1. What Skills do entrepreneurs need?

2. Communication Skills Communication is key in business
Businesspeople are always communicating in order to make the next business decision
Team work
Writing letters
Memos
Talking on the phone
BBM

3. To succeed as an entrepreneur, you will need to develop your writing, speaking and listening skills

4. Writing Skills
As an entrepreneur, you will frequently communicate in writing
With:
Customers
Employees
Managers
Other business owners
Suppliers

5. Good Business Writing Communicates ideas clearly
Gets results by being positive, persuasive
Convincing readers that they should accept what the writer is communicating

6. Business Letter The most common form of business writing
You may write letters to:
Solicit business
Respond to customer questions
Negotiate purchases
Deal with suppliers

7. Must be professional/formal
It’s a little different than writing to a friend
A certain level of formality is necessary
Certain standards must be respected
It shouldn’t be difficult to understand
Should be clear
Concise
Coherent
Get the message across
Positively

8. Follow the Basic Rules Anything business related should be kept formal
All personal letters can be written in a personal manner
You should know the difference

9. 2. Be sure to spell all names correctly and have the correct address
No matter how well you write your letter, a spelling mistake looks unprofessional
It could cause the letter to be lost in the mail or returned

10. 3. Always date your business letter
You may have to refer to this date at a later time
E.g. Source document

11. Use names and titles appropriately
Use the person’s first name if you know them well
If you do not know them personally and the letter is very formal, use: (Dr., Mr., Miss., Mrs., etc…)

12. Be direct and positive
Always maintain a positive tone.
Portray your business in an optimistic light, even if it is bad news

13. Be persuasive and specific
Make sure what you want from your reader is clear
Use non threatening language that will persuade the reader to take the most desirable action

14. Avoid using fancy language
Don’t write using language that you would not use when speaking
Use straightforward language

15. Be polite
Always deal with issues in a businesslike, professional manner
Never express outrage
Never become abusive
Never be insulting
Be especially polite when writing a bad news letter

16. Use an appropriate closing
Make sure your close corresponds to the content of the letter
If you are complaining about something, don’t close with ‘Warmest Regards’
Use: Sincerely, Cordially, Sincerely Yours or Cordially Yours to close your letter

17. Proofread for spelling and grammatical errors
One single mistake can ruin the outlook of a perfectly sounding letter

18. Sample Business Letter
3519 Front Street Mount Celebres, CA 65286
October 5, 2004
Ms. Betty Johnson Accounts Payable The Cooking Store 765 Berliner Plaza Industrial Point, CA 68534
Dear Ms. Johnson:
It has come to my attention that your company, The Cooking Store has been late with paying their invoices for the past three months.
In order to encourage our customers to pay for their invoices before the due date, we have implemented a discount model where we'll give you 2% off your invoice if you pay us within 10 days of receiving the invoice.
I hope that everything is going well for you and your company. You are one of our biggest customers, and we appreciate your business. If you have any questions, you can feel free to contact me at (555) Sincerely,
Signature
Bob Powers Accounts Receivable

19. Business MEMOS Also known as a MEMORANDUM
A short written form of business communication
Has a set format:
Whom it is for
Whom it is from
The date
Subject of the memo

20. Sample Business Memo CHOCOLATE HEAVEN EMPORIUM MEMORANDUM
TO: All Staff FROM: Management T.C. DATE: November 9th, 20-- SUBJECT: STAFF CHRISTMAS PARTY
It's that time of year again. As you all know, Christmas is our busiest season of the year. Every year it is a struggle for management and supervisors to find the time and energy to organize a staff Christmas party. This year, we have decided to postpone the Christmas party until after our busy season.
Party Details
Date: Second or third Saturday in January (T.B.A)
Theme: Beach
Food: Caribbean
Special events: Karaoke and belly dancing
We apologize that the celebration will have to wait until the new year, but we guarantee that it will be worth the wait. Anyone interested in volunteering to help out with the event is encouraged to call Lucy, our events coordinator. Lucy's cell phone number is Please contact Lucy outside of business hours regarding this matter.
Thank you.
T.C.

21. Interoffice MEMO
A letter from one person in a company to another in the same company
Or to a group of employees
Or to everyone
Can be hand-delivered ed
Interoffice mail
Faxed to one another

22. MEMOS
Should be:
Clear
Concise
Persuasive
Positive

23. MEMOS used for: Communicating policies and procedures Assigning tasks
Motivating staff
Congratulate employees
Announce changes

24. Let’s try it!! You own a shop that sells comic books.
Write a business letter to your main supplier, a comic book wholesaler
Tell the supplier that you have not received the shipment you ordered of the most recent edition of a popular comic
Be sure to follow the rules
Make up names for your business and your suppliers business

25. Let’s try a MEMO As the owner of a large manufacturing company
Write a memo to your employees
Communicating a change in your vacation policy
State what the policy has been and what it will now be
Again, follow the rules