Chapter 6 Completing Business Messages Copyright 2012 Pearson

Chapter 6 Completing Business Messages Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 1

Learning Objectives 1. Revising your message 2. Improving readability 3. Improving clarity and conciseness 4. Understanding effective design 5. Proofreading your message 6. Distributing your message Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 2

Revising Your Message: Evaluating the First Draft Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 3

The Revision Process • Content • Organization • Proper tone Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 4

Review Work of Others Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 5

Summary of Discussion Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 6

Revising to Improve Readability Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 7

Sentence Length • Up to 15 words • 15 – 25 words • Over 25 words Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 8

Paragraph Length • Appearance • Readability • Emphasis Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 9

Lists and Bullets Idea sequence Main points Visual impact Skimming Complex topics Readers Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 10

Headings and Subheadings Descriptive Informative Organization Attention Connection Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 11

Summary of Discussion Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 12

Editing for Clarity and Conciseness Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 13

Editing for Clarity • Long sentences • Hedging sentences • Faulty parallelism • Dangling modifiers Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 14

Editing for Clarity • Noun sequences • Camouflaged verbs • Sentence structure • Awkward references Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 15

Edit for Conciseness Unneeded words and phrases Long words or phrases Redundant combinations “It is/There are” starters Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 16

Revise with Technology Text tools Revision tools Spell checker Grammar checker Thesaurus Style checker Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 17

Summary of Discussion Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 18

Producing Your Message Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 19

Design for Readability Consistency Balance Detail Restraint Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 20

Document Design • White space • Margins • Justification • Typefaces • Type styles Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 21

Multimedia Documents Skills Content Tools Structure Time and cost Compatibility Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 22

Production Technology • Templates, themes, and style sheets • Page setup features • Column and paragraph formatting • Numbered and bulleted lists • Information in tables • Pictures, textboxes, and objects Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 23

Formatting Business Letterhead stationery Date Salutation XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx: Inside address xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Signature block xxxxxxx, xxxxxxx The message Complimentary close xxxxxxxxx Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 24

Formatting Memos Memo title Headings XXXXXXXX XX: xxxxxxxx XXXX: xxxxxxxxxx XXXXXXX: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The message xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 25

Summary of Discussion Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 26

Proofreading Your Message Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 27

Careful Proofreading Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 28

Careful Proofreading Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 29

Summary of Discussion Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 30

Distributing Your Message Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 31

Distributing Messages • Cost concerns • Convenience • Time constraints • Security and privacy Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 32

Summary of Discussion Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 33

Chapter 6 Completing Business Messages Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 34

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Chapter 6 - 35