Business Writing Skills

Your company information here

Schedule
8:00 9:45 Training
9:45 10:00 Break
10:00 12:00 Training
12:00 1:00 Lunch
1:00 3:00 Training
3:00 3:15 Break
3:15 4:30 Training

So What?
Ask Questions about How This Applies to Your Writing.

What Most Frustrates You About

Documents You Receive?

How much time per day do you

waste reading ineffectively written
emails?
Up to 30 minutes
30 to 60 minutes
1 to 3 hours
Information Mapping, Inc., 2005

58%
34%
6%

What are the problems with email?

I am not clear about what should be done with
it or how to act on the email contents.
The content is disorganized.
Critical information is missing or hard to find.
The content is too long, wordy, and difficult to
read.
Information Mapping, Inc., 2005

This report contains direct effects and

indirect effects of the planned bypass around
Tremont.
DIRECT EFFECTS
We are concerned about two direct effects:
1.

The impact of reduced traffic on businesses

2.

The shift in drainage into the Turtle River

Effect 1: The impact of reduced traffic on businesses

The first direct effect is the impact of reduced traffic on
businesses. The proposal . . .
Recommendations
1.

Meet with business owners to . . .

2.

Suggest ways of informing traffic . . .

Effect 2: The shift in drainage into the Turtle River

The second direct effect is the shift in drainage into the Turtle
River. The impact of this . . .
Recommendations
3.

Contact the Corps of Engineers . . .

4.

Perform a drainage study . . .

Report
150-152
Email
9-10
Letter
15-16

The Average American Reader

Literacy
More than 20% of adults read at or below the
5th-grade level, far below the level needed to
earn a living wage.
The average adult reads at the 9th-grade level.
The average businessperson reads at the 10thgrade level.
29% of American adults have only basic reading
and math skills.
Among adults who have taken graduate courses
or have graduate degrees, only 41% scored as
being proficient on reading comprehension
tests. The rest scored at Below basic, Basic, and

Manage Your Readers

Accomplish your goals
with the reader.
Economize on your time and the
readers time.
Project a
professional image.

Skill: Write in Blocks Readers

Can Follow Easily

This report contains direct effects and

indirect effects of the planned bypass around
Tremont.
Direct Effects
We are concerned about two direct effects:
1.

The impact of reduced traffic on businesses

2.

The shift in drainage into the Turtle River

Effect 1: The impact of reduced traffic on businesses

The first direct effect is the impact of reduced traffic on
businesses. The proposal . . .
Recommendations
1.

Meet with business owners to . . .

2.

Suggest ways of informing traffic . . .

Effect 2: The shift in drainage into the Turtle River

The second direct effect is the shift in drainage into the
Turtle River. The impact of this . . .
Recommendations
3.

Contact the Corps of Engineers . . .

4.

Perform a drainage study . . .

150-152

56-59,
112-117

The Document Is One Block

The entire document is one block.
Decide the central idea for the entire document.
The key term is the documents name.
direct effects and indirect effects of the planned
bypass

Central idea This report contains direct effects and

indirect effects of the planned bypass around
Tremont.
Direct Effects
We are concerned about two direct effects:
1.

The impact of reduced traffic on businesses

2.

The shift in drainage into the Turtle River

Effect 1: The impact of reduced traffic on businesses

The first direct effect is the impact of reduced traffic on
businesses. The proposal . . .
Recommendations
1.

Meet with business owners to . . .

2.

Suggest ways of informing traffic . . .

Effect 2: The shift in drainage into the Turtle River

The second direct effect is the shift in drainage into the
Turtle River. The impact of this . . .
Recommendations
3.

Contact the Corps of Engineers . . .

4.

Perform a drainage study . . .

56-59,
112-117

Central idea This report contains direct effects and

indirect effects of the planned bypass around
Tremont.
Level 1
Direct Effects
We are concerned about two direct effects:

Level 2

1.

The impact of reduced traffic on businesses

2.

The shift in drainage into the Turtle River

Effect 1: The impact of reduced traffic on businesses

The first direct effect is the impact of reduced traffic on
businesses. The proposal . . .
Recommendations
1.

Meet with business owners to . . .

Level 3
2. Suggest ways of informing traffic . . .
Effect
Level2:4The shift in drainage into the Turtle River
The
second direct effect is the shift in drainage into the
Level
4
Turtle River. The impact of this . . .
Level 2

Recommendations

Level 3
Level 4
Level 4

3.

Contact the Corps of Engineers . . .

4.

Perform a drainage study . . .

56-59,
112-117

Key Term Names for Blocks

56-59,
112-117

Central idea: direct effects and indirect effects

of the planned bypass
Level 1 direct effects
Level 2 impact of reduced traffic on businesses
Level 3 recommendations
Level 4 meet with business owners
Level 4 inform traffic
Level 2 shift drainage turtle river
Level 3 recommendations
Level 4 Contact Corps of Engineers
Level 4 Perform drainage study
Level 1 indirect effects

112-117

Identify the Blocks

in Any Writing.

Central
Guggenheim Manufacturings
Idea
recruitment plan focuses on having area
educational institutions let potential
candidates know about job opportunities in
1
small motors
manufacturing. The plan
includes two strategies. Guggenheim
2
increased awareness
of the opportunities in
small motor design, manufacturing, and
2
marketing by providing materials about
Guggenheims job opportunities for
Bravemont Community Colleges
Think Job
1
Success awareness campaign and
by
sponsoring hands-on small-motors activities
to 143 Industrial Technology students.
Guggenheim also worked with educational

Guggenheim Manufacturings recruitment

Central
plan focuses on having area educational institutions let
Idea

potential candidates know about job opportunities in

small motors manufacturing. The plan has two
strategies.

Strategy 1:
Increase awareness of job
opportunities in small motors
manufacturing
Guggenheim
increased awareness of the job
2
opportunities in small motors manufacturing by
1. providing materials about Guggenheims job
2 opportunities for Bravemont Community Colleges
Think Job Success awareness campaign
2. sponsoring hands-on small-motors activities to
1
143 Industrial Technology students
Strategy 2: Work with educational institutions to

Activity: Find the Blocks in

Your Writing
Select one of the writing samples you brought
with you.
Find the central idea key term. You may have
more than one central idea.
Find the first Level 1 block key term. Mark it as
1.
Find other Level 1 block key terms. Mark them
as 1.
Find the Level 2 key terms for each block. Mark
them as 2.
If you have Level 3 key terms, mark them as 3.