Business Writing Techniques

Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty

Business Studies Department

Ibra College of Technology

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 2

Contents

• Introduction

• Differences in Business Writing

• Sample

• Factors

• Activity-1

• Tips

• Activity 3 and Activity 4

• References

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 3

Introduction

• Formal writing• For official purpose• Follows a pattern• Challenges posed by internet• Presentable to all officials• Conducive to working environs

How is Business Writing Different?

• Objective• Audience- Different stakeholders, different approach• Pattern• Mode-Soft, Hard, Both• Output to be achieved• Any other?

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 4

The Ten Commandments

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 5

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 6

Sample this and Comment• Hey Ali,

• What’s up dude? I was thinking about discussing our next project with you, but gosh, I found that you are still working on the old consignment to be delivered to our client from the UAE! Can we sit together and put our heads together to see the fruition of the existing work as it would affect our individual performance not to forget the impact, it would have on the team and organization as a whole.

• Awaiting your positive response,

• Lovingly,

• Abdullah

• Bcc- Team Lead

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 7

Factors to be considered in Business Writing

• The objective• The clarity• Hierarchy of the sender• Hierarchy of the receiver• Relationship• Initiator of the Communication• Responder of the Communication

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 8

Factors to be considered in Business Writing

• The starting• The body• The closing• Importance • Acknowledgement and its

importance• Punctuation• Format-Standard/Customized

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 9

Factors to be considered in Business Writing

• Mode-Hard, Soft or Both• Language• Simplicity• The Communication Loop

Soft Vs. Hard form

Parameters Hard form Soft Form

Initiation Mostly Formal Generally Informal

Format Prescribed format followed from top to

bottom

Often chopped according to the whims and fancies

of the communicators

Language Mostly text-book style New generation words, spellings

Length Generally lengthy Mostly Crisp and Short

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 10

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 11

Activity-1

• Imagine no standard format is available and you are willing to communicate with our college dean in order to travel owing to some emergency back home.

• Write an application for the same.

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 12

Tips for business writing

• Starting by using short declarative sentence• Substituting long words with small ones (use Vs

utilize)• Self-editing a must• Removing unwanted words or phrases• Refraining from using foreign

words/phrases/idioms/jargons• Emailed communication should be crisp with the

objective written clearly• Using plain English• Being specific rather than beating around the bush

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 13

Tips for business writing

• Curbing enthusiasm-Overusing exclamation!• Choosing professional sign offs like ‘Regards’• Using active verbs rather than passive ones, E.g. ‘Robin

called the meeting’ and not ‘The meeting was called by Robin’

• Using straight forward sentence structure- ‘Subject-Verb-Object’ for better understanding

• Choosing pronouns wisely and not hesitating to use ‘me’, rather than ‘Franklin and myself’

• Common grammatical mistakes should be avoided-• ‘Subject-Verb agreement’ as ‘number of subjects decides

the number of verb’

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 14

Tips for business writing

• Singular verb form after ‘Nobody, someone, everybody’• Knowing when to use ‘that’ and ‘which’-That introduces

‘essential information’ and which introduces ‘extra information’

• E.g.  "Computers are the only products that we sell”

• E.g.  "I'm interested in speaking with you about our new

product, which has the potential to increase sales." • Avoiding using ‘metaphors’ ‘smile’ or ‘other figure of

speech’ in emails• Avoiding bookish language

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 15

Activity 3,4 and 5

• Kindly go through the business writing related sheets given to you as separate attachments and identify the shortcomings present therein.

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 16

References• Helen Coster, Ten Tips for Better Business Writing, accessed on 18 th May 2013, business portal,

http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/03/better-business-writing-leadership-careers-tips.html

• Ten Commandments, Accessed on 19th May 2013, Google Image, http://www.google.com.om/search?q=images+of+business+writing&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=58eZUb6HGtDMrQfoy4HQCQ&ved=0CDcQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=976#imgrc=zElJIv9CB9zyM%3A%3BhQRkuoWZL9ZK8M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwritingtraining.files.wordpress.com%252F2013%252F02%252Fmagneto-ten-commandments-of-business-writing.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwritingtraining.wordpress.com%252F2013%252F02%252F08%252Finfographic-10-commandments-of-business-writing%252F%3B1240%3B1753

04/20/23 Dr. Manishankar Chakraborty 17

Finally…..

• Writing is a way to express ones mind, so one needs to be careful while jotting down the thought, both in the personal and professional life!

• Happy Writing!!!

• Floor open for discusssion.