© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 1

Completing Completing Business Business MessagesMessages

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 2

Three-Step Writing Three-Step Writing ProcessProcess

Step 1

Planning

Step 3

Completing

Step 2

Writing

Analyze

Investigate

Adapt

Organize

Select

Compose

Revise

Produce

Proofread

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 3

Moving Past the First Moving Past the First DraftDraft

FinalReportFinal

ReportFirstDraftFirstDraft

Content, Style, Toneand Organization

Content, Style, Toneand Organization

OverallReadability

OverallReadability

Mechanicsand FormatMechanicsand Format

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 4

Starting the ProcessStarting the Process

of Revisionof Revision

ContentContentContentContent

StyleStyleStyleStyle

OrganizationOrganizationOrganizationOrganization

ToneToneToneTone

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 5

Reviewing for Reviewing for ReadabilityReadability

(readability formula)(readability formula)

Sentences

Headings(descriptive vs. informative)

Listed Items

Paragraphs

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 6

Editing for ClarityEditing for Clarity

Long Sentences

Hedging Sentences

Faulty Parallelism

Dangling Modifiers

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 7

Editing for ClarityEditing for Clarity

Long Noun Sequences

Camouflaged Verbs

Sentence Structure

Awkward References

Excess Enthusiasm

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 8

Focusing on Focusing on

ConcisenessConcisenessWordy Constructions

Long Words or Phrases

Redundancies

“It is/There are” Starters

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 9

RevisionRevisionToolsTools

SpellSpellCheckerChecker

ThesaurusThesaurus GrammarGrammarCheckerChecker

RevisingRevisingWith TechnologyWith Technology

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 10

Graphics SoftwareGraphics SoftwareGraphics SoftwareGraphics Software

Presentation SoftwarePresentation SoftwarePresentation SoftwarePresentation Software

Graphics, SoundGraphics, Soundand Hypertextand Hypertext

(hyperlink)(hyperlink)

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 11

Document DesignDocument Design

ConsistencyConsistency

BalanceBalance

DetailDetail

RestraintRestraint

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 12

Design Elements

White SpaceWhite Space

MarginsMargins

TypefacesTypefaces(serif)(serif)

Type StylesType Styles

Headings Headings and Captionsand Captions

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 13

Professional ImageProfessional Image

WordWordProcessingProcessing

DesktopDesktopPublishingPublishing

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 14

Proofreading the MessageProofreading the Message

FinalReportFinal

ReportEditedCopy

EditedCopy

Grammar, Usageand PunctuationGrammar, Usageand Punctuation

Spelling Errorsand Typos

Spelling Errorsand Typos

Missing MaterialMissing Material

Design ErrorsDesign Errors

Overall FormatOverall Format

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 6 - 15

Distributing the MessageDistributing the Message

PhotocopyPhotocopyMachineMachine

Computer DiskComputer Diskand CD-ROMand CD-ROM

Mail MergeMail Merge

Print ShopPrint Shop

The InternetThe Internet

BroadcastBroadcastFaxingFaxing