1. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SECOND CANADIAN EDITION
Copyright by John Wiley and Sons, 2006
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SECOND CANADIAN EDITION
Part II: Letters, memos, , and other brief messages
Chapter Four: Composing and revising your message
Original Slides by Gates Stoner Pima Community College Adapted by Alan T. Orr

2. Objectives of this Chapter
Copyright by John Wiley and Sons, 2006
Objectives of this Chapter
Appreciate the importance of word choice in writing
Learn guidelines for writing effective sentences
Be aware of tools for writing coherent paragraphs
Understand the benefits of revisions and proofreading

3. Importance of Effective Writing
Copyright by John Wiley and Sons, 2006
Importance of Effective Writing
Good Writing:
Clearly conveys ideas to customers & clients
Prevents ambiguity in your message
Gives you credibility
Poor writing does the opposite of the above.

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Choosing Your Voice
Encyclopedic
Emotional
Business
Business voice
Direct, controlled, and reasonable. Personal but not self-centered.

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Word Choice
Be specific and concrete
Employ positive words
Avoid:
- vague pronouns
- sexist language
- clichés and slang

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Effective Sentences
Convey ideas with clarity and style
Begin strongly
Vary sentence length
Use action verbs
Eliminate wordiness
Example
Ambiguous
“We are interested in your products.”
Clear
“We would like some information about your superpower vacuum.”

7. Copyright by John Wiley and Sons, 2006
Effective Sentences
Convey ideas with clarity and style
Begin strong
Vary sentence length
Use action verbs
Eliminate wordiness
Example
Weak
“As the details are not yet known, we are unable to decide.”
Strong
“Mr. Smith cannot decide, since the details are not yet known.”

8. Copyright by John Wiley and Sons, 2006
Effective Sentences
Convey ideas with clarity and style
Begin strong
Vary sentence length
Use action verbs
Eliminate wordiness
By mixing short, medium, and long sentences, a skilled business writer holds a reader’s attention.

9. Copyright by John Wiley and Sons, 2006
Effective Sentences
Convey ideas with clarity and style
Begin strong
Vary sentence length
Use action verbs
Eliminate wordiness
Example
Passive
“Your order was shipped…”
Active
“We shipped your order…”

10. Copyright by John Wiley and Sons, 2006
Effective Sentences
Convey ideas with clarity and style
Begin strong
Vary sentence length
Use action verbs
Eliminate wordiness
Example
Wordy
“Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can answer any questions you may have.”
Concise
“Please contact me if you have any questions.”

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Effective Paragraphs
Transition, Transition, Transition
One central idea (not 2 or 3)
Not a measurement of length
Free of logical errors

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Logical Errors
Either/or thinking
Circular reasoning
False cause

13. Copyright by John Wiley and Sons, 2006
Proofreading
More than just spell checking
Check grammar and logical connections
Review transitions
Reduce wordiness
Make stylistic improvements
“There is no great writing, only great rewriting.”
~ US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

14. Copyright by John Wiley and Sons, 2006
Proofing Checklist
Sentence structure
Fragments
Comma splices
Subject-verb agreement
Punctuation
Spelling
Pronoun form
Capitalization

15. Copyright by John Wiley and Sons, 2006
Copyright Notice
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