Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Completing Business Messages

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Learning Objectives Discuss the value of careful revision and list the main tasks involved in completing a business message List four writing techniques for improving the readability of your messages Discuss how you can improve the clarity and conciseness of your writing

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Learning Objectives Explain how design elements help determine the effectiveness of your documents List eight tips for improving message quality through careful proofreading Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your message

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Beyond the First Draft Content Readability Clarity Conciseness

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter The Three-Step Process WritingCompletingPlanning Analyze Situation Gather Information Select Medium Get Organized Revise Produce Message Proofread Message Distribute Message Adapt to the Audience Compose the Message

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Revising the Message Type of message and choice of media –Content –Clarity –Conciseness –Readability

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Evaluate the Message Content Organization Style and tone

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Review for Readability Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Score Flesch Reading Ease Score

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Increasing “Skim” Value Sentences Paragraphs Listed items Headings

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Vary Sentence Length Create interest Promote readability Emphasize points Enliven your writing Appeal to readers

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Keep Paragraphs Short Break up thoughts Boost readability Emphasize ideas

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Use Lists and Bullets Show sequence of ideas Heighten visual impact Emphasize key points Simplify complex subjects Provide visual breaks Expedite skimming process

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Headings and Subheadings Descriptive or informative –Organization –Attention –Connection

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Editing for Clarity Break up overly long sentences Rewrite hedging sentences Impose parallelism Correct dangling modifiers

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Editing for Clarity Reword long noun sequences Replace camouflaged verbs Clarify sentence structure Clarify awkward references

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Editing for Conciseness Delete unnecessary words and phrases Shorten long words and phrases Eliminate redundancies Recast “It is/There are” starters

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Evaluate, Edit, and Revise the Work of Others Help the writer succeed Understand the writer’s intent

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Revising with Technology Cut and paste Revision marks Spell checker Thesaurus Search/replace Commenting Grammar check Style checker

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Producing the Message Production quality –Effectiveness –Professionalism –Importance

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Design for Readability Consistency Balance Restraint Detail

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Design Techniques White space Margins Justification Typefaces Type styles

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Multimedia Documents Level of skills Tools Time and cost Content Message structure Compatibility

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Production Technology Templates and style sheets Page setup features Column and paragraph formatting Numbered and bulleted lists Information in tables Photos, images, textboxes, and objects

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Format for Business Letters Letterhead stationery Date Inside address Salutation The message Complimentary close Signature block

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Format for Memos Memo title Headings The message

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Proofread the Message Writing errors Design flaws Layout problems Production issues

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Proofreading Advice Make Multiple PassesUse Perceptual Tricks Focus on High PrioritiesMaintain Your Distance Practice VigilanceRemain Focused Work With PrintoutsTake Your Time

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education InternationalChapter Distributing Messages Cost concerns Convenience Time constraints Security and privacy