Writing Business Messages

Business communications

The BasicsWriting Business Messages

Planning

Composing

Revising

Planning

Identifying Your Purpose

Why am I sending this message?Inform Request informationGive responsesConfirm decisionsProvide directionsTextbook: 35-43: Understand each step of planning

Planning: Objective

What do you want to achieve?

Inform

Persuade

Promote Goodwill

Planning: Choose a Channel• Blog• E-mail• Face-to-face

conversation• Face-to-face

group meeting• Fax• Instant message

(chat)

• Letter• Memo• Phone call• Report or proposal• Voice mail message• Videoconference• wikiTextbook: page 36 chart

Planning: Analyze the AudiencePrimary Audience

Who is it?Relationship?Position?Knowledge?Expected Response?

Planning: Analyze the AudienceSecondary Audience

Who else is it?Difference to primary audience?More background information? Reshape message?

Adapting to the Task and Audience

Be careful of the tone Tone- how the receiver feels upon getting a

message

Provide Audience Benefits

Use empathy

Use “You” Language

Composing

example

Audience BenefitsSender Focus Audience Focus

The human resources Department requires that the enclosed questionnaire be completed immediately so that we can allocate our training resource funds to employees.

Our warranty becomes effective only when we receive an owner’s registration.

We are proud to announce our new software virus checker that we think is the best on the market.

Audience BenefitsSender Focus Audience Focus

The Human Resources Department requires that the enclosed questionnaire be completed immediately so that we can allocate funds to employees.

By filling out the enclosed questionnaires, you can be one of the first employees to sign up for our training resource fund.

Our warranty becomes effective only when we receive an owner’s registration.

Your warranty begins working for you as soon as you return your owner’s registration.

We are proud to announce our new software virus checker that we think is the best on the market.

Now you can be sure that all your computers will be protected with our real-time virus scanning.

Audience Benefits“I/We” View “You” View

I’m asking all employees to respond to the attached survey about working conditions.

I have granted you permission to attend the communication seminar.

We have shipped your order by UPS, and we are sure it will arrive in time for your sales promotion December 1.

Because your ideas count, please complete the attached survey about working conditions.

You may attend the seminar to improve your communication skills.

Your order will be delivered by UPS in time for your sales promotion December 1.

Organizing the e-mailSubject line

Must be informativeSummarize central ideaAbbreviateMake your subject line talk (verb)Capitalize initial letter of principal wordsQuery: Request:

Organizing the e-mailStart with a greeting:

Dear Mr. Thorne,Hi Carol,Thank you Sylvia,Janet,

Organizing the e-mailOpening with the main ideaFront loadRestate the purpose

Organizing the e-mailExplaining in the Body

Cover only one areaKeep the e-mail less than 100 wordsUse white space

Double space between paragraphsUse bullets if possible

Listing Giving instructions

ClosingInclude cordial expressions

All the bestWarm regardsBest wishes

Include your nameInclude a signature block

5 or fewer lines

E-mail assignmentFind a partner

Select a proverb in Arabic

Organize a 1-2 minute oral presentation for next week

You must do the following:show the proverb in English on a PPT slideexplain the primary Emirati/Arab/Islamic

cultural value it represents.

E-mail assignment E-mail due Wednesday, February 29

One member of your group (only 2 people per group maximum) needs to email me the following: the names and ID numbers of the partners the English translation of your proverb.

If more than one group selects the same proverb, the first group to email me will be allow to present it and the others will be required to find another proverb.

E-mail assignmentInclude the following:

To: robyn.albers@zu.ac.aeCc: your partnerSubject line (proper capitalization)GreetingOpening lineBody

Remember to include audience benefitsClosingSignature block

Correctly written e-mails will earn you BOTH credit.