2. WRITING?
One of the best methods to communicate
In today’s ageof information and technology,
writing has become alost art
Writing isone of the oldest known forms of
communication
3. GOALS &OBJECTIVES
1. Future reference
2. Record of evidence
3. Measurement of progress
4. Precedents
5. Avoiding mistakes
6. Effective decision-making
7. Organizational efficiency
8. Legal requirements
4. WHYWRITTEN COMMUNICATION?
Creates apermanent record
Allowsyou to store information for future
reference
Easily distributed
Allrecipients receive the same information
Necessary for legaland binding
documentation
5. Writing skillsare specific abilities which
help writers put their thoughts into
words in a meaningful form and to
mentally interact with the message.
DEFINITION
6. WRITINGSKILLS?
The abilityto write does not require a
unique talent or an outstanding mental
ability
Everyone has the basic skillsnecessary to
write well
Abasic understanding of writing and a
commitment to writing wellin all
situations is needed as a professional
7. QUESTIONS A WRITER ASKS
How do I begin?
What ismy purpose?
How do I make mypoint clear?
How do I create alogical flow?
How do I saywhat I mean?
How do I avoid grammatical errors?
How can I make mymessage brief?
How can I create avisual effect?
10. Planning
Keep objectives in mind and research the
topic
Think about the audience
Outlining helps organize thoughts
11. Writing
Follow your outline, use your handbook
Inspiration isacceptable but must be
carefully reviewed
Use the interview approach to supplement
the outline (who, what, where, when, how)
14. GOOD WRITING
Completeness: all information needed is provided
Correctness: relevant and precise information
Credibility: support your argument
Clarity:should not be vague,confusing, ambiguous
Conciseness: to the point
Consideration: anticipate the reader’s reaction
Vitality: use the activevoicerather than the passive voice
16. SOME DO'S AND DO NOTS
Be Specific: Just like a reporter, communicate the
“who, what, where, why, when and how” of what
needs to done. Stayobjective and specifi.
Avoid the Passive Voice: Instead of writing “ The
program was planned by Dane,” write, “Dane
planned the program”.
Be Concise: There’s no need to be long-winded.
Get to the point. You’ll lose readers if you spout
off too long!
17. Get Things Right :Take great care when spelling people’s
names,, and other specifics. And also make sure that you
do acareful proof of your work.
Know When Formal Language isRequired: If you’re
writing an informal note to group members, it’sfine to
use contractions (“don’t” instead of “do not”).However,
if you’rewriting for aformal audience, likeaproposal to
the board of directors, be more formal with your
language.
Read It Out Loud :One veryeffective wayto self-proof
your work isto read it out loud. This willhelp you
determine if you’veused incorrect words, if your
sentences run on too long, if your tenses don’t match, and
more.
18. BUSINESS DOCUMENTS
Agood business document should always answer the
following questions:
What isthis document about?
Whyhas it come to be?
Who wrote it?
How isit organized?
What isit trying to accomplish?
What supports the conclusion?
What problem or opportunity does it address?
19. COMMON ETIQUETTES
Focus on format.
Ensuring connectivity.
Structuring of the content.
Tempering the content asper the levelof formalities.
Steering clear of short form.
Importance of grammar, spellingand punctuation.
Sensitivity to the audience.
Importance of creativity.
Avoiding excessive use of jargon.
Awareness of the audience /medium.
20. SPELLING AND GRAMMAR
It isimportant in allbusiness
communications to use propergrammarand
correctspelling.
What you write and how you write could
reflect apositive or negative image.
Sloppyand/or poorly written communications
could be perceived asalackof caring.
21. SPELLING AND GRAMMAR TIPS
Proofread communications before sending
Use spell and grammar check if available
Makesure to have subject, verb and tense
agreement
Ensure proper word usage:
• Affect/Effect
• Among/Between
• Can/May
• There/Their
• Shall/Will
• Than/Then
22. TYPES OFWRITING
E-mails
Letters and Memos
Agendas
Reports
Promotional Material
Academic Documents
Research (scientific) manuscripts
Circulars
Notices
23. E-MAILS
E-mail isfast, convenient and easy
Email isnow the dominant method of
communicating in business.
Convenient for communicating with people in
different places and different time zones
Easier to communicate with people who
understand written English but don’t speak it well
Excellent mechanism for follow-up or action
items after a meeting
Messagescan be saved and retrieved easily
26. E-MAILS
Manyusers do not realize the potential
outcome of what isbeing sent through e-mails
Business e-mails should be concise and to
the point
The language used in business e-mails
should not be overly informal
27. LETTERSAND MEMOS
Letters and memos are the basic
vehicles of business communication
They should be brief and make a single
point
Letters are for external communications
Memos are for internal communications
29. Reference No. Ref:T/23/19
Date 31st December,2010
Sender’s Address GMR Builders
Inside Address Mr. G.Reddy, Ramco Tiles,
New Delhi.
Salutation Dear Sir,
Body Text We are pleased………..
Closing ‘callto Action’ Yours Sincerely
Signature Block Sd/-
Enclosures Carbon Copy Encl: cc to: bcc:
30. COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE
Dear Sir
Dear Sirs
Dear Madam
Dear Sir/Madam
Yours faithfully
Or
Yours truly
Dear Ms. Kranthi
Dear Mr. Kiran
Dear Kalyan
Yours sincerely
Dear Customer
Dear Reader
Dear Subscriber
Dear Shareholder
Dear Member
Yours sincerely
31. NAME ON THE LETTER HEAD
Ref: no. : Reg/01/002
21st October,2010
Mr. Ramesh Debraj
General Manager – Finance
The School Book Depot
Navi Mumbai – 400 707
Sub: Request for the rates
Dear Mr.Debraj,
We shall be reallypleased to establish business contacts with you for the purchase of some Publications
of Maharashtra. Kindly send the price list available with you and the terms and conditions of the
business at he earliest, so that we can immediately place the order.
We look forward for your immediate positive action.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Subhash Chandra
G M– Marketing
33. TYPES OF LETTERS AND
MEMOS
Letters of request
Sales letters
Response letters
Cover letters, recommendations
Letters of collection
Letters to vendors and suppliers
Memos that deal with employee issues
Memos that make announcements
Memos for policies and procedures
34. HAVE YOU HIT YOURTARGET?
In written
communication most
confusion &
frustration are
caused byfailingto be
specific
Makeit clear, brief
and concise
35. REPORTS
Define the main point
Define the goals and objectives
Collect the evidence needed to support the
main point
Organize the report
State the conclusions and recommendations
37. COMMON ERRORS& TIPS
Company name usage
Shortened words (thru, condn, mgmt, ref,
lib)
Repetition of words
Example: file the file in the file folder.
Use of ampersand (&)
Use of bold
UPPER CASE
38. COMMON ERRORS& TIPS
Punctuation
Use commas to separate elements in aseries, and
to separate ideas or clauses.
Use correct punctuation in abbreviations; e.g.,
for example i.e.,that isetc., et cetera
Do not use multiple punctuation marks, for
example: !!!
... ???, etc.
Punctuation of lists and tables
39. COMMON ERRORS& TIPS
Hyphen and dash usage
Confusion between its and it's
Use of apostrophe
Abbreviations and acronyms
Use active voice
Proofread for accuracy
40. 10COMMANDMENTS
1. Know what you want to saybefore you say it.
2. Keep it simple.
3. Use bullet points.
4. WIIFM (What's in It For Me?)
5. Don't get bogged down
6. Callto action
7. Edit
8. Spell check
9. Take 5 before hitting send
10. Follow up
41. FIRST IMPRESSIONS
No matter what you are writing afew things can
create anegative first impression about your
intelligence and your levelof care: misspellings
grammatical mistakes missed words messydelivery
and incomplete work.
42. CONCLUSIONS
Utilize full potential of written communication
Use frequent e-mailsasper your requirement
What you write willultimately define you asa
professional to your colleaguesand superiors
Match the appropriate communication method to
the recipient
Eliminating excessive or unnecessary
communication willimprove your workflow
Mastering these skillswillimprove your ability and
enhance your career
