Business Writing Classes

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ClassesYouValue- Business Writing Classes

• ClassesYouValue
• Phone [phone]
• Website
• http//www.classesyouvalue.com/Kymberly-Williams-E
  vans/Write-To-Be-Read.html

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Objectives

• To teach students that business letters are not
  the only type of business writings they may have
  to create.
• To teach students that business writing is
  technical writing required in the workplace.
• To prepare students to format two types of
  workplace documents memos and formal reports.

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First, What is Business Writing?

• Business writing is workplace writing, which is a
  form of technical writing.
• Workplace writing is generally persuasive
  writing.
• Example 1 A Resume to persuade a potential
  employer to offer an interview
• Example 2 A Findings Report to persuade
  employees to follow certain policies or
  procedures in order to improve performance or
  correct errors or problems.

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Some Types of Workplace Writings

• Business Letters (most common formal letter to
  an external recipient)
• E-mail Transmissions (A more informal business
  message than a business letter that is sent
  electronically to one or more recipients, within
  or external to the business).
• Memoranda /memorandum (A more informal style of a
  business letter that is usually sent to one or
  more business colleagues employed within the same
  business unit or company)
• Reports (financial, audit, or statistical report
  that identifies the specific problem and presents
  collected data, research, or recommendations for
  the change process (re-engineering process.)
• Contracts (binding agreements or proposals
  between two or more parties that can become legal
  documents if they include an offer that is
  accepted.)
• Manuals (a written set of instructions,
  procedures or policies)
• PowerPoint (a soft-ware generated, visual slide
  show, with animation options, that hosts a set of
  notes or bulleted points, an agenda, or other
  information that supports a discussion).

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General Business Tip . . .

• Generally, it is an expected and common business
  practice to keep photocopies / hard (paper)
  copies of any communication you send to another
  person regarding any business matter.

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• Business Writing is technical communication or
  technical writing.

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Business Writing Technical or Workplace
Writing.

• Definition of Technical Writing
• Writing that transfers information about a
  situation, product, service, or concept . . . to
  audiences of varying levels of technical
  knowledge, so that each member of the audience
  clearly understands the message.
• The word technical means skilled, specialized,
  and strict.
• Technical writing follows rules and protocols.
• Source The Institute of Technical Communication
  (workshop) June, 1998

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How to Create Effective Technical or Workplace
Writings

1. Focus on the purpose of your writing
2. Focus on your readers (Audience)
3. Satisfy document requirements (Documentation
   style visuals data)
4. Get to the point. (Concise, uncluttered
   sentences)
5. Provide accurate information (Research)
6. Present your material logically
7. Express yourself clearly (Grammar Proofreading)
8. Use efficient wording (Word Choice)
9. Make your ideas accessible (Clarity)
10. Use lists for some information (organized
    bullets)
11. Format your pages carefully (be neat and leave
    white space)
12. Manage your time efficiently (Meet deadlines)

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Pay attention to Word Choice

• The following is a short list of common word
  choice
• mistakes to watch out for in business writing.
• affect, effect -- Affect is usually a verb
  meaning "to influence." Effect is usually a noun
  meaning "result." The drug did not affect the
  disease, and it had several adverse side effects.
  
• Effect can also be a verb meaning "to bring
  about." Only the president can effect such a
  dramatic change.
•  
• a lot -- A lot is two words. Do not write alot.
  We have had a lot of rain this year.
• Data -- Data is the plural for datum, which means
  "a fact or proposition." New data suggest (not
  suggests) that our theory is correct. The
  singular (datum) is rarely used.
• (the words media and staff also are treated as
  plural nouns)

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Pay attention to Word Choice (cont.)

• farther, further -- Farther describes distances.
  Iowa City is farther from Chicago than I thought.
  Further suggests degree. You extended the curfew
  further than you should have.
• Firstly -- Firstly sounds pretentious, and it
  leads to the ungainly series firstly, secondly,
  thirdly, fourthly, and so on. Write first,
  second, third instead.
• kind of, sort of -- Avoid using kind of or sort
  of to mean "somewhat." The movie was a little
  (not kind of ) boring. Do not put an a after
  either phrase. That kind of (not kind of a)
  salesclerk annoys me.

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Pay attention to Word Choice (cont.)

• principal, principle -- Principal is a noun
  meaning "the head of a school or organization" Or
  "a sum of money." It is also an adjective or
  meaning "most important." Principle is a noun
  meaning "a basic truth or law."
• Example The principal expelled her for
  violating several principles expressed in the
  school handbook.
• Example We believe in the principle of equal
  justice for all.
• regardless, irregardless -- Irregardless is
  nonstandard. Use regardless. Example
  Regardless of what you think, conversated is
  slang and the correct word is conversed.
•  
• try and -- Try and is nonstandard for try to. The
  teacher asked us all to try to (not try and)
  write an original haiku.

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Formatting a . . .

• Business
• Memo

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What should you know about Business Memos? They
. . .

• almost always are used within an organization
• usually are informal in style
• normally function as a non-sensitive
  communication
• are short and to-the-point
• have a direct tone / language
• have a business tone / no slang or jokes
• do not require a salutation (formal greeting)
• do not have a complimentary closing as does a
  business letter (END)
• have a format very different from a business
  letter
• may address one person or a group of individuals
• Examples To Mr. John Doe, CEO of Pepsi
• or
• To All Student Support Services Participants
• Source http//oregonstate.edu/dept/eli/buswrite/m
  emos.html

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Memo Sample 1

• College of Business Administration Business
  Communication    
• Memorandum
• To         CBA Students
• From     Dale Coattail
• Date     September 10, 2007
• Re         How to Write a Memo
•  
• Your instructor has asked you to write a memo,
  which is the most common form of written
  communication in business. In order to perform
  this task successfully, you should conform to
  general business standards of content, format,
  structure and language use. Regarding Content,
  the first rule of writing a good memo is "Get to
  the point!" The second rule is "Know what your
  purpose is." Before you start writing, be sure
  that you know what your "answer" is to the boss's
  or colleague's question. Don't include all your
  thinking in the memo. While several pages of
  thinking might get written as you come up with
  the answer, the memo includes only the answer.
  Citations, financials, or justifications that
  must be available to the reader can be added as
  appendices or written as a separate, formal
  report. The memo should include only those ideas
  that are required for the reader's action or
  decision.
• Format This memo is an example of memo format.
  Note especially the routing information, the use
  of headings, and the single spaced block
  paragraphs.  If your memo looks like a memo,
  there's a better chance a business reader will
  take your ideas seriously.  If you are working in
  a CBA lab, the easiest way to duplicate the
  proper memo format is to use a template.  (Select
  "new" from the File MENU and select the "memo"
  tab on the dialogue box.)   
• Structure The typical memo is only 2 or 3
  paragraphs and fits on one page. The first
  paragraph summarizes the gist of the whole memo,
  then the main points are covered in the same
  order they were previewed. Again, this memo
  provides an example of the typical structure.
• Language Use A memo is often less formal than a
  letter, but should still be written with a
  businesslike tone. You can be friendly, but not
  cute. Your professional image depends on perfect
  spelling and grammar, but you can usually get
  away with a few "down home" expressions. Edit for
  wordiness and get directly to the point. Use
  language to communicate your ideas effectively
  and efficiently. (END)

Headings w/ routing information
Executive Summary or Introduction
Start the Body / Body Headings
Special notation
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Memo Sample -- Practice Exercise

• Directions Label four parts of the sample memo
  you have been provided.
• Answers Below

Headings w/ Routing Information
Executive Summary or Introduction
Start of the Body / Body Headings
Special Notation Attachments, Carbon Copies,
etc.
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In short, for a Business Memo . . .

• Use block format (no indents).
• Single space the text.
• Use 10 or 12 point font size.
• Business may require use of letterhead.
• Margins may vary, depending on letterhead style
  of if letterhead has a business address side bar,
  as this example shows.
• BODY OF THE MEMO
• Memorandum (heading)
• To
• From
• Reference or Subject
• Start the introduction or provide an executive
  summary (depending on type of memo). You do not
  necessarily have to label this part.
• Present main body of the memo with labeled parts.
• You may provide some indication of the end of the
  memo (END)

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Center for Student Success Trio-Student Support
Services 109 Shackelford Hall Annex Troy, Alabama
36082 Phone [phone]
TRiO Student Support Services

• Sample of a Letterhead with a Business Address
  Left Side Bar.
• You may have to adjust your margins to
  accommodate the side bar.
• Therefore, instead of a left margin of 1 or
  1.25, you may have a left margin of 1.8.

TROY UNIVERSITY
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Formatting a . . .
?

• Business Report

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What is a Business Report?

• A business report is a technical report designed
  to persuade readers.
• A written business report communicates research
  findings, progress evaluations, proposals plans,
  or other information regarding a business
  practice, situation, or project.

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Why create Business Reports?

• In a global society, the ability to report
  findings and develop expansion plans and propose
  solutions to business-related problems gives
  companys a strategic advantage in world markets.
• Business reports, formal or informal, are
  technical communications that support business by
  persuading business leaders, employees, clients
  and other business stakeholders.

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Regardless of what you write, Consider the
Rhetorical Triangle . . .
Writer (your ethics, morals, skill set and
Plans to use Your characteristics to meet your
purpose)
Audience (the passions, interests, or
characteristics of the ones youre trying to
persuade and their characteristics)
Subject (the logic you will present -- your
topic or message)
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Know your reading audience . . . Two Main Types
of Business Report Readers

• Skimmers read quickly and look for key words in
  reports look for bulleted information.
• Skeptics read every word and are looking for
  logic flaws or reasons to disbelieve or say No
  Provide them with plenty of examples, details,
  support statements

What type are you?
Source http//owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/p
p/audorg.ppt277,10,When you do not know your
reader
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Know Your Purpose and Outline First.

• SAMPLE
• Progress Report for January 2002
• I. Background
• A. Detailed plan regarding staff hired in Dec.
  2007
• B. Objectives set for the first month
• 1. Training/Orientation
• 2. End-of-Month testing
• II. Work completed to date
• A. Developed a training plan and presented it
  to the necessary committee
• B. Plan approved Jan. 2008
• III. Work to be completed
• A. Plan to be initiated by March 2008
• B. Contact new staff
• C. Train new staff

• Outlining create a hierarchy of your ideas.
• Outlining helps you to identify (1) what your
  main points are, (2) what supporting material is
  available, and (3) what other information you
  need to include.

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Formal Business Report Format

• General Sections of a long Business Formal
  Report
• Title Page (Header may start on this page,
  depending on the style you use.)
• Letter of Transmittal (a general letter
  identifying routing information)
• Table of Contents (listing of subject content and
  page)
• List of Tables and Illustrations (name of
  graphics and page)
• Synopsis / Executive Summary / Abstract (may be
  required)
• Introduction (required) (Header may start on this
  page)
• Methods of Research (How did you find your data?
  Did you review literature, conduct a field
  experiment or survey?)
• Findings / Analysis (Discussion)
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
• Appendix (Graphs and Tables)

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Sample Letter of Transmittal

• A Letter of Transmittal accompanies a business
  report and may take the form of a simple memo
  with the following parts
• TO               Dr. Rose Norman
• FROM         Heather Cross
• DATE June 24, 2008
• SUBJECT    EH 501 Final Report An Analysis of
  Training Manuals for Peer Tutors in             
  Post-secondary Writing Centers
• Open with an overview.Enclosed you will find
  my final report for EH 501 entitled "An Analysis
  of Training Manuals for Peer Tutors in
  Post-Secondary Writing Centers" due December 7,
  1999. Then state your main finding From
  interviews with five writing center directors and
  four consultants, I found that each writing
  center has its own unique circumstances for
  training. The manuals from these same writing
  centers do contain some consistent areas of
  attention. The manual produced for the University
  of Alabama in Huntsville Writing Center should
  reflect these findings.
• Then comes the descriptive abstract.The
  purpose of this report is to develop
  recommendations for a new training manual for
  peer tutors in a post-secondary writing center.
  Initially the report gives a brief description of
  the writing center environment, pedagogy, and
  theory. For the specific application of peer
  tutor training, the findings from interviews with
  Dr. Diana Calhoun Belldirector of the UAH
  Writing Center, directors of other writing
  centers, and consultants are presented. The
  report compares information from these
  practitioner inquiries with the content and form
  of the sample manuals obtained from three other
  university writing centers and with the existing
  UAH manual. The report concludes with
  recommendations for the UAH Writing Centers
  Training Manual.
• Then add whatever else you need to say.After
  an initial email request to twenty-five writing
  centers, I was able to collect three peer tutor
  training manuals and receive answers to interview
  questions from two other directors. I interviewed
  four consultants in the UAH Writing Center using
  an abbreviated form of the questions. Dr. Bell
  has continued to express interest in this study
  and its continuation into an actual product. I
  hope to undertake the writing of the UAH Writing
  Center Consultant Training Manual as an
  independent study in the next semester.
•  
• Enclosure Final Report (2 Copies)

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The Body of the Formal Report

• Introduction (should reveal a topic sentence and
  clarify the purpose of the report and
  organization strategy you will use).
• The introduction may include some important
  background information and definitions of
  particular terms (as needed).
• The Discussion part of the report should clearly
  present researched information or data, as well
  as internal references to sources, just as you
  would with any report.
• The company may adapt or modify a particular
  format (i.e., APA, MLA, Chicago) that all
  employee writers must follow. Learn the required
  format.
• Type Business Reports and when possible, include
  only well-planned and documented graphic
  illustrations that help clarify or add to the
  persuasiveness of your message.

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Practice Exercise -- Simplified Language

• One of the most challenging business or technical
  writing task is to construct understandable,
  direct statements.
• The practice exercise is to determine if you have
  that skill or if you need to develop the skill of
  direct writing or Standard Writing English (SWE).
• Complete the sample practice exercise handout and
  then compare your answers with those provided on
  the next slide.

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Possible Practice Exercise Answers

• All previously sent memos relating to this
  subject with earlier dates may be disregarded.1.
  Disregard previous memos on this subject.
• 2. The consensus of opinion is that the end
  result will be favorable in a positive manner.2.
  Opinion is that the result will be
  positive/favorable).
• 3. I would like to extend my thanks to you for
  your aid and assistance on the Humbolt
  operation.3. Thank you for your help on the
  Humbold operation.

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Possible Practice Exercise Answers (cont)

• 4. There is an almost certain possibility that
  the entire complete order will not arrive by the
  assigned due date.4. The complete order will not
  arrive on time.
• 5. The end result of our in-house, on-site
  production activities is various different
  products and output.5. Our production results in
  a variety of products.
• 6. For all intents and purposes, payroll will
  basically be appending your comp time towards
  your designated vacation allowance.6. Your comp
  time will be applied toward your vacation time.
• 7. Let me know if for some reason you dont get
  this e-mail. Otherwise, please respond to it as
  soon as possible.7. Please respond to this
  e-mail by (specific time).

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Possible Practice Exercise Answers (cont)

• 8. A proportion of people who work here feel that
  it may well be that they should be able to
  respond to the survey sometime in the future, at
  a later date.8. Some employees feel that they
  should be allowed to respond to the survey later.
• 9. It proved to be the case that, as a result of
  the on-going weekly updates, a significant
  percentage of the staff not infrequently has the
  ability to, in all cases, complete their
  assigned, work-related activities in a shorter
  time period. 9. Due to the weekly updates,
  (specific figure) percent of the staff can
  complete their work in less time.
• 10. Due to the fact that the next Wednesday
  following Tuesday is the day before Christmas,
  the normal work day will be truncated for the
  purpose of allowing employees to join their
  respective families in celebration of the
  holiday.10. Because Wednesday is Christmas Eve,
  the office will close early so employees can be
  with their families.

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Before You Go . . .

• Visit ClassesYouValue- Business Writing Classes
• Phone [phone]
• Website
• http//www.classesyouvalue.com/Kymberly-Williams-E
  vans/Write-To-Be-Read.html