1、Writing for Modern Business Communication March. 7. 2012,Brief Introduction to the teaching set-upBrief introduction to the course,What is business writing ?a crucial skill for business people around the world.In comparison with oral communication, written communication gives structure and form to o
2、ur ideas, so it has the advantage of providing records, reference and legal defense.,“Show me a person who can communicate effectively, and Ill show you a future vice-president!”the personnel director of a large corporation,“Nothing in business determines how fast or how far you will advance more th
3、an your ability to write clear and effective messagesDont kid yourself that you wont have to write, or that your secretary will do all the writing for you. If your secretary can write better than you, the day will come when she or he will be your bossIn business the ladders are all made of paper. Yo
4、u can write yourself into a vice-presidency or out of a job.”a marketing representative of Mobil Oil Corporation,What form to choose ? What will affect an effective written communication ?languageprejudgementrelationshipsemotional responses,Principles of effective written communicationlayout-appropr
5、iateideas- logically connectedspelling- avoid any mistakesstyle & tone- suitableinformation-tactfully organized,Forms of writing in business Internal CommunicationMemoReports MinutesNoticeMeeting materialscertificatesQuestionnaire,External Communication p.2Letterssalescorporate profilesLeaflet / ads
6、.Press releaseInvitationcontracts,Eg. Writing for External Communication,Business letterswhat is business letter?Business letters are not necessarily letters that discuss commercial matters. They are more formal than personal letters. Often you and your reader do not know each other. Business letter
7、s are like conversations with strangers. Maybe you need information, or perhaps you want someone to do something for you; therefore, you should be polite and clear so that you can get the information or help you want.,Guidelines for writing business letters:Put the name and address of the person you
8、 are writing to beneath your own address and date. If you dont know the receivers name, use “Dear Sir“, “Dear Madam“, “Dear Sir / Madam“ or use the job title, such as “Dear Manager“. The opening sentence of a formal letter usually tells the purpose of the letter. If you are writing in reply, mention
9、 the date of the letter received and any reference code.,Use “Yours faithfully“ as ending if the letter is addressed to an unnamed person (Dear Sir / Madam); use “Yours sincerely“ if the letter is addressed to a person by name (Dear Mr Turner). However, “Yours sincerely” or “Sincerely yours“ is seen
10、 more and more in both cases.Put the signature between the ending and the typed name of the writer. The writers official capacity may be indicated after the typed name.,5 “C”s Your reader must be given all the necessary information, so they should be COMPLETE; Your reader must be able to see exactly
11、 what you mean, so they should be CLEAR; Your reader is probably a busy person with no time to waste, so they should be CONCISE; Your reader must be addressed in a sincere, polite tone, so they should be COURTEOUS; Your reader should not be distracted by mistakes in grammar, punctuation or spelling,
12、 so they should be CORRECT.,Language style : (p.15) rf. Concise Businesslike Politeavoid insults and sarcasmavoid curt demandavoid negative implication,Precision 1. Mechanical precision Mechanical precision means compliance with all the accepted rules of grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitaliza
13、tion, and format. 2. Factual precision Factual precision is the quality that allows your readers to grasp your intended meanings fully and immediately, with absolute clarity.,Blunders that undermine factual precision 1) Omission I have booked a later flight to Tokyo. I was wondering if you would sti
14、ll pick me up at the airport. 2) Contradiction We do not advocate violence, but we feel its the only way for minority members to get their rights. 3) Ambiguity Mr Conroy has told our agent Harris that the mistake was his.,4) Imprecise wording My traveling expenses dont pay tax. 5) Misused absolute Y
15、ou can find Johnsons Bargain Stores everywhere in Los Angeles.An important principle for clarity: The clarity of your writing must be immediate, not eventual!,3. Verbal precision Verbal precision means selecting the most accurate words to communicate an idea. 1) Exactness of meaning Misused and inex
16、act words undermine verbal precision. He is one of the most effective workers in the workshop. The plane flew continually for 11 hours before landing. They ensured us that the goods would be delivered within two weeks after receipt of the L/C.,2) Relative and abstract words I need the charts quickly
17、. The conditions on the island are insufferable.Never use a relative word when you can substitute a more exact word or phrase! Never allow an abstract word to stand alone, unelaborated upon by concrete words that can bring the abstractions meaning into clarity for the reader!,3) Sexism (Sexist langu
18、age)Each employee should show his badge at the gate.Words like mankind, manpower, gentlemans agreement have an obvious “masculine bias”.4) Euphemismcheap inexpensive heart disease heart troubleold people senior citizens the poor the needy,5) Levels of dictionDictional stairwaybuy purchase start/begi
19、n commence end terminate try attempt endeavor know be aware of be cognizant of,No level of diction is naturally better than any other. What matters is appropriateness. As the fifth plenary session convened, the delegates, all cognizant of the impending confrontation, looked down in the dumps.Teddy g
20、ot the kind of job he was looking forwith a small outfit, great working conditions, lots of room to climb, and a most superior remuneration.,Style Style is the way your writing “sounds” to its readers. Your style may be natural and lively. Or it may be awkward and dull. 1. Style pitfalls 1) Circumlo
21、cution Circumlocution is the “long way around” to express an idea. due to the fact that because in spite of the fact that although, though, while,There can be no doubt that during the time that a large number of persons of adolescent age are Undoubtedly, while many teenagers are 2) Pile-up of adject
22、ives the much-delayed Presidential Advisory Committee meeting the much-delayed meeting of Presidential Advisory Committee the primary magnetic generator material the primary material for our magnetic generator,3) Fractured parallelismWhen Carson retired, he was admired by his colleagues, respected b
23、y his adversaries, and his staff members loved him.,2. Effective style techniques 1) Emphasis as the key to lively writing a) Emphasis by weight Bulk weight The greater the number of words you devote to an idea, the more important (or emphatic) that idea seems within the context. Henry Ford, a brill
24、iant innovator, single-handedly converted the making of automobiles from cottage industry to industrial colossus.,Henry Ford, an innovator of great brilliance, single-handedly converted Henry Ford, an innovator of great and unquestioned brilliance, single-handedly converted Grammatical weight The la
25、rger the grammatical unit you devote to an idea, the more emphatic that idea becomes. Henry Ford, a brilliant innovator, single-handedly converted Henry Ford, who was a brilliant innovator, single-handedly converted ,Henry Ford was a brilliant innovator who single-handedly converted Henry Ford was a
26、 brilliant innovator. He single-handedly converted b) Emphasis by position Subject position The position of the grammatical subject in a sentence is a source of natural emphasis. Henry Ford single-handedly converted the making of automobiles,The making of automobiles was converted single-handedly by
27、 Henry Ford Initial and terminal positions No one can deny that the computer has had a great effect upon the business world. No one can deny that the computers effect upon the business world has been great. Undeniably, the computers effect upon the business world has been great.,He finally left afte
28、r what seemed like hours of tedious pleading. After what seemed like hours of tedious pleading, he finally left. Finally, after what seemed like hours of tedious pleading, he left. c) Emphasis by separation and isolation Put some distance between key ideas, and the significance of each of them will
29、stand out more clearly. Sameulsons memos are clear and concise. Sameulsons memos are clear, and concise., Sameulsons memos are clear, and they are concise. Sameulsons memos are clear. They are also concise. Man has the brains, imagination, and skill to overcome the problems that stand before him. Ma
30、n has the brains, the imagination, and the skill to overcome the problems that stand before him. d) Emphasis by interruption Anything that interrupts something else calls attention to itself by doing so.,The novel “Uncle Toms Cabin” was one of the great successes in American publishing, and one of t
31、he most immediately influential books ever to have appeared in this country. The novel “Uncle Toms Cabin” was one of the great successes in American publishingand one of the most immediately influential booksever to have appeared in this country. The extraordinary number of topics discussed at last
32、nights meeting seventeen by my secretarys count speaks poorly of the committees desire for prudence and deliberation.,Tone 1. Courtesy Courtesy in writing is more than a well-timed “please” or “thank you”. Courtesy results from a balance between cordiality and tact: cordiality being the warmth and f
33、riendliness you show toward your reader; tact, the sensitivity and discretion. Courtesy blunders that can destroy courtesy balance: 1) Curtness Thank you for your recent letter. We are pleased that you like your new calculator.,2) Sarcasm Congratulations, ladies. Im proud to announce that, as a resu
34、lt of your tireless efforts last month, we fell only $1700 short of our sales quota. 3) Peevishness or anger When exactly can you put the damn printer right? 4) Suspicion Whether you mean to or not, you can make yourself seem suspicious of your readers motives by using phrases like “If , as you stat
35、e ” and “If what you say is true ”.,If the mixer was defective at the time of purchase, as you allege, we will definitely replace it with a new one. We do think it strange, however, that you waited so long to inform us 5) Insult We have received so many applications from excellent candidates that we
36、 are unable to consider yours. 6) Accusation You obviously ignored our request for a discount. Any time you find yourself using phrases like “you neglected”, “you omitted”, “you forgot to”, you risk offending your reader with a tone of accusation.,7) Talking down (Condescension) In an establishment
37、as large as ours, Mrs. Harris, we seldom have cause to Our dictionary costs more than competing ones because its worth more than competing ones. You must realize that you are starting a very important phase of your career We know you will make this decision wisely.,8) Over-familiarity Give my regard
38、s to your family. You see, Mr. Lowe, we have been in business for seventy-eight years As you and your wife know, Mr. Lowe, ,2. Sincerity The courteous attitude weve been discussing is one of the greatest assets your writing can havebut only if its believed. The person reading your writing must feel
39、that your courtesy is genuine, not just a tool for self-gain like the artificial smiles we see on some peoples faces. Not only your message, but its tone as well, must strike your reader as genuine. Causes of insincerity: 1) Over-humility Our most sincere apologies for the foolish error we made in h
40、andling your last order.,We are so very thankful for the renewed opportunity your good company is giving us to serve your needs. 2) Obvious flattery Only you, Mrs. Owen, can handle this difficult assignment for us 3) Exaggeration I think you will agree that our range of well over 200 products which
41、are made from 100% natural ingredients is second to none and is outstanding value for money.,3. PositivityPositivity means that a message is communicated in a way that is or sounds positive. Because of recent heavy demand, we will not be able to deliver your goods before August 12. Although recent d
42、emand has been heavy, we will be able to deliver your goods by August 12. This medicine is not dangerous for children. This medicine is absolutely safe for children.,The barrel is half-empty. The barrel is half-full. We are withholding your shipment until we receive payment. We will forward your ord
43、er to you as soon as payment is received.Whenever possible, avoid negative wording or using words with negative connotations!,To maximize positivity , its even advisable to convert neutral wording into positive wording. We have received your letter of February 18. We were glad to receive your letter
44、 of February 18. We are sending the charts to you by air. We are rushing the charts to you by air. Call me in the evening between 8 and 10. Id be glad to have you call any evening between 8 and 10.,When writing a business letter, always try to open and close positively. That is, you should create a “positive sandwich”!Dear Ms. Evans,We thank you for your recent order for Your order will be packaged immediately, and delivered to you as soon as possible.,Thank you !,
