Chapter 5

Writing Business Messages

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 1

 Learning Objectives
1. Identify the four aspects of being sensitive to
audience needs when writing business
messages
2. Explain how establishing your credibility and
projecting your company’s image are vital
aspects of building strong relationships with
your audience

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 2

 Learning Objectives
3. Explain how to achieve a tone that is
conversational but businesslike, explain the
value of using plain language, and define
active and passive voice
4. Describe how to select words that are not
only correct but also effective
5. Define the four types of sentences, and
explain how sentence style affects emphasis
within a message
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 3
 Learning Objectives
6. Define the three key elements of a
paragraph, and list five ways to develop
unified, coherent paragraphs
7. Identify the most common software features
that help you craft messages more efficiently

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 4

 Adapting
Adapting to
to Your
Your Audience:
Audience:
Being
Being Sensitive
Sensitive to
to Audience
Audience Needs
Needs

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 5

Adapting to Your Audience

What’s
What’s in
in this
this for
for me?
me?

Information
Information

Style
Styleand
and
Sensitivity
Sensitivity Relationships
Relationships Tone
Tone

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 Being Sensitive to Your
Audience

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 Using the “You” Attitude

Speaking Audience
Audience Writing
Speaking Writing

Wishes Interests Hopes Preferences

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 Maintaining Standards of
Etiquette

Courtesy
Courtesy

Consideration
Consideration

Diplomacy
Diplomacy
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 Emphasizing the Positive

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 Using Bias-Free Language

Labels

Age
Age Gender
Gender
Perception Prejudices
Race or
Race or
Disability
Disability Ethnicity
Ethnicity

Stereotypes
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 Summary of Objectives

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 Adapting
Adapting to
to Your
Your Audience:
Audience:
Building
Building Strong
Strong Relationships
Relationships

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 Building Strong
Relationships

Establish Project Your

Your Credibility Company’s Image

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Establishing Your Credibility

Honesty Objectivity Awareness

Credentials Endorsements Performance

Confidence Communication Sincerity

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 15
Projecting Your Company’s
Image

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 Summary of Objectives

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 17

 Adapting
Adapting to
to Your
Your Audience:
Audience:
Controlling
Controlling Your
Your Style
Style and
and Tone
Tone

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 18

 Controlling Your Style and
Tone

Conversational
Conversational

Nature of the Plain

Plain Language
Language Relationship
Message with Reader

Active
Active or
or Passive
Passive Voice
Voice

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 19

Using a Conversational Tone

Business Messages

Informal Conversational Formal

Texting Pompous Preaching Intimacy

vs. Writing Language or Bragging or Humor

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 Using Plain Language

Strengthen Words

Weaken Words

Replace Words
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5- 21
 Using the Right Voice

Active Voice Passive Voice

Subject ++Verb
Subject Verb++ Object
Object Object++ Verb
Object Verb++Subject
Subject

Direct
Direct Indirect
Indirect

Concise
Concise Tactful
Tactful

Vigorous
Vigorous Reserved
Reserved
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 22
 Summary of Objectives

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 23

 Composing
Composing Your
Your Message:
Message:
Choosing
Choosing Powerful
Powerful Words
Words

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 Composing the Message

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 Choosing Strong Words

Denotation
Denotation Connotation
Connotation

Abstraction
Abstraction Concreteness
Concreteness

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 Finding Words that
Communicate Well

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 Summary of Objectives

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 Composing
Composing Your
Your Message:
Message:
Creating
Creating Effective
Effective Sentences
Sentences

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 Choosing From the Four
Types of Sentences

Simple Compound

Compound-
Complex
Complex

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 Using Sentence Style to
Emphasize Key Thoughts
• Emphasize Ideas in a Sentence
– Devote more words to them
– Put them at the beginning or at the end of
a sentence
– Make them the subject of a sentence
– Place dependent clause at the beginning,
middle, or end of sentence

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 31

 Summary of Objectives

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 Composing
Composing Your
Your Message:
Message:
Crafting
Crafting Unified,
Unified, Coherent
Coherent
Paragraphs
Paragraphs

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 33

Creating the Elements of
a Paragraph

Topic Sentence
Topic Sentence

Paragraph Paragraph
Unity
Support Sentences
Support Sentences Coherence

Transitions
Transitions

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Choosing the Best Way to
Develop Each Paragraph
• Illustration
• Classification
• Cause and Effect
• Problem and Solution
• Comparison or Contrast
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 35
 Summary of Objectives

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 Using
Using Technology
Technology to
to Compose
Compose
and
and Shape
Shape Your
Your Messages
Messages

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 Crafting Messages with
Technology

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 Summary of Objectives

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 Chapter 5

Writing Business Messages

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5 - 40

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter 5- 41