TOPIC 4

BUSINESS WRITING
(I)

FIA 1383: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

 INTRODUCTION TO EFFECTIVE BUSINESS
WRITING

 Almost all business activities are planned, implemented

and analyzed in some form of the written word, which
include reports, letters, memos and any documents that
communicate something about business.

 The purpose of business writing is to convey information

to someone else or to request information from them.

 Poorly written business documents can produce

unintended results and potentially disastrous
consequences. Hence, effective writing in a professional
context is an essential skill.
 Writing for Business

• Intra-office • Inter-office
communication communication
 Internal  External
 _________________  ___________________
_________________ ___________________
 _________________  ___________________
_________________ ___________________
_________________ ___________________
 Email  Email
 _________________  ___________________
 Report  Report
 Letter (less common)
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 The Three-Step Writing Process

• The goal of effective business writing is to express your

ideas rather than to impress your audience.
• One of the best ways to do is to follow a systematic writing
process.
• The specific actions you take to write business messages
will vary from situation to situation, but these generalized
steps will help you write more effective messages.
 Seven C’s of Effective Business
Communication

7 C’s
1. Completeness

• “the message must bear all the necessary information to

bring the response you desire”.
• One of the most famous terms use under this title is the
“5’w’s”. 5’w’s includes Who, What, When, Where and Why.

Benefits of Completeness

Complete messages are more likely to produce desired

results.

They can do a better job of building goodwill.

Complete information always gives additional information

wherever required, it leaves no question in the minds of
the receiver

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 2. Conciseness
The message only contains the information only relating to the
topic and don’t have irrelevant information
While composing a conciseness in message we have to bear
following points in mind.
Eliminate wordy expressions.
Include only relevant stuff (be focus, avoid long explanations).
Avoid unnecessary repetition.
Be as brief as possible.

Benefits of Conciseness
• Conciseness saves time of both the sender and receiver.
• Concise communication provides short and essential message in
limited words to the receiver/audience.
• Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible to the
receiver/audience.
• Concise message is non-repetitive in nature

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 3. Consideration
• “Consideration implies ‘stepping into the shoes of others””
• It refers to the use of “You Attitude”, emphases positive and
pleasant facts, visualizing reader’s problems, benefits, desires,
emotions and his/her response.
• Effective communication must take the receiver/audience into
consideration

Benefits of Consideration

Pose the good and pleasant effect

Length of the message is short which saves time both sender

and receiver.

Ensures that the self respect of the audience is maintained

and their emotions are not harmed

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 4. Concreteness

“Being definite, vivid and specific rather than vague, obscure and
general leads to concreteness of the message”.

While composing Concreteness in message we have to bear

following points in mind.
o Use specific facts and figures.
o Put actions in our verbs.
o Choose vivid, image-building words

Benefits of Concreteness

• Concreteness reinforces confidence.

• It is supported with specific facts and figures.
• It makes use of words that are clear and that build the
reputation.
• It creates positive and pleasure affect on reader

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 5. Clarity
•“Clarity demands the simple language and easy sentence structure
in composing the messages”.
•Clarity implies emphasizing on a specific goal or objective at a time,
rather than trying to move away from track
•Clarity comes with the use of exact, appropriate and concrete words.

While Composing the Clarity in message we have to bear

following points in our mind.
Choose precise, concrete, and familiar words.
Construct effective sentence and paragraphs.
Use the simple words rather than jargon words.
Include examples, illustrations and visual aids.

Benefits of Concreteness

Clarity makes comprehension easier

Complete clarity of thoughts and ideas enhances the meaning

of message
Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and concrete
words.
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 6. Courtesy
•“Doing well with good intentions” called Courtesy
•Courtesy means being polite, kind, judicious, enthusiastic and
convincing.
•Courtesy reflects the nature and character of the sender of the
message.
Following are suggestions for generating a courteous tone:
I. Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful and appreciative.
II. Use expressions that show respect.
III. Choose non discriminatory expressions.
IV. Omit questionable humour, expressions that hurt, irritate or
insult

Benefits of Courtesy
o Courtesy creates goodwill.
o Courtesy strengthen relations.
o Courteous message is positive and focused at the
receiver/audience.
o It makes use of terms showing respect for the receiver of
message.
11 o It is not at all biased
 7. Correctness
•The core of Correctness means “sentence ought to be proper
grammatical, punctuation, and well spell” or free from any sort of
errors
•Correctness in the communication implies that the correct
information is conveyed through message.
•The encoder should know the status, knowledge and educational
background of the decoder

Benefits of Correctness

Correctness in message helps in building confidence

The message is exact, correct and well-timed.

If the communication is correct, it boosts up the

confidence level
It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts
and figures used in the message.
It makes use of appropriate and correct language in
12 the message
 The Advantages of Writing in Plain
English

• A plain English writing style is a reader-friendly writing style.

• It is a good and clear writing that considers the reader’s
needs and gets the message across easily and quickly.
• ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
• Good writing results from thoughtful planning.
1. Planning stage: Take your time to identify your purpose,
receiver, what you want to say and put this in logical
sequence.

2. Editing stage: Check your work regarding accuracy and

completeness.

3. Writing stage: Make sure your tools, words, sentences,

paragraphs, and layout work for you.
• Language: is the communication tool that
expresses meaning and gives a form to ideas,
feelings and events as you transmit to others.

• In business writing, make sure you:

a) ____________________________________
b) Remove unnecessary words
c) ____________________________________
(overused words and phrases that have lost meaning and
impact).
d) Use specific language (e.g. old vehicle vs vintage).
e) Use technical terms carefully (motherboard, port,
pixel, pulmonary)
f) Choose non-discriminatory, inclusive
language (Male-dominated terms)
 Unnecessary Words
Poor or incorrect use Better use
Precedes before Goes before or precedes
Reverse backward
Possible benefit Benefit
Repeat again Repeat
Fact
The majority of Most
Progress forward Progress
On the occasion of
A number of different Various
I personally I
Wise words of wisdom Wise words
Eliminate
End results results 15
 Clichés

Poor use Better use

Reside
Terminate End
Use
Optimum Best
Finalize
At this point in time Now

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EMAIL

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Introduction to Email
 Some professionals get scores of emails every day.

 It is cheaper and faster than a letter, less intrusive than a

phone call, less hassle than using a fax

 Using email, differences in location and time zone are not

an obstacle to communication.

 Because of its seemingly ephemeral/brief nature, many

people don't take the time to write emails using proper
grammar or sentence structure. (U cnt type txt msg in
bznz email. U look s2pid.)

 Treat emails as what they are: business letters in digital

form.

 The business email format is similar to the business

memo. Therefore, it won't be difficult to understand the 18
basic rules.
Format
 Internet email messages consist of two major sections:
1. Header – structured into fields such as From, To, CC,
BCC, Subject, Date and other information about the email
2. Body – the basic content, as unstructured text;
sometimes containing a signature block at the end. This is
exactly the same as the body of a regular letter.

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Header section

 Common header fields for email include:

1. From: The email address, and optionally the name of the
author. Many email client fill this in automatically when
sending.

2. To: The email address(es), and optionally name(s) of the

message's recipient(s). Usually indicates primary recipients
(multiple recipients are allowed in certain email client).

3. CC: _____________________; simultaneously sending

copies of an electronic message to secondary recipients
(others whom the author wishes to publicly inform of the
message). The recipients are visible to all other recipients of
the message.

4. BCC: __________________________; addresses added

to the delivery list but not (usually) listed in the message data.
The recipients are invisible/hidden to other recipients. 20
5. Subject: A ______________________________ of the
message. Certain abbreviations are commonly used in
the subject, such as “RE:” and “FW:”.
RE: or “Re:” followed by the subject line of a previous
message indicates a reply to the message.
FW: a forwarded message. Also written as “FWD:”, “Fwd:”
or “Fw:”. The recipient is informed that the email was
originally sent to someone else, and that person has in
turn forwarded a copy of the email to him or her.

6. Date: The ___________________________ when the

message was written. Like the From field, many email
client fill this in automatically.

7. Attachment: A _________________________________.
One or more files can be attached to any email message,
and be sent along with it to the recipient (usually indicated
by a paperclip image) 21
Body Section
The ________________ of the email message.

Signature Block
A block of text automatically appended at the
bottom of an email message. This has the effect of
“_____________” the message. It contains the
sender's name, address, phone number,
disclaimer or other contact information.

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Tips for Writing Effective Email

 Follow the following email etiquette tips in order to give

your recipients the information they need, so they'll act on
your message:

1. Write a meaningful subject line

2. Keep the message focused
3. Avoid attachments
4. Identify yourself clearly
5. Proofread
6. Don't assume privacy
7. Distinguish between formal and informal situations
8. Show respect and restraint

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1. Write a meaningful subject line
 The subject line must accurately describes the content, to give your
reader a concrete reason to open your message.
 Remember – your message is not the only one in your recipient's
mailbox. A clear subject line will help a busy professional to decide
that your email is important.

 Subject: Take advantage of the opportunity to get your

recipient thinking about your message even
before opening it.

 Subject: What is important to you may not be important

to the reader. Write an informative headline
that actually conveys what you feel is
important: “Emergency: Cars left overnight will
be towed”
 Subject: If the question is quick, why not just ask it in
the subject line?

 Subject: Many email users get virus-laden spam with

vague titles. The more specific you are, the
more likely your recipient will open your email.

 Subject: Upon reading this informative subject, the

recipient immediately starts thinking about the 24
size of the room, not about whether to open
the email or not.
2. Keep the message focused

 Help your reader focus on your message: keep your text

readable.

 If your email contains multiple messages, you could

number your points to ensure they are all read (you may
add an introductory line that states how many parts there
are to the message).

 Write short paragraphs. Most people find long paragraphs

boring, or even intimidating. Take the time to format your
message for the ease of your reader.

 Avoid fancy typefaces. Don't depend upon bold font or

large size to add nuances. Your recipient's email reader
may not have all the features that yours does.
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3. Avoid attachments

 Rather than attaching a file that your reader will have to

download and open in a separate window, you will
probably get faster results if you just copy-paste the most
important part of the document into the body of the email.

 If your recipient actually needs to view the full file in order

to edit or archive it, then of course sending an attachment
is appropriate.

 If it's the message that matters, recognize that

attachments:
(a) Consume bandwidth (do you want your recipient to
ignore your request so to avoid paying for a mobile
download?)
(b) Can carry viruses
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(c ) Don't always translate correctly for people who read
their email on portable devices
4. Identify yourself clearly

 When contacting someone, always include your name,

occupation, and any other important identification
information in the first few sentences.

 If you are following up on a face-to-face contact, you

may write: “I enjoyed talking with you about PDAs in the
elevator the other day.”

 Avoid using “unprofessional” email addresses such as

“[email protected]”, “[email protected]”,
“[email protected].

 While formal phrases such as “Dear Professor Brown”

and “Sincerely Yours”, are unnecessary in email, when
contacting someone outside your own organization, you
should write a signature line that includes your full 27
name.
5. Proofread
 While your spellchecker won't catch every mistake, at the
very least it will catch a few typos.
 If you are sending a message that will be read by someone
higher up on the chain of command (a superior or
professor, for instance), or if you're about to mass-mail
dozens or thousands of people, take an extra minute or two
to proofread it before you hit “send”.

6. Don't assume privacy

 Show a draft to a close associate, in order to see whether it
actually makes sense.
 Don't send anything over email that you wouldn't want
posted – with your name attached.
 Email is not secure. A curious hacker, a malicious hacker or
even the government can easily intercept your email. Your
IT department has the ability to read any and all email
messages in your work account (and your company can
legally fire you if you write anything in appropriate). 28
7. Distinguish between formal and informal situations

 When you are writing to a friend or a close colleague, it is

OK to use “smileys” :-) , abbreviations (IMHO for “in my
honest opinion” or LOL for “laughing out loud”, etc) and
nonstandard punctuation and spelling (like that found in
instant messaging or chatrooms).

 These linguistic shortcuts are generally signs of friendly

intimacy, like sharing cold pizza with a family friend. If you
tried to share that same cold pizza with a first date, or a
visiting dignitary, you would give off the impression that you
did not really care about the meeting.

 By the same token, don't use informal language when your

reader expects a more formal approach.

 Always know the situation, and write accordingly. 29

8. Show respect and restraint

 While most people know that email is not private, it is good

to ask the sender before forwarding a personal message.

 If someone emails you a request, it is perfectly acceptable

to forward the request to a person who can help – but
forwarding a message in order to ridicule the sender is
tacky.

 Use BCC instead of CC when sending sensitive

information to large groups (For example, a professor
sending a bulk message to students who are in danger of
failing, or an employee telling unsuccessful applicants that
a position is no longer open).

 Be tolerant of other people's etiquette blunders. If you think

you've been insulted, quote the line back to your sender
and add a neutral comment such as, “I'm not sure how to 30
interpret this...could you elaborate?”
Writing the email

 Email is less formal than a written letter. It is also usually

short and concise.
 If you are writing to someone you don't know, a simple
“Hello” or “Hi” is adequate.
 If you are writing to someone you know well, you may
use salutation such as “Dear Mr Smith”.
 Use abbreviated verb forms (he's, we're, he'd, etc).
 Include a telephone number to the signature of the
email. This will give the recipient the chance to call if
necessary.
 It is not necessary to include your email address as the
recipient can just reply to the email.
 When replying, eliminate all the information that is not
necessary. Only leave the sections of text that are
related to your reply. This will save your reader time
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when reading your email.
32
EXAMPLE:

[email protected]

Meeting About New Internet Service Provider

33
MEMORANDUM

34
Introduction to Memorandum

 The most common form of written communication

within the company / organization.

 Memo is __________________ (within the company)

while formal letter is normally _________________
(to another business company)

 Addresser : ___________________________

 Recipient : ____________________________

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Functions of a Memorandum
1. To inform or to record information accurately
 To transmit information accurately and provide both
parties with a record of the message for further reference.
 For example: to inform about a meeting or important
upcoming dates.

2. To confirm or to determine responsibility

 Most decisions or agreement reached in a meeting may
be set down in writing and distributed to all parties
concerned. It ensures clear understanding among all
parties concerned.
 For example: staff promotion / new position

3. To give instruction to a subordinate

 For example: instructing the employee to carry out
department evaluation 36
4. To clear up inconsistencies
 Memorandums describing policy or procedural
changes
 Provide a permanent record for continual referral and
clarification.
 For example: changes of office policies/rules

5. To request information or assistance

 For example: asking for help or information to
complete a task, obtain an item, make a purchase.

6. To provide a possible solution or required action

 For example: update personal work schedules,
change calendar, greet new staff members, put new
dates into work schedule or attend a meeting. 37
Note:

 Memos are not appropriate for messages concerning

social occasions of a personal nature (e.g when
inviting colleagues to a birthday party, wedding,
house-warming)

 Memos provide a permanent record for future

reference. Therefore, copies of all memos that you
received or wrote should be kept.

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Format of a Memorandum

 Inter-office memorandums are written on standard,

printed business format.

 There are 2 parts of a memorandum:

i) heading section
- contains the addresser and addressee’s names,
date and the title of the memo

ii) message section

- contains the message of the memo

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 Letterhead (Optional)
(Company’s Logo or / and name)
MEMORANDUM

TO: title & full name of receiver, job position

(optional)
FROM: writer’s full name, job position
(optional)
DATE: day /month / year
SUBJECT: (usually CAPITALIZED/ BOLD)

___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
___________________________________

Writer’s Initial (optional)

Cc : full name (position) 40

Enc. /Encl. / Enclosure
Heading Section
 TO: List the title, full names and job positions of the people
who will get the memo. Be sure to spell people's names
correctly and include their proper job title (e.g.: Mr. Santa Claus,
General Manager)

 FROM: Put your FULL NAME and Job position (e.g.:Stuart

Little, Workshop Supervisor)

 DATE: Put in the full date (e.g. 17 January 2010, NOT

17/01/10)

 SUBJECT: The subject line is a very important part of any

memo. A very clear and specific subject gives a good idea
about the content of the memo. Usually CAPITALIZED and
bold. Remember 1 word is NEVER a topic.
For example;
- Subject: “Meeting“
is a BAD subject line because it could mean many things.
- Subject: "Meeting to discuss shortage of toy parts " 41
is a GOOD subject line because it provides a very clear idea
what the memo is about.
Message Section
 The content of the memo
 Start the body of the memo on the second or third
line below the heading.

Attached Documents
 If you have any other documents that you need to
include with the memo - like charts, graphs, pictures,
tables, reports, etc., be sure to attach them with the
memo.
 Remember to add a notation about what is attached
below your message so the reader know to look for
additional documents.
 For example
Attached: List of Toys for the Year 2014
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Planning and Writing a Memorandum

1. Identify the subject

 decide on the memo’s main purpose
 the subject line must be precise, complete and
informative

2. Select and order information

 decide what you want to say and organise the ideas
appropriately
 present the main idea followed by the relevant details

43
3. Write concisely
 Write your message clearly and logically in simple
English
 Write short, numbered paragraphs (optional) for easy
reading
 Break the main body into sections if the memo
contains a lot of complex information
 Limit your memo to one page as it will encourage you
to focus on your subject and eliminate unnecessary
points

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4. Use a suitable tone
 The tone of the memo depends on your relationship
with the recipient
 Use a friendly and informal style
 Who you are sending it to, and what the memo is
about will also influence HOW you write it.
 For example: a memo to the boss about another staff
member coming in late will have a serious tone. But
a memo to all staff about the year end party will be
more fun and less serious.

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The Language of a Memorandum
Some tips on how to be precise and courteous:

1. Choose well-known or usual word rather than the

unusual alternative. Avoid unnecessary and officious
words.

2. Use simple sentence constructions rather than

complex sentence.

3. Avoid using many words and long sentences when

few words and short sentences can convey the
message clearly.

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Examples of what you should avoid:

I am writing to you in connection with the

interviews you will be conducting to select
personnel to man the reception counters.

Possible alternative:

I am writing about the interviews that you will be

conducting to select the receptionist.

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Examples of what you should avoid:

You are hereby reminded that adequate parking

facilities are provided for categories 2, 3 and 4 as
classified according to the Personnel Schedule of this
company, enclosed herewith, in the parking lot
designated B which has been reserved for the
exclusive use of the same. You are kindly requested to
desist from stationing your class C vehicles in
locations other than the above-mentioned car park.

Possible alternative:

Employees who are classified under categories 2, 3

and 4 are requested to park their cars in car park B
only. A copy of the Personnel schedule of the company
showing the classification of employees is enclosed.
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Some Commonly Misused Officious Words/Phrases

Misused words Suggested words

I enclosed herewith….. I enclose….
You are kindly requested Please..
Kindly desist from… Please do not…

Enclosed herewith… I enclose…

As per your instruction.. As you instructed…

Please advise… Please let me know..

Prior to… Before..

In connection with…. About

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 Misused words Suggested words
With respect to… About..

Enclosed please find.. I have enclosed..

I am enclosing..
I enclose…

At this point in time… Now

At that point in time… Then

Hereby.. -Omit-

Herewith.. -Omit-

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Types of Memorandum

 Transmittal memo – acts as a cover letter

 Instruction memo – provides the receiver with

directions needed to carry out an action

 Request memo – the receiver is asked to provide

certain information or to take certain action

 Announcement or Information memo – provides

information

 Authorization memo – gives permission or authority

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How to Write a Memo

1. Fill in the heading section

2. In the body of the memo, introduce the request you

wish to make in the first sentence or paragraph of
the memo. It is not necessary to begin with
personal pleasantries such as “How are you?” or
“Good day”. Memos usually begin with a statement
of purpose, often using the phrase “I am writing to
request / inform / announce / etc …”

3. After introducing the purpose of the memo, provide

all essential information you would like to deliver,
details of the service or product you request
including specific instructions and deadlines for the
request, instruction for carrying out a task, details of 52
authorization, etc.
4. Write your initial at the bottom if you wish. This is
optional, since you already stated your name in the
“From” field.

5. Review and proofread your memo. Remove

extraneous information to ensure that the memo is
simple and easy to understand.

6. Keep sentences and paragraphs short. Ideally, the

total length of the memo should be about one page
only.

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Examples

54
Examples

55
Examples

56
Examples

57
Other Examples

58
Other Examples

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