© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 1

Completing Completing Business MessagesBusiness Messages

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 2

Planning Writing Completing

Analyze SituationAnalyze Situation

Gather InformationGather Information

Select MediumSelect Medium

Get OrganizedGet Organized

ReviseRevise

ProduceProduce

ProofreadProofread

DistributeDistribute

Adapt to the AudienceAdapt to

the Audience

Composethe MessageCompose

the Message

Three-Step Writing Three-Step Writing ProcessProcess

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 3

Moving Past the First Moving Past the First DraftDraft

Final Draft

Content, Organization,Style, and Tone

OverallReadability

Clarity andConciseness

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 4

Revising the MessageRevising the Message

ContentContentContentContent

Style and ToneStyle and ToneStyle and ToneStyle and Tone

OrganizationOrganizationOrganizationOrganization

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 5

Reviewing for Reviewing for ReadabilityReadability

Flesch-KincaidFlesch-KincaidGrade Level ScoreGrade Level Score

Flesch-KincaidFlesch-KincaidGrade Level ScoreGrade Level Score

Flesch ReadingFlesch ReadingEase ScoreEase Score

Flesch ReadingFlesch ReadingEase ScoreEase Score

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 6

Increasing “Skim” Increasing “Skim”

ValueValueSentences

Headings

Listed Items

Paragraphs

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 7

Editing for ClarityEditing for Clarity

Sentence StyleSentence Style

Faulty ParallelismFaulty Parallelism

Dangling ModifiersDangling Modifiers

Long Noun SequencesLong Noun Sequences

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 8

Editing for ClarityEditing for Clarity

Camouflaged VerbsCamouflaged Verbs

Sentence StructureSentence Structure

Awkward ReferencesAwkward References

Excess EnthusiasmExcess Enthusiasm

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 9

Editing for Editing for

ConcisenessConcisenessWordy Constructions

Long Words or Phrases

Redundant Wording

“It is/There are” Starters

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 10

Revising with Revising with TechnologyTechnology

GrammarGrammarChecker Checker

GrammarGrammarChecker Checker Thesaurus Thesaurus Thesaurus Thesaurus Style Style

Checker Checker Style Style

Checker Checker

RevisionRevisionToolsTools

RevisionRevisionToolsTools

SpellSpellCheckerCheckerSpellSpell

CheckerChecker

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 11

Producing the MessageProducing the Message

MultimediaMultimediaElementsElements

MultimediaMultimediaElementsElements

Design Design ElementsElements

Design Design ElementsElements

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 12

Multimedia Multimedia

ElementsElements

PresentationPresentationSoftwareSoftware

Video ClipsVideo Clipsand Sound Bitesand Sound Bites

Graphics Graphics SoftwareSoftware

Hypertext MarkupHypertext MarkupLanguageLanguage

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 13

Designing for Designing for ReadabilityReadability

MessageMessageEffectivenessEffectiveness

MessageMessageEffectivenessEffectiveness

AudienceAudiencePerceptionsPerceptions

AudienceAudiencePerceptionsPerceptions

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 14

Design ElementsDesign Elements

ConsistencyConsistency

BalanceBalance

DetailDetail

RestraintRestraint

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 15

Design Techniques

White SpaceWhite Space

MarginsMargins

JustificationJustification

TypefacesTypefaces

Type StylesType Styles

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 16

Using TechnologyUsing Technology

ParagraphFormatting

Numbered andBulleted Lists

Tables andTextboxes

Pictures and Objects

Templates andStyle Sheets

PageSetup

ColumnFormatting

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 17

Format for Business-LettersFormat for Business-LettersLetterhead Letterhead StationeryStationery

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x

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxx,

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DateDateInside Inside

AddressAddressSalutationSalutation

The The MessageMessage

Complimentary Complimentary CloseCloseSignature Signature

BlockBlock

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 18

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XX: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXX: xxxxxxxxxxXXXX: xxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXX: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Format for MemosFormat for Memos

Memo Memo TitleTitle

HeadingsHeadings

The The MessageMessage

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 19

Proofreading Your Proofreading Your MessageMessage

Edited Copy Final Report

Grammar andGrammar andUsageUsage

PunctuationPunctuation Design ErrorsDesign Errors

Missing MaterialMissing Material Overall FormatOverall Format

Spelling ErrorsSpelling Errorsand Typosand Typos

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 20

Proofreading AdviceProofreading Advice

Make multiple passes

Use perceptual tricks

Get some distance

Stay focused and vigilant

Review hardcopy documents

Double-check high-priority items

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 6 - 21

Distributing the MessageDistributing the Message

Cost ConcernsCost Concerns

ConvenienceConvenience

Time ConstraintsTime Constraints

Security and PrivacySecurity and Privacy