Correctness:
At the core of correctness is proper
• Grammar
• Punctuation
• Spelling
The term correctness applied to business messages also means
the following
characteristics.
•Use the right level of language
•Check accuracy of figures, facts and words
•Maintain acceptable writing mechanics
The term correctness applied to business messages also means
the following
characteristics.
•Use the right level of language
•Check accuracy of figures, facts and words
•Maintain acceptable writing mechanics
Formal Writing
Formal writing is often associated with scholarly writing.
Examples
doctoral dissertations, scholarly articles, top-level
government agreements etc
The style unconventional, usually impersonal, and contains
long and involved sentences.
Informal Writing
This style of writing is more characteristic in business
writing.
An example is the communications via E-mail, memos etc.
Reminder:
• Avoid
substandard language.
• Using
incorrect words,incorrect grammar, faulty pronunciation all suggest
inability
to use good English.
Check accuracy of figures, facts and words
• It is impossible to convey the meaning of the words
precisely, through words, from the
head of the sender to the receiver.
• Our goal is to be as precise as possible.
A good check of data is to have another person read and
comment on the validity of the
material.
Figures and Facts
• Verify your statistical data.
• Double check your totals.
• Avoid guessing at Laws that have an impact on you.
Continued….
• Have someone else read your message if the topic involves
data.
• Determine whether a fact has changed overtime.
Words that confuse
English language is constantly changing.
Though dictionaries cannot keep up with rapid change, but
still are the most useful resource
for finding correct words.
Example:
a, an
Use a
before consonant and consonant sounds
or a long a
sound. Use
an
before
vowels or silent
h
sounds.
Example
accept, except
Accept is a verb that means receive.
Except is a verb that relates to omitting out or leaving
out.
Example:
Between, Among
Between involves two people, among, three or more.
Example:
Farther, further
Farther is used to express more distance in space, further
for distance in time,
quality or degree.
Example:
Biannually, biennially
Biannually mean two time a year, biennially means every two
years.
Maintain Acceptable Writing Mechanics
All material relating to mechanics, word processing and
appearance is relevant here.
A careful attention to the mechanical part of every
well-written document.
Revision of the seven C’s of effective communication:
Completeness
Conciseness
Consideration
Concreteness
Clarity
Courtesy
Correctness
Completeness:
Your message is complete when it contains all the facts,
readers or listeners need for the
reaction you desire.
Communication senders need to assess their message from eyes
of the receivers to be sure
they have included all the relevant information.
Benefits of Completeness:
• Complete messages are more likely to bring the desired results.
• They do a better job at building goodwill.
• Communication that seems inconsequential can become very
important if information they
contain is complete and effective.
Keep the following guidelines in mind
• Provide all necessary information
• Answer all questions asked
• Give something extra, when desired
Provide all the necessary information:
Answer the five Ws that make the message clear.
• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why
Example:
When requesting a merchandise, make sure
•What you want ?
•When you need it?
•To whom and where it is to be sent ?
•And how the payment would be made ?
Credibility:
•Competence
–Does the audience perceive the message sender as
communicating honestly ?
•Character
–Does the sender of the message know his or her message ?
Credibility:
•Composure
–Does the sender give the impression of being calm and
collected ?
•Sociability
–Does the sender come across as a likable individual ?
•Extroversion
–Does the source exhibit outgoing tendencies rather than
timidity?
Example:
You are the president of a Community welfare center, and
receive the following message
I'm new to the city and would like to consider joining your
welfare center. As I will be visiting
the center within the next month, will you please tell me
where the next meeting will be held
?
If you answered only this question your letter would be
incomplete.
You should added information about a welcome message,
information about parking space,
date, day and time of meeting.
Your message will then have something extra that the reader
really needs and appreciates.
Example:
Fax 1 Incomplete QuestionPlease fax me the in return the
departures from Lahore to
Karachi on 8 May.
In reply to the fax you would have to “give something
extra”, as to times of day, airline flying
that route, costs and departure and arrival times.
Consideration:
Consideration means preparing every message with the message
receiver in mind.
Don’t loose your temper.
Don’t accuse.
Don’t charge them without facts.
Consideration:
•You are foremost aware of their desires, problems,
circumstances, emotions and probable
reaction to your thoughts.
•Handle the matter from their point of view.
•This thoughtful consideration is also called the
‘you-attitude’, the human touch or
understanding human nature.
Three specific ways to indicate consideration.
Focus on ‘you’ instead of ‘I’ or ‘we’.
Show audience benefit or interest in the receiver.
Emphasize positive, pleasant facts.
Focus on ‘you’ instead of ‘I’ or ‘we’
• Using ‘you’ does help project a you-attitude.
• Overuse can lead to negative reaction.
Focus on ‘you’ Instead of ‘I’ or ‘we’:
•To create considerate, audience-oriented messages, focus on
how message receivers will
benefit, what they will receive, and what they want or need
to know.
•In some cases this can be accomplished by emphasis; you may
downplay your own
feelings to make a point
Concreteness:
Communicating concretely means being specific, definite and
vivid rather than vague and
general.
Misunderstanding of words have produced tragedies both in
war and in peace, in business
and non-business situations.
Concreteness:
•Communicating concretely means being specific, definite,
and vivid rather than vague and
general.
•Often it means using denotative (direct, explicit, often
dictionary-based) rather than
connotative words.
Concreteness:
•The benefits to business professionals of using
concrete facts and figures are
–Your receivers know exactly what is desired
–When you supply specifics for the reader you increase the
likelihood of that you message
will be interpreted the way you intended.
The following guidelines should be followed to compose
concrete, convincing messages.
•Use specific and figures.
•Put action to words
•Use vivid image building words.
Use specific facts and figures:
It is desirable to be precise and concrete both in written
and oral technical communications.
Vague : Students’ GMAT scores are higher.
Concrete : In 1996 the GMAT scores averaged 600; by 1997
they had risen to 610.
Clarity :
Getting the meaning from your head
accurately
to the reader is the purpose if clarity.
Remember:
•Choose precise, concrete and familiar words
•Construct effective sentences and paragraphs
Choose Precise, Concrete and Familiar words:
•Clarity is achieved through a balance between precise
language and familiar language
•When you have the choice between a long word and a short
word, choose the short familiar
word
Golden Rule:
•When in doubt, use the more familiar words; audience will
understand them better.
•For example
you must use
pay instead of remuneration
and invoice
instead of
statement of
payment
Example:
•Unfamiliar
After our perusal of pertinent data, the conclusion is that
a lucrative market exists for
subject property.
•Familiar
The data we studied show that your property is profitable
and in high demand.
Courtesy :
•True courtesy involves being aware not only of the
perspectives of others, but also their
feelings.
•Knowing your audience allows you to use statements of
courtesy.
•Be aware of your message receiver
Courtesy:
•Courtesy stems from a sincere you-attitude.
•It is not merely politeness with mechanical insertion of
‘please’ and ‘thank you’, although
applying socially accepted manners is a form of courtesy.
•Rather it is politeness that grows out of respect and
concern for others.
Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful and appreciative:
•Tact
Though very few people are intentionally abrupt or blunt,
these negative traits are a
common cause of discourtesy.
Sometimes they stem from a mistaken idea of conciseness,
sometimes from
negative personal attitudes etc.
Example:
•Tactless, blunt
Stupid letter; I did not understand any of it.
•More tactful
It’s my understanding…..
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