Completing Business Messages

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 1

Learning Objectives
Discuss the value of careful revision and list the main tasks involved in completing a business message List four writing techniques for improving the readability of your messages
Discuss how you can improve the clarity and conciseness of your writing
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 2

Learning Objectives
Explain how design elements help determine the effectiveness of your documents
List eight tips for improving message quality through careful proofreading Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your message

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 3

Beyond the First Draft

Content
Readability Clarity Conciseness

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 4

The Three-Step Process

Planning Analyze Situation
Gather Information Select Medium

Writing

Completing
Revise Produce Message Proofread Message Distribute Message
Chapter 6 - 5

Adapt to the Audience

Get Organized

Compose the Message

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Revising the Message

Type of message and choice of media
Content Clarity Conciseness Readability

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 6

Evaluate the Message

Content
Organization

Style and tone

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 7

Review for Readability

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Score
Flesch Reading Ease Score

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 8

Increasing Skim Value

Sentences
Paragraphs

Listed items
Headings

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 9

Vary Sentence Length

Create interest
Promote readability

Emphasize points
Enliven your writing

Appeal to readers
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 10

Keep Paragraphs Short

Break up thoughts
Boost readability

Emphasize ideas

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 11

Use Lists and Bullets

Show sequence of ideas
Heighten visual impact Emphasize key points Simplify complex subjects Provide visual breaks Expedite skimming process
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 12

Headings and Subheadings

Descriptive or informative
Organization Attention Connection

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 13

Editing for Clarity

Break up overly long sentences
Rewrite hedging sentences

Impose parallelism
Correct dangling modifiers

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 14

Editing for Clarity

Reword long noun sequences
Replace camouflaged verbs

Clarify sentence structure

Clarify awkward references

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 15

Editing for Conciseness

Delete unnecessary words and phrases
Shorten long words and phrases

Eliminate redundancies
Recast It is/There are starters

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 16

Evaluate, Edit, and Revise the Work of Others

Help the writer succeed
Understand the writers intent

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 17

Revising with Technology

Cut and paste
Revision marks

Search/replace
Commenting

Spell checker
Thesaurus

Grammar check
Style checker

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 18

Producing the Message

Production quality
Effectiveness Professionalism Importance

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 19

Design for Readability

Consistency
Balance

Restraint
Detail

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 20

Design Techniques
White space
Margins

Justification
Typefaces

Type styles
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 21

Multimedia Documents
Level of skills
Tools Time and cost Content Message structure Compatibility
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 22

Production Technology
Templates and style sheets
Page setup features Column and paragraph formatting Numbered and bulleted lists Information in tables Photos, images, textboxes, and objects
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 23

Format for Business Letters

Letterhead stationery Date Inside address Salutation The message Complimentary close Signature block
Chapter 6 - 24

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Format for Memos

Memo title
Headings

The message

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 25

Proofread the Message

Writing errors
Design flaws

Layout problems
Production issues

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 26

Proofreading Advice
Make Multiple Passes Focus on High Priorities Use Perceptual Tricks Maintain Your Distance

Practice Vigilance
Work With Printouts

Remain Focused
Take Your Time
Chapter 6 - 27

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Distributing Messages
Cost concerns
Convenience

Time constraints
Security and privacy

Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 - 28