Z.

Nouira Technical Writing TBS/2021

Features of business
writing

Purposeful persuasive economical audience-

(problem-solving oriented
Info-conveying)
Perfecting business messages requires practice. One is ought to follow a
sytematic process and to study sample messages in order to hone his/her skills.
The writing process for business messages is tripartite.

1st: prewriting 2nd: writing 3rd revising

• Analysing the • Researching data. • Proofreading.
audience (to whom?). • Organising data. • Editing.
• Analysing the purpose • The use of logical • Evaluating.
(why?). sequencing.
• Evading opposition
from and persuading
the
audience==Rhetoric in
use
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After searching for relevant information, comes:

Grouping Patterning
Patterns are
created when
Similar ideas are clear relationships
grouped together. between ideas
and their groups
are created.

Disorganised business messages are known for having erratic patterns, jumping
to conclusions with unclear or nonexistent logical sequencing.
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After developing an outline, the placement of the main idea of the message
comes next. There are TWO patterns in this respect:
1) The Direct Pattern (frontloading): placing the main idea first and then
indulging in explanation and illustration.
2) The Indirect Pattern: the main idea comes after the elaboration and
evidence.

When one expects the reader to be pleased, mildly interested, or, at worst,
neutral—one should use the direct pattern. That is, the main point—the
purpose of the message—should be put in the first or second sentence.
Compare the direct and indirect patterns in the following memo openings:
Z.Nouira Technical Writing TBS/2021

Frontloading has 3 advantages:

1) Saves the reader’s time.
2) Sets the proper frame of mind: learning the purpose at the beginning
helps the reader put the entire message into perspective without feeling
lost in the subsequent details and explanations.
3) Prevents frustration: verbosis and redundancy that initiate the message
will frustrtae the reader and give the latter a negative impression of the
writer.

This frontloading technique works best with audiences who are likely to be
receptive to or at least not likely to disagree with what you have to say. Typical
business messages that follow the direct pattern include routine requests and
responses, orders and acknowledgments, nonsensitive memos, e-mail
messages, informational reports, and informational oral presentations. All
these tasks have one element in common: none has a sensitive subject that
will upset the reader.
(Essentials of Business Communication,57)
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The indirect pattern works well with 3 kinds of messages: bad news/ ideas that
require persuasion/ sensitive news especially in the case where these messages
are transmitted to superiors.
The indirect pattern has 3 benefits:
1) Respects the feelings of the audience: the impact (trauma) of the bad
news can be alleviated when the receiver is given time and is prepared to
face it.
2) Encourages a fair hearing: messages that contain bad news are more
likely to be read when the main idea is defered. Reading the bad news
first may cause the receiver to stop reading the message altogether.
3) Minimises a negative reaction: a reader’s overall reaction to a negative
message is generally improved if the news is delivered gently and slowly.
Typical business messages that could be developed indirectly include letters
and memos that refuse requests, reject claims, and deny credit.

Adapting Strategies:
When dealing with the purpose of business writing, there are mainly TWO
purposes involved:
Primary purpose : to convince/ to inform.
Secondary purpose : “to promote goodwill”==promoting a good image of one’s
organisation and oneself.
The Choice of the Channel of Communication:
It depends on the nature of the information, the amount of efficiency and
formality.
Some messages are best delivered orally, others in written form or in an
electronic display.
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Choosing Communication Channels

Channel Best use

Blog When one person needs to present digital

information easily so that it is available to
others.

E-mail When you need feedback but not

immediately. Lack of security makes it
problematic for personal, emotional, or
private messages.

Face-to-face conversation When you need a rich, interactive medium.

Useful for persuasive, bad-news, and
personal messages.

When group decisions and consensus are

important. Inefficient for merely
Face-to-face group meeting
distributing information.

Fax When your message must cross time zones

or international boundaries, when a written
record is significant, or when speed is
important.

Instant message When you are online and need a quick

response. Useful for learning whether
someone is available for a phone
conversation.

Letter When a written record or formality is

required, especially with customers, the
government, suppliers, or others outside an
organization.
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Memo When you want a written record to clearly

explain policies, discuss procedures, or
collect information within an organization.

Phone call When you need to deliver or gather

information quickly, when nonverbal cues
are unimportant, and when you cannot
meet in person.

Report or proposal When you are delivering considerable data

internally or externally.

Voice mail message When you wish to leave important or

routine information that the receiver can
respond to when convenient.

Video- or teleconference When group consensus and interaction are

important but members are geographically
dispersed.

Wiki When digital information must be made

available to others. Useful for collaboration
because participants can easily add,
remove, and edit content

“NOW!” is the brand of the 21st C. as an age of communication.

The medium that combines both persuasion and formality along with ease and
speed =====the e-mail.
Since we live in the digitalised age, the e-mail is fast in terms of
communication and extensive in terms of coverage (it can reach many
addressees simultaneously).
The choice of the channel is determined by the following factors:
*The importance of the message.
*The amount and speed of interactivity (feedback).
*The necessity of a permanent record (archival purpose).
*The cost of the channel (budgetary purpose).
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*The desired degree of formality (written vs spoken).

*Confidentiality and sensitivity of the message.
The paramount communicative theory is MEDIA RICHNESS .
“The extent to which a channel or medium recreates or represents all the
information available in the original message.” (Essentials of Business Communication, 35)
A richer medium provides the receiver with an accessible and condensed
margin of data with the least amount of effort.

Anticipating the Audience:

This step is purely rhetorical. 2 main questions come to the writer’s mind:
1) What is the addressee like?
2) What will his/her reaction be to the message?
An act of targetting the audience in order to guide the writing endeavour.
1st question: a blatant attempt at depicting an approximative image of the
audience====Profiling the audience and shaping the message accordingly
(diction/ tone/ formality).
2nd question: anticipating the addressee’s reaction (resistance) by responding
to the profile====Categorising the receiver’s response (negative/ neutral/
positive).

Asking the Right Questions to Profile Your Audience.

Primary Audience Secondary Audience

Who is my primary reader or listener? Who might see or hear this message in
addition to the primary audience?

What are my personal and professional How do these people differ from the
relationships with that primary audience?
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person?

What position does the person hold in the Do I need to include more background
organization? information?

How much does that person know about How must I reshape my message to make it
the subject? understandable
and acceptable to others to whom it might
be forwarded?

What do I know about that person’s

education, beliefs, culture,
and attitudes?

Should I expect a neutral, positive, or

negative response to my
message?

An issue presents itself in this respect:

The issue of having a secondary audience; for instance, in a business-related
context, an e-mail sent to a specific co-worker is usually forwarded to the
entire team ranging from other co-workers to the actual manager/ supervisor.
Considering TWO levels of reception puts extra strain on the profiling task and
the subsequent writing effort. Therefore, revising takes place as to cater for the
needs of all audiences.
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Broadening the scope of reception showcases the writer’s alertness

when corresponding.
This issue is to be solved when the factor of alternating between “tones” is
mastered by the writer.
The tone should be positive in order to create a rapport with the audience===
sounding conversational, courteous while remaining respectful and
professional.
Cultivating a “YOU” attitude.

“To be good, it [what is written] ought to have a tendency to benefit the

reader.” (Benjamin Franklin)
Effective writing, for Benjamin Franklin, should be beneficial to the
reader=====What business communication ought to be.
A contemporary business consultant asserts that the employee should
“[a]lways stress the benefit to the audience of whatever it is you are trying to
get them to do. If you can show them how you are going to save them
frustration or help them meet their goals, you have the makings of a powerful
message.”===== The importance of communicating hope,that is not
necessarily realisable, is crucial, for once it is communicated, the message is
considered to be transmitted.
There is a clear play on the factor of empathy as to appeal to the
receiver====Appeal to Pathos (more essential in negative
messages).
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HOWEVER, one should avoid overusing/abusing the personal pronoun “You”,

for it may be seen as: *an attempt to manipulate the addressee. *an
attempt to uncomfortably focus on the addressee.
In negative messages, the impersonal voice is most suitable since it is best to
deflect the blame from known parties in the situation.
Still, the communicative rapport that creates empathy between the
communicators hinges upon the use of “I” and “we” in certain situations.
EX: “We are delighted to have you on our team.”
“I am ready to use all of my qualifications for the sake of this company.”

MODERATION IS KEY.
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The purpose in business communication is to transmit important information

and assure an adequate work environment in order to guarantee a consitent
workflow. Another means to do so is opting for a friendly converstaional
diction and tone all the while remaining professional. In other terms, the
businessperson should avoid using : needless abbreviations (btw….) and
informal expressions (totally awesome, you know, like…). There is a fine line
between sounding friendly and street-like.

Positive messages normally convey more information due to their high level of
clarity (semantically and structurally). Moreover, positive messages are usually
pleasant and uplifting when they are read (psychological asset).
“Positive wording tells what is and what can be done rather than what isn’t and
what can’t be done. For example, Your order cannot be shipped by January 10
is not nearly as informative as Your order will be shipped January 20.” (Essentials of
Busines Communication, 41)
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“Maintaining a courteous tone involves not just guarding against rudeness but
also avoiding words that sound demanding or preachy. Expressions such as you
should, you must, and you have to cause people to instinctively react with Oh,
yeah? One remedy is to turn these demands into rhetorical questions that
begin with Will you please . . . Giving reasons for a request also softens the
tone.” (Essentials of Business Communication, 41)
The businessperson needs to keep his/her cool when irritated and/or
frustrated and has to seek ways to defuse the situation.Politeness and
professionalism are key elements in business communication, for the main
priority is assuring a strong and consistent workflow by promoting goodwill
and convincing the business audience.
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Business communication, as precise and purposeful as it should be, hinges

upon emphasising the main ideas and de-emphasising the collateral
(secondary) ones. Emphasis in writing can be achieved via 2 main ways:
Mechanically: Stylistically:

The use of graphic modifications, The use of sentential and structural

such as: underlining, using italics,
boldface, selecting a large, small or
different fonts to draw attention,
using ALL CAPS -dashes- or
enumeration of ideas 1,2,3 and so
on…
modifications.
Emphasising positive ideas and de-
emphasising negative ones.
There are 4 main ways to do so:

1) Using vivid words: these words help to emphasise the main idea.
EX: One business uses personal selling techniques====Arvea uses face-to-
face selling techniques.
2) Labelling the main idea: balantly pointing out a significant idea.
EX: Consider looking for a job online, but also focus on networking. =====
Consider looking for a job online; but, most importantly, focus on
networking.
3) Placing the main idea first or last in the sentence: these two positions
have a prominent effect on the reader since it is either the first or last
thing that is read. It is easier to remember thusly.
EX: Profit-sharing plans are more effective in increasing productivity when
they are linked to individual performance rather than to group
performance.
======= Profit-sharing plans linked to individual performance rather than
to group performance are more effective in increasing productivity.
4) Placing the main idea in a simple sentence or in an independent clause:
the main idea must not share the spotlight with other ideas.It needs to
stand-out structurally.
EX: Although you are the first trainee we have hired for this programme, we
had many candidates and expect to expand the programme in the future.
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======== You are the first trainee we have hired for this programme. (Simple
sentence)
=========Although we considered many candidates, you are the first trainee
we have hired for this programme. ( The main idea is in the independent
clause)

De-emphasising is crucial in order to highlight a main idea and to

alleviate/decrease the effect of bad news (damage control). This can be done
by:
Using general words: opting for an indirect approach/address to the situation.
EX: Our records indicate that you were recently fired.========= Our records
indicate that your employment status has recently changed.
Placing the bad news in a dependent clause that is connected to an
independent one containing positive news: the positive main clause, which is
usually the focal one, would overshadow the negative subordinate one.
EX.: We cannot issue you credit at this time, but we have a special plan that will
allow you to fill your immediate needs on a cash basis.=========== Although
credit cannot be issued at this time, you can fill your immediate needs on a
cash basis with our special plan.

Using Active and Passive Voice: In the passive voice, the emphasis is put on the
recipient of the action and not the doer of the action. Writers generally prefer
the active voice since it is direct and concise. Yet, the passive voice is preferred
in certain situations, such as:
*To de-emphasise the doer of the action while concealing its doer:
An investigation was launched.
*To de-emphasise negative news: Cash refunds cannot be made.
*To convey a sense of urgency without blaming a certain individual:
The entire plan was deemed flawed.Thus, a substitute has to be presented as
soon as possible before the deadline.
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Applying Bias-Free Language:

One should be careful not to sound offensive or insensitive by avoiding
expressions that may express bias in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, age, and
disability.
One is to opt for gender neutral language by using plural nouns and pronouns
or using gender-free words (person/individual/ representative). His or her is to
be avoided as much as possible due to its wordy nature.

Gender Biased Bias Free

Female doctor, woman attorney, Doctor,attorney, office workers,
office girls, waiter/waitress… server…
Mankind,man-hour, man-made… Humanity,working hours, artificial….
The doctor….he Doctors….they
Businessman,salesman…. Businessperson,sales
representative…..
Each employee had his picture Each employee had a picture taken…
taken…

Racially or Ethnically biased Bias Free

An Indian accountant was hired. An accountant was hired.
James Lee, an African-American, James Lee applied.
applied.
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Age Biased Bias Free

A charming old gentleman. A man
Sally Jones, 55, was transferred. Sally Jones was transferred.

Disability Biased Bias Free

Afflicted with arthritis, crippled by Has arthritis.
arthritis.
Confined to a wheelchair. Uses a wheelchair.

Using Document Design to Improve Readability:

1) Employing White Space: A page crammed full of text or graphics appears
busy, cluttered, and unreadable. White space is crucial to improve
readability and comprehension. Shorten long snetences and break them
up into meaningful and concise chunks.

2) Understanding Margins and Text Alignment: Margins define the white

space on the left, right, top, and bottom of a block of type. Business
letters usually have side margins of 2,5 to 3,8 cm. It is best to use left-
justified text and ragged-right margins without justification. Centered
text is appropriate for headings and short invitations but not for
complete messages.

3) Choosing Appropriate Typefaces: Serif typefaces suggest tradition,

maturity, and formality.They are frequently used for body text in
business messages and longer documents. All-purpose sans serif and
traditional serif typefaces are most appropriate for your business
messages. Generally, use no more than TWO typefaces for your business
messages.
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4) Using Numbered and Bulleted Lists for Quick Comprehension: Lists

provide high “skim value”. Readers can browse quickly and grasp main
ideas. They force the writer to organise ideas and write efficiently.
When revising, one should look for ideas that could be converted to lists
and use these techniques as to render lists more professional:
• Numbered lists: used for items that represent a sequence or reflect a
numbering system.
• Bulleted lists: used to highlight items that do not necessarily show a
chronology.
• Parallelism: used to make all the lines structurally consistent.

5) Improving Business Messages with Headings: Headings help the reader

distinguish main ideas from secondary ones in a clear manner, visually
speaking. They are titles put to briefly state the main idea of a paragraph
or a list. Along with the latter, headings serves the grouping endeavour
when writing business messages.