Business Communication Skills for

Managers
Module 2: Writing in Business
 Active Listening?

Excercise

The BIG BANG THEORY: https://youtu.be/3_dAkDsBQyk

Dealing with employees: https://youtu.be/2P1zEH2YcY4

Setting up a meeting: https://youtu.be/2P1zEH2YcY4
What are two keys to success in business
communication?
Writing the Right Message
Learning Outcomes: Writing the Right Message

2.1 Write a business communication given a specific audience and purpose

2.1.1 Explain the importance of audience to business communication
2.1.2 Discuss the importance of writing a clear and focused message in business
2.1.3 Differentiate between types for writing positive, negative, and persuasive messages
Audience

The purpose of communication is to have the sender’s idea in mind reach the receiver’s mind
with identical understanding.

Communicating is not as simple and transparent as the image we saw before.

Communication is surrounded by potential pitfalls and myriad opportunities for the main point
to be lost or altered.

Good communicators are mindful of the other potential audiences when they start writing since
doing so can help advance the company and advance a career.
Audience (continued)

General Communication System

Audience (cont.)
Downward and Upward Communication

Upward Communication:
• initiated by staff and directed at executives
• examples: complaint or request

Downward Communication:
• initiated by executive levels to staff
• examples: policy manuals, rules and regulations

Horizontal Communication
• information from peers to one of similar rank
Activity
In groups of three, come up with a set of guidelines that the manager of an electronics store
could give to her section managers when addressing the following problem:

The store has unexpectedly run out a heavily discounted “doorbuster” item that has been widely
advertised, and there are still customers in line at the front of the store hoping to buy the item.

The store manager has to make sure that the section managers are consistent when explaining the
situation to the customers. Also, while that news will be delivered verbally, the guidelines to be
observed will be written down for future use in similar situations.

What is the most effective way to craft the store’s message? How might the verbal message and
the written guidelines differ given the audiences in question?
The Right Message

Highlights purpose to narrow and organize communication

Creates clear and efficient communication

Focuses on positive, negative, and persuasive statements

The Right Message (cont.)
Positive Messages
• Routine or good news
• Sympathy messages

Negative Messages
• Bad news- want to avoid quitting
• Refusal to provide refund,
cancellation of event

Persuasive Communications
• Need encouragement to act as
sender desires
• When receiver is reluctant
Discussion

What are some ways to avoid the ping-pong of communication according to the
reading?
Word Choice and Tone
Learning Outcomes: Word Choices and Tone

2.2 Discuss the impact that word choice and tone can have on a business message
2.2.1 Discuss strategies for creating reader-focused writing
2.2.2 Discuss strategies to avoid language that can confuse or exclude readers
2.2.3 Discuss strategies to avoid language that shows bias against individuals or
populations
2.2.4 Discuss strategies to improve concision in writing
2.2.5 Discuss strategies to improve clarity in writing
2.2.6 Evaluate the parallel structure of sentences and passages
2.2.7 Discuss appropriate ways to indicate emphasis in business writing
Writing for the Reader
- Keep in mind that the audience is the receiver of the message
- Focus on how as a writer you can best convey message
- Remember the You-view concept
• Puts the receiver’s needs before sender’s needs
• Starts with what receiver needs to know

Lets check: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-esc-communicationforprofessionals/chapter/you-positive-

approaches/
Language as an Obstacle

Avoid:
• Clichés - overused, common sayings make writing boring
• Jargon - “technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity or group”
- can alienate audience, leading to disengagement
• Slang - informal and less credible
• Euphemisms/Doublespeak - addresses unpleasant topics in a polite way, disguises actual
meaning
• Clichés
• Jargon

• Slang
• Euphemisms/Doublespeak
Bias-Free Writing

Gender Bias:
• use both genders
• keep in mind gendered pronouns
• use singular they

Race and Ethnicity Bias:

As a general rule in a business setting, do not mention a person’s race or ethnicity
unless it is directly relevant to the situation.

Disability Bias: avoid labeled nouns

Avoiding Gender Bias
Gendered Nouns

Gendered Pronouns
Avoid Race/Ethnicity/Disability Bias
As a general rule in a business setting, do not mention a person’s race or ethnicity unless
it is directly relevant to the situation.

Avoid Disability Bias

Concise Writing

Sentence Length: one subject, one verb phrase - related to reader comprehension

Expressing ideas accurately

• prepositions - avoid “with” or “of”
• use verbs - more engaging
• reduce extra words - detract from meaning
• avoid repetition
Concise Writing (cont.)

Avoid Passive Voice - makes writing flat, note the use of “to be” verbs
• “She was falling” versus “she fell”

How to identify passive voice

• Something is happening
• Subject is not doing that thing
 Precision: try to be clear and specific
Clarity Plain Words: focus should be on reader understanding
Lists: draw attention, add white space, emphasis
Clarity in writing
Precision

Plain words
Clarity in writing
Use of Lists
Parallel Construction

Messages are easier to absorb for the reader

Improves writing style

• Here is a positive example: “Yara loves running, swimming, and hiking”
• Here is an example of what not to do: “Yara loves running, to swim, and biking”
Examples
Examples
Emphasis

Helps readers easily access intended message

What is appropriate differs in the age of texting

& social media

Remember that business communications are a

part of a professional setting. While humans
write the communications, the situation remains
one company communicating to another or to a
customer.
Examples
Practice Question 1

Despite a high volume of foot traffic at the car dealership’s 4th of July sale, the
opportunity for increased sales was lost and somebody really dropped the ball.

How could the statement be revised so as to be more effective?

Three-Part Writing Process
Learning Outcomes: Three-Part Writing Process

2.3 Identify the three parts of the writing process

2.3.1 Discuss the importance of the planning stage in the writing process
2.3.2 Write a business message based on an outline using the appropriate components of
a business message
2.3.3 Revise a business message for tone, message, and correctness
Planning Business Messages

Take a great deal of analysis

Determines how receiver likely feels about communication

Enables writer to document process

Use pre-writing, such as an outline which can guide you towards

a particular goal
Planning Business Messages (cont.)

Messages contain:
• News states point
• Reasons supports news
• Goodwill and action should appear
in your closing paragraph
• Buffer negative & persuasive
messages
Planning Business Messages (cont. II)

Persuasive Messages
• Determines how likely receiver is going to comply
with sender

Organized by AIDA
• (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action)

Opens with positive or negative message

• should be attention grabbing
• discuss details
Writing Business Messages

Post planning: need to craft words and phrasing

Must have writing skills

• subject lines
• constructing buffers
• negative words and tone
• You-View

How to write persuasive, positive, and negative messages

Revising Business Messages

Rearrangement and fine tuning of a draft is a highly critical step

Use the two-step revision process

Proofread - avoid fragments, run-ons

Word Processing Software
Learning Outcomes: Word Processing Software

2.4 Use common word processing software to write business messages

2.4.1 Discuss common guidelines to create a professionally formatted document
2.4.2 Use Microsoft Word to create a visually appealing and accessible document
2.4.3 Use Google Docs to create a visually appealing and accessible document
Formatting Business Writing

General format:
• Non-indented paragraphs
• 1.0 line spacing in paragraph
• 2.0 line spacing between paragraphs
• Left margin: straight line
• Right margin: ragged or straight
• Font size: 10 or 12
Formatting Business Writing (cont.)

Business letter format:

• Sender's address, date, inside address,
salutation, body, closing, attachments

Business Memo & Email Format

• Pay close attention to subject line
• Write a direct first sentence
Formatting Business Writing (cont. II)

Style:
• White space between words, paragraphs
• Lists: easy-to-understand pattern
• Headings: guide/provide messages
• Font: Serif vs. Sans Serif
• print Media vs. Digital Media
Microsoft Word

Line and Paragraph Spacing

Headers and Footers

• holds footnotes, page numbers, titles, etc.
• information repeated every page
Microsoft Word

Spell & Grammar Check

• compares words against dictionary or database
• press F7 to open

Sentence Length
• File > Options > Proofing
• “Show readability statistics”
Google Docs
Line and Paragraph Spacing
• select lines
• Format > Line Spacing

Adding headers, footers, & page numbers

• Insert > Header & page number
• choose Header or Footer
• enter text

Spell & Grammar Check

• Sentence Length
• Tools > word count
• Command+Shift+C
Practice Question 2

Katy sat down at the office computer to fix the monthly vendor letter and realized she’d
need to start from scratch. The digital file had somehow been lost (or never saved), and all
she has is a paper copy. Working in Google Docs, where will Katy find the settings that
will help her get the line spacing and indent correct?

a) selecting Format and then choosing the Line Spacing command

b) on the ribbon marked paragraph
c) by using the [enter] key and [spacebar] repeatedly
Quick Review

• Why is it important to know your audience and how to communicate with them?
• What are some ways to think about the purpose of a message and stay bias-free in your
writing?
• Why is it important to always be clear, concise, and provide emphasis with your writing?
• How would you describe the planning, writing, and reviewing stages of business
communication?
• What are the important things to remember when you use Microsoft Word and Google Docs
to write messages?