978-1305280267 Chapter 14

Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)

Determine the five functions of effective written communication and list specifics on

writing successful email messages, tweets, videos, and letters

Discuss guidelines for writing effective resumes, including conventional, electronic, web,

and social media resumes

Pinpoint guidelines for planning and writing to inform especially planning, outlining,

and writing various types of informative reports

Summarize guidelines for planning and writing to persuade especially planning,

outlining, and writing various types of persuasive reports

I.

B. Sometimes first contacts and first are through an email or letter of

application.

C. Most people writing skills can use some work.

Effective Communication

A. performs five functions.

to the .

1. Research audience needs, preferences, and expectations.

2. Imagine you are talking to actual people while writing to achieve natural tone.

3. Consider how the audience will react to the message, which has no facial

expressions or gestures to help interpretation.

Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)

i. Keep words and sentences relatively short.

ii. Use correct grammar.

iii. Avoid spelling and punctuation errors.

iv. Focus on positive rather than negative.

c. Pair bad news with good news.

d. Get to the point quickly and make key ideas obvious (e.g., use bullets, bold).

e. Proofread at least twice after completing the message.

i. Check for sentence structure, misspellings, typos, and tone).

ii. Writing errors affect business profe

iii. Everyone makes errors, so careful proofreading is a must.

D. Use organization with the proper clarity and length.

1. Basic organization for speaking also applies to written communication.

a. Effective written communication contains three parts.

i. Greeting that grabs attention and clarifies the purpose of the message.

2. Length is a problem in written communication.

a. An email or memorandum ideally should contain one major idea or purpose.

1. Use serif and sans serif fonts appropriately.

2. Avoid using all capital letters (except to emphasize a single word or short phrase).

3. Use enough white space to avoid looking cluttered and to speed comprehension.

4. Use 11-point or 12-point type for text; titles can be larger 14-point or 16-point type.

1. For most people, ethical lapses tend to occur in certain circumstances.

a. They are on deadline.

2. Distortion is mispresenting or twisting facts or stating that something is true that is

only partially true.

3. Exaggeration is overstating or presenting facts as more important than they are.

4. Plagiarism is using the ideas of others (whether paraphrased or word for word)

without giving them credit.

5. Set aside written messages for a day or a couple of hours (if possible) and then

review with a fresh eye for needed, distorted, and exaggerated sources.

6. Dishonesty can end careers.

I I. Writing Successful Email Messages

email

Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)

. Writ

5. If anything unusual occurred during the interview, mention it as a recall aid.

6. Mention interest and enthusiasm for the position.

7. Include additional information if needed.

8. End with something such as,

Write -up letters to stress continued interest in employment if a few weeks have

passed since the interview with no contract from the interviewer (likely did not get job).

Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)

VII. Writing a Resume

resumes grab immediate attention.

1. Once interviewer picks up a resume, 45-60 seconds to grab their attention.

the page to get basic information.

3. Use headings and bullets.

resumes provide more than basic information (e.g., indicate how successfully

a job was completed or a problem was solved).

Writing Informative Reports

A.

to one or more employees, supervisors, or clients, often delivered via email.

b. They can be reports that supply more complete details in a longer and often

Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)

X. Summary

14.1 Instruct students to prepare an informative presentation on a topic of their

choosing that would normally require a demonstration. The topic can be

14.2 Have students compose a one page resume using the tips included in the chapter.

14.3 Compose an email similar to the one found on page 417 of the text (figure 14.1).

14.4 Place students in teams of 4-5 people. Each team will be required to create and

compose a persuasive presentation. Keep the topics simple, such as blood

donation. Each group will compose both an outline and a report. Each group will

present to the class.

MindTap support materials for Chapter 14 include the following:

composition of a successful business email so that they can reflect on, personalize, and

Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)

apply the concepts learned in the chapter

Flashcards to practice defining key terms

Quiz questions that reinforce student learning and understanding

Case study 4 of a real-life situation and associated questions for Chapter 14 (captured in

General MindTap resources cited at the beginning of Part III.

Online sites provide a number of useful videos that support Chapter 14 topics:

Business Writing. This program focuses on the importance of written communication in

business. The five types of business writing memos, correspondence, reports,

proposals, and emails are covered. RMI Media Productions.

Workplace Communication Skill, 25 minutes. This DVD addresses email, voicemail, cell

phones, video conferencing, and online sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Cerebellum

Corporation.

ideas, tips, and resources on business writing.

http://www.businesswritingblog.com/

The Purdue Online Writing Lab, or OWL, provides help in writing business letters,

developing a resume, and avoiding plagiarism.

Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)

1. Because there are no facial expressions or gestures to accompany a written message, it is

easier to interpret them accurately.

2. In writing thank you letters, the tone should be formal yet friendly.

3. In writing follow-up letters, do not express disappointment at not receiving the job.

4. In written communication, avoid using all capital letters except for emphasis of a single

word or short phrase.

5. Social media length is better at 2 to 3 minutes.

Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)

1. Once an interviewer picks up your resume, you have:

a. 5 minutes to grab their attention c. 45 seconds to a minute to grab their

attention

b. Less than 10 seconds to grab their

attention

d. 30 seconds to grab their attention

2. In writing to inform, when your subject matter is complex, may be difficult to comprehend,

or requires the clarification of some process, you should use a:

a. Description c. Explanation

b. Definition d. Narration

3. In writing to inform, when your audience is unfamiliar with your topic or if your topic is

complicated, you should use a:

a. Description c. Explanation

b. Definition d. Narration

4. According to Fisher, an outstanding narration should be easy to follow and make sense.

Fisher termed this:

a. Fidelity c. Consistency

b. Probability d. Logical

5. Informative reports are important to both supervisors and employees because:

a. They are one of two ways supervisors

can stay up to date on needed

information.

c. Employees use them to communicate

company policies to supervisors.

b. Supervisors use them to communicate

information to clients.

d. Employees use them to demonstrate

product use to clients.

6. Informative reports are important to both supervisors and employees because:

a. They are one of two ways supervisors

can stay up to date on needed

information.

c. Employees use them to communicate

company policies to supervisors.

b. Supervisors use them to communicate

information to clients.

d. Employees use them to demonstrate

product use to clients.

7. A persuasive report contains all of the following except:

a. A methods section describing how the

information was collected

c. A conclusion and recommendations

section with suggested action items

b. A problem section defining the

problem

d. A consequences section with detailed

consequences of not following the

recommendations

Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business and the Professions (Cheryl Hamilton)

1. The best written communication performs several functions. What are they?

ANS:

The best written communication performs five functions. (1) Adapt to the audience and research

2. What delivery skills are necessary to making great videos?

ANS:

The speaker or speakers in the video should be enthusiastic, passionate, and skilled in the

3. What are the three characteristics of effective resumes discussed in this text?

ANS:

First, effective resumes grab immediate attention. They begin with the most impressive

4. Why use narrations? What are the two things that need to be included in an effective

narration?

ANS:

A narration is one of the tools to aid understanding in an informative report. a story about real or

5. What role does an outline play in planning an informative report? What are some

guidelines for producing effective outlines?

ANS:

The role of outlines in planning informative reports is important. An outline can be an effective