation
Correct rules of capitalization
Correct spelling
No jargon or slang

12. Managing Writing Tasks
Identify the reason for the communication
Secure all the required information
Draft your message
Review and edit your message
Share with a colleague or manager for review
Prepare a final copy of the communication
Proofread
Sign for distribution

13. Business Correspondence
Topic 4-2
Effective Business Correspondence
Document Guidelines

14. 5 C’s of Effective Business Writing
Clear
Concise
Courteous
Complete
Correct

15. 3 Stages of Preparing Effective Documents
Drafting the document
Purpose
Message
Audience
response
Revising and editing the document
Make certain the message is accurate and conveys what the writer intends
Proofreading for final presentation
Final overall check of the document

16. Drafting Purpose: What is your purpose in writing? Inform Persuade
describe

17. Drafting Message: What is the message you wish to send?
Set the correct tone or attitude
Focus on the reader using the “you” approach

18. Drafting Audience: Who and where is your audience?
Internal or external distribution
Familiar with the topic or not

19. Drafting Response: What response do you want from the reader?
How is the document to be used: to make a decision? Gain information?
State message and desired response clearly

20. Message Types Positive or Neutral Message Negative Persuasive
Give good news or neutral information in a straightforward way
Negative
Refusal or other disappointing news
Keep the reader’s goodwill (friendly attitude)
Persuasive
Want to influence the reader
Give the reader an opportunity to act

21. Presentation of Documents
Clean and neat
No smudges or fingerprints
Organized and correctly formatted
Use appropriate paper/stationery
No glaring errors or mistakes
Pleasing to the reader’s eyes

22. Formal Business Reports
Informational
Based on data
Analytical
In-depth analysis of the situation researched

23. Formal Business Reports
Guidelines
Focus the report
Plan the writing
Write the first draft
Revise and edit
Finalize visuals/graphics
Present your report in final copy

24. Formal Business Reports
Format
First page top margin 2 inches
Remaining pages all margins 1 inch
Body of report double spaced
Parts
Title page
Table of contents
Summary
Body
References
Appendices

25. Additional Vocabulary
Pagination
Process of dividing a document into individual pages for printing; avoid widow and orphan lines
Header
Used to place the same information above the text at the top of pages of a document
Footer
Used to place the same information below text at the bottom of pages of a document

26. Additional Vocabulary
Widow
The first line of a paragraph printed by itself at the bottom of a page
Orphan
The last line of a paragraph printed by itself at the top of a page

27. Additional Vocabulary
Footnotes
Automatic feature in most word-processing programs placing related text at the bottom of the correct page with automatic numbers
Endnotes
Automatic feature placing text on the last page of a document

28. Other Business Correspondence

29. E-Mail Electronic transfer of messages Unique e-mail address
User domain name
Netiquette rules apply
Avoid spamming and flaming
SAME RULES AS OTHER BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE APPLY WHEN SENT FROM AN OFFICE OR BUSINESS

30. Desktop Publishing
Using a computer and specialized software to create high-quality and complex printed documents
Fonts: style for a set of type characters
Kerning: spacing between characters

31. Desktop Publishing
Points: measures the height of characters and equals approximately 1/72 of an inch
Pitch: measures the width of characters and refers to how many characters can fit in an inch
Resolution: number of dots per inch in printed text or images
600 dpi acceptable
2400 dpi used by professional printers