What you'll learn to do: Discuss the impact that word choice and tone can have on a business message Have you ever heard the phrase, “don’t shoot the messenger” when someone is blaming the bearer of bad news for the upset? This common metaphoric phrase dates back to before the widespread use of modern telecommunication when messages were usually delivered by human envoys. For example, during a war, a messenger would be sent from one camp to another. If the
message was distressing or described a severe misfortune, the receivers might blame the messenger for such bad news and take their anger out on the unfortunate messenger. Show
Learning Outcomes
Writing for the Reader The audience (your reader, if the message is written) is the receiver of the business communication. This model focuses on the choices a writer or sender of a message can make to best convey their message to the receiver. If all choices are related to considering the receiver’s needs over those of the sender, the
message is more likely to achieve its purpose quickly. watch it Please view this
thirteen minute video about the impact and power in focusing on the audience. In this module, this concept is called you-view. You-view, or putting the reader first, encompasses two skills:
Finding a Lost Shipment Lynnette has worked hard to find a lost shipment. She finally has enough information to email the
customer and provide an update on the situation. She begins writing up her draft: “You won’t believe how many people I had to contact to find this for you. I had to call Texas, send a copy to Dallas, and then…..” Stop! It is likely Lynnette is thinking the customer will be impressed with her efforts and feel like a valued customer. However, nothing in this email so far has answered the customer’s primary need. Practice QuestionLanguage as an Obstacle Each of us has a variety of ways of speaking and writing depending on circumstances. You write a thank-you note to your aunt for the socks she sent much differently than you write a thank-you note after a job interview with
the vice president of the division. In business communication, the key is to choose language that is direct and easy for your audience to understand.
ClichéClichés that we use in everyday conversation (green with envy, face the music, add insult to injury, etc.) can make your writing sound boring. Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines a cliché as "a trite phrase or expression; a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation; something (such as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplace."[5] Avoiding Clichés Consider the paragraph and revision below.
Jargon The dictionary defines jargon as "the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity or group."[6] Since these terms are used within an activity, group, or
profession, they're typically not well understood outside that context. Within the context of a specific group, jargon may help members of the group refer to very specialized concepts, but those outside the group may find the jargon incomprehensible or may misunderstand the intended meaning.
SlangAvoid slang or idiomatic expressions in formal business writing or in academic writing. Slang and idiomatic expressions make your writing sound informal and less credible. They can also make it harder for non-native English speakers to understand you.
However, there are occasions when slang and idiomatic expressions may be appropriate, depending on who your audience is. If you are writing informally or humorously, slang and idiomatic language may help you better express yourself. Euphemisms and Doublespeak Euphemisms are words or phrases used to talk about unpleasant or taboo topics in a more polite way. For example, instead of saying that you are leaving a meeting to urinate, you might say that you are "going to the restroom." If you are talking about a person who just died, you might say that the person has "passed away."
Practice QuestionBias Free Writing Why does the topic of bias-free writing follow a page about hidden meaning? Business writers work to be clear and direct in meaning, and drawing attention to details about race, age, country of origin, disability, and gender in the workplace might cause conscious or unconscious bias.
Avoiding Gender BiasWriting in a non-sexist way requires the ability to recognize sexism in the first place. The next hurdle is to figure out a way to eliminate any inherent sexism without disrupting the flow of the piece. Here are a few techniques to help avoid bias. Gendered NounsThe first way to avoid gender bias in your writing is to use gender-neutral words when referring individuals in various positions:
Gendered PronounsThe next thing to be aware of is your use of gendered pronouns. While some still use he as a generic pronoun, this shows a strong bias towards male individuals. Instead you can use "he or she" ("his or her," etc) as the pronoun for a generic noun:
Using "he or she" is an okay solution, but it can get clunky in large doses: "Every employee should check with his or her supervisor that his or her report was properly filed." Additionally, many individuals neither identify as male nor female and use they as a singular pronoun to refer to themselves. Thus, using "he or she" is often not the best solution. The best solution is often to rephrase the sentence to have a plural subject instead of a singular subject.
Singular They While they is typically treated as a plural pronoun, when an individual has expressed a desire to be identified with gender-neutral pronouns (they/their/theirs), it is grammatically correct to use they as a singular pronoun (per the Chicago Manual of Style, one of the predominant authorities on grammar and
style).[7] There are occasions, however, where you can't simply make the sentence plural. For example, let's look at this sentence: "Someone will call you to further discuss the issue. He or she will call between 9:00 and 10:00 tomorrow morning." Only one person will be making the call, so we can't make this sentence plural. In this situation, the solution may be to completely omit the pronoun: "Someone will call you to further discuss the issue. You can expect the call between 9:00 and 10:00 tomorrow morning." Avoiding Race and Ethnicity Bias When speaking about a racial or ethnic group, deciding which term to use can be a tricky
subject because the ascribed meaning to particular terms and labels can frequently change. When choosing between terms to refer to a group, it is best to ask a member of that group what they prefer. Avoiding Disability BiasAs a general rule, avoid using labeled nouns when talking about people with disabilities. Try to use emotionally neutral expressions rather than ones that assign a role, such as victim.
Practice QuestionConcise WritingAt the heart of business is the idea that "time is money." This may lead you to believe that shorter messages are always better; however, concise writing is not just fast or short; it is writing that balances the clarity of the message with efficiency. Practice QuestionSentence Length and ComplexityWith business writing, the main focus is on the reader’s ability to quickly absorb and react to the communication. Concise business writing uses clean, straightforward sentence structure to improve understanding and retention. This is different from the prose of novels or the beat of poetry in which taking pleasure in the complexity of sentences is part of the experience. Business writing uses simpler sentences to be more concise and thus less likely to be misinterpreted. Straightforward Sentences Grammatically, there are three kinds of
sentences. It's not especially important for you to be able to identify them in order to be a good business writer. However, taking a moment to think about how they work and what they do will help you become more concise and clear. Fido fetched. [A noun and a verb is all it takes to make a simple sentence.] Whiskers ate her tuna. [This adds a direct object, "tuna," but it's still a simple sentence.] Polly sat on her perch and whistled. [This includes a prepositional phrase, "on her perch," and a compound verb "sat" and "whistled," but it's still a simple sentence.] Compound sentences consist of two (or more, but that's tricky) independent clauses attached by a comma and a conjunction: Amanita threw the ball, and Fido fetched it. ["Amanita threw the ball" could stand alone as a sentence, as could "Fido fetched it." That structure is what makes this a compound sentence.] Complex sentences consist of at least one dependent clause followed by at least one independent clause: While Amanita looked for the ball, Fido chased a grasshopper. [Even though the part of the sentence before the comma has a subject, "Amanita," and a verb "looked," the addition of "while" means it can't stand on it's own as a sentence. "Fido chased a grasshopper" can stand alone, so it is an independent clause.] Compound-complex sentences -- you can probably figure this one out from the name and the example: While Amanita looked for the ball, Fido chased a grasshopper, and Whiskers looked bored. So, Why Does This Matter? Using compound and complex sentences is great! However, be sure you are not splicing together long strings of clauses that get really hard to follow. Additionally, you should vary your sentence
types for more engaging reading. In order to write straightforward sentences that are appropriate and effective in business communication, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Finally, watch your wordiness. As you write and edit, ask yourself whether you are using several words when there's one perfectly good one that would suffice. At the same time, be careful of turning a single sentence into a paragraph by stringing together every idea you've ever had. Findings from Goddard (1989) suggest that sentence length is related to reader comprehension. This research suggests that between 20 and 25 words is the maximum for solid comprehension.
Remember, your goal is not to make your sentences short, your goal is to convey your ideas clearly and to avoid ambiguity. That said, the more complex the material you are discussing, the more straightforward and clean your sentences need to be.[8]
Be careful not to repeat yourself over and over and over.
Finally, become aware of your own bad habits. Do you use "also" too much to show the relationship between ideas? Do you adore the complex sentence type a little too strongly? Do you use "one" (as in "One hopes to understand the meaning of this sentence.") and then get stuck in a bog of pronouns? Do you start sentences with "What it is, is . . . " Whatever your particular quirks, become aware of them and take care to look for and fix them when you edit your work. Learn More For more useful information on how sentences work, and to get some practice in before you start your own writing, check out this reading on Sentence Structure. Active and Passive Voice You’ve probably heard of the passive voice—perhaps in a comment from an English teacher or in the grammar checker of a
word processor. In both of these instances, you were (likely) guided away from the passive voice. Why is this the case? Why is the passive voice so hated? After all, it’s been used in this paragraph already (twice now!). When the passive voice is used too frequently, it can make your writing seem flat and drab. However, there are some instances where the passive voice is a better choice than the active. ACTIVE VOICE: Tamara lost the potential sale in North Dakota. PASSIVE VOICE: The potential sale in North Dakota was lost. You may have noticed something unique about the previous passive voice example: the passive voice can be used to “hide” who performed the action. Despite this sentences being completely grammatically sound, we don’t know who lost the sale if we only read the passive sentence. This could be a good way to focus on ways to improve company strategy, rather than focusing on a single person's performance (and avoid calling out a single employee in a potentially public setting).
If, however, it is important that Tamara lost the sale, but we want to focus on the loss rather than who lost it, saying "The potential sale in North Dakota was lost by Tamara,"
In this case, the goal of using the passive voice to soften the negativity of the message has made the message sound more considerate. If you are trying to avoid throwing someone under the bus, one strategy is to de-emphasize the actor or subject in the sentence. Bring out your sensitive side by knowing how to tactfully apply passive voice. Reserve passive verbs for the moment you need to say "no" in a message. Learn More For more information on how and why to use the passive
voice check out Using the Passive Voice in Lumen's Guide to Writing. ClarityWord selection and phrasing leads to successfully transferring meaning from the sender to the receiver. Doing this well enhances the writer’s reputation. The business's reputation also grows—not in a blatant way but in a behind-the-scenes way. Think of the advice a home seller receives before an open house: have bread baking or apple cider simmering to create an aroma that makes the house feel more like a home. This small step might help a potential buyer make the right choice. Solid writing skills do that for the employee. The employee gains respect and appreciation thanks to writing skills that project credibility and confidence. PrecisionBusiness communication should be clear, specific, and chock-full of meaning. Work to be precise.
Plain WordsWhen trying to enhance your reputation, it is tempting to want to use complex words in order to appear smart and sophisticated. Unfortunately, this tends to obscure your ideas and potentially damage your credibility. Remember the focus of your writing should be on the reader understanding the message. Instead of focusing on "sounding smart," concentrate on expressing accurate content with precise, unambiguous words so that the message is transmitted clearly. Be precise while understandable.
ListsLists can be used in several ways. Working with numbered lists or bulleted lists is a fast way to draw attention to several items. Lists add white space to a document, which helps the reader. They add emphasis because they stand out on the page. Numbered lists are used when order of importance matters.
Practice QuestionParallel Construction Parallel construction of sentences, lists, and even headings makes messages much easier for the reader to absorb. Sometimes, for the newer writer, it might be easier to think of a predictable rhythm or format when working on how to achieve parallelism. Think of the beat of poetry or songs and how it makes the words easy to remember and predict. As a writer, you can use that same structure to your
advantage.
Was the second sentence easier to comprehend than the first? The second sentence uses parallelism. All three verbs are gerunds, whereas in the first sentence, two are gerunds and one is an infinitive. While the meaning of the first sentence comes through, it’s easy to trip up over the mismatched
items. The application of parallelism improves writing style and readability, and it makes sentences easier to process.
Once again, the examples above combine gerunds and infinitives. To make them parallel, the sentences should be rewritten with just gerunds or just infinitives. You could argue that the first sentence is correct in that “cooking,” “jogging,” and “to read” are all grammatically valid conclusions to “She likes.” However, when you put them together, the lack of parallelism leads to an incorrect sentence. Think of it this way: separately, Brussels sprouts, marshmallows, and sardines are delicious; together, they'd be kind of horrifying. An easy way to think about this is to make your sentence into three separate sentences: The dog likes to run. The dog likes to play fetch. The dog likes to go to the dog park. Remember how we talked about poetry or song at the beginning of this section? You can see from these three sentences that they "rhyme" in all but the last few words. To achieve parallelism, identify where the sentences start to be different, in this case, after "to." Therefore, what comes after "to" is what your list should be made of in order to be parallel. Then check your parallelism by making sure that each of the items represents the same part of speech. In this case, each item--"run," "play," "go"--is a present-tense verb, so the parallelism works. The dog likes to run. play fetch. go to the dog park. Here are a few more examples of parallelism in which the elements are all different lengths and types: Jackson and Krista are cooking dinner, David and Rogelio are setting the table, and Ollie and Ron are picking up dessert. (Parallel elements are independent clauses that could stand alone as sentences.) Juana looked for her phone under the table, on top of the bookcase, and inside the cupboard. (Parallel elements are prepositional phrases.) Mandy and Torrence watched The Godfather, Mary Poppins, and a documentary about pelicans. (This may look tricky, but all of the elements in the list are nouns, so the sentence is parallel. Also, Mandy and Torrence have strange taste in entertainment.) Practice Question Parallelism can also apply to the way you talk
about similar elements in general. If you’re writing a research paper that includes references to several different authors, you should be consistent in how you cite them. For example, if you talk about Jane Goodall and Henry Harlow, you should say “Goodall and Harlow,” not “Jane and Harlow” or “Goodall and Henry.” This is something that would carry on through your entire paper. You should use the same mode of address for every person you mention. Maintaining parallelism
can also keep you from unintentional bias. Referring to three physicians as Dr. Jameel Smith, Dr. Samuel Evans, and Kathy will probably not make Dr. Kathleen O'Rourke very happy.
Which one is easier to follow? Which is more professional in its look and feel? Essentially, any time you have a list—whether it's within a single sentence or has a larger scope—you should focus on parallelism. EmphasisThe correct amount of emphasis in business communications can help readers easily access the intended message. However, what is considered appropriate emphasis can differ drastically in this age of texting and social media. Remember that business communications are a part of a professional setting. While humans write the communications, the situation remains one company communicating to another or to a customer. This is not a personal communication that might include emotion or symbols for emotions.
Practice Question In the examples above, notice how italic, bold, or underlined fonts all provide emphasis in a similar fashion. Any of the three are equally helpful, and the choice should be made based on what the organization or the writer prefers. Licenses and AttributionsCC licensed content, Shared previously
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What does prompt attention to answering the telephone show quizlet?What does prompt attention to answering the telephone show? Improves public relations and shows that office is efficient. Which of the following telephone greetings is acceptable for a medical office? "Mountainview Children's Clinic, Thomas speaking, how may I help you?"
What is the key response for an assistant who is dealing with an angry telephone caller?Medical Skills and Services. What is the correct way to handle a telephone handset and communicate it?Free Customer Support Career Guide. Speak clearly. ... . Only use speakerphone when necessary. ... . Actively listen, and take notes. ... . Use proper language. ... . Remain cheerful. ... . Ask before putting someone on hold or transferring a call. ... . Be honest if you don't know the answer. ... . Be mindful of your volume.. Why should an assistant smile when talking on the telephone?Answer with a Smile
The tone of the human voice changes when smiling. It is readily perceivable to the caller and it sets the tone for the rest of the call. It's been proven that a smile puts the caller at ease. Their mood then matches that of the person who answered the phone for the duration of the call.
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