Business Writing and Communication. To view the recording, please click this link:

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1 Business Writing and Communication To view the recording, please click this link: 1

2 What does business communication mean to you? Business communication: All communication at work written and oral. One s ability to communicate directly impacts future potential PLUS one s communication skills are a direct reflection on an organization. If your skills are lacking that will reflect on the business and how others perceive it. 2

3 Do you think you are ready to meet the communication challenges that you will face or even that you are facing now? 3

4 More than 90 percent of midcareer professionals cited the need to write effectively as a skill of great importance in their day-to-day work ( The Neglected R, 2003, p. 11). What do you think about this quotation? What does it say about the one s perceptions of the value of writing in one s future career? Wish I knew then what I know now!!! How many of you think that writing will be in your future? Why or why not? In Bus, communication is EVERYTHING- if your ability to communicate effectively is limited, then you are not going to be as effective as someone who can comm effectively. 4

5 From the application to promotion, communication skills are key. Companies consistently cite communications and writing as top on the priority list when hiring and promoting. As an employee, you must be able to communicate clearly and accurately. 5

6 Business Communication must take many factors into account. Business are increasingly part of a global market. Companies and individual who work for companies must be able to communication effectively across contents. This means they will have to take cultural language and communication styles into account when communicating. Collaboration is a key component in the workplace. This means that people must communicate clearly and effectively in order to complete their work. Do you have any examples of miscommunication at work? How did this slow down work progress? Business are also required to communicate effectively across different mediums. Different mediums require different types of communication. But all will need to consider audience, purpose, and tone. 6

7 Business writing has to do all of the following: Accommodate global audiences for both internal and external communications Be completely clear of idioms, slang, and other geographical language use, so it is clear to a wide audience; use Standard American English Be adaptable to other cultures and mediums 7

8 Here are they key questions to ask yourself as you compose. Keys to Effective Business Communication Who is your audience? What is your purpose? What is your message? Is the writing clear and correct? Is the tone appropriate? 8

9 This is a version of the Communication Triangle. The Communication Triangle visually helps you remember that audience, purpose, and tone, all play key roles in the composing and the delivering of the message you want to send. If you pick the wrong tone, you may send a different message than the one you intended. All of these elements must be considered when communicating. Each of these elements work together to create the overall message sent. 9

10 Audience Awareness Primary goal is to make sure that your intended message is the message received by your audience. Any errors in writing will be seen as the company being careless or not attentive to detail. Writing should be formal, written in Standard American English, and personalized. 10

11 The success of one s document will be affected by one s awareness of the audience and of the purpose. Ask, why am I writing? Or what is the goal of this piece of writing or document? You must determine your purpose when you compose, and you must review your purpose when you revise and edit your document to make sure the end product still serves your purpose. Every document has to have a purpose A sales proposal is intended to sell a business idea. A memo is intended to inform. A business letter is intended to build relationships. A web page is intended to show customers what the company can do for them. 11

12 Use clear and correct writing. Business documents must be written clearly and correctly Anyone who reads the document understands its content and meaning. Correct means that the writing is free of errors. Clear and correct writing is best achieved by using Standard American English. 12

13 It is not what you say, but how you say it. What tone does your writing convey? Tone expresses your attitude toward the subject and audience. Tone is determined by the language you choose. You are fired You are being laid off Sorry for the inconvenience. Make sure the way you express your ideas conveys the kind of tone appropriate for the occasion. -Where did YOU get that hat? - WHERE did you get THAT HAT? - and so on. -Using emoticons is not always possible. 13

14 Tone Formal vs. informal? Always err on the side of formality, even in s, IMs, blogs, presentations, phone calls, etc. Do not use slang. Do not speak poorly of co-workers or bosses. Use formal language Those books sure cost me a chunk of change. Those books are quite expensive. 14

15 Business writing comes in many forms. Learn how to communicate effectively in each form. This means the language used in that form. The level of formality needed in that form, and visual format of that form. General forms of business communication Proposals (Business, Sales) Plans (Business, Sales) Memos Letters Marketing materials Training materials Presentations Web content 15

16 Why Form Matters Visual appeal or how something looks on the page determines how it will be used and how the information influential the information in the document will be. First certain documents are expected to look certain ways. An annual report for your company will have a certain format and look. You should follow the formats established by your company. Second, visual appeal makes a document more accessible, readable, and useful. Bolded headings and well-place bullet points can help people find the information they need to understand and make decisions. Studies have been done that actually demonstrate how much money they have saved by improving the visual appeal and readability of documents. For example, a revised training manual enabled employees to spend more time working and less time reading and training. Business people scan Choose what to read based on the information needed to make a decision Certain sections expected 16

17 All writing should follow a process a series of drafts. Don t rush business documents. Involve an other set of eyes if possible. Make a list of global proofreading/editing tasks. Know what types of errors you tend to make and proofread accordingly. Consult a good reference book. 17

18 You should be using the writing process in all your business communications. Be sure that when you send and write business letters that you are composing, rereading, editing multiple times before you send out communications. Have others help you proofread and edit if need be. Work on these skills. Grammar and punctuation matter in all professional communications. 18

19 Online Footprint. Everything we post on the internet and every we send has the potential to leave an online footprint. You need to be aware of what you put out there for people to see and know about you. Whether we like it or not, our personal and professional lives mingle in the online space. Employers look at prospective employees Facebook pages. They Google potential employees. Whether you are blogging, tweeting, or posting videos, understand how this effects your online footprint. 19

20 What are the difference here between the formal and informal? Be sure to be aware of how you are communicating with others. Be sure to be more formal in s. Always use a personalized greeting such as Hi, Carol. Formal Dear Carol, I appreciate your help and attention with the Smith proposal. Your efforts made the project a success. I look forward to working with you again. Thanks, Melody Informal thanks for your help. we make a great team. Later, Melody 20

21 Appropriate vs. Inappropriate In what ways are these appropriate and inappropriate? Appropriate Hi James, Next time you need help with a project, I need you to ask me before recruiting my team members. This way we can be sure that all the necessary work gets completed on time. Inappropriate You must call me before talking to my team. Going behind my back made things terrible for everyone. Everyone was overworked, and we missed deadlines because of your irresponsible actions. 21

22 The best time to do a paper review in the Kaplan University Writing Center is after you have written your first draft. When you come to us early, we can help you the most by helping you with the structure of your paper. Many students send papers at the last minute because they want us to simply proofread their paper. However, KUWC writing tutors do not simply proofread the paper for you; we want to help you learn to write and proofread your own papers. Since you can come to the Writing Center 6 times a term, you can submit a first draft, then submit a later draft if you need further help on an assignment. If you need help before you write the first draft, you can use live tutoring. During live tutoring, you can ask questions and brainstorm with a tutor. Live tutors can help you with other stages in the paper writing process as well. Come visit us. We can be found under the My Studies tab, then under Academic Support Center. 22

23 On the Academic Support Center page, you will see the Writing Center links. These include Live Tutoring, Paper Review Service, the Writing Reference Library, Citation Guidelines, Workshops, English Language Learner, and Fundamental writing help. Notice, you can access the Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing on the right hand side in both print and audio form. Come visit us. 23

24 Writing Center Resources Writing Tutor Paper Review and Q&A Services Writing Reference Library Citation Guidelines (APA & more) Writing Workshops Graduate Student Resources English Language Learners Writing Fundamentals Program Effective Writing Podcasts Series 24

25 Workshops are recorded and recording links, with an accompanying PowerPoint or a handout, are posted on the Writing Center Workshops page 1-2 business days after a workshop has taken place. For information about the Writing Center workshop series, please contact Melody Pickle mpickle@kaplan.edu Facebook: Twitter: KUWC@kaplan.edu 25