Business Writing Workshop Pg 100807

Business Writing Workshop

Course Number: TBD

Participant’s Guide

For use Enterprise-wide Learning and Development Version 2007100507 Last print date: 9/19/2007 3:52 PM

Template Ver: 2007091807

Copyright 2007 World Travel Holdings. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no portion of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of World Travel Holdings.

Participant’s Guide

Business Writing Workshop

Workshop Goal: To improve your business writing skills. By the end of this two hour workshop, you will be able to: •

Understand WTH procedures

•

Identify the components of a well constructed business letter

•

Pay closer attention to spacing, grammar, capitalization, punctuation and abbreviations

•

Make clearer word choices

•

Minimize jargon and

•

Convey bad news in a positive manner.

Notes:

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Business Writing Workshop Page 1

Participant’s Guide

Self Assessment Please take a moment to answer the following questions:

1. I always keep my audience in mind when I write. Yes

No

I Don’t Know

2. I have no problem with the basics: grammar, capitalization and punctuation. Yes

No

I Don’t Know

3. I know the difference between verb tenses and usage. Yes

No

I Don’t Know

4. I choose simple words to communicate clearly and avoid redundancies. Yes

No

I Don’t Know

5. I make it a point to state clearly the specific purpose of my letters, memos or e-mails. Yes

No

I Don’t Know

6. I recognize and avoid business clichés and jargon. Yes

No

I Don’t Know

7. I ruthlessly edit everything I write. Yes

No

I Don’t Know

8. I understand the components and importance of well constructed business letter. Yes

No

I Don’t Know

9. I’m confident I can communicate bad news tactfully. Yes

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No

I Don’t Know

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Participant’s Guide

Punctuation Pointers THE COMMA (,) The comma sets off or separates words or groups of words within sentences.

1) Use a comma after a long introductory phrase or clause. “After working all day at the office, I went home for dinner.” 2) If the introductory material is short, forget the comma: “After work I went home for dinner.” 3) Use a comma if the sentence would be confused without it, like this: “The day before I borrowed my boss’s calculator.” A better way would read: “The day before, I borrowed my boss’s calculator.” 4) Use a comma to separate elements in a series: “I enjoy drinking orange juice, tea, milk, and coffee.” 5) Use a comma to separate independent clauses that are joined by: and, but, or, nor, for, yet: “We shopped for three hours, but we didn’t make a single purchase”.

SEMICOLON (;) The semicolon separates two independent clauses, but it keeps those two thoughts more tightly linked than a period can: “I type the letters; he types the bills”. Use a semicolon before and a comma after the following words if they come between two independent clauses: accordingly

hence

moreover

similarly

also

however

namely

still

besides

likewise

nevertheless

then

consequently

indeed

nonetheless

instead

otherwise

therefore

furthermore

thus

1) I thought I had completed the project; consequently, I realized we missed five items. 2) We have prepared your estimate; however, you should sign it by Friday. 3) I would like to tell you a story; therefore, please stay after the meeting.

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Participant’s Guide

Punctuation Pointers Cont’d COLON (:) A colon is a tip-off to get ready for what’s next: a list, a long quotation, or an explanation. It’s used to separate independent clauses when the second clause explains or amplifies the first.

1) My new office contains the following: a chair, desk, computer, and wall art. 2) We need additional information: escrow statements, tax returns, approved bank loans, and mortgage agreements. 3) There are three things to remember when booking a cruise: find out where they want to go, determine if they have ever cruised before, and ask them what type of accommodations they are interested in.

APOSTROPHE (‘) An apostrophe is commonly used to form the possessive of nouns and some pronouns and to mark the omission of letter(s) in a contraction.

1) If the noun is singular, add ’s: I enjoyed Betty’s presentation. Someone’s coat is in the lobby. 2) The same applies for the singular nouns ending in “s” like James: This is James’s new office. 3) If the noun is plural, simply add an apostrophe after the s: Those are the clients’ new files. 4) If the singular noun ends in “s” add “es” and an apostrophe to make it both plural and possessive: Here is the Joneses’ tax information.

Punctuation Practice Directions: Punctuate the following, and then compare your answers to each other. Note, not all sentences need additional punctuation.

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Participant’s Guide

1) The executive watched the competition but the competition went ahead with the take over.

2) During our meeting she was genial but shrewd.

3) Today more women are becoming executives in corporations.

4) The job was difficult therefore he quit.

5) My suitcase included files pencils books and paper.

6) We thought we would have to work late consequently we ended up leaving early.

7) Sarrahs car was in the shop therefore she had to take the bus to work.

8) In preparation for the meeting Mr. Jones asked us to do three things set up the equipment dust the chair and empty the ashtrays.

9) We wanted to go to the five partners meeting but we were unable to leave before the weekend.

10) Lois resume arrived yesterday moreover she phoned for an interview next week.

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Participant’s Guide

Parallel Construction Parallel construction adds clarity, elegance, and symmetry to your writing. Words, phrases and statements are coordinated to be grammatically parallel: noun aligned with noun, verb with verb, and phrase with phrase. For example:

NOT:

Speaking in public is sometimes harder than to write in private.

BETTER: Speaking in public is sometimes harder than writing in private.

NOT:

Agents are people of action, decision, and who are bright.

BETTER: Agents are people of action, decision, and intelligence.

NOT:

Debbie’s office was painted, had carpet put in, and cleaned last week.

BETTER: Debbie’s office was painted, carpeted, and cleaned last week.

Not only does parallel construction add symmetry, it often reduces wordiness, as in the examples above. Don’t hesitate, however, to repeat a word if it makes your sentence clearer. For example: NOT:

A secretary can program a computer to type a letter but not think.

BETTER: A secretary can program a computer to type a letter but not to think.

NOT:

David’s specialty is writing short stories; however, he also enjoys doing poetry.

BETTER: David’s specialty is writing short stories; however, he also enjoys writing poetry.

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Participant’s Guide

Parallel Construction Practice Revise the following sentences to form correct parallel construction. Write your answers in the space provided following each sentence. Then compare among your teammates.

1. It was a long meeting and very tedious.

2. Mark enjoys his work as a contractor in the daytime and going to ballgames in the evening.

3. In school do you remember writing, reading and the teacher talks loudly?

4. When customers book a cruise they have to choose what cruise line to take, determining how long to sail, and decide how much money to spend.

5. Poor writing costs money, wastes time, and customers feel alienated.

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Participant’s Guide

Proper Word Usage Proper word usage is another problem for business people. Entire books are written on this subject. The quiz below is a fun and quick way to test your knowledge of proper usage and bring to light some of the common pitfalls it is easy for us to fall into. USAGE QUIZ 1) Which is correct? The _______________ of wearing seatbelts can ___________________ the number of people injured in automobile accidents. a) affect/effect b) effect/effect c) effect/affect d) affect/affect 2) Which is correct? a) The party pledges not to raise taxes, which would be harmful to the economy b) The party pledges not to raise taxes that would be harmful to the economy 3) Which is correct in business writing? (Circle the correct one in each pair) a) 6 or six b) 14 or fourteen c) 500 years ago or Five-Hundred years ago d) 4.5 million or 4,500,000 4) Which is correct? a) Was 22 July 20xx the date of the ball game? b) On July 22, 20xx I graduated from law school c) On July 22, 20xx, I’m leaving on vacation 5) Which is correct? a) An historic choice b) A historic choice 6) Which is correct? a) He implied that we were not to blame. b) He inferred that we were not to blame. USAGE QUIZ (continued)

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Participant’s Guide

7) Which is correct? The boss can ____________ all the files ________________ the ones we receive today. a) except/except b) accept/except c) accept/accept d) except/accept 8) Which is correct? I would ____________ you to follow the ________________ of your supervisor. a) advice/advise b) advise/advice c) advise/advise d) advice/advice 9) Which is correct? We were ____________ to leave when Mrs. Smith asked us if we had ______________ been given a copy of the agenda. a) all ready/already b) already/already c) all ready/all ready d) already/all ready 10) Complete each sentence using either capitol or capital. a) b) c) d) e)

Austin is the ______________ of Texas. The company tried to raise enough ________________ to buy new equipment. Paris is the ___________________ of France. The first word in a sentence should begin with a ________________ letter. If you want to watch state government in action, visit the ________________ in Sacramento, California.

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Participant’s Guide

(Unnecessary) Redundancies The following list contains common redundant expressions. Delete word(s) in parentheses. (advance) planning

(as) for example

ask (a question)

refer (back)

(as to) whether

(true) facts

(as) yet

(when and) if

(at a) later (date)

whether (or not)

at (the) present (time)

written (down)

(basic) fundamentals

(brief) moment

(specific) examples

off (of)

(but) nevertheless

period (of time)

(close) proximity

might (possibly)

(close) scrutiny

since (the time when)

combine (together)

recur (again)

(completely) filled

(still) remains

consensus (of opinion)

(thorough) investigation

continue (on)

sufficient (enough)

estimated at (about)

started (off) with

(exact) opposites

merged (together)

first (of all)

repeat (again)

(just) exactly

blend (together)

my (personal) opinion

came (at a time) when

(absolutely) essential

(false) pretenses

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Participant’s Guide

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Capitalization, Spacing and Abbreviations Here are some other areas to consider with writing business documents.

CAPITALIZATION (general considerations): •

Always capitalize: a persons names, proper noun, title, or geographical locations.

•

Always capitalize a sentence, a compass point, or first word of a “Quote”.

•

Don’t add capitals for words like manager or agent in a sentence unless you are addressing them as such: Agent Dan, or Manager Libby C.

SPACING (general considerations): •

One space between words.

•

When typing an e-mail, report, business proposal, etc. use two spaces after a period.

•

No line spaces within a paragraph on e-mail or business letter.

•

One line space between paragraphs.

•

All lines should be left justified.

ABBREVIATIONS (general considerations): •

Avoid beginning a sentence with an acronym or abbreviation.

•

Not recommended for business writing when addressing a client.

•

Use only if abbreviation is conventional, is apt to be familiar, will save considerable space, and will prevent cumbersome repetition.

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Minimizing Jargon Below are some examples of jargon. Please take a moment and decide what alternative phrases you can use instead:

:

Most Commonly Used:

•

Tour Provider

•

Air Deviation

•

Bump/Change

•

Profile

•

Non Cash Code

Alternative Word Choices:

•

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Conveying Bad News Tactfully This last section has to do with conveying bad news tactfully. Often in business we must break bad news to good people. This is one time where brevity and conciseness take a back seat to tact and humanity. In other words, your tone is all-important. Choose your words carefully; select words that are human, courteous, and positive. Don’t use qualifiers, passive construction, or euphemisms to avoid accepting responsibility. For example, a company president wrote the following memo to her employees: It is necessary to resize our operation to the level of profitable market opportunities. What she meant was this: We must lay off staff.

Note the difference between the following positive and negative phrases:

NEGATIVE

POSITIVE

You failed to notice

May I point out that…

You neglected to mention

We can also consider…

You overlooked the fact that

One additional fact is…

You missed the point

From another perspective…

If you persist in

If you choose to…

I see no alternative but

Our clear plan of action…

Generally, a memo or letter should not start with the word “you”. It sounds accusatory and abrasive. So, how do we say no or deliver bad news? At times we must deny a request no matter if we want to or not. It’s important to be direct and considerate, but don’t be too subtle; otherwise, you may mislead by offering false hope instead of communicating clearly. Remember: even criticism can be delivered positively.

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Business Writing Workshop Summary

Workshop Goal: To improve your business writing skills. By the end of this two hour workshop, you should be able to: •

Understand WTH procedures

•

Identify the components of a well constructed business letter

•

Pay closer attention to spacing, grammar, capitalization, punctuation and abbreviations

•

Make clearer word choices

•

Minimize jargon and

•

Convey bad news in a positive manner.

Notes:

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Business Writing Workshop Page 13

What Will You Apply?

What two significant things have you learned from this module that you will take back to apply at your job?

Choose two things that you will now do as a result of what you have learned in this module. 1.

2.

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