Applications in Technical Writing

Course Instructor: Uzma Atif

Business Writing is technical

communication or technical

writing.

First, What is Business Writing?

• Business writing is workplace writing, which is a form of technical writing.

• Workplace writing is generally “persuasive” writing. Example 1: A Resume to persuade a potential employer to offer an interview

Example 2: A Findings Report to persuade employees to follow certain policies or procedures in order to improve performance or correct errors or problems.

Some Types of Workplace Writings• Business Letters (most common – formal letter to an external recipient)

• E-mail Transmissions (A more informal business message than a business letter that is sent electronically to one or more recipients, within or external to the business).

• Memoranda /memorandum (A more informal style of a business letter that is usually sent to one or more business colleagues employed within the same business unit or company)

• Reports (financial, audit, or statistical report that identifies the specific problem and presents collected data, research, or recommendations for the change process (re-engineering process.)

• Contracts (binding agreements or proposals between two or more parties that can become legal documents if they include an offer that is accepted.)

• Manuals (a written set of instructions, procedures or policies)

• PowerPoint (a soft-ware generated, visual slide show, with animation options, that hosts a set of notes or bulleted points, an agenda, or other information that supports a discussion).

General Business Tip . . .

Generally, it is an expected and common business practice to keep photocopies / hard (paper) copies of any communication you send to another person regarding any business matter.

Business Writing: Technical or Workplace Writing.

Definition of Technical Writing:Writing that “transfers information about a situation, product, service, or concept . . . to audiences of varying levels of technical knowledge, so that each member of the audience clearly understands the message.

The word “technical” means skilled, specialized, and strict.

Technical writing follows rules and protocols.

Source: The Institute of Technical Communication (workshop) June, 1998

How to Create Effective Technical or Workplace Writings:

1. Focus on the purpose of your writing

2. Focus on your readers (Audience)

3. Satisfy document requirements (Documentation style; visuals; data)

4. Get to the point. (Concise, uncluttered sentences)

5. Provide accurate information (Research)

6. Present your material logically

7. Express yourself clearly (Grammar; Proofreading)

8. Use efficient wording (Word Choice)

9. Make your ideas accessible (Clarity)

10. Use lists for some information (organized bullets)

11. Format your pages carefully (be neat and leave white space)

12. Manage your time efficiently (Meet deadlines)

Pay attention to Word ChoiceThe following is a short list of common word

choicemistakes to watch out for in business writing.

• affect, effect -- Affect is usually a verb meaning "to influence." Effect is usually a noun meaning "result." The drug did not affect the disease, and it had several adverse side effects. Effect can also be a verb meaning "to bring about." Only the president can effect such a dramatic change.

 • a lot -- A lot is two words. Do not write alot. We have had a lot of

rain this year.

• Data -- Data is the plural for datum, which means "a fact or proposition." New data suggest (not suggests) that our theory is correct. The singular (datum) is rarely used.(the words media and staff also are treated as plural nouns)

Pay attention to Word Choice (cont.)

• farther, further -- Farther describes distances. Iowa City is farther from Chicago than I thought. Further suggests degree. You extended the curfew further than you should have.

• Firstly -- Firstly sounds pretentious, and it leads to the ungainly series firstly, secondly, thirdly, fourthly, and so on. Write first, second, third instead.

• kind of, sort of -- Avoid using kind of or sort of to mean "somewhat." The movie was a little (not kind of ) boring. Do not put an a after either phrase. That kind of (not kind of a) salesclerk annoys me.

Pay attention to Word Choice (cont.)• principal, principle -- Principal is a noun meaning "the head of a

school or organization" Or "a sum of money." It is also an adjective or meaning "most important." Principle is a noun meaning "a basic truth or law." Example: The principal expelled her for violating several principles expressed in the school handbook. Example: We believe in the principle of equal justice for all.

• regardless, irregardless -- Irregardless is nonstandard. Use regardless. Example: Regardless of what you think, “conversated” is slang and the correct word is “conversed.”

 • try and -- Try and is nonstandard for try to. The teacher asked

us all to try to (not try and) write an original haiku.

Formatting a . . .

Business

Memo

What should you know about Business Memos? They . . .

• almost always are used within an organization • usually are informal in style • are short and to-the-point • have a direct tone / language• have a business tone / no slang or jokes• do not require a salutation (formal greeting) • do not have a complimentary closing as does a business letter (END) • have a format very different from a business letter • may address one person or a group of individuals

Examples: To: Mr. John Doe, CEO of Pepsior

To: All Student Support Services Participants

Source: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/eli/buswrite/memos.html

Memo Sample 1

College of Business Administration Business Communication    

Memorandum

To:         CBA Students From:     Dale Coattail

Date:     September 10, 2007

Re:         How to Write a Memo  

Your instructor has asked you to write a memo, which is the most common form of written communication in business. In order to perform this task successfully, you should conform to general business standards of content, format, structure and language use. Regarding Content, the first rule of writing a good memo is "Get to the point!" The second rule is "Know what your purpose is." Before you start writing, be sure that you know what your "answer" is to the boss's or colleague's question. Don't include all your thinking in the memo. While several pages of thinking might get written as you come up with the answer, the memo includes only the answer. Citations, financials, or justifications that must be available to the reader can be added as appendices or written as a separate, formal report. The memo should include only those ideas that are required for the reader's action or decision.

Format This memo is an example of memo format. Note especially the routing information, the use of headings, and the single spaced block paragraphs.  If your memo looks like a memo, there's a better chance a business reader will take your ideas seriously.  If you are working in a CBA lab, the easiest way to duplicate the proper memo format is to use a template.  (Select "new" from the File MENU and select the "memo" tab on the dialogue box.)   

Structure The typical memo is only 2 or 3 paragraphs and fits on one page. The first paragraph summarizes the gist of the whole memo, then the main points are covered in the same order they were previewed. Again, this memo provides an example of the typical structure.

Language Use A memo is often less formal than a letter, but should still be written with a businesslike tone. You can be friendly, but not cute. Your professional image depends on perfect spelling and grammar, but you can usually get away with a few "down home" expressions. Edit for wordiness and get directly to the point. Use language to communicate your ideas effectively and efficiently. (END)

cc:          Your Instructor

Executive Summary or Introduction

Headings w/ routing information

Special notation

Start the Body / Body Headings

In short, for a Business Memo . . . • Use block format (no indents).• Single space the text.• Use 10 or 12 point font size.• Business may require use of letterhead.• Margins may vary, depending on letterhead style of if letterhead has a

business address side bar, as this example shows.

BODY OF THE MEMO• Memorandum (heading)• To:• From:• Reference or Subject:

• Start the introduction or provide an executive summary (depending on type of memo). You do not necessarily have to label this part.

• Present main body of the memo .

• End of the memo

A memorandum (or memo) is a short letter or note sent to a particular in-house member of staff or circulated to groups of people

Memos are not usually sent out of house A memo usually contains:

a. The sender’s name and department b. The addressee’s name and departmentc. Date d. The subject

Memos are not usually confidential nor signed, but if they contain financial information the sender may add his/her initials

Writing memoranda

To: Amy Wall, Manager 23/01/2012

From: Lorna David, Director

Subject: Transfer to London Branch

The management is pleased to announce that you have been transferred to the London office of the company. You will carry out your duties as the incharge, and Mr. Max, the present incharge will be working under you. You are required to report for duty in the London Branch within one week.

c.c. Mr Max, Manager, London Branch

Example of a Memo

TO: All employees

FROM: Carol Smith/Human Resources

SUBJECT: Cancelation of July 4 picnic

DATE: June 20, 2010

I am sorry to inform you that the July 4th picnic at Central Park is cancelled.

Due to the recent reorganisation of the office, President John Fulham has

decide that AJAX LTD. cannot financially justify a picnic.

Because special events are important for the morale of the company, we plan to

provide you with a well-deserved Christmas party. With everyone’s help we

should be able to celebrate the party like never before.

Mr.Fulham thanks you for making this sacrifice and appreciates your

understanding to ensure a better future for AJAX LTD.

SAMPLE MEMO

Typical Business Letters

• Sales Letters • Memos• Job Letters• Enquiry Letters• Claims & Complaint Letters• Money-Related Correspondence (letters to

banks from customers & vice versa)• Order Letters

Business Letters

Business letters may be divided into the following parts:

• Headings• Inside address• Salutation• Body of the letter• Complimentary close• Signature

The Heading

• Name and address of the firm sending the letter

• The company may mention its introduction like

exporters or manufacturers etc

• May contain telephone and fax numbers

• This part also contains the date of the letter

which is typed two lines below the last line of the

heading.

Inside address• This mentions the name and address of the

person the letter is being sent to.

• It also states the title, department and the name of the company

example:

Mr. Andrew Smith

Treasurer, Morgan Textile Mills Ltd

Ringwood Crescent Road, Nottingham

Salutation • Dear Mr. John• Dear Mrs. Seema• Dear Miss Lily• Dear Ms. Saira• Dear Ladies OR Dear Gentlemen- When

addressing directly to the staff members in a company without personal names

• Dear Dr. Shaun(Don’t use Mr. With title)• Dear Sir/ Dear Madam are appropriate but not

preferable!

BODY OF THE LETTER

• Includes the message you want to send

• Must be organized, concise and designed to give important information

• Short sentences

• Courteous , error free and complete.

Consider the following examples:

Incomplete Letter

• Letter to a new savings depositor:

Thank you for the confidence you have shown us

by the account you recently opened.

All our facilities are at your disposal, and any time we

can be of services, please call us. Our appreciation is

best expressed by our being of service to you.

Complete letterThank you for the confidence you have shown us by the account you recently opened.

All our facilities are at your disposal, and any time we can be of services, please call us. Among the facilities and services available to you at Gbank are:

BETTER-THAN-CHECKING service helps you pay bills by phone, earns interest on your money, and permits using our 24hour cash machine.

Mortgage loans, Personal loans...

You are most welcome to come in whenever we can assist you.

However...

• If you are writing a short letter like the first one, and include a descriptive brochure the letter can still be complete.

• You just need to mention the services and refer to the enclosure for details

Complimentary Closes/Valediction

• Sincerely• Yours sincerely • Sincerely yours• Yours truly • Truly yours• Cordially Yours

• Yours respectfully • Yours faithfully • Kind regards • Best regards• Yours cordially

Remember that the standard method of closing before the signature depends on the opening at the start of the letter i.e. If you open with “Dear Sir ” you should close with “Yours faithfully” and if you open with “Dear Mr. ...” you should close with “Yours Sincerely”.

Signature

• Your name and designationExample:

Your Sincerely

(Signature)

James David

Publishing Manager

Regardless of what you write, Consider the Rhetorical Triangle . . .

Subject (the logic you will present

-- your topic or message)

Writer

(your ethics, morals,

skill set

and Plans to use

Your characteristics

to meet your purpose)

Audience (the passions, interests, or characteristics of the ones you’re trying to persuade and their characteristics)

Basics of good business letter writing

Think of a basic business letter in three steps:

1. Introduction - The reason for writing

The introduction helps the reader understand in which context the letter should be considered.

Possibilities include job interview inquires, business opportunity requests, complaints, and more. Of course, each type of business letter has its own standard phrases.

The Reason for Writing

I am writing to...

... inquire about... apologize for... confirm... comment on... apply for

Examples:• I am writing to inquire about the position posted in The

Daily Mail.• I am writing to confirm the shipment details on order # 2346.• I am writing to apologize for the difficulties you experienced

last week at our branch.

Basics of good business letter writing(cont.)

2. Details - What you would like to accomplish

The detail section of a business letter is extremely important. This is where you achieve your goals in writing a business letter.

3. Conclusion / Next Steps - What you would like to happen in the future

Provide a call for future action. This can be a chance to talk in person, a follow-up letter or more. It's important and expected to make it clear what you would like for the next step from the person reading your business letter.

Styles

Business letters are formal documents written in specific

styles. The most common styles for business letters

include the :

• block style, • modified block style, and• semi-block style.

Example of Block Style

123 Main Street

Springfield, PA 54321

April 1, 2010

Ms. Janice Doe

Human Resources Manager

Compudata Systems

Franklin, SC 32198

Dear Ms. Doe:

I am pleased to accept the software engineer position at Compudata Systems. Thank you for the offer.

As we agreed in my interview, I will begin on June 15. I will complete the required physical by May 20

and return all paperwork by June 1. If there are additional steps I must take before June 15, please

contact me by telephone at (555) 456-1234 or by e-mail at myemail@anydomain.com.

Thank you again for the offer. I look forward to the opportunity to be part of the Compudata Systems

team.

Sincerely,

Jane Jones

Block Format

• In the block style, each element of the letter is left justified and single-spaced, with a double space between each paragraph.

• First provide your own address, then skip a line and provide the date, then skip one more line and provide the inside address of the party to whom the letter is addressed.

If you are using letterhead that already provides your address, do not retype that information; just begin with the date. For formal letters, avoid abbreviations where possible.

MODIFIED BLOCK STYLE

• Modified block business letters use a slightly different format from the full block business letters.

• In the modified block style the return address, date, complimentary closing and the signature line are slightly to the right of the center of the paper.

Example of Modified Block Style

Compudata Systems

987 First Street

Franklin, SC 32198

April 1, 2010

Ms. Janice Doe

Executive Vice President

Compudata Systems

Franklin, SC 32198

Dear Ms. Doe:

Subject: Early Retirement Request

I submitted your request for early retirement to the Board of Directors. The Board approved your request,

pending negotiation of an end-date. Three members requested you stay until January or until a suitable

candidate has been hired and trained.

A search committee will be formed next week. Your input will ensure the timely hiring of a quality candidate.

Training of the newly hired will be entirely up to your discretion.

Sincerely,

John Smith

President, Compudata Systems

Enclosure

cc: A. Jones

Semi-block Style• Semi-block format or style is frequently called modified

semi-block because it is a slightly less formal modification of full block format.

• Similar to full block, semi-block places the inside address, salutation and any end notations flush with the left margin. However, unlike full block, each body paragraph of semi-block is indented .

• Also , the complimentary close and signature block are aligned under the date.

Example of Semi-block Style

Jane Jones

123 Springfield, PA 54321

(555) 456-1234

myemail@anydomain.com

April 1, 2010

Ms. Janice Doe

Human Resources Manager

Compudata Systems

987 Franklin, SC 32198

Dear Ms. Doe:

I am applying for the position of software engineer advertised in the March 15

Franklin Courier. My education in computer engineering and experience as a software

developer establish me as a qualified candidate for the position.

Before receiving my masters’ degree in computer engineering in May from Computer University, I worked as a software developer for Data Systems Corporation for six years. During that time, I worked with the lead developer on several major project, which are detailed in the enclosed resume.

Thank you again for your consideration. I am available for an interview at your convenience and can be contacted by telephone or email.

Sincerely,Jane Jones

Enclosure: Resume

Sample Letters

Sales Promotion letter thanking for opening an account

KB Bank Ltd

Jail Road, Karachi.

11th November 2012

Mr. Habib Yunus

Manager,

Kashif Mills Limited

I.I. Chundrigar Road

Karachi

Dear Mr. Yunus:

I take this opportunity to appreciate you for choosing our bank as a custodian of

your cash resources. The bank is not merely a vault where you can save your

money, but also a safe place for investment where your money may increase

with our great interest returns.

Our services also cover lockers, money transfer facilities, credit solutions...

We assure you that you have chosen the right bank where all you financial matters will be taken care of personally by our highly competent team.

Yours sincerely,

(Signature)(Name)(Designation)

Claim/complaint about faulty merchandise

CAMERAS LIMITED

Tariq Road

Karachi

10/10/2012

The Manager Marketing

Alpha Films Limited

Zamzama, Karachi

Dear Sir:

The consignment you sent us on October 6th was found not strictly in

accordance with our order of October 1st.The details of the anomaly are

given below:

We ordered for 15 cameras; you sent 10.We requested for 30 lenses, but received only 28(more problems if any)

These anomalies have caused us a great deal of trouble and resulted in lost sales. We are also returning the invoice for correction.

Kindly acknowledge the receipt, deliver the goods and return the invoice duly corrected.

Yours cordially/faithfully,

-Sd-(Name)(Designation)

But always use polite words in both direct or the indirect approach!

• INSTEAD OF THIS... SAY THIS...

• I cannot understand what you mean. Please clarify your request.

• The damage won’t be fixed for a week. The item will be repaired....

• There will be a delay in your order. We will ship your order as soon as possible

• You are clearly dissatisfied. We are doing what we can to make things right.

• Your account is in error. Corrections have been made to your account.

• The breakage was not our fault. The merchandise was broken during shipping.

Effective Business Emails

Electronic mail (E-mail) lets you send a message to aperson without your making direct contact or knowingwhere that person is located.Basic components of emails include:UsersMessages SendersRecipientsAddressesProtocolsGatewaysNetworks

E-MAIL

Always write the subject of the email on the subjectline

Remember that business people often receive hundreds of emails every day.

If you don’t write the subject in the subject line the person receiving the email might think it is SPAM or junk email and delete the message.

If the subject isn’t clear they might delete the email as well, so make sure the subject is direct-don’t use too many words.

The subject of the email

The Opening Tells the reader why you are writing

The Focus Tells the details about the topic

The Action Tells what you want to happen and gives time frame

The Closing Thank the reader and mention future communication

The four Parts of a business email

Basic Email Format

The receiver’s

email address

Carbon copy

Blind carbon

copy

Email subject

Subject: Meeting

Hi Jim,I just wanted to remind you about the meeting we have scheduled next week. Do let me know if you have any questions!

Best wishes,Mark

Bad Example

This email is an example of poor communication for several reasons:

Let's focus on the headline. As you can see, it's titled "Meeting". Well, there's no information about the meeting. If your calendar is full of meetings, you might even wonder which one Mark is talking about. And there's certainly no clarity about the subject, or when and where the meeting's being held.

What's more, the lack of specific information makes it look like a spam email. This email risks being deleted without being read!

Why is it a bad email? reasons!

• Also, the tone of the message is that of a friendly reminder. There's nothing wrong with that, but essential details are missing. If Jim hasn't heard anything about the meeting, or has completely forgotten about it, he'll have to write back for more information.

Why is it a bad email? reasons!(cont.)

Subject: Reminder of 10am Meeting Sched. 10/05 on PASS Process.

Hi Jim,I just wanted to remind you about the meeting we have scheduled for Monday, October 5, at 10:00am. It's being held in conference room A, and we'll be discussing the new PASS Process. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch (x3024).

Best Wishes,Mark

Good Example!

See how specific this new headline is?• The great thing about this headline is that the reader

doesn't even have to open the email to get most of the relevant information.

• And the precise nature of the headline serves as a useful prompt. Every time the reader glances at his saved emails, he'll be reminded about that specific meeting.

Good Example! (Cont.)

Different ways of signing off Informal More Formal

• Best wishes• Kind regards• Many thanks• Best regards• All best wishes

CheersThanksThxAll the bestLaterSee you

Very FormalYours sincerely(if you know the recipient's name, but if

you don’t & have started with Dear Sir/Madam) use Yours faithfully.