1. Writing Business Messages
Business communications

2. The Basics
Writing Business Messages
Planning
Composing
Revising

3. Planning Identifying Your Purpose Why am I sending this message?
Inform
Request information
Give responses
Confirm decisions
Provide directions
Textbook: 35-43: Understand each step of planning

4. Planning: Objective What do you want to achieve? Inform Persuade
Promote Goodwill

5. Planning: Choose a Channel
Blog
Face-to-face conversation
Face-to-face group meeting
Fax
Instant message (chat)
Letter
Memo
Phone call
Report or proposal
Voice mail message
Videoconference
wiki
Textbook: page 36 chart

6. Planning: Analyze the Audience
Primary Audience
Who is it?
Relationship?
Position?
Knowledge?
Expected Response?

7. Planning: Analyze the Audience
Secondary Audience
Who else is it?
Difference to primary
audience?
More background
information?
Reshape message?

8. Composing Adapting to the Task and Audience Be careful of the tone
Tone- how the receiver feels upon getting a message
Provide Audience Benefits
Use empathy
Use “You” Language

9. example

10. Audience Benefits Sender Focus Audience Focus
The human resources Department requires that the enclosed questionnaire be completed immediately so that we can allocate our training resource funds to employees.
Our warranty becomes effective only when we receive an owner’s registration.
We are proud to announce our new software virus checker that we think is the best on the market.

11. Audience Benefits Sender Focus Audience Focus
The Human Resources Department requires that the enclosed questionnaire be completed immediately so that we can allocate funds to employees.
By filling out the enclosed questionnaires, you can be one of the first employees to sign up for our training resource fund.
Our warranty becomes effective only when we receive an owner’s registration.
Your warranty begins working for you as soon as you return your owner’s registration.
We are proud to announce our new software virus checker that we think is the best on the market.
Now you can be sure that all your computers will be protected with our real-time virus scanning.

12. Audience Benefits “I/We” View “You” View
I’m asking all employees to respond to the attached survey about working conditions.
I have granted you permission to attend the communication seminar.
We have shipped your order by UPS, and we are sure it will arrive in time for your sales promotion December 1.
Because your ideas count, please complete the attached survey about working conditions.
You may attend the seminar to improve your communication skills.
Your order will be delivered by UPS in time for your sales promotion December 1.

13. Organizing the e-mail Subject line Must be informative
Summarize central idea
Abbreviate
Make your subject line talk (verb)
Capitalize initial letter of principal words
Query: Request:

14. Organizing the e-mail Start with a greeting: Dear Mr. Thorne,
Hi Carol,
Thank you Sylvia,
Janet,

15. Organizing the e-mail Opening with the main idea Front load
Restate the purpose

16. Organizing the e-mail Explaining in the Body Cover only one area
Keep the less than 100 words
Use white space
Double space between paragraphs
Use bullets if possible
Listing
Giving instructions

17. Closing Include cordial expressions Include your name
All the best
Warm regards
Best wishes
Include your name
Include a signature block
5 or fewer lines

18. E-mail assignment Find a partner Select a proverb in Arabic
Organize a 1-2 minute oral presentation for next week
You must do the following:
show the proverb in English on a PPT slide
explain the primary Emirati/Arab/Islamic cultural value it represents.

19. E-mail assignment E-mail due Wednesday, February 29
One member of your group (only 2 people per group maximum) needs to me the following:
the names and ID numbers of the partners
the English translation of your proverb.
If more than one group selects the same proverb, the first group to me will be allow to present it and the others will be required to find another proverb.

20. E-mail assignment Include the following: To: robyn.albers@zu.ac.ae
Cc: your partner
Subject line (proper capitalization)
Greeting
Opening line
Body
Remember to include audience benefits
Closing
Signature block
Correctly written s will earn you BOTH credit.