Completing

Business Messages

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 1

 Beyond the First Draft
Content & Readability

First Draft Working Draft Final Draft

Clarity & Conciseness

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 2
 The Three-Step Process

Planning Writing Completing

Analyze Situation Adapt to Revise

the Audience
Gather Information Produce

Select Medium Proofread

Compose
Get Organized the Message Distribute
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 3
Revising the Message
Conciseness

Type of Message
Content Clarity

Choice of Media

Readability
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 4
 Evaluate the Message

Content

Organization

Style and Tone

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 5

 Review for Readability

Flesch-Kincaid
Grade Level Score

Flesch Reading
Ease Score

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 6

Increasing “Skim” Value

Sentences

Paragraphs

Listed Items

Headings
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 7
 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 - 8

 Keep Paragraphs Short

Break Up Thoughts

Boost Readability

Emphasize Ideas

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 9

 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 - 10
Headings and Subheadings

Descriptive Informative
Headings Headings

Organization

Attention

Connection
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 11
 Editing for Clarity
Long Sentences

Hedging Sentences

Faulty Parallelism

Dangling Modifiers
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 12
 Editing for Clarity
Long Noun Sequences

Camouflaged Verbs

Sentence Structure

Awkward References
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 13
 Editing for Conciseness

Unnecessary Long Words

Words or Phrases

“It is/There are”

Redundancies
Starters

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 14

 Evaluate, Edit, and Revise
the Work of Others

Help the Writer

Succeed

Understand the
Writer’s Intent

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 15

Revising with Technology

Cut and Paste Search and Replace

Revision Marks Commenting

Spell Checker Grammar Checker

Thesaurus Style Checker

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 16

 Producing the Message

Production Quality

Effectiveness

Professionalism

Importance

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 17

Design for Readability

Consistency Balance

Detail Restraint

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 18

 Design White Space
Techniques
Margins

Justified Type

Typefaces

Type Styles
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 19
 Multimedia Documents

Level of Time and

Tools
Skills Cost

Message
Content Compatibility
Structure

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 20

 Production Technology
• Templates and style sheets
• Page setup features
• Column and paragraph formatting
• Numbered and bulleted lists
• Information in tables
• Pictures, text boxes, and objects
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 21
 Format for Business Letters
Letterhead XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Stationery XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Date xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Inside
Address
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Salutation xxxxxxxxx:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The
Message
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Complimentary
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Signature xxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
Close
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Block xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 22

 Format for Memos
Memo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Title
XX: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Headings XXXX: xxxxxxxxxx
XXXX: xxxxxxxxxx
XXXXXXX: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Message
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 23

 Proofread the Message

Writing Errors

Design Flaws

Layout Problems

Production Issues
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 24
 Proofreading Advice
Make Multiple Passes Use Perceptual Tricks

Focus on High Priorities Maintain Your Distance

Practice Vigilance Remain Focused

Work With Printouts Take Your Time

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 25
 Distributing Messages
Cost Concerns

Convenience

Time Constraints

Security and Privacy

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 6 - 26

 Completing
Business Messages

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