Business Writing Power Point Slides

Corporate Training Materials

 Module One: Your business
writing can serve

Getting Started
as persuasive
evidence of your
competence, your
personality, your
management
style.
This workshop will give participants
a refresher on basic writing Wilma Davidson

concepts and an overview of the

most common business documents
giving you that extra edge in the
workplace.
 Workshop Objectives
• Gain better awareness of common spelling and grammar issues in business writing.
• Review basic concepts in sentence and paragraph construction.
• Know the basic structure of agendas, email messages, business letters, business
proposals, and business reports.
• Know tips and techniques to use when deciding the most appropriate format to use for
agendas, email messages, business letters, business proposals, and business reports.
• Know tips and techniques in writing agendas, email messages, business letters,
business proposals, and business reports.
• Gain an overview of Request for Proposals, Projections, Executive Summaries, and
Business Cases.
• Define proofreading and understand techniques in improving proofreading skills.
• Define peer review and list ways peer review can help improve business writing skills.
• List guidelines in printing and publishing business writing.
 Module Two: When all other
means of

Working with Words communication

fail, try words.

Anonymous

In this module we would discuss

the spelling of words, grammar
issues in writing, and how to
prevent both by creating a cheat
sheet.
 Spelling
• Familiarize yourself with commonly misused words,
particularly sets of words often mistaken for each
other.
• Make sure you pronounce words properly.
• Note some friendly rules on spelling
• If you’re writing for an international audience, note
that there are acceptable spelling variations in the
different kinds of English.
• Lastly, use spelling resources!
 Grammar
Here are two grammar issues most business
writers have trouble with.

• Subject-verb agreement.
• Verb tenses.
 Creating a Cheat Sheet
Issue Rule Example
Its vs. It’s ‘Its’ is the possessive, third The machine spread its
person, singular adjective, claws.
typically referring to It’s the fastest engine for
something other than a this job.
person.
‘It’s’, short for ‘It is’, refers
to something that ‘it’
possesses.
 Module Three: Have something
to say, and say it

Constructing Sentences as clearly as you

can. That is the
only secret of
style.

Now that we have a basic Matthew Arnold

understanding of how to use words
more effectively in business
writing, it’s time to look at
sentences. This module will
discuss the parts of a sentence, its
proper punctuation, and the four
kinds of sentences.
 Parts of a Sentence
A complete sentence has two parts: a subject
and a predicate.
Example:
• “The committee recommends a full inquiry
over this matter.”
• The subject is ‘The committee’ and the
predicate is ‘recommends a full inquiry over
this matter.’
 Punctuation
• Commonly used punctuations include:
• Period ( . )
• Question Mark ( ? )
• Exclamation Point ( ! )
• Comma ( , )
• Colon ( : )
• Apostrophe ( ‘ )
• Semicolon ( ; )
 Types of Sentences
Four Kinds of Sentences:

• Declarative
• Interrogative
• Imperative
• Exclamatory
 Module Four: Clutter is the
disease of

Creating Paragraphs
American writing.
We are a society
strangling with
unnecessary
words, circular
constructions,
Now it’s time to discuss how you pompous frills and
meaningless
can put these blocks together for jargons.

best results. In this module, we will William Zinsser

discuss the basic parts of

paragraphs and some tips on
organizing your paragraphs.
 The Basic Parts
The 3 Basic Parts of a Paragraph:

1.Topic Sentence
2.Supporting Sentence
3.Closing Sentence
 Organization Methods
The following are some tips in organizing your
paragraphs:

• Keep your main idea central.

• Decide how to best explain your main idea.
• Whenever possible, outline first before
starting on any writing.
Module Five: Writing Organizing is
what you do

Meeting Agendas before you do

something, so
that when you
do it, it’s not all
mixed up. .
In this module, we will discuss the A. A. Milne
basic structure of agendas, how to
select an agenda format and tips
and techniques when writing an
agenda.
 The Basic Structure
The basic structure of an agenda includes:
• Date, Time, Location, and Estimated Duration of the
Meeting
• Purpose of the Meeting
• Advanced Preparation Guidelines
• List of Invited (or Confirmed) Attendees
• Items for Discussion
• Person-in-Charge for each item
• Approximate Time to be spent on each item
 Choosing a Format
The agenda format to use depends on:

• When the attendees are going to view the

agenda.
• The context of the meeting
• The purpose of the agenda.
 Writing the Agenda
When writing the agenda, consider the
following factors:
• Priority of Items
• Logical Flow
• Timing
 Module Six: Almost
overnight the

Writing E-mails internet has

gone from a
technical
wonder to a
business must.
Email is a convenient and effective Bill Schrader
medium to conduct business
communication. In this module we
will discuss etiquette guidelines on
how to address an email message,
as well as grammar and acronyms
rules in the letter body.
 Addressing Your Message
When addressing an email, it’s important to know the
difference among the To, Cc and Bcc fields.

Using the ‘To’ field.

• The ‘To’ field is used when sending a direct message to someone.
Using the ‘Cc’ field. Cc stands for carbon copy.
• You use the ‘Cc’ field to send a copy of the email message to people who are
not meant to be the direct recipients of the message, but still need to be kept
on the loop.
Using the “Bcc’ field. Bcc stands for Blind carbon copy.
• When you place email addresses in ‘Bcc’ field, recipients are ‘blind’ to other
recipients’ email address.
 Grammar and Acronyms
• Always follow the rules of good grammar. You may refer to
English writing style guides for these rules.
• Always use full sentences and words with proper sentence
structure. Don’t use text-speak.
• Proper capitalization and punctuation are a must! In email, all
caps give the impression that you’re shouting, and small caps
are hard to read.
• In business emails, avoid text-speak abbreviations such as
BTW (by the way), IMHO (In my honest opinion,) and LOL
(laugh out loud). Avoid the use of emoticons, e.g. smileys :-),
as well.
Module Seven: Writing What a lot we
lost when we

Business Letters stopped writing

letters. You can’t
reread a phone
call.

In this module, we will discuss the William Zinsser

basic structure of business letters
and how to choose the most
appropriate format for your
business letters.
 The Basic Structure
A formal letter usually contains the following sections:
• Sender’s full name and address
• Addressee’s full name and address
• Date the letter is sent (or assumed to fall into the hands of the
receiver)
• Formal Salutation e.g. “Dear + Formal Address”
• A Subject Heading e.g. “Re: Job Opening for Quality Control
Officer”
• Letter Body
• Formal Closing e.g. “Respectfully yours, Sincerely yours,”
• Name and Signature of the Sender
 Choosing a Format

The format of your business letter depends on:

• The stage of your working relationship with

the letter recipient.
• The seniority of the recipient.
• Your letter’s privacy.
 Writing the Letter
Tips on how to write a business letter:

• Keep your purpose in mind when writing a

business letter.
• Write with a positive tone.
• Follow standard spelling and grammar rules,
even if your letter is informal.
• Personalize your business letter.
 Module Eight: To be persuasive
we must be

Writing Proposals
believable; to be
believable we
must be credible;
to be credible we
must be truthful.

In this module, we would discuss Edward R. Murrow

the basic structure of a proposal,
how to select a proposal format,
and tips in writing a proposal.
 The Basic Structure
The following is the basic structure of a business
proposal:
• Company Overview
• Statement of the Problem (also referred to as the Need
Statement)
• Background and Benefits (mostly used for unsolicited proposals)
• Scope of Services/ Deliverables – What, Who, When, Where,
How, How much
• Contact Details
• References
 Choosing a Format
There is no one universal format for business
proposals. The format that you should use
depends on:

• Intended recipient of the proposal

• The scale/ scope of the project
 Writing the Proposal
Make sure your business proposal is:

• Targeted.
• Well-substantiated
• Persuasive
• Organized
 Module Nine: I notice that you
use plain, simple

Writing Reports
language, short
words and brief
sentences. That is
the way to write
English --- it is the
modern way and
In this module, we will discuss the the best way.

basic structure of reports, how to Mark Twain

choose the right format, and tips

on writing reports.
 The Basic Structure
The following are the basic parts of a business
report:
• Overview
• Background/ Project Scope
• Main Body
• Conclusions
 Choosing a Format
Be guided by the:
• The purpose of the report
• The seniority of your readers
• Your readers’ technical knowledge
• The scale of the project
• Standard protocol in your company
 Writing the Report

• Keep the purpose of the report in mind when

writing your report.
• Stick to objective data, unless there is a
section for personal opinions.
• Write to your audience.
 Module Ten: Other Good writing is
the result of

Types of Documents good planning

and clear
thinking.

Warren Bennis
In this module, we will discuss an
overview of four other types: the
Request for Proposals, Projections,
Executive Summaries and Business
Cases.
 Requests for Proposals
Effective RFPs should at least explain:
• What the project is
• What exactly do you require as output (your
deliverables)
• How proposals would be reviewed
• Your contact information
 Projections
• Projections are documents that show
estimates of future performance, alongside
data that can substantiate your predictions.

• The most common projection document is

financial projection, which shows future
income based on present and anticipated cash
flow.
 Executive Summaries
An executive summary usually include the
following sections:
• Overview of the company, including products and/or services
• Company Mission Statement
• Management and Staff
• Market and Customer
• Your Competitive Edge
• Business Operations
• Financial Projections and Plans
 Business Cases
A business case can include the following
sections:
• Background of the problem/ opportunity
• Problems encountered
• Options considered and cost-benefit analysis
• Solution selected and implementation strategy
• Expected costs of the project
 Module Eleven: Make sure you
always
Proofreading and Finishing proofread. You’ll
never know if
you’ve missed a
out.
Anonymous
In this module we will give you an
overview of the processes of
proofreading, peer review and
preparing a manuscript for printing
and publishing.
 A Proofreading Primer
Here are some tips on effective proofreading:
• Avoid proofreading immediately after writing. If possible,
put the material aside for a few hours before starting the
process.
• Go slowly, considering every word. Read what is actually
on the page and watch if you’re filling in blanks!
• Look for one error at a time. You can start at different
parts of the paper every time to avoid the negative
effects of familiarity with the text.
 How Peer Review Can Help

Peer review is the process of submitting your

work to the scrutiny of another writer, an
expert or a fellow member of your team, with
the goal of getting constructive feedback.
 Printing and Publishing
Here are some tips on printing and publishing
your business documents:
• Always check the ‘print preview’ before printing a
document.
• Be careful when changing computers for printing
purposes.
• Check your publisher for guidelines on what quality of
graphics, pictures and clip arts you should use.
• To be sure, always have a print draft for review before
making many copies.
 Module Twelve: This feeling,
finally, that we

Wrapping Up may change

things - this is at
the centre of
everything we
Words from the Wise are. Lose that...
lose everything.
• YOGI BERRA: In theory there is no
Sir David Hare
difference between theory and practice.
In practice there is.
• DWIGHT EISENHOWER: Plans are
nothing; planning is everything.
• JONAS SALK: The reward for work well
done is the opportunity to do more.