Business Writing

Prof. Navodita Mishra

Why is business writing important?

 We all interact with the written word as though

it has a personality and that personality makes
positive and negative impressions upon us.
 Without immediate feedback your document
can easily be misinterpreted by your reader, so
it is crucial that you follow the basic rules of
etiquette to construct an appropriate tone.
Pre-requisite of Business Letter

 Why am I writing this letter?

 What do I expect to get out of it?
 What arguments I need to provide?
 How can I achieve this?
Types of Business Letters

 Enquiries / Requests and Replies

 Orders and replies
 Complaints and replies
 Credit and status enquiries
 Collection letters
 Sales letters
 Circulars
The elements of business letter
 Letterhead or Heading  Subject Heading
 Reference  Body of the letter
 Date  Complimentary close
 Private & Confidential  Signatory
 Style of Address  Designation
 Attention line  Enclosures
 Salutation  Typist’s intials
Stages of business writing

 Brainstorm what the communication must

include.
 Cluster your ideas into topics.
 Outline your topics, including subtopics.
 Write a rough draft.
 Revise by editing your work.
 Proofread carefully.
 Produce the final draft.
Never ignore reader’s senstivity

 Be positive.
 Emphasize what readers can do instead of
what they cannot do.
 State facts instead of assigning blame.
 Avoid leading with negative information.
 Be polite.
 Be fair.
Effective Communication Criteria - 7Cs

 Clarity
 Completeness
 Conciseness
 Correctness
 Concreteness
 Consideration
 Courtesy
Few examples
The decision was made by the manager at the last
moment.
The manager decided at the last moment.
Please let us know when we can be of assistance to
you.
Please let us know when we can assist you
You did not complete all the items on the form.
All the items on the form were not completed.
The construction company finished the building on
Wednesday.
The building was finished on Wednesday.
General Format: Tone
• Write in a positive tone
“When you complete the
report.” instead of “If you
complete the report.”
• Avoid negative words
that begin with “un, non,
ex” or that end with
“less” (useless, non-
existent, ex-employee,
undecided).
• Use smiles , winks ;),
and other graphical
symbols only when
appropriate.
• Use contractions to add
a friendly tone.
(don’t, won’t, can’t).
Delivering Bad News
 Deliver the news up
front.
 Avoid blaming
statements.
 Avoid hedging words or
words that sound
ambiguous.
 Maintain a positive
resolve.
Delivering Bad News

Deliver the news up front: Avoid using “weasel words”

“We are unable to order or hedging:
new computers this “Our pricing structure is
quarter due to budget outdated.”
cuts.” More examples of hedging
are:
Avoid blaming:
Intents and purposes
“I think it will be hard to Possibly, most likely
recover from this, but
Perhaps, maybe
what can I do to help?”
Writing a complaint
• You should briefly state • Show why it is critical for
the history of the the problem to be
problem to provide resolved by your reader.
context for your reader. • Offer suggestions on
• Explain the attempts you ways you think it can be
made previously to resolved or how you are
resolve the problem. willing to help in the
matter.
Writing a complaint

Briefly state the history: Show attempts made by

“The current way we
choose officers for our
organization is not “I have offered two
democratic. As a result,
we have a popularity
contest that does not
always get us the best
candidates.”
you thus far to resolve
the issue:
alternatives for officer
selection that still
involves the votes of the
members but both have
been rejected by the
executive board.”
Writing a complaint

Show why it is important for your reader to get involved:

“This is a problem for two reasons. First, I am concerned
that the executive board no longer protects the
interests of the organization and that their actions are
not in keeping with the constitution of the organization.
Second, there have been a number of complaints from
the members who feel that their concerns and
preferences are not being addressed by the executive
board, which decreases morale and productivity.”
Writing a complaint

Ask for help and offer a resolution:

“Please let me know what other options I may have
overlooked. I am willing to meet with the department
head and the executive board to seek out a solution
that is fair to the members and is good for the business
of the organization. ”