Chapter 6

Completing Business Messages

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 1Chapter 6 -

Learning Objectives1. Revising and evaluating messages2. Improving readability of messages3. Improving clarity and conciseness4. Understanding effective design 5. Proofreading business messages6. Distributing your messages

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 2Chapter 6 -

Revising Your Message: Evaluating the First

Draft

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 3Chapter 6 -

The Revision Process

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 4Chapter 6 -

•Content•Organization•Proper Tone

Evaluate, Edit, and Revise the Work of

Others

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 5Chapter 6 -

•Writer’s Success•Writer’s Intent

Summary of Discussion

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6Chapter 6 -

Revising to Improve Readability

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 7Chapter 6 -

Sentence Length

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 8Chapter 6 -

•Up to 15 Words•15 – 25 Words•Over 25 Words

Paragraph Length•Appearance •Readability•Emphasis

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 9Chapter 6 -

Idea Sequence

Visual Impact

Complex Topics

Main Points

Skimming

Readers

Lists and Bullets

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 10Chapter 6 -

Headings and Subheadings

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 11Chapter 6 -

Descriptive Informative

Organization

Attention

Connection

Summary of Discussion

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 12Chapter 6 -

Editing for Clarity and Conciseness

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 13Chapter 6 -

Editing for Clarity

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 14Chapter 6 -

•Long Sentences

•Hedging Sentences

•Faulty Parallelism

•Dangling Modifiers

•Noun Sequences

•Camouflaged Verbs

•Sentence Structure

•Awkward References

Editing for Clarity

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 15Chapter 6 -

Edit for Conciseness

Unneeded Wordsand Phrases

Long Wordsor Phrases

RedundantCombinations

“It is/There are”Starters

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 16Chapter 6 -

Revise with Technology

Spell Checker

Thesaurus

Software Features

Grammar Checker

Style Checker

Software Tools

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 17Chapter 6 -

Summary of Discussion

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 18Chapter 6 -

Producing Your Message

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 19Chapter 6 -

Design for Readability

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 20Chapter 6 -

•Consistency•Balance•Restraint•Detail

Document Design

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 21Chapter 6 -

•White Space•Margins•Justification•Typefaces•Type Styles

Multimedia Documents

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 22Chapter 6 -

•Convey Information

•Engage Audiences

•Express Emotions

•Allow Personalization

Multimedia Design

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 23Chapter 6 -

Required Skills

Multimedia Tools

Time and Cost

Content

Message Structure

Compatibility

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 © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 24Chapter 6 -

Formatting Business Letters

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 25Chapter 6 -

Letterhead Stationery

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

x

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx,

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Date Inside AddressSalutation

The Message

Complimentary CloseSignature

Block

Formatting Memos

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 26Chapter 6 -

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XX: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXX: xxxxxxxxxxXXXX: xxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXX: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Memo Title

Headings

The Message

Summary of Discussion

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 27Chapter 6 -

Proofreading Your Message

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 28Chapter 6 -

Careful Proofreading

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 29Chapter 6 -

•Multiple Passes•Perceptual Tricks•High-Priority Items•Sufficient Distance

Careful Proofreading

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 30Chapter 6 -

•Vigilance•Concentration•Paper Documents•Sufficient Time

Summary of Discussion

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 31Chapter 6 -

Distributing Your Message

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 32Chapter 6 -

Distributing Messages

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 33Chapter 6 -

•Cost Concerns•Convenience•Time Issues•Security/Privacy

Summary of Discussion

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 34Chapter 6 -

Chapter 6

Completing Business Messages

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 35Chapter 6 -

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 36Chapter 6 -