APPLYING THE

THREE-STEP
WRITING
PROCESS
Meetings 10 and 11
Fernando A. Hainim, SST., M.Par.
DISCLAIME
R

All materials cited herein are for teaching

purposes only and are copyrighted by their content
creators. Further distribution in any kinds of forms
by students to any other parties is strictly
prohibited.
 Learning Objectives (LO)

1. Describing the three-step writing process (Bovee, pp. 145-147).

2. Explaining the necessary steps in planning business messages (Bovee, pp. 147-172).
3. Explaining the necessary steps in composing business messages: adapting to your
audience and writing effective professional sentences (Bovee, pp. 173-192).
4. Describing and explaining the importance of revision and proofread in
completing/revising business messages (Bovee, pp. 201-218).

(Bovee, pp. 143-225)

 Learning Objectives (LO)
1. DESCRIBING THE THREE-STEP WRITING PROCESS (Bovee, pp.
145-147).
2. Explaining the necessary steps in planning business messages (Bovee, pp. 147-172).
3. Explaining the necessary steps in composing business messages: adapting to your audience and writing effective
professional sentences (Bovee, pp. 173-192).
4. Describing and explaining the importance of revision and proofread in completing/revising business messages
(Bovee, pp. 201-218).
What is the ultimate
goal of business
communication?
 To ensure that your
messages are both
effective and efficient
The keys are …

Brief
Concise
Clear
Professional
 To do that, we need:
The Three-Step Business Writing Process

Planning Writing Completing

 Learning Objectives (LO)
1. Describing the three-step writing process (Bovee, pp. 145-147).

2. EXPLAINING THE NECESSARY STEPS IN PLANNING

BUSINESS MESSAGES (Bovee, pp. 147-172).
3. Explaining the necessary steps in composing business messages: adapting to your audience and writing effective
professional sentences (Bovee, pp. 173-192).
4. Describing and explaining the importance of revision and proofread in completing/revising business messages
(Bovee, pp. 201-218).
 Four Actions in Planning Business Messages

Analyze the
Situation

Organize
the Gather
Informatio Planning Informatio
n n

Choose Medium
and Channel
Analyze the situation.
What’s your purpose: to inform, persuade, or
collaborate?
What do you want your audience to think or do after
receiving the message?
Purpose must be worthwhile and realistic.
The time must be right for your message.
Purpose must be acceptable to your organization.
Identify the primary audience.
Determine the size and composition of your audience.
Estimate your audience’s level of understanding and
probable reaction to your message.
Gather information.
Decide whether to use formal or informal techniques
for gathering information.
Find out what your audience needs to know.
Provide all required information and make sure it’s
accurate, ethical, and pertinent.
Selecting the Best Media or Channel.
See table 4.1 (Bovee, p.154)

• Oral, in-person
• Oral, digital
• Written, printed
• Written, digital
• Visual, printed
• Visual, digital
Organize your information.
Define your main idea.
Limit your scope.
Choose the direct or indirect approach.
Outline content by starting with the main idea, adding
major points, and illustrating with evidence.
Look for opportunities to use storytelling to build
audience interest.

See table 4.2 (Bovee, p.161)

 Direct or Indirect Strategy
 Are you going to deliver Good or Bad news?

 Good news:

 Direct strategy/approach

 Start with the main idea (=start with the good news)

 Bad news:

 Indirect strategy/approach

 Start with the evidence

 Continue with the bad news

 Practice: Letter 1
Dear Mr. Johnson,
We are delighted to extend this offer of employment for the
position of Consultant with SBC Company. Please review
this summary of terms and conditions for your anticipated
employment with us.

Questions:
1. Does the letter above apply direct or indirect approach?
2. Does the writer intend to convey good or bad news? Read the underlined
words.
 Practice: Letter 2
Dear Ms. Powers,
Working with your company for the past two years has been
an excellent experience. However, this pandemic has forced
our company to adapt and make some financial adjustments.
As a result, I am very sorry to inform you that our company
no longer need your services.

Questions:
1.Does the letter above apply direct or indirect approach?
2.Does the writer intend to convey good or bad news? Read the underlined words.
 Learning Objectives (LO)
1. Describing the three-step writing process (Bovee, pp. 145-147).
2. Explaining the necessary steps in planning business messages (Bovee, pp. 147-172).

3. EXPLAINING THE NECESSARY STEPS IN COMPOSING

BUSINESS MESSAGES: ADAPTING TO YOUR AUDIENCE
AND WRITING EFFECTIVE PROFESSIONAL SENTENCES (Bovee,
pp. 173-192).

4. Describing and explaining the importance of revision and proofread in completing/revising business messages
(Bovee, pp. 201-218).
In Writing/Composing Business Messages
Adapt to Your Compose Your
Audience Message

Using the “You” attitude Choosing strong words

Maintaining good Paying attention to
etiquette connotative meaning
Balancing abstract and
Emphasizing the positive
concrete terms
Using bias-free language Avoiding cliché

Establishing credibility Using jargons wisely

Projecting company’s
Varying sentence structure
image
Using conversational but
Crafting unified, coherent
professional and respectful
tone paragraph
Using plain language
1. Using “You” Attitude (p.174)
Instead of This: Tuesday is the only day that we can promise quick
response to purchase order requests; we are swamped the rest of
the week.
Write this: If you need a quick response, please submit your
purchase order requests on Tuesday.

2. Maintaining Standards of Etiquette (p.175)

Instead of This: Once again, you’ve managed to bring down the
entire website through your incompetent programming.
Write this: Let’s review the last website update to explore ways to
improve the process.

3. Emphasizing The Positive (p.176)

Instead of This: It is impossible to repair your laptop today.
Write this: Your computer can be ready by Tuesday. Would you like
a loaner until then?
4. Using Bias-free Language: See table 5.1 (p.177)
Instead of This: The hotel is built on a man-made island.
Write this: The hotel is built on an artificial island.

5. Establishing Credibility
Instead of This: We hope this recommendation will be
helpful.
Write this: We’re pleased to make this recommendation.

6. Projecting Your Company’s Image: Your

communication style must project your company’s
interest and reputation to help company build and
maintain positive relationships with all its stakeholders.
7. Creating A Conversational Tone: See table 5.2 (p.181).
• Understand the difference between texting and writing;
• Avoid stale and pompous language;
• Avoid preaching and bragging;
• Be careful with intimacy;
• Be careful with humor.

8. Using Plain Language: See table 5.3 (p.182).

Presenting information in a simple, unadorned style that allows
your audience to easily grasp your meaning.

9. Selecting The Active or Passive Voice: See table 5.4 (p.183)

Active Voice: make your writing more direct, livelier, and easier to
read.
Passive Voice: demonstrate the “you” attitude in some situations.
10. Understanding Denotation and Connotation.

11. Balancing Abstract and Concrete Words.

• An abstract word expresses a concept, quality, or characteristic. It
is usually broad, intellectual, academic, or philosophical.
E.g. love, honor, progress, tradition
• A concrete word stands for something you can touch, see, or
visualize. They are anchored in the tangible material world,
direct, clear, and exact.
E.g. chair, table, horse, rose, kick, red, green, software, database,
website

12. Finding Words that Communicate Well: See table 5.5 (p.186)
13. Using Sentence Style to Emphasize Key Thoughts.
• Maintain some variety among the four sentence types to keep
your writing from getting choppy (too many short, simple
sentences) or exhausting/stringy (too many long sentences).
• Emphasize specific parts of sentences by devoting more words
to them, putting them at the beginning or at the end of the
sentence, making them the subject of the sentence.
• The best placement of a dependent clause depends on the
relationship between the ideas in the sentence.

Most emphatic: The electronic parts are manufactured in Mexico, which has
lower wage rates than the United States.
Emphatic: Because wage rates are lower in Mexico than in the United States, the
electronic parts are manufactured there.
Least emphatic: Mexico, which has lower wage rates than the United States, was
selected as the production site for the electronic parts.
14. Crafting Unified, Coherent Paragraph
Creating the elements of a paragraph: topic sentence,
supporting sentences, transitions.
 Learning Objectives (LO)
1. Describing the three-step writing process (Bovee, pp. 145-147).
2. Explaining the necessary steps in planning business messages (Bovee, pp. 147-172).
3. Explaining the necessary steps in composing business messages: adapting to your audience and writing effective
professional sentences (Bovee, pp. 173-192).

4. DESCRIBING AND EXPLAINING THE IMPORTANCE OF

REVISION AND PROOFREAD IN COMPLETING/REVISING
BUSINESS MESSAGES (Bovee, pp. 201-218).
 Four Actions in Completing
Revise the
Message

Distribute Produce
the Completing the
Message Message

Proofread
the Message
 Evaluate
content,
organization,
style, tone

Revise Review
Edit for the for
Concisene
ss Messag readabili
e ty

Edit for
clarity
1. Evaluate content, organization, style, tone.
See Figure 6.1 and 6.2 (pp. 203-204)

2. Review for readability.

• Varying sentence length;
• Keeping paragraphs short;
• Using list to clarify and emphasize (mind the
parallelism);
• Adding headings and subheadings.
3. Edit for clarity.
See table 6.2 (p.209)

4. Edit for conciseness.

• Delete unnecessary words and phrases;
• Shorten long words and phrases;
• Eliminate redundancies;
• Rewrite “It is/There are” starters.
Produce the Message

Designing for Readability: consistency, balance, restraint,

detail.

For in-depth information on letter formats, see Appendix

A, “Format and Layout of Business Documents.” (p.626)
 Look for
Writing
Errors

Proofread
the
Message

Look for design, Look for

formatting and
programming
Missing
mistakes Elements
 Look for writing Look for Look for design,
formatting, and
errors missing elements programming mistakes.

Typographical mistakes Missing text sections Incorrect or inconsistent

font selections
Misspelled words Missing exhibits (drawings, Problems with column
tables, photographs, sizing, spacing, and
charts, graphs, online alignment
images, and so on)
Grammatical errors Missing source notes, Incorrect margins and
copyright notices, or other special characters
reference items
Punctuation mistakes Clumsy line and page
breaks and problems with
page numbers, page headers
and footers
The followings are some common errors in the writing
process.
1) Low-level/unprofessional 12) Dangling Modifier or
diction Misplaced Modifier
2) Too formal/overly formal 13) Flabby expression
diction 14) Long lead-ins
3) Negative language 15) Unnecessary ‘there is/are’, ‘it
4) Less courteous tone and less is/was’
information 16) Redundant
5) Bias language 17) Trite/Outdated expression
6) Unfamiliar words 18) Jargon and Slang
7) Imprecise description 19) Cliche
8) Fragment 20) Buried verb
9) Run-On (Fused Sentence) 21) Excessive Exuberance
10) Comma-Splice
11) Lack Parallelism
Distribute the Message

Issues to consider when choosing a distribution

method:

Cost;
Convenience;
Time;
Security;
Privacy.
References:
Bovee, Courtland L. and John V. Thill. 2018. Business Communication
Today 14th ed. Pearson E-book.

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Do not upload and share this material to public domain. For private use only!
 Thank you

2015
© Dina Fiandari Herdadi,
Pot
ato
Hea
d,
Sem
inya
k,
Bali,
Ind
one
sia .

This material belongs to Universitas Prasetiya Mulya

Do not upload and share this material to public domain. For private use only!