Chapter 6 Review

Chapter 6: Writing Business Correspondence

      Business writing is concise. It is used for many purposes such as to inform, to request information, to persuade, to offer condolences, etc. Business writing can be either handwritten or typed. There are three phases to business correspondence. These three phases are planning, composing, and formatting.

      Planning correspondence begins with an objective. What is the purpose of the message? Learn as much as possible about the audience and incorporate these facts in your message. Use a top-down or bottom-up approach to create an outline. Decide whether an indirect or direct approach to the message will be used. For persuasive messages, appeal to both logic and emotion. When writing to individuals outside the organization, use more formal language. When writing to colleagues, language can be less formal.

      Composing correspondence allows the message to become clear, correct, complete, and compelling. These messages are easily understood. Remember to include information addressing 5W2H. Use an indirect approach when trying to change the reader's mind.

      Formatting the message comes in various ways. For memos, use a four part heading including To, From, Date, and Subject lines. Use one-inch margins, type the subject in all capitals or bold font, left align the page, use months spelled out, sign the memo, and use page numbers for multiple page memos. For emails, recipients can be added in the To:, the Cc:, and the Bcc: fields. Read emails frequently and respond according to urgency. Keep the inbox clean by deleting unimportant messages and sorting important messages into folders. Do not send sensitive information through email. Read emails aloud before sending to check for grammatical errors and tone. For letters, choose from the three options: the full-block, the modified-block, or the simplified format. For full-block, use one-inch margins, left align the page, single space the body except for a double space between paragraphs, and use headings for multiple pages. The modified-block format is similar to the full-block format except the date, complimentary close, and sender's name are closer to the center and paragraphs can be indented one-half inch. The simplified format is similar to the full-block format, but is generally used when addressing a group. This format allows for gender ambiguity when uncertain of the recipient's gender.