Business Writing: Email and Communication

Business WritingLearn the world of writing, and construct documents that

meet objectives efficiently and effectively.

Prepared for Morgan Construction and Environmental Ltd.

Slideshare: Idris Fashan (theonlyidris)

1Monday, 22 April, 13

• Eschew “tips and tricks” and delve deeper into some history, mechanics and activities to make you a proficient business writer

• Parse and share elements that propel your writing from “colourless” to “compelling”

• Obtain tools and resources that will help you continue to improve your writing

What to expect today:

Remember: “Nothing is original.” -Jim Jarmusch


Who are We?

How I got into this world.


• US Fed Justice Dept. admits $100M in annual losses to poor communication

• North American Insurance Industry posted $1B losses attributed to poor communication

• >$225B is lost in North America businesses because of bad writing, reading, and math skills

The Cost of Bad Business (writing)


• Reduces communication capacity within teams

• Creates uncertainty among readers/shareholders/stakeholders

• Demonstrates a lack of confidence/ability or mastery of the subject matter

• Omits or neglects key details

The Risks of Bad Business Writing


Bad Examples.

• Buzzword Diseases

• Like, “assets, maximize, competency, validation, system, paradigm”

• Not always wrong to use in business documents, but often lack meaning (idioms)

• Bad words are interchangeable and often get packed together. Let’s try it!


Bad Examples.

• “Analysis and validation of support strategies for customer satisfaction parameters.”

• “Maximize systems of strategic environmental parameters.”

• “Utilize paradigms of support parameters for assessment.”


Business Writing Then


• Greatest peak in Industrial Revolution

• Steam technology, energy and global industrial opportunities arose

• Markets still localized, business conducted face to face or via correspondence (commonwealth to territory)



• Business writing was a means to catalogue what was already being conducted via other communicative means (person-to-person).

• Law, accounting, management, etc.



Business Writing Today


• Markets splinter as industries grow exponentially-information economy

• Larger entities, more of the smaller entities working across markets (non-localized)

• Requirements, SOPs, marketing, communications, policy



• Business writing documents and facilitates all aspects of business startup, operations, development, strategy, communications, marketing, sales and dissolution.



A Definition?

"Throughout the globe, the written word, in both paper and electronic forms, is seen less as strictly a way of archiving the business already completed and more as a vital, creative means of problem solving, collaborating, and actually doing business."

(R. Inkster and J. M. Kilborn, The Writing of Business)


“We’ve grown from the world of writing about business, and we’ve entered a more active world of writing vital, functional, informative and persuasive content for conducting business.”

A Definition?

Let’s Try That Again:


• Legal Documentation

• Accounting and Financial Reportage

• Policy, IP (depending on ministry, country)

• Regulatory Documentation

What’s Unchanged


• Internal/External Communications (digital)

• Marketing (mobility)

• Operations Documents

• Policy

What’s Changed


Types of Writing


• Informative - used to educate

• Persuasive - used to solicit response/action

• Summarizing - used to simplify decisions

Types of Writing


The Writing Process?

How we imagine it.


The Writing Process.

How it really feels (sometimes).


• Writing is more a science than it ever was an art.

• Process = planning, execution, testing, and adjustment



• Preparation/Research

• Writing

• Editing

• Delivery



• Most important phase in writing

• Defines all aspects of where you need to go as you create the document

1. Objectives

2. Audience

3. Scope

4. Tone and Style

Preparation.


• Ask One Question:

What do we need the reader to know, do, or be able to do after reading this document?

Objectives.


Keep it simple.

Keep it detailed.

Keep it clear.

Objectives.


Readers/Audience.

How can we help our readers understand our objective?


Ask:

• Who is reading this? What level are they?

• What is it they’re reading?

• What do they need?

• What do they know?

• Will they (all) care?

Readers/Audience.


Scope.


• Technically, TWO QUESTIONS!

• What kind of information do I need?

• How much will be enough/too much?

Scope.


Style and Tone.


Style and Tone.

• Style - word choice

• Formal, casual, slang

• Tone - attitude in the writing

• Logical vs. emotional

• Personal vs. Professional

Choose what’s appropriate for each type of communication.


• Investigation part of the process

• More complex documents require deeper research

Research.


Writing/Drafting.


• Said to be the hardest part, but it’s only hard if you don’t prepare.

• Rely on the preparation, research and audience to tell you what you’re doing, how much you need to do, and where things go.

Writing.


• Just do one thing: Write.

• Then write more.

• Start with what’s easy.

• Finish with the introduction and conclusion.

Writing.


• Don’t focus on spelling, grammar, punctuation, or any of the detail.

• Get everything down first, then clean up what’s there at the next stage.

• Drafting is hard because people struggle to do one thing at a time.

Writing.


Editing, Review & Revision.


• More than janitorial work

• Give time between the writing and editing tasks—from 5 minutes to 24 hours

• Be strategic and work it into your schedule



• Find the key idea in each paragraph

• Is it clearly defined?

• If not, add a clear sentence in, and rework the paragraph to reflect the change

• Check the Editor Checklist (handout)



Activity: Worst Mistakes

in Email20 Minutes


• Get into groups of FIVE

• Brainstorm examples of worst-case scenarios in your emails, or use the exercise guides.

• Determine a “best of the worst cases” and what could have been done to prevent it.

• One person will present the “best” example to the group.

Email Activity


The World’s Worst Inbox... MINE!


Headlines.

• We are often competing for people’s minds, even while they are looking at the page.

• Headlines are the gateway to the content

• Make it easy for different people to dive in


Gateway to Content


• We use headlines to judge content, whether it’s in email, online, written on a file or sitting on a cover page.

• We’re forced to pack big ideas in ever smaller spaces

Headlines.


Relevance +

Entertainment/emotion

Headlines.


Memo: Inappropriate Conduct Warning — Xmas Party

vs.

Memo: Xmas Party Announcement

Example.


• Using Research:

• Paragraph = Point + Proof

• State the point clearly

• Follow up with proof, then detail (use research)

Body Content.


• No more than 10-15%

• Write in the same order as the main document

• May include recommendations, justification, and/or conclusions

• Provide new readers solid introduction to the topic

• Critical in documents requiring decisions (business cases, plans, pitches,etc.)

Summaries.


One or Two Purposes

• Review main findings, presenting in general terms

• Presents a single conclusion and links to document recommendations

Conclusions.


S.M.A.R.T.

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Results Oriented

Time-bound

Recommendations.


• Cost-benefit analysis

• Opportunity cost (land, labour, capital use)

• Problem analysis

Types of Recommendations.


Activity: Email Composition

20 Minutes


• Get into your groups of FIVE

• Using the exercise guide, choose one scenario

• Compose an appropriate email as a group

• One person will present your group’s example to the room

Email Activity


• ALL business writing is persuasive.

Parting Thoughts.


Questions?


Thanks!

Slideshare: Idris Fashan (theonlyidris)
