Chapter 6
Organizing and Writing Business Messages

 

Formal Research Methods

•      Search manually – books, articles, and other secondary sources

•      Access electronically – Internet, databases, CD-ROMs

•      Investigate primary sources – interviews, surveys, focus groups

•      Experiment scientifically – tests with experimental and control groups

 

Informal Research and Idea Generation

•      Look in office files.

•      Talk with your boss.

•      Interview the target audience.

•      Conduct an informal survey.

•      Brainstorm for ideas.

•      Develop a cluster diagram.

 

Using a Cluster Diagram to Generate Ideas

1.  In the center of a clean sheet of paper, write your topic name and circle it.

2.  Around the circle, record any topic ideas that pop into your mind.

3.  Circle each separate area.

4.  Avoid censoring ideas.

5.  If ideas seem related, join them with lines; don’t spend time on organization just yet.

 

Organizing Data

•      Listing and outlining

•      Grouping ideas into patterns.

•   Direct pattern for receptive audiences

•   Indirect pattern for unreceptive audiences

 

Organizing Cluster Diagram Ideas Into Subclusters

•      Analyze the idea generated in the original cluster diagram.

•      Cross out ideas that are obviously irrelevant; simplify and clarify.

•      Add new ideas that seem appropriate.

•      Study the ideas for similarities.

 

Organizing Cluster Diagram Ideas Into Subclusters

•Group similar ideas into classifications (such as Purpose, Content, Development, and Form).

•If the organization seems clear at this point, prepare an outline.

•For further visualization, make subcluster circles around each classification.

 

 

 

Audience Response Determines Pattern of Organization

Composing

Creating Effective Sentences

•      Recognize phrases and clauses.

•      Use short sentences.

•      Emphasize important ideas.

•      Use the active voice for most sentences.

•      Use the passive voice to deemphasize the performer and/or to be tactful.

•      Avoid dangling and misplaced modifiers.

Recognizing Phrases and Clauses

•      Clauses have subjects and verbs; phrases do not.

•      Independent clauses are complete; dependent clauses are not.

•      Phrases and dependent clauses cannot function as sentences.

•    Independent Clause:  They were eating cold pizza.

•    Dependent Clause:  that they want to return for a refund

•    Phrase:  to return for a refund

Using Short Sentences

Sentence Length

8 words

15 words

19 words

28 words

Comprehension Rate

100%

90%

80%

50%

Emphasizing Important Ideas 

•      Position the most important idea at the beginning of the sentence.

•      Make sure the most important idea is the subject of the sentence.

•      Place the main idea in a short sentence.

Use the Active Voice for
Most Sentences

•      Active voice: We lost money.

•      Active voice: I sent the e-mail message yesterday.

(The subject is the performer.)

Use the Passive Voice To Deemphasize the Performer and/or To Be Tactful

•      Passive voice: Money was lost (by us).

•      Passive voice: The e-mail message was sent yesterday (by me).

     (Passive voice test: Ask “By whom?” If you can fill in the performer, the verb is probably in the passive voice.)

Avoid Dangling Modifiers 

•      Dangling modifier: To be hired, an application must be completed.

   Revision: To be hired, you must complete an application.

   Revision: To be hired, fill out an application.

     (In the last example, you is understood to be the subject of fill.)

Avoid Misplaced Modifiers

•      Misplaced modifier: The patient was referred to a psychiatrist with a severe emotional problem.

   Revision: The patient with a severe emotional problem was referred to a psychiatrist.