CHAPTER 2
Planning
Business
Messages
Instructor Only Version
© 2010 Thomson South-Western
Basics of business writing
Business messages are different from
college essays, term papers, and
messages to friends.
Conciseness and clarity count.
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ZSOLT NUYLASZI
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 2
The best business writing is
Purposeful
Persuasive
Economical
Audience oriented
Following a process can make you a
better writer or speaker.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 3
The Writing Process
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 4
Approximately how much time
should be spent at each stage?
MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 2,
1, Slide 5
Analyzing Your Purpose
and Channel
Identify your purpose.
Why are you writing?
What do you hope to achieve?
JON FEINGERSH / ICONICA / GETTY IMAGES
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 6
Select the best channel.
E-mail Telephone
Fax Voice mail
Letter Meeting
Memo Conversation
Report Web site
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 7
Select the best channel.
How important is the message?
How fast do you need feedback?
Is a permanent record essential?
What is the cost of the channel?
How much formality do you desire?
How confidential or sensitive is the
message?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 8
Profiling the Audience
Primary Audience
Who is the primary reader?
What are my personal and professional
relationships with that person?
What does the person know about the
subject?
What kind of response should I expect?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 9
Profiling the Audience
Secondary Audience
Who else might see or hear this
message?
Are they different from the primary
audience?
How must I reshape the message for
the secondary audience?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 10
Spotlight
Spotlight
Audience
Audience
Benefits
Benefits
Create
Createaa
Message
MessageThat
That
Suits
SuitsYour
Your
Audience
Audience
Adapting to Task and Audience
MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 2,
1, Slide 11
Spotlight Audience Benefits
Focus your statements on the audience,
not the sender.
Instead of this: Try this:
We are promoting a You will enjoy total peace
new hospitalization of mind with our
plan that we believe affordable hospitalization
has many outstanding plan that meets all your
benefits. needs.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 12
Adapting Spotlight
Spotlight
Audience
Audience
to Task and Benefits
Benefits
Audience
Create
Createaa
Message
MessageThat
That
Suits
SuitsYour
Your
Audience
Audience
Cultivate
Cultivate
AA“You”
“You”
View
View
MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 2,
1, Slide 13
Develop a “You” View
Emphasize second-person pronouns
(you/your) instead of first-person pronouns
(I/we, us, our)
Instead of this: Try this:
Before we can allow you to You may begin
purchase items on this new making purchases
account, we must wait two on your new account
weeks to verify your credit. in two weeks.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 14
Spotlight
Spotlight
Audience
Audience
Benefits
Benefits
Create
Createaa
Message
MessageThat
That
Suits
SuitsYour
Your
Audience
Audience Cultivate
Cultivate
Sound
Sound AA“You”
“You”
Conversational
Conversational View
View
Adapting to Task and Audience
MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 2,
1, Slide 15
Conversational Language
Instead of this: Try this:
The undersigned takes I’m happy to . . .
pleasure in . . .
It may be of some concern We’ve credited your
to you to learn that your account for $250.
check has been received
and your account has been
credited for $250.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 16
Spotlight
Spotlight
Audience
Audience
Benefits
Benefits
Create
Createaa
Employ
Employ Cultivate
Cultivate
Message
MessageThat
That
Positive
Positive AA“You”
“You”
Suits
SuitsYour
Your
Language
Language View
View
Audience
Audience
Sound
Sound
Conversational
Conversational
MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 2,
1, Slide 17
Positive Language
Instead of this: Try this:
Employees may not use Employees may use the
the First Street entrance Market Street entrance
during remodeling. during remodeling.
We cannot fill your order We can fill your order
until we receive an exact once we receive an
model number. exact model number.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 18
Revise the following to sound
conversational.
The undersigned takes I’m happy to welcome
great pleasure in
welcoming you to our
Quick you to our staff.
staff. Check
Per your request, we are As you requested, we
sending under separate are sending your May
cover your May invoice. invoice separately.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 19
Negative Language Hidden Meaning
You overlooked You are careless
You state that But I don’t believe you
You failed to You are careless
You claim that It’s probably untrue
You are wrong I am right
You do not understand You are not smart
Your delay You are at fault
You forgot to You are inefficient, stupid
and careless
MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 2,
1, Slide 20
Spotlight
Spotlight
Audience
Audience
Benefits
Benefits
Use
Use Cultivate
Cultivate
Inclusive
Inclusive AA“You”
“You”
Create
Createaa
Language
Language View
View
Message
MessageThat
That
Suits
SuitsYour
Your
Audience
Audience
Employ
Employ Sound
Sound
Positive
Positive Conversational
Conversational
Language
Language
MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 2,
1, Slide 21
Inclusive Language
Instead of this: Try this:
Have you called a Have you called a
salesman? salesperson?
Every executive All executives have their own
has his own office. offices.
Every executive has an office.
This alternative is
All executives have offices.
wordy and calls Every executive has his or
attention to itself
her own office.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 22
Positive and Inclusive Language
Revise these sentences: These are better:
No tenant may move in Tenants may move in
until May 1. Quick
on May 1.
Because you failed to Check
As soon as we receive
include your credit your credit information,
information, we cannot we can ship your order.
ship your order.
Marcello Luna is the new Marcello Luna is the
Mexican accountant. new accountant.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 23
Spotlight
Spotlight
Audience
Audience
Draw Benefits
Benefits Cultivate
Drawonon Cultivate
Familiar
Familiar AA“You”
“You”
Words
Words View
View
Create
Createaa
Message
MessageThat
That
Adopt
Adopt Suits
SuitsYour
Your Sound
Sound
Plain
Plain Audience
Audience Conversational
Conversational
Language
Language
Use
Use Use
UsePositive
Positive
Inclusive
Inclusive Language
Language
Language
Language
MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 2,
1, Slide 24
Familiar Words
Avoid long, difficult, and unfamiliar
words. Use short, simple, and common
words whenever possible.
Less familiar words Simple alternatives
encounter meet
extrapolate project
obligatory required
terminate end
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 25
Spotlight
Spotlight
Choose
Choose Audience
Audience
Courteous
Courteous Benefits
Benefits Cultivate
Cultivate
Language
Language AA“You”
“You”
View
View
Draw
Drawonon Create
Createaa
Familiar
Familiar Message
MessageThat
That
Words
Words Suits
SuitsYour
Your Sound
Sound
Audience
Audience Conversational
Conversational
Adopt
Adopt
Plain
Plain
Language
Language Use
Use Use
Inclusive UsePositive
Positive
Inclusive Language
Language
Language
Language
MaryMary
EllenEllen
Guffey,
Guffey,
Essentials
Essentials
of Business
of Business
Communication,
Communication,
8e 8e Chapter 2,
1, Slide 26
Courteous Language
Avoid sounding demanding, preachy, or rude.
Instead of this: Try this:
You must complete this Will you please complete
research by June 1. this research by June 1.
I am sick and tired of Let me show you how to
being the only one who remove jammed paper
removes jammed paper so that you can
from the copier! complete your copying.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 27
Revise the following using
simple language
Will you utilize workbooks Will you use workbooks
during the obligatory during the required
training period? training period?
We anticipate that a We expect that most of
majority of the alternative the choices will be
will be sufficiently sufficiently basic to
fundamental to meet our meet our needs.
requirements.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 2, Slide 28
END
Instructor Only Version
© 2010 Thomson South-Western
