Copyright 2017 Pearson Education Inc Excellence in Business

Excellence in Business Communication Chapter 6 Completing Business Messages Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education,

Learning Objectives (1 of 2) 1. Discuss the value of careful revision, and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your first drafts and the work of other writers. 2. List four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages. 3. Describe eight steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and give four tips on making your writing more concise. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 3

Learning Objectives (2 of 2) 4. List four principles of effective design, and explain the role of major design elements in document readability. 5. Explain the importance of proofreading, and give eight tips for successful proofreading. 6. Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 4

Revising Your Message: Evaluating the First Draft (LO 1) Discuss the value of careful revision, and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your first drafts and the work of other writers. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 5

Revising Different Types of Messages • Revising Informal Messages • Revising Digital Messages •

Evaluating Your Message Content Clear and Accurate Relevant and Complete Organization Order and Emphasis Repetition and Grouping Tone Is It Too Formal? Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Is It Too Casual? Chapter 6 - 7

Improving Your Message Through Revision (1 of 2) Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.

Improving Your Message Through Revision (2 of 2) Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc.

Evaluating, Editing, and Revising the Work of Other Writers Promote the Writer’s Success • Help the writer succeed. • Don’t impose your own style or agenda. Support the Writer’s Intent • Learn what the writer wanted to accomplish. • Base suggestions on the writer’s goals. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 10

Questions for Evaluating Someone Else’s Writing • What is the purpose of the message? • Who is the audience? What do they need? • Is the document well organized? • Does the writing convey a “you” attitude? • Is the writing clear? Can it be improved? • Is the writing as concise as it should be? • Does the design support the message? Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 11

Revising to Improve Readability (LO 2) List four techniques you can use to improve

Varying Your Sentence Length • Up to 15 Words Short Copyright © 2017 Pearson

Keeping Paragraphs Short Average 100 Words • Make Reading Easier • Promote Careful Reading • Emphasize Key Ideas Maintain Clear Flow • Don’t Go Overboard • Connect Your Ideas • Guide With Transitions Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 14

Using Lists and Bullets to Clarify and Emphasize (1 of 2) Set Off Ideas in a List Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. • Sequence Ideas • Heighten Visual Impact • Surface Key Points • Simplify Complex Subjects • Highlight Main Points • Enable Skimming Chapter 6 - 15

Using Lists and Bullets to Clarify and Emphasize (2 of 2) Copyright © 2017

Creating Parallelism Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 17

Adding Headings and Subheadings Reveal the Organization Draw Attention to Key Points Show Connections and Transitions Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Informative Descriptive Primary Functions Chapter 6 - 18

Editing for Clarity and Conciseness (LO 3) Describe eight steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and give four tips on making your writing more concise. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 19

Editing for Clarity (1 of 2) Break Up Overly Long Sentences Rewrite Hedging Sentences

Editing for Clarity (2 of 2) Reword Long Noun Sequences Replace Camouflaged Verbs Clarify

Revising for Clarity Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 22

Editing for Conciseness Delete Unnecessary Words and Phrases Replace Long Words and Phrases Eliminate Redundant Word Combinations Recast “It is/There are” Starters Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 23

Revising for Conciseness Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 24

Producing Your Message (LO 4) List four principles of effective design, and explain the

Designing for Readability (1 of 2) Consistency Balance Design Elements Detail Copyright © 2017

Designing for Readability (2 of 2) Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6

Applying Key Design Elements White Space Provides Visual Contrast Margins Sets Space Around Text/Columns Justification Arrangement of Lines of Text Type Face Physical Design of Text Characters Type Style Lends Contrast/Emphasis to Type Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 28

Designing for Mobile Devices Think in Small Chunks Use Plenty of White Space Keep

Proofreading Your Message (LO 5) Explain the importance of proofreading, and give eight tips

Typical Sources of Problems Writing Rapid Response Stage Design Reduced Costs Stage Layout Conversational

Proofreading Carefully (1 of 2) • Make Multiple Passes • Use Perceptual Tricks •

Proofreading Carefully (2 of 2) • Get Some Distance • Stay Focused and Vigilant

Distributing Your Message (LO 6) Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing

Distributing Messages • Concerns with Cost Factors of Distribution • Overall Convenience • Time

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 © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 6 - 36