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Effective Written Communication: Introduction

The document discusses the importance of effective written communication skills in business. It states that written communication is the most common form of business communication in the modern information age. It emphasizes that business owners and managers need to develop and encourage effective written skills among employees. The document then discusses some key elements of effective written communication, including connection with the audience, clarity, clear purpose, conciseness, and correct tone, language and grammar. It also outlines some common forms of written business communication and notes both advantages and disadvantages compared to oral communication. Finally, it discusses the rise of email as a key business communication tool and the need for professionalism and adherence to guidelines in business email correspondence.

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namrata
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1K views

Effective Written Communication: Introduction

The document discusses the importance of effective written communication skills in business. It states that written communication is the most common form of business communication in the modern information age. It emphasizes that business owners and managers need to develop and encourage effective written skills among employees. The document then discusses some key elements of effective written communication, including connection with the audience, clarity, clear purpose, conciseness, and correct tone, language and grammar. It also outlines some common forms of written business communication and notes both advantages and disadvantages compared to oral communication. Finally, it discusses the rise of email as a key business communication tool and the need for professionalism and adherence to guidelines in business email correspondence.

Uploaded by

namrata
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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EFFECTIVE WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: INTRODUCTION

Communication seeks to get our message across formally or informally. It’s a two-way
exchange of facts, feelings, opinions, and ideas. Written communication involves any type of
interaction that makes use of the written word. Communicating through writing is essential in
this information age. In fact, written communication is the most common form of business
communication. It is essential for all business owners and managers to develop effective
written communication skills and to encourage the same in all employees. The information
age has altered the ways in which we communicate and placed an increasing emphasis on
written versus oral communications. The ever-increasing use of computers and computer
networks to organize and transmit information means the need for competent writing skills is
rising. The need to develop good writing skills is only highlighted by the fact that in the
information age, it is not uncommon to have business relationships that are established and
maintained through the use of written communications. The words we write are
representations of companies and people.

The key to communication, is to convey meaning in an accurate and concise manner. People
do not read business memoranda for the pleasure of reading. They do so in order to receive
instructions or information upon which to base decisions or take action. Therefore, a highly
sophisticated literary style is not desirable in business writing as it may increase the length or
be counterproductive. A style of writing that is too informal may not be taken seriously by
the sender. A straightforward, courteous tone is usually the best choice but one that may not
come naturally without practice.

The purpose of written communication is to capture your reader’s attention and get your point
across clearly. There are certain qualities all effective written communication shares, and if
these elements added to one’s writing, the work will be more powerful. In some ways,
effective written communication is even more important than spoken communication. Unless
it is being recorded, regular speech does not last. However, written communication is a
record, and people may refer back to it later. This means that in addition to creating a
connection with your audience, one needs to consider the lasting impact of what one writes.

The Five Cs of Effective Written Communication

Good written communication depends on the audience, the topic, purpose in communicating,
and other factors. However, all effective written communication has some characteristics in
common:

 Connection - Good written communication forms a connection between the reader


and the writer.
 Clarity - Effective written communication is clear and easy to understand.
 Cause - The cause or reason for writing needs to be clear to both the writer and the
reader.
 Conciseness - Good written communication sticks to the point and doesn’t go on
around in circles or include lots of unimportant information.
 Correctness - To be effective, the written communication should use the correct tone,
inoffensive language, and appropriate grammar.

There are different types written communication:


Bulletins

Emails

Memos

Instant messages

Reports

Job descriptions

Employee manuals

Internet websites

Letters

Faxes

Postcards

Contracts

Advertisements

Brochures

News releases

One advantage of written forms of communication is that written messages do not have to be
delivered immediately. They can be edited and revised several times before they are sent so
that the content is shaped to maximum effect. Another advantage is that written
communication provides a permanent record of the messages and can be saved for later
study. Since they are permanent, written forms of communication also enable recipients to
take more time in reviewing the message and providing appropriate feedback. For these
reasons, written forms of communication are often considered more appropriate for complex
business messages that include important facts and figures. Other benefits commonly
associated with good writing skills include increased customer/client satisfaction; improved
inter-organizational efficiency; and enhanced image in the community and industry.

There are also some disadvantages associated with written communication. Unlike oral
communication, the sender of written communication does not generally receive immediate
feedback to his or her message. This can be a source of frustration and uncertainty in business
situations where a swift response is desired. In addition, written messages often take more
time to compose, both because of their information-packed nature and the difficulty that
many individuals have in composing such correspondence. Many companies, however, have
begun to offer on-site writing courses or enrolled employees in business writing workshops
offered by professional training organizations, colleges, and community education programs.

THE RISE OF EMAIL

Electronic mail has emerged as a highly popular business communication tool in recent years.
But many users of e-mail technology pay little attention to basic rules of grammar and format
when composing their business correspondence to clients, customers, vendors, business
partners, or internal colleagues. This untidy correspondence style reflects a lack of
professionalism and may communicate to the recipient a view of the company behind the
message as equally unprofessional. The ease and informality of the medium should not be
confused with the formality necessary to use it properly. Given this unfortunate trend, many
business experts counsel companies to install firm guidelines on tone, content, and shape of
e-mail correspondence. These guidelines should make it clear that all employees are expected
to adhere to the same standards of professionalism. Proper spelling and grammar and the
ability to frame correspondence in formal language should be symbols of electronic mail as
well as regular mail, especially if the communication is directed at a person or persons
outside the company.

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