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Business Writing

To write effective and appropriate business messages, you need to know your readers. Are you addressing multiple readers or a single reader? How much knowledge do your readers have of your subject, and what issues concern them most? These are just some of the questions to consider before you start writing your message. Closely tied with knowing your readers is knowing your purpose for writing. Do you need to inform customers about a new policy, or do you need to persuade employees to adopt a new business practice? Knowing your purpose will focus your message, making it clear to readers why it is important to them.

In addition, identifying who your audience is and what your purpose is will guide you in selecting an appropriate tone for your business message. Tone is a significant element in writing – one that affects how the reader will respond to your message. Tone refers to the writer's attitude toward the reader and subject matter as expressed in the way the message is written. Have you ever received a memo that annoyed you by its tone? For example, it might have been patronizing or too familiar. The key to controlling the tone of your writing is to put yourself in the place of your reader. And you need to carefully choose the words that will create the right tone for your message. When you know who your readers are and what your purpose is, you can tailor your tone to suit them. This will help you create more effective business messages.

This course addresses ways to identify your readers and to create messages that convey the appropriate tone for different reader roles. It also outlines how to write effectively for the three most common reasons for writing a business document – to inform, respond, or persuade.

Example: Effective Writing for Different Message Types

The purpose of informative writing is to transfer information to the reader. To make informative writing effective, you should explain your reason for writing at the start. It's also important to organize key ideas, be specific, and separate fact from opinion.

Examples

Simple announcements

Subject: Todd Brenner named head of the Marketing Department

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Business Writing

Effective Writing for Different Message Types

To write effective and appropriate business messages, you need to identify the purpose of your writing. Taking a few minutes to define your purpose can dramatically improve your writing. It will help keep you focused on the point of your message and the reaction you want it to inspire.

There are two questions you can ask yourself to help identify your purpose in writing a business document:

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Business Writing

Using an Appropriate Tone in Business Writing

Analyzing your audience and the purpose of your message is the key to successful business writing. As well as helping you decide what content and how much detail to include, it helps you apply the right tone in your writing.

Tone refers to the style or manner of expression you use, in your speech or writing. Just like in a conversation, the tone you use in your writing affects the way a reader interprets and responds to your message.

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Business Writing

Defining Your Target Audience

The characteristics of your readers

Four main considerations about your reading audience should guide your writing.

Size of your audience

It can be more difficult to write to multiple readers than to a single reader. If you have multiple readers, you should determine who your key readers are. Although you may include some extra explanation or definitions for other readers, this shouldn't become cumbersome for the key readers.

Business Writing
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