Session 7 (July 26/27): Resumes and Cover Letters

Summary of Key Points

• Informal preparation for job hunting should start soon after you arrive on campus. Formal preparation for job hunting should begin a full year before you begin interviewing. The year you interview, register with your placement office early.


• Employers skim résumés to decide whom to interview. Employers assume that the letter and résumé represent your best work. Interviewers normally reread the résumé before the interview. After the search committee has chosen an applicant, it submits the résumé to people in the organization who must approve the appointment.


• A résumé must fill at least one page. Use two pages if you have extensive activities and experience.


• Emphasize information that is relevant to the job you want, is recent (last three years), and shows your superiority to other applicants.


• To emphasize key points, put them in headings, list them vertically, and provide details.
  Résumés use sentence fragments punctuated like complete sentences. Items in the résumé must be concise and parallel. Verbs and gerunds create a dynamic image of you.

A chronological résumé summarizes what you did in a time line (starting with the most recent events, and going backward in reverse chronology). It emphasizes degrees, job titles, and dates. Use a chronological résumé when

• Your education and experience are a logical preparation for the position for which you're applying.


• You have impressive job titles, offices, or honors.

A functional (skills) résumé emphasizes the skills you've used, rather than the job in which or the date when you used them. Use a skills résumé when

• Your education and experience are not the usual route to the position for which you're applying.


• You're changing fields.


• You want to combine experience from paid jobs, activities or volunteer work, and courses to show the extent of your experience in administration, finance, speaking, etc.


• Your recent work history may create the wrong impression (e.g., it has gaps, shows a demotion, shows job-hopping, etc.).

Résumés commonly contain the applicant's name, address, phone number, education, and experience. Activities, honors, references, and a summary of qualifications should be included if possible.

• To fill the page, list courses or list references vertically.


• Using a laser printer, print your résumé on quality paper.


• To e-mail your résumé, save it in plain text format.


• To create a scannable résumé, create a "plain vanilla" text using industry jargon, buzzwords, and acronyms.


• To post your résumé on an online job board, compose, edit, and proof your answers in word processing software before posting them online

Cover Letter “DOs”

• DO find out the name and title of the person who makes hiring decisions and write to her/him directly if at all possible.


• DO address the letter to “Dear Sir or Madame” if you absolutely can’t find out the name of the person you are writing to.


• DO compose each letter individually for each specific job or company.


• DO be as specific as possible.


• DO keep it to one page, especially for entry-level positions.


• DO use plain white paper


• DO have a date on your letter


• DO indicate if you are attaching or enclosing other documents.

Cover Letter “DON’Ts”

• DO NOT address your letter "To Whom it May Concern.“


• DO NOT address your letter to “Dear Sir” unless you are 110% sure you are writing to a man.


• DO NOT use “Mrs.” or “Miss,” always use “Ms.”


• DO NOT simply add your info to a form letter. If you must use a template, delete the text and make it your own writing (not someone else’s).


• DO NOT begin each sentence with “I.” Describe what you will contribute to the organization, not what you will gain from the position.


• DO NOT sign a letter in bright colors such as red, pink or purple.


• DO NOT attempt to use a creative format, unless your job is 100% based on creativity.

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(Adapted from http://www.ns.msu.edu/acrc/quick_guides/cover_letter_dos.asp )

Resume Writing Tips

• When writing your cover letter (and resume), keep in mind that the reviewer is only interested in one thing; the facts.


• Do not think of your cover letter as an autobiography; it should be brief and to the point.


• The purpose of the cover letter and resume should be one thing – it should demonstrate that you meet or exceed the requirements listed in the job description.


• It should demonstrate that you’re interested in the position, and that you are available to accept the position if offered.


• Additional information beyond this can be counterproductive, as it dilutes the core purpose of the cover letter and resume.


• The resume is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview.
  - If it does that, it works.
  - If it doesn't, it isn't an effective resume.


• A resume is an advertisement,
  - nothing more,
  - nothing less.


• A resume doesn't just tell them what you have done
  but makes the same assertion that all good ads do:
  “If you buy this product, you will get these specific, direct benefits.”


• It presents you in the best light.


• It convinces the employer that you have what it takes to be successful in this new position or career.


• Cover letters and resumes offer the perfect chance to communicate in a personal and professional way, and to highlight key information.


• They also provide you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd.


• NEVER use a form letter! Always tailor each letter to the person to whom you are writing.


• Always keep in mind that the resume is your primary tool for selling yourself.


• If readers can’t consume the information in it, whether due to technical issues or readability problems, they will quickly move on to the next resume.

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(adapted from the following sources:)
http://www.how-to-write-a-resume.org/cover_letter_tips.htm
http://www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes.html
http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/resources/letters.htm#coverletter
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=274

Biggest Mistakes Job Applicants Make

• Not researching the company before the interview
  - Thorough research will reveal what positions are available and what type of employee the company wants.
  - Network with people already working at the company; call professional organizations the company is associated with, and ask people you know who work at the company about their experience.


• Inability to articulate needs and desires
  Companies are hiring because they either need to solve problems or have opportunities that require more employees, which is why the best applicants are those who can articulate how their experience is best for the particular position.


• Being unprofessional in the interview
  Applicants often commit faux pas that can be excused among friends but that make them less desirable to recruiters.
  Examples of unprofessional actions include: bringing food to an interview, sharing personal information not relative to the job, and speaking ill of a former employer.


• Demonstrating poor communication skills
  Be prepared to talk with confidence and expertise about who you are and why you're the best fit.
  - Practice the basics of communication before going to the interview, listening and responding and not talking over the other person.
  - At the same time don't be dull or fear showing enthusiasm.


• Not keeping the personal to yourself
  - Don't put your social-network identification on your resume or mention it in the interview.
  - Make sure your voice mail message reflects a professional attitude.
  - Use an email address with your name before the @ sign, from a professional email address provider.

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(adapted from The Career News, http://www.thecareernews.com/ )

Resume Tips: DO

• Use 8-1/2”x 11” paper.


• Make your resume as legible as possible and only include necessary personal information


• Include both a permanent contact and present address and phone number. You may be contacted through a permanent number, long after you have moved


• Include your job discipline(s) near your name at the top of page one of your resume and on each assignment


• Include a summary paragraph near the top of your resume. Be brief, complete and include buzzwords. Omission of just one buzzword can prevent retrieval of your resume in a search


• List jobs in reverse chronological order


• Be consistent in calling out similar information (i.e., Jan. 98 or January 1998 or 1/98)


• List “under contract to” for any contract assignments you may have worked


• Give security status, if any. If your security clearance has expired, include the date of expiration


• Write job descriptions in easy-to-understand terms, and as completely as space allows


• Include your name and page number on each page of a multiple-page resume (do not number first page)


• If you have a length problem due to extensive number of job assignments, leave the oldest positions off and type “Experience from (date) to (date) available upon request.” Then prepare a “complete” resume to furnish only to firms asking for it.


• If you want to use a better quality paper, consider a white bond paper with a rag content (available from most printers or paper supply stores). Rag bond, however, should not be used if you are printing copies on a photocopier or laser printer, since any machine that uses toner and heat has a tendency to “flake” along creases of that kind of paper.
  If you submit your resume electronically (via upload or email), experience tells us that 99.9% of the recruiters out there will ask for your resume in standard Microsoft Word 97-2003 (.doc, NOT .docx) format.

Resume Tips: DON’T

• Don’t include personal references or hobbies


• Don’t include your Social Security number


• Don’t include a cover sheet (unless you have important information that cannot be included on your resume)


• Rather than stating a “Job Objective”, try using a short “Summary” paragraph instead. A “Job Objective” tells the firm what you want, a “Summary” tells what you can do for them.


• Don’t exaggerate your experience


• Don’t show salary or pay information


• Don’t offer explanations for leaving prior employers


• Don’t use your photograph


• Don’t use uncommon abbreviations (acceptable acronyms in the engineering/technical fields, such as IBM, CAD, UGII, HTML, VB, RDB, etc. are fine)


• Don’t put the reader at legal risk


• No hiring manager likes to be accused of prejudiced or discriminatory hiring. Not only is it unethical, but it is illegal. So hiring managers who are trying to do the job right will be familiar with the list of questions they can’t ask an applicant.
  Your part of the equation is to exclude this information from your resume. The hiring manager does not need to know your marital status, ethnicity, nation of origin, age, religion, or sexual orientation. There are a lot of other things the hiring manager does not need to know, either. If you include these irrelevant details on your resume, the hiring manager will feel scared and skittish. Leave these details out, please.

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(adapted from the following sources:)
http://www.cjhunter.com/cew/grw.html
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=274

Seriously… DON’T!

• Candidate attached a letter from her mother.


• Candidate used pale blue paper with teddy bears around the border.


• Candidate explained a gap in employment by saying it was because he was getting over the death of his cat for three months.


• Candidate specified that his availability was limited because Friday, Saturday and Sunday was "drinkin' time."


• Candidate drew a picture of a car on the outside of the envelope and said it was the hiring manager's gift.


• Candidate's hobbies included sitting on the levee at night watching alligators.


• Candidate included the fact that her sister once won a strawberry eating contest.


• Candidate included a picture of herself in a cheerleading uniform.


• Candidate explained that he works well nude.


• Candidate explained an arrest by stating, "We stole a pig, but it was a really small pig."


• Candidate included family medical history.

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Adapted from http://www.helpdesknotes.com/2007/10/humor_tips_for_job_seekers.html

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Content attributed to Locker, Kitty O. and Donna Kienzler. Business and Administrative Communication, 8/e. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. 2008.

Session 6 (July 21/25): Business Reports

Teams:

30874 - BUS 3700 225 (Meets Tuesday and Thursday)

1. Andrew V., Eric P., Sam S.


2. Melissa V., Sean W., Olga I.


3. Tyler B., Emily B., Jeff O.


4. Robyn K., Brad P., Nicole O., Zaher A.

30873 - BUS 3700 220 (Meets Monday and Wednesday)

1. Leon A. , Angel Y. , Matt M., Cory T.


2. Jessica D. , Zach B., Roarke L., Wan Nur W.


3. Yasuo H., Marc S., Holly K., Robin V.


4. Casey V., Jessica N., Josh H., Grant S.


5. Joe R., Ed M., Kuan-Wei C., Alex M.

Steps in Report Writing

Proposals and reports depend on research. The research may be as simple as pulling up data with a computer program or as complicated as calling many different people, conducting focus groups and surveys, or even planning and conducting experiments. Care in planning, proposing, and researching reports is needed to produce reliable data.

In writing any report, use these five steps.

1. Define the problem


2. Gather necessary data


3. Analyze the data


4. Organize the information


5. Write the report

Academic vs. Business Writing (Academic Center and the University of Houston-Victoria)

Formal reports contain formal elements such as a title page, a transmittal, a table of contents, and a list of illustrations. Informal reports may be letters and memos or even computer printouts of production or sales figures. But all reports, whatever their length or degree of formality, provide the information that people in organizations need to make plans and solve problems.

• Writing at work focuses on problem solving.


• Work-related writing targets multiple audiences with different perspectives.


• Writing at work may be read by unknown readers.


• Writing produced at work can be used indefinitely and can be used in legal proceedings.


• The format for work documents varies greatly from the format for academic documents

Reports can be called information reports if they collect data for the reader such as sales and quarterly reports. Analytical reports interpret data but do not recommend action. They include annual, audit, and make-good or pay-back reports. Recommendation reports recommend action or a solution and can include feasibility, justification, and problem-solving reports.

Report Components

Generally, a report will include the following sections:

• Title Page
• Exeutive Summary / Abstract
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Body
  - Purpose
  - Scope
  - Background
• Recommedations
• References
• Appendices

Title page

• Introduction


• Background


• Discussion of the Problem


• Conclusions


• Recommendations


• Works Cited

Cover page

Title

Table of Contents

Introduction

• prepares readers for the discussion that follows

Most introductions contain three parts:
1. Purpose

• What did your research discover or prove?


• What kind of problem did you work on?


• Why did you work on this problem?


• Why are you writing this report?


• What should the reader know or understand?

2. Scope

• How did you work on the research problem?


• Why did you work on the problem the way you did?


• Were there other obvious approaches you could have taken to this problem? What were the limitations you faced that prevented your trying other approaches?


• What factors contributed to the way you worked on this problem? What factor was most important in deciding how to approach the problem?

3. Background Information

• What facts does the reader need to know in order to understand the discussion that follows?


• Why was the project authorized or assigned?


• Who has done previous work on this problem?


• What theory or model informed your project?


• What facts are already known that support or don’t fit the theory?


• What will the reader know about the subject already and what will you need to tell them so they can understand the significance of your work?

Body
Discussion of the Problem
Conclusions
Recommendations

• Part One: “Theories, Models”


• Part Two: “Materials, Methods”


• Part Three: “Presenting Data”


• Part Four: “Interpreting Data”

Conclusion

• A very short section that introduces no new ideas.


• Important because it is your last chance to convey the significance and meaning of your research


• It is also a place to raise questions that remain unanswered and to discuss ambiguous data.


• The conclusions you draw are opinions, based on the evidence presented in the body of your report,


• …but because they are opinions you should not tell the reader what to do or what action they should take.


• Save discussion of future action for your section on recommendations.

Appendices & Index

Using & Documenting Sources
Works Cited

• Citation—attributing an idea or fact to its source in report body


• Documentation—listing bibliographic information readers would need to locate original sources

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Content in part attributed to Locker, Kitty O. and Donna Kienzler. Business and Administrative Communication, 8/e. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. 2008, and The Owl at Purdue University.

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Session 5 (July 19/20): Business Presentations

Presentations

Textbook support: Chapter 12

Presentation Parts
Opener
Introduction w/ Overview
3-4 Key Points (Signposts)
Summary
Conclusion

Planning a Strong Presentation
Points of emphasis
Interest audience and emphasize key points
Talk from notes
Write out opener and closer
Practice!

Four Strong Openers
Startling statement
“Unemployment is now 9.1%!...”
Narration or anecdote
“ While I was driving to work last week…”
Question
“Wow many of you view yourself as an effective public speaker?”
Quotation
“Shakespeare once said, ‘Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.’”

Introduction
Don’t forget to introduce yourself!
Give an overview of the presentation…
Key point #1
Key point #2
Key point #3
No need for details, just main points
Overview
Tell what you’ll cover…
first… second… third…
Helps audience know what to expect
Prepares audience for tracking and remembering your points
Offers clear signpost as you end each point
Clear Signposts
Key point #1
Supporting information
Supporting information
Key point #2
Supporting information
Supporting information
Key point #3
Supporting information
Supporting information

Summary & Conclusion
Summarize your presentation…
“We talked about…
Key point #1 …
Key point #2 …
Key point #3 …

Conclusion(s) and/or action(s), position, recommendations, etc.

Key Parts
Opener
Gain their interest…
Introduction w/ Overview
“Tell the audience what you are going to tell them . . .”
3-4 Key Points (Signposts)
“ . . . then tell them . . .” The body of your talk
Summary
“ . . . and then tell them what you have told them.”
Conclusion
Call to action – what do you want the audience to do?
Offer to answer questions

Overcoming Fear
Be prepared
Use only normal amount of caffeine
Avoid alcoholic beverages
Re-label your nerves

Effective Delivery: Notes
Put notes on cards or sturdy paper
Jot down details, examples you’ll use
Indicate where you’ll refer to visual
Look at notes rarely
Hold notes high

PowerPoint Design Tips*
The goal is improved learning
Be conservative – keep it simple
Use lots of white space
Use contrast (dark-on-light or light-on-dark)
Design from top left to bottom right
People see graphics first, then text
Use large font size – min 18 or 24 pts
Limit use of boldface, italics, and underlining
Don’t write in all upper case letters
Use common fonts (Verdana, Arial, etc,)
No more than two fonts on a screen
Be concise with text
One concept per slide
Plan on spending about 2 minutes per slide
Limit use of special effects
Use background patterns wisely
Use high quality original media
Edit files to a meaningful length

*Teaching Well with PowerPoint, University of Notre Dame, 2/6/2004, http://www.nd.edu/~learning/powerpoint/designtips.pdf

Things to work on…
Speak up…
Slow down… Don’t rush…
Speak clearly… articulate

Don’t lean on the podium…
Don’t read off the slides or cards…
Present TO your audience (not the screen)

Maintain eye contact…
PowerPoint must be readable…
Be confident…


Blog topic: briefly share your feelings and/or attitudes toward public speaking (fears, successes, failures, challenges, etc.)

Session 4 (July 14/18) Persuasive and Negative Messages

Negative Messages

Information conveyed is negative
Audience’s reaction is negative
Message does not benefit them
Usually they experience disappointment or anger
Types of Bad-News Messages
Channel Choice for Bad News: Showing Tact

Purposes
Primary
To give audience negative news
To have audience read, understand, and accept message
To maintain as much goodwill as possible

Secondary
To build good image of communicator
To build good image of communicator’s organization
To avoid future messages on same subject

Want audience to feel
They have been taken serious
Your decision is fair and reasonable
If they were in your situation, they would make the same decision

Organizing Negative Messages: Clients and Customers
You need to be clear, but you also need to maintain goodwill.
Compromises or alternatives can help you achieve both goals.

When you have a reason that the audience will understand and accept, give the reason before the refusal
Give the negative information, just once
Present an alternative or compromise
End with positive forward-looking statement

Using the Inductive Approach to Build Goodwill
Why give the reason first??
Reasons are easier to understand if given before bad news
Reasons might be ignored when bad news is given first
Disappointment in bad news might interfere with ability to understand reasons

Organizing Negative Messages: Superiors
Describe problem clearly
Tell how it happened
Describe the options for fixing it
Recommend a solution and ask for action
Organizing Negative Messages: Peers and Subordinates
Describe problem objectively, clearly
Present an alternative or compromise
Ask for input or action, if you can
May suggest helpful solutions
Audience may accept outcomes better

Context is Crucial in Messages
Do you and audience have good bond?
Does organization treat people well?
Has audience been warned about possible negatives?
Has audience accepted criteria for decision?
Do follow-ups build goodwill?

Parts of Negative Messages
Subject lines
Buffers
Reasons
Refusals
Alternatives
Endings

Parts: Subject Lines
Put the topic, not the specific negative
Use negative subject lines when the audience—
May ignore message
Needs information to act
Keep in mind not everyone reads all their messages
Be cautious of neutral subject lines

Parts: Buffers
Buffer—neutral or positive statement that delays the negative
Guidelines for Composing Reasons
Clear, convincing reasons precede refusal
Prepare audience for refusal
Help audience accept refusal
Provide a smooth transition from opening paragraph
Include concise discussion that is logical to reader
Show reader benefits and consideration
Avoid using company policy as reason
Wording the Bad-News Statement
Position bad news strategically
Put refusal in ¶ with reason to deemphasize
Make it crystal clear
Use passive voice, general terms, and abstract nouns
Use positive language to accentuate anything good
Imply refusal, but only if the receiver can still understand the message
Perfecting Refusal Statement

Parts: Alternatives and Endings
Offers way to get what audience wants
Shows you care about audience’s needs
Returns audience’s psychological freedom
Allows you to end on positive note
Best endings look to future
Avoid insincere endings:
Please let us know if we can be of further help.

Techniques for Closing Positively
De-emphasize the negative
Unify the message
Include a positive, forward-looking idea
Reference pleasant idea from discussion
Use resale or sales promotion
Express willingness to help in another way

Tone in Negative Messages
Tone—implied attitude of the author toward the audience and subject
Show you took request seriously
Use positive emphasis and you-attitude
Think about visual appearance
Consider timing of message

Sharing Negative Organizational News
Convey the bad news as soon as possible
Give a complete, rational explanation
Show empathy and respond to feelings
Follow up

Delivering Persuasive Messages
Chapter 8

Purposes
Primary
To have audience act or change beliefs
Secondary
To build good image of the communicator
To build good image of communicator’s organization
To cement a good relationship
To overcome any objections
To reduce or eliminate future messages

Before Composing a Persuasive Message, Know . . .
Choosing a Persuasive Strategy
What do you want people to do?
What objections will audience have?
How strong a case can you make?
What kind of persuasion is best for organization and culture?

Building Credibility
Be factual—don’t exaggerate
Be specific—if you say X is better, show in detail how it is better
Be reliable—if project will take longer or cost more than estimated, tell audience immediately

Why Threats Don’t Persuade
Don’t produce permanent change
May not produce desired action
May make people abandon action
Produce tension
People dislike/avoid one who threatens
Can provoke counter-aggression

Types of Persuasive Messages
Three Persuasive Patterns of Organization
Direct Request
Problem-solving
Sales

Organizing Direct Requests
Ask immediately for the information or service you want
Give audience all the information they need to act on your request
Ask for the action you want

Organizing Problem-Solving Messages
Catch audience’s interest
Define shared problem
Explain solution to problem
Show that advantages outweigh negatives
Summarize additional benefits
Ask for action you want

Tone in Persuasive Messages
Be courteous
Give solid reasons for requests
Make requests clear
Give enough information for audience to act

Sales and Fund-Raising Purposes
Primary
To motivate audience to act (send donation, order a product)
Secondary
To build good image of communicator’s organization
To strengthen commitment of audiences who act
To make audiences who do not act more likely to act next time

Introducing the Product, Service, or Idea
Be cohesive
Make attention-getter lead naturally to introduction
Be action-oriented
Place the product in receivers’ hands and allow them to use it
Stress a central selling point
Link attention-getter to discussion of distinctive feature

Organizing Sales/Fund-Raising Messages: Opener
Makes audience want to read entire message

Types
Questions
Narration, stories, anecdotes
Startling statements
Quotations

Sets up transition to letter body

Perfecting the Opening Statement
Organizing Sales/Fund-Raising Messages: Body
Answers audience’s questions
Overcomes audience’s objections
Involves audience emotionally
Content usually includes
Information any audience can use
Stories about history of product/organization
Stories about people who use product
Audience benefits

Organizing Sales/Fund-Raising Messages: Action Close
Tells readers what to do
Makes action sound easy
Offers readers reason to act now
Ends with positive picture

Using a Postscript
Writing Style
Make text interesting
Use psychological description: vivid word pictures
Make message sound like a letter, not an ad
Presenting and Interpreting Factual Evidence
Do not just say it, show it
Present data to back up the central selling point
Compare a new product with something familiar
Be objective, avoiding exaggerations and subjective claims

Ways to Convince Customers
Motivating Action
Make the action clear and simple to complete
Restate the reward for action; relate to central selling point
Provide incentive for quick action
Ask confidently for action
Perfecting the Call to Action

Blog topic: Describe (in general) that you believe to be the single most important communication success factor (business or otherwise).

Session 3 (July 12/13): Delivering Good-News and Neutral-News Messages

Chapter 6
Informative & Positive Messages
Informative message - receiver’s reaction neutral
Positive message - receiver’s reaction positive
Neither message immediately asks receiver to do anything

Purposes
Primary
To give information or good news
To have receiver view information positively
Secondary
To build good image of sender
To build good image of sender’s organization
To build good relationship between sender and receiver
To deemphasize any negative elements
To eliminate future messages on same subject

Common Media: Letters/Memos
Use LETTERS to
Send messages to people outside your organization

Use MEMOS to
Send messages to people within your organization

Business Memo Basics
Heading Segment

MEMO
TO: (readers' names and job titles)
FROM: (your name and job title)
DATE: (complete and current date)
SUBJECT: (what the memo is about)

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/02/

Opening Segment
The purpose of a memo is usually found in the opening paragraph
the purpose of the memo
the context and problem
the specific assignment or task.
The introduction should be brief (a short paragraph).

Context
The context is the event, circumstance, or background of the problem you are solving.
A paragraph or a few sentences to establish the background and state the problem.
Include only what your reader needs, but be sure it is clear.

Task Segment
Describe what you are doing to help solve the problem.
Include only as much information as is needed by the decision-makers
Do not ramble on with insignificant details.

Discussion Segments
Include all the details that support your ideas.
Begin with the information that is most important.
Includes the supporting ideas, facts, and research that back up your argument in the memo.
Include strong points and evidence to persuade the reader to follow your recommended actions.

Closing Segment
Close with a courteous ending that states what action you want your reader to take.
Make sure you consider how the reader will benefit from the desired actions and how you can make those actions easier.

Direct Outline
Organizing
Start with good news or the most important information
Clarify with details, background
Present any negative points positively
Explain any benefits
Use a goodwill ending
Positive
Personal
Forward-looking

Benefits of Written Appreciation Messages
Provides sincere thoughts because few people take time to write
Provides tangible evidence that can be used to support a performance evaluation
May be treasured over the years

Making the Most of Appreciation Messages
Say “thank you” in a timely manner
Avoid exaggerated language that is not believable
Make specific comments for what you are thankful
Using Written Appreciation Messages Appropriately
Write briefly beginning with main idea
Convey a genuine tone by
Send promptly — within 2 or 3 days
Consider sending copy to reader’s employer or writing employer with copy sent to employee

Handling Apologies
Apologize ONLY if you have done something wrong
State the apology ONCE
Be brief
Use general statements that don’t reinforce the error
Include action you will take to prevent error from recurring
Apology Message: Why It Works

Guidelines for Procedural Messages
Begin each numbered step with action statement
Place each step on a separate line for easy reading
Consider preparing flow chart
Follow your own instructions
Ask someone else to follow instructions

Session 2 (July 7/11): Planning and Preparing Spoken and Written Messages

Planning Spoken and Written Messages
Chapter 3
Process for Planning and Preparing Spoken and Written Messages
Step 1a: Determine the Purpose of the Message
Channels
Communication channels: means by which you convey your message

Channels vary by
Speed, accuracy, and cost
Number of messages carried
Number of people reached
Efficiency and goodwill

Choose channels based on the audience, purpose, and situation
Step 1b: Select a Channel
Step 2: Envision the Audience
Audience
The primary audience will make a decision or act on the basis of your message.
The secondary audience may be asked by the primary audience to comment on your message or to implement your ideas after they've been approved.
The initial audience routes the message to other audiences and may assign the message.
A gatekeeper controls whether the message gets to the primary audience.
A watchdog audience has political, social, or economic power and may base future actions on its evaluation of your message.

Audience
When you write to multiple audiences,
use the primary audience
to determine level of detail,
organization,
level of formality, and
use of technical terms and theory.
Audience
Common sense and empathy are crucial to good audience analysis.

The following six questions provide a framework for audience analysis:

Six Questions to Analyze Audiences

1. How will audience react at first?
Will they see message as important?
What is their experience with you?

2. How much information do they need?
What do they already know?
Does their knowledge need to be updated?
What do they need to know to appreciate your points?

3. What obstacles must you overcome?
Is audience opposed to your message?
Will it be easy to do as you ask?

4. What positives can you emphasize?
What are benefits for audience?
What do you have in common with them?
Experiences – Interests – Goals – Values

5. What does audience expect?
What writing style do they prefer?
Are there red flag words?
How much detail does audience want?
Do they want direct or indirect structure?
Do they have expectations about length, visuals, or footnotes?

6. How will audience use document?
Under what physical conditions will they use it?
What purpose will document serve?
Reference
Guide
Basis of lawsuit

Step 3: Adapt the Message to the Audience
Focus on the receiver’s point of view
Communicate ethically and responsibly
Build and protect goodwill
Use contemporary language
Use simple, informal words
Project a positive, tactful tone
Write concisely

Building Goodwill: “You” Attitude
You-attitude is a style of writing that…
looks at things from the reader's point of view,
emphasizing what the reader wants to know,
respecting the reader's intelligence, and
protecting the reader's ego.

Talk About Audience, Not Yourself
Tell how message affects the audience
Don’t mention communicator’s work or generosity
Stress what audience wants to know
Refer to Reader’s Request or Order
Make specific references, not generic
Name content of order for person or small business
Cite purchase order numbers for customers that order often

Don’t Talk About Feelings
Express your feelings to
Offer sympathy to audience
Congratulate audience
Don’t talk about audience’s feelings
Don’t predict audience’s response
Give audience good news
In Positive Situations…
Use you in positive situations
Avoid I in printed text
Avoid we if it excludes the audience
Avoid “You” in Negative Situations
Protect audience’s ego
Avoid assigning blame
Use passive verbs
Use impersonal style
Talk about things, not people
You-attitude
Apply you-attitude beyond the sentence level by using organization and content as well as style to build goodwill.

Adapting: Focusing on Receiver’s Viewpoint

Building Goodwill: Reader Benefits
Reader benefits are benefits or advantages that the reader gets by
using the writer's services,
buying the writer's products,
following the writer's policies,
or adopting the writer's ideas.

Reader benefits can exist for policies and ideas as well as for goods and services.

Reader benefits tell readers that they can do the job and that success will be rewarded.

Good reader benefits are…
adapted to the audience
based on intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivators,
supported by clear logic
explained in adequate detail
phrased in you-attitude.

Intrinsic – benefits by its very nature

Extrinsic benefits
Aren't available to reward every desired behavior
They reduce the satisfaction in doing something for its own sake.

To create reader benefits…
Identify the feelings, fears, and needs that may motivate your reader.
Identify the features of your product or policy that could meet the needs you've identified.
Show how the reader can meet his or her needs with the features of the policy or product.

Building Goodwill: Positive Emphasis
Positive emphasis means focusing on the positive rather than the negative aspects of a situation.
Avoid negative words and words with negative connotations.
Focus on what the reader can do rather than on limitations.
Justify negative information by giving a reason or linking it to a reader benefit.
If the negative is truly unimportant, omit it.
Put the negative information in the middle and present it compactly.

The desirable tone for business writing is…
businesslike but not stiff,
friendly but not phony,
confident but not arrogant,
polite but not groveling.

The following guidelines will help you achieve the tone you want:
Use courtesy titles for people outside your organization whom you don't know well.
Be aware of the power implications of the words you use.
When the stakes are low, be straightforward.
When you must give bad news, consider hedging your statement.
Writing should be free from sexism in four areas: words and phrases, job titles, courtesy titles, and pronouns.

Ms. is the nonsexist courtesy title for women. Whether or not you know a woman's marital status…
Use Ms. unless the woman has a professional title or …
unless you know that she prefers a traditional title.

Traditional pronouns (he, him, himself, she, her, etc.) are sexist when they refer to a class of people, not to specific individuals...
Four ways to make the sentence nonsexist are to
use plurals (“people go…, “managers talk…”)
use ‘you’ (“you may consider…”)
to revise the sentence to omit the pronoun
to use pronoun pairs (“men and women…, “she and her team…”)

Bias-free language
is fair and friendly;
it complies with the law.
It includes all readers;
it helps to sustain goodwill.

Check to be sure that your language is
Nonsexist,
Nonracist, and
Nonagist.

When you talk about people with disabilities or diseases, use the term they prefer.
Blind vs. visually impaired, sight-impaired.
Calling a blind person sight-impaired implies lack of acceptance of the disability
Disabled (physically) vs. impaired, wheelchair-bound, handicapped, etc.
People that use wheelchairs are not bound to them

When you produce newsletters or other documents with photos and illustrations, picture a sampling of the whole population, not just part of it.

Adapting: Communicating Ethically and Responsibly
State information as truthfully and fairly as possible
Do not exaggerate facts
Express ideas understandably
Support viewpoint with facts
Respect and preserve receiver’s self-worth
Design honest graphics

Adapting: Building and Protecting Goodwill
Use euphemisms cautiously
Avoid condescending or demeaning expressions
Use connotative tone cautiously
Use specific language appropriately
Use bias-free language
Common Occupational Euphemisms
Using Connotative Words
Adapting: Using Contemporary, Easily Understood Language
Eliminating Clichés

Adapting: Writing Concisely
Adapting: Projecting a Positive, Tactful Tone
Projecting a Positive, Tactful

Step 4: Organize the Message
Organize before writing the first draft

Sender Benefits
Encourages accuracy and brevity
Saves time

Receiver Benefits
Makes messages more concise and accurate
Makes relationships between ideas easier to distinguish and remember
Promotes a positive reaction to the message and the sender

Preparing Spoken and Written Messages
Chapter 4
Step 5: Prepare the First Draft
Craft powerful sentences
Use strong verbs:
Weak: to seem, to feel, to think, to be, to know
Strong: to attack, to overcome, to transform
Use correct sentence structure
Rely on active voice (subject performs the action)
Passive: “The fire is seen by Joe” (six words)
Active: “Joe sees the fire” (four words)
Emphasize important ideas

Develop coherent paragraphs
Position topic sentences appropriately
Link ideas to achieve coherence
Keep paragraphs unified
Vary sentence and paragraph length

Step 6: Revise and Proofread
Improve readability
Understand readability measures
Assess and adjust to receiver’s needs
Apply visual enhancements for easier reading

Proofread using systematic procedures

Avoid Writing Errors:Don’t Do This!!
Subject and verb always has to agree.
Poofread carefully to see if you any words out.
Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
Don't use commas, that, are not, necessary

Making Your Writing Easy to Read
Good style in business and administrative writing is…
less formal
more friendly
more personal than academic writing

To improve your style
Get a clean page or screen so that you aren't locked into old sentence structures.

Try WIRMI: What I Really Mean Is.
Then write the words.

Try reading your draft out loud to someone sitting about three feet away.
If the words sound stiff, they'll seem stiff to a reader, too.

Ask someone else to read your draft out loud.
Readers stumble because the words on the page aren't what they expect to see.
The places where that person stumbles are places where your writing can be better.

Write a lot.

Use technical jargon only when it is essential and known to the reader.

Eliminate business jargon (i.e. “BS”)
Beaten-to-death terms:
“Next generation,” “flexible,” “robust,” “world class,” “scalable,”
“cutting edge,” “mission critical,” “market leading,” “industry standard,”
“turnkey,” “groundbreaking,” “interoperable,” “best of breed,” “user friendly.”

Others…
“Synergy”
“Start a dialog” (can't we just talk?)
“Thinking outside the box”
“Best practices”
“Paradigm shift”

As you write and revise sentences,
Use active verbs most of the time.
Active verbs are better because they are shorter, clearer, and more interesting.
Use verbs (not nouns) to carry the weight of your sentence.
Don't make an adjustment – adjust
Don't make a payment – pay
Don't make a decision – decide

Tighten your writing. Writing is wordy if the same idea can be expressed in fewer words.
Eliminate words that say nothing.
Use gerunds and infinitives to make sentences shorter and smoother.
Gerunds are formed with ING: walking, talking, thinking, listening
Infinitives are formed with TO: to walk, to talk, to think, to listen
Combine sentences to eliminate unnecessary words.
Put the meaning of your sentence into the subject and verb to cut the number of words.


Vary sentence length and sentence structure.
Use parallel structure. Use the same grammatical form for ideas that have the same logical function.
Not Parallel: “Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.”
Parallel: “Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.”

Put your readers in your sentences.
As you write and revise paragraphs,
Begin most paragraphs with topic sentences so that readers know what to expect in the paragraph.
Use transitions to link ideas….

Portions attributed to:

BCOM 3e, Lehman & DuFrene, 2012 Cengage Learning

Locker, Kitty O. and Donna Kienzler. Business and Administrative Communication, 8/e. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. 2008.

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News: WMU Writing Center

The WMU Writing Center is available to help you with any writing need--whether that need involves an assignment for your class, a resume for a summer job, a personal statement for a major or for graduate school, or practice for taking writing tests (including essay tests in your class). The trained graduate and undergraduate consultants in the Writing Center are available at the following times:

Monday through Thurs:day 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Friday: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Students should go to our website to schedule an appointment. We promise to meet with all students who make appointments, and we will also try to work with students who simply drop by with a few questions. If students cannot access our online scheduler, they can call us at 269.387.4615 to leave a message about times they would like to work with us.

Finally, we'd like all students to know that the Writing Center tends to work with the better students on campus; that is, our students are those who want to learn to improve their writing. They often visit us several times for a paper or project, which means they are committing to their learning in ways common for success in school or work.

Session 1 (July 5/6): Assignment - Create your blog

Follow these instructions and set up your own Blogger account. (Blogger and Google are free accounts - creating them will not affect the amount of spam you receive, you will NOT be required to sign up for unwanted services, and you will NOT be required to buy anything. (Consult with your instructor if you have any other questions or concerns.)

TASK: Set up your blog and email your blog URL (web address) to your instructor.

Here's a video that describes the process - be sure to follow the title convention as indicated in the instructions - your URL should look something like this: (http://bus3700-yourname.blogspot.com)

Once your blog has been created, add at least one post for each class session telling of one item that you found interesting, informative, helpful - or - an example from your own experience that goes along with the discussion topic (unless instructed otherwise).

First topic: "Describe what you hope to gain from BUS 3700"

Posts may be simple and brief - or as detailed as you wish.

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Session 1 (July 5/6): Establishing a Framework for Business Communication

Effective Communication

• Communication helps organizations and the people in them achieve their goals.


• The ability to write and speak well becomes increasingly important as you rise in an organization.


• People put things in writing to
  ◦create a record
  ◦to convey complex data
  ◦to make things convenient for the reader
  ◦to save money
  ◦to convey their own messages more effectively

Establishing a Framework for Business Communication

Chapter 1 Learning Objectives

1. Define communication and describe the value for communication in business.
2. Explain the communication process model and the ultimate objective of the communication process.
3. Discuss how information flows in an organization (formally and informally; downward, upward, and horizontally; and through various levels).
4. Explain how legal and ethical constraints, diversity challenges, changing technology, and team environment act as a strategic force that influence the process of business communication.

Communication Channels

Selecting An Appropriate Communication Channel

Communication Process Barriers

• Differences in education level, experience, and culture


• Physical issues, such asnoise or room temperature


• Mental distractions, such as developing a response instead of listening

Flow of Information Within an Organization

Formal Network Flow

• Upward Communication (staff to supervisor)


• Downward Communication (supervisor to staff)


• Horizontal/Lateral Communication (among staff, teams)

Communication Systems

• Formal system


• Informal system

Levels of Communication

• Intrapersonal


• Interpersonal


• Group


• Organizational


• Public

Strategic Forces Influencing Business Communication

• Diversity Challenges


• Legal and Ethical Constraints


• Changing Technology


• Team Environment

Causes of Illegal and Unethical Behavior

• Excessive emphasis on profits


• Misplaced corporate loyalty


• Obsession with personal advancement


• Expectation of not getting caught


• Unethical tone set by top management


• Confusion about whether an action is wrong


• Unwillingness to take a stand

Examples of Illegal/ Unethical Behavior

Chapter 2 Learning Objectives

1. Explain how behavioral theories about human needs, trust and disclosure, and motivation relate to business communication.


2. Describe the role of nonverbal messages in communication.


3. Identify aspects of effective listening.


4. Identify factors affecting group and team communication.


5. Discuss aspects of effective meeting management.

Effective Listeners . . .

• Minimize distractions


• Get in touch with the speaker


• Show active involvement; do not interrupt


• Ask reflective questions

Bad Listening Habits

• Faking attention


• Allowing disruptions


• Overlistening


• Stereotyping


• Dismissing subjects as uninteresting


• Failing to observe nonverbal aids

Types of Communication

• Verbal
  ◦Face-to-face
  ◦Phone conversations
  ◦Informal meetings
  ◦Presentations
  ◦E-mail messages
  ◦Letters
  


• Nonverbal
  •Computer graphics
  •Company logos
  •Smiles
  •Size of an office
  •Location of people at meetings

Communication Purposes

• All business communication has three basic purposes
  ◦To inform (explain)
  ◦To request or persuade (urge action)
  ◦To build goodwill (make good image)


• Most messages have more than one purpose

Audiences

• Internal
  ◦Go to people inside organization
  ◦Memo to subordinates, superiors, peers


• External
  ◦Go to people outside organization
  ◦Letter to customers, suppliers, others

Benefits & Costs

• Effective writing
  ◦Saves time
  ◦Increases one’s productivity
  ◦Communicates points more clearly
  ◦Builds goodwill
  


• Poor writing
  ◦Wastes time
  ◦Wastes effort
  ◦Loses goodwill

Criteria for Effective Messages

• Good business writing meets five basic criteria:
  1.Clear,
  2.Complete
  3.Correct
  4.It saves the reader's time
  5.It builds goodwill

Eight Aspects of Business Communication

• All of these aspects are present in any business communication
  …but some might be more emphasized or obvious in certain typed of communication.


• These aspects are also highly interdependent,
  …but we separate them for clarification, discussion, and grading.

1. Task/Context:

• “Context” can be defined as…
  the “time, place, and situation” or
  the “big picture” for communication.
  


• Successful business communicators know that messages never occur in vacuums…
  but are viewed within the larger situations that surround them.

2. Audience:

• the recipient(s) of the message…
  whether that be an individual,
  a group,
  a market,
  or a public.


• “Audience” discussions include…
  analysis (what’s important about the audience)
  adaptation (how that affects the message)
  approaches to particular types of audiences

3. Channel Choice:

• A key consideration, given the proliferation of media and how different they are.
  ◦Effective communicators make wise choices, recognizing the need for…
  documentation,
  speed,
  direct contact,
  opportunities for interaction, etc.

4. Organization:

• Smart communicators ask themselves…
  “What goes where?”
  and the related question “What follows what?”


• When they do, they worry about…
  the order of elements they are working with
  the relationships among those elements (e.g. visual coherence or transitions).

5. Content:

• In business, “content” covers
  what is said…
  what is omitted
  how much of it to include about each point


• Many business communicators forget to consider the importance of amount for small and large areas.

6. Self-expression:

• awareness of the “self” you’re presenting is critical for any business student.
  The presenter’s
  credibility,
  confidence,
  reputation,
  appearance,
  attention to details


• …are all parts of self expression.


• “Selves” here are not just individuals,
  departments
  Organizations
  (A communicator often represents the “face” of an organization.)

7. Visual Impression/Format:

• “Organization” refers to the ordering of content,


• “Visual Impression/Format” treat its
  placement,
  depiction,
  proportions on a page (paper, PowerPoint slide, Web page, etc.).


• These considerations include conventions for formats like where the date is placed on a page (often specific to organizations), as well as aesthetic and functional design decisions.

8. Mechanics/Language use:

• Two discrete (though often blurred) aspects are at work here… conventions & style.


• “Conventions” (spelling, punctuation, grammar)
  are matters of “right and wrong” which can be corrected.


• “Style” (word choice and sentence structure)
  treats matters of effectiveness and
  is often more difficult to define.
  

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Portions attributed to:

BCOM 3e, Lehman & DuFrene, 2012 Cengage Learning

Locker, Kitty O. and Donna Kienzler. Business and Administrative Communication, 8/e. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. 2008.

Walker, Robyn. Strategic Business Communication: An Integrated, Ethical Approach. Thomson, South-Western, 2006, adapted from Dr. Beth Hoger.

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