Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Mary Ellen Guffey Copyright © 2008 Chapter 5 Writing Process Phase 2: Research, Organize, Compose

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 2 The Business Writing Process: Phase 2 Research Methods Effective Sentences Organizing Data Effective Paragraphs

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 3 Investigate primary sources Search manually Access electronically Experiment scientifically  The Internet  Databases  Books, articles  Other secondary sources  Interviews  Surveys  Tests with experimental and control groups Formal Research Methods

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 4  Look in the company files.  Talk with your boss.  Interview the target audience.  Conduct an informal survey.  Brainstorm for ideas.  Develop a cluster diagram. Informal Research and Idea Generation

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 5 Organizing Data  Listing and outlining  Grouping ideas into patterns  Direct pattern for receptive audiences  Indirect pattern for unreceptive audiences

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 6 Organizing Data: Creating Cluster Diagrams Gifts and premiums Paid gym membership Financial incentives Peer mentors Smoking- cessation programs Seminars and workshops Improving employee health Guest speakers Flex time for workouts New menu in cafeteria

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 7 Organizing Data: Subcluster Diagrams  Analyze the ideas in the original cluster diagram.  Cross out irrelevant ideas; simplify and clarify.  Add new ideas that seem appropriate.  Study the ideas for similarities.  Group similar ideas into classifications (such as Incentives, Organizational Changes, and Programs).  If the organization seems clear, prepare an outline.  For further visualization, make subcluster circles around each classification.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 8 Organizing Data: Making Outlines  Define the main topic (purpose of message) in the title.  Divide the main topic into three to five major components. If needed, combine small components into one larger category.  Break the components into subpoints.  Don’t put a single item under a major component; integrate it with the main item above it or reorganize.  Strive to make each component exclusive (no overlaps).  Use details, illustrations, and evidence to support subpoints.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 9 Organizing Data: Alphanum-eric Outline

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 10 Organizing Data: Decimal Outline

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 11 Grouping Ideas into Patterns: Direct for Receptive Audiences

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 12 Grouping Ideas into Patterns: Indirect for Unreceptive Audiences

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 13 Creating Effective Sentences Recognize phrases and clauses. Clauses have subjects and verbs; phrases do not. Independent clauses are complete; dependent clauses are not. Phrases and dependent clauses cannot function as sentences.  Independent clause: They were eating pizza.  Dependent clause: that they wanted to return for a refund  Phrase: to return for a refund © C Squared Studios/Photodisk/Getty Images

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 14 Effective Sentences: Sentence Length Comprehension Rate 100% 90% 80% 50% Use short sentences. Those under 20 words are most readable. Sentence Length 8 words 15 words 19 words 28 words

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 15 Effective Sentences: Emphasis Emphasize important ideas. Put main ideas first; use them as subjects. Choose vivid words. General One business uses personal selling techniques. Vivid Herbalife uses face-to-face selling techniques. Unlabeled Send your crisis response team, but also hire a public-relations specialist. Labeled Send your crisis response team; but, most important, hire a public-relations specialist.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 16 Effective Sentences: Emphasis Although you are the first trainee that we have hired for this program, we have interviewed many candidates and expect to expand the program. You are the first trainee that we have hired for this program. Unemphatic All production and administrative personnel will meet on May 23, at which time we will announce a new plan of salary incentives. Emphatic On May 23 all personnel will meet about salary incentives. Emphasize important ideas. Place important ideas first or last in the sentence.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 17 Effective Sentences: Active and Passive Voice Use active-voice verbs for most sentences. Examples: We lost money. The accountants made a mistake. Use passive-voice verbs to de-emphasize the performer and/or to be tactful. Examples: Money was lost (by us). A mistake was made (by the accountants).

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 18 Effective Sentences: Dangling Modifiers Avoid dangling phrases. Keep phrases close to the words they describe. Not this: An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be strangulationby the coroner. But this: An autopsy by the coroner revealed the cause of death to be strangulation.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 19 Effective Paragraphs: Focus Discuss only one topic in a paragraph. Group similar ideas together. Paragraphs may be composed of three kinds of sentences: Main sentence: expresses the primary idea of the paragraph. Supporting sentence: illustrates, explains, or strengthens the primary idea. Limiting sentence: opposes the primary idea by suggesting a negative or contrasting thought; may precede or follow the main sentence.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 20 Create paragraphs that follow one of three classic paragraph plans: Effective Paragraphs: Three Plans Direct plan Indirect plan Pivoting plan ¶

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 21 Effective Paragraphs: Direct Plan Direct Plan common in business Indirect Plan Pivoting Plan ¶ Define, classify, illustrate, or describe 1.Main sentence 2.Supporting Sentences 1.Main sentence 2.(Limiting Sentence) 3.Supporting Sentences

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 22 Direct Plan: Example with Optional Limiting Sentence Main Sentence Limiting Sentence Supporting Sentences Flexible work scheduling could immediately increase productivity and enhance employee satisfaction in our entire organization. Such scheduling, however, is impossible for all employees. Managers would be required to maintain their regular hours. For many other employees, though, flexible scheduling permits extra time to manage family responsibilities. Feeling less stress, employees are able to focus their attention better at work; hence they become more relaxed and more productive.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 23 Effective Paragraphs: Pivoting Plan Direct plan Indirect plan Pivoting plan ¶ Compare and contrast 1.Limiting sentences 2.Main sentence 3.Supporting sentences

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 24 Pivoting Plan: Example Limiting Sentence Main Sentence Supporting Sentences Foreign service careers are certainly not for everyone. Many representatives are stationed in remote countries where harsh climates, health hazards, security risks, and other discomforts exist. However, careers in the foreign service offer special rewards for the special people who qualify. Foreign service employees enjoy the pride and satisfaction of representing the United States abroad. They enjoy frequent travel, enriching cultural and social experiences in living abroad, and action-oriented work.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 25 Effective Paragraphs: Indirect Plan Direct plan Indirect plan Pivoting plan ¶ Persuade; deliver bad news; describe cause and effect 1.Supporting sentences 2.Main sentence

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 26 Indirect Plan: Example Supporting Sentences Main Sentence According to a recent poll, more than half of all white-collar workers are now dressing casually at work. Many high-tech engineers and other professionals have given up suits and ties, favoring khakis and sweaters instead. Our own consultants say they stand out like “sore thumbs” because they are attired in traditional buttoned-down styles, while the businesspeople they visit are usually wearing casual clothing. Therefore, I recommend that we establish an optional “business casual” policy allowing consultants to dress casually as they perform their duties both in and out of the office.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 27 Build Coherence, Link Ideas Sustain the key idea by repeating or rephrasing it. Our philosophy holds that every customer is really a guest. All new employees to our theme parks are trained to treat guests as VIPs. These VIPs are never told what they can or cannot do.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 28 Build Coherence, Link Ideas Use a pronoun as a link to an antecedent All new park employees receive a two-week orientation. They learn that every staffer has a vital role in preparing for the show. This training includes how to maintain enthusiasm.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 29 Build Coherence, Link Ideas Dovetail sentences. Connect the beginning of each new sentence with a word from the end of the previous sentence. New hosts and hostesses learn about the theme park and its facilities. These facilities include telephones, food services, bathrooms, and attractions, as well as the location of offices. Knowledge of administrative offices and the internal workings of the company, such as who’s in administration, ensures that staffers will be able to serve guests fully. Serving guests, of course, is our No. 1 priority.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 30 Use Transitional Expressions To Add or Strengthen To Show Time or Order To Clarify againbeforefor instance additionallyafterfor example alsoearlierI mean besidesfinallyin other words likewisefirstthat is moreovermeanwhilethis means furthermorenextthus

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 31 Use Transitional Expressions To Show Cause and Effect To Contradict To Contrast as a resultbutat the same time accordinglyactuallyas opposed to consequentlyhoweverby contrast for this reasonin factconversely soinsteadon the contrary thereforerather on the other hand hencethoughsimilarly

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e Ch. 5, Slide 32 Eight or fewer printed lines are most readable. Compose Short Paragraphs Don’t put the reader to sleep! Improve comprehension.

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