Written Communication

Communication through words may be in writing or oral. Written communication entails transmission of message in black and white. It mainly consists of diagrams, pictures, graphs, etc. Reports, policies, rules, orders, instructions, agreements, etc have to be conveyed in written form for proper functioning of the organization. Written communication guarantees that everyone concerned has the same information. It provides a long-lasting record of communication for future. Written instructions are essential when the action called for is crucial and complex. To be effectual, written communication should be understandable, brief, truthful and comprehensive. The main advantages and disadvantages of written communication are as follows: Merits of written communication It ensures transmission of information in uniform manner. It provides a permanent record of communication for future reference. It is an idealistic way of conveying long messages. It ensures little risk of unauthorized alteration in the message. It tends to be comprehensive, obvious and accurate. It is well suited to express messages to a large number of persons at the same time. It can be quoted as legal evidence in case of any disputes. Demerits of written communication It is costly and time consuming. It becomes difficult to maintain privacy about written communication. It is rigid and doesnt provide any scope for making changes for inaccuracies that might have crept in. It is very formal and lacks personal touch. It boosts red-tapism and involves so many formalities. It may be represented in a different way by different people. ELEMENTS OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION Whether you are writing e-mail to a friend or a formal essay for a class, all writing has several elements in common. The three most important elements to consider are:

Audience: Purpose: Form:

Who are you writing to? Why are you writing? What will the finished piece of writing look like?

Audience: Determining your audience helps you to know what style (formal or informal) your writing should take. Consider:

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Who will be reading this piece of writing? Is a formal or informal style more appropriate for this audience? What information on this subject does this audience need? How much information does this audience already know?

Purpose: Determining your purpose will help keep you focused as you write. The main purposes of writing are to inform, persuade, and entertain. Consider:

What do you want the audience to know when you are done? What do you want the audience to believe or agree with? What action do you want the audience to take?

Form: Sometimes your form will be determined by the assignment. However, sometimes you must decide what form will best accomplish your purpose for your particular audience. Consider:

Is there a model or format that you are supposed to follow? Would formal or informal writing be more appropriate for your audience and purpose? How can you best organize your information to have the greatest impact on your audience?

Business Report
Definition:

REPORT
A report is a It may be defined as a formal statement describing a state of affairs or what has happened. It contains detailed description and generally includes conclusions and suggestions for future course of action taken. Reports are designed to convey and record information that will be of practical use to the reader. It is organized into discrete units of specific and highly visible information

IMPORTANCE OF REPORTS The reports serve the following functions: Sarah Hussain Faisal 2

Provide valuable information for planning & decision making. Measure employee performance & thereby assist in managerial control. Reports aim at analyzing the impact of changing business conditions on the performance & growth of an enterprise. With such analysis management can develop measures to combat the changes. Reports facilitate coordination. Reports are a means of keeping in touch, and maintaining contacts with customers, shareholders, creditors & the Government.

CHARECTERISTICS OF A GOOD REPORT A good report must specify the following requirements: 1) Simplicity: A good report must be written in simple & easy to understand language. 2) Clarity: A good report should contain a proper arrangement of facts. It must have a clear purpose, definite sources of data, clear findings & recommendations. It should be divided into short paragraphs (helps in building understanding) and must have clear headings & sub- headings (give the report an appearance of not being overcrowded). 3) Accuracy: A good report contains unbiased & accurate information both in terms of facts & grammar. Only accurate reports can lead to correct decisions & right actions. 4) Precision: A good report should be short & to the point. There should be no ambiguity about recommendations contained in a report. 5) Completeness: A good report must contain all the required facts. It must specify the purpose, facts, conclusions & recommendations. 6) Relevance: The contents must be relevant to the purpose for which it is prepared. Irrelevant facts make the report misleading & cumbersome. 7) Cross- Reference: Cross referencing helps to save time & space & facilitates the task of the persons who are to read & use the report. Against every point in the summary the page no of the report where the details against that point are given may be mentioned. 8) Objectivity: Recommendations made in the report must be impartial & free from prejudice. There should be logically derived conclusions from investigations & analysis. 9) Brevity: A good report should be brief without being incomplete. Brevity should not be at the cost of clarity & completeness. Sarah Hussain Faisal 3

10) Reader- Oriented: While preparing a report the person who is to read & use it should be kept in mind. For example a report meant for a specialist is not appropriate for a layman.

TYPES OF REPORTS Reports can be classified into several categories:

REPORTS

ORAL

WRITTEN

ROUTINE

SPECIAL

INFORMATIONAL

INTERPRETATIVE

INFORMAL

FORMAL

STAUTORY

ORAL REPORT

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An oral report is a face to face communication of an impression or observation. It is comparatively informal & time saving. It is simple & easy to present. But the receiver has to listen to every word of it. It tends to be vague & provides no record for future reference.

WRITTEN REPORTS A written report is relatively more accurate & precise. It can be referred to again & again. It provides a permanent record & cannot be denied at any time. It can change hands without any danger of distortion during transmission. On the basis of format & procedure involved these can be classified into two kinds: a) Informal Report: It is usually in the form of person to person communication. It may range from a few lines to several pages of detailed information. E.g. Letters, Memos etc. b) Formal Report: It is presented in a prescribed form. It is prepared in accordance with an established procedure & is submitted to a prescribed authority. Formal reports can be of two types: 1) Statutory Reports: Reports prepared & presented according to the form & procedure laid down by law are called statutory reports. E.g. Auditors Report, Directors Report to annual general meeting etc. 2)Non- Statutory Reports: Formal reports which are not required under any law but which are prepared to help the management in formulating policies and in taking important decisions are called non- statutory reports.

ROUTINE REPORTS These reports are prepared & presented in the usual routine of business. Such reports contain a mere statement of facts without an opinion or recommendation. From these reports the authorities concerned can judge the progress of work. Since these reports are presented at prescribed intervals, these are also called Periodic Reports. They may be submitted annually, semi- annually, quarterly, monthly, fortnightly, weekly or even daily. They are usually written on a prescribed format. E.g. Progress Reports, Inventory Reports, Equipment & Maintenance Report, Daily Sales Report. SPECIAL REPORTS A special report is prepared & presented in connection with specific situations or occasions. These deal with non- recurrent problems or issues. E.g. Laboratory Report, A

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report on unrest among staff, Market Research Report, Report regarding a change of policy. INFORMATIONAL REPORTS This report presents the data collected or facts observed in an organized form. It does not contain conclusions or recommendations. It presents the situation as it is and not as it should be. INTERPRETATIVE REPORTS This report not only contains facts but also interpretation or evaluation of data. It includes the reports conclusions and may also contain recommendations for action.

Format of Report
The following details should be included while preparing a report:i). Date and Title- First of all we should put the date when we are writing and at the same time the title of the report, telling as to when and what we are going to report about. In case the report is to be addressed to anyone, his full name, designation, etc. should be clearly mentioned. ii). Introduction- Then a brief introduction stating that you have been asked to report about. The introduction should always be impressive and should contain, in brief, the narration of preamble of what you are going to tell in your report. iii). Body of Report- After giving brief introduction, you should divide the entire information of report into suitable short paragraphs and each paragraph should contain one type of information. The number of paragraphs depends upon the quantum and variety of information included in the report. iv). Conclusion/ Recommendations- On the basis of information given in the body of report, you should give the conclusions arrived at on the basis of facts. Sometimes, the reports required the recommendations or suggestions of the enquirer, which, if required, should be stated based on facts. v). Signatures- The report should invariably bear the signatures of the person reporting. Even all cuttings, alterations or additions made in the report should be initiated by the person submitting the report. vi). Appendices- All the enclosures to the report are called appendices. These should be separately typed or prepared and should be enclosed with the report as appendices or annexures. These appendices form a part of the report.

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Steps in writing a Business Report:1. Define the Problem and Purpose- The first planning step is to analyse the problem involved and know the purpose of your report. Ask questions like What is wanted? How much? Why When/. The answers will help you determine your problem, purpose, scope, limitations (in time and perhaps funds), and title of the report. Then try to write your purpose in one concise clear sentence. 2. Consider Who will Receive the Report- Visualising your reader or listener and his or her needs is an extremely important step in business report preparation. Who wants this report? Who will read or hear it? How much detail do they prefer? What is the readers point of view? Experience? Knowledge? Prejudice? Responsibility? 3. Determine Ideas to Include- In short reports, this third step may involve merely writing down the general ideas and main topics youll need to develop in order to accomplish the reports purpose. In long reports, a detailed working plan is desirable. 4. Collect Needed Material- The fourth step in report preparation is to gather needed facts thoughtfully from reliable sources. For some reports you may have the data in your head or nearby records. For others you may have to do extensive secondary and Primary Research involving legwork in addition to brainwork. Primary Research:To collect primary data you look for information first hand from unpublished data. You may use with permission from records of your organisations files, Original letters, minutes, reports, Questionnaires Personal observation, Experiments. Secondary Research:Research through published material like Publications already in print, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, govt. documents, encyclopedias is called Secondary Research ( and these are secondary data).

5. Sort, Analyse, and Interpret Data- In short informational report this step takes only a few minutes. In long analytical report based masses of detailed data from many sources may require weeks of study. Your analysis and interpretations should be objective and free from biases. Now is also the time to reconsider the logic of your hypotheses and whether any main idea in your original, tentative outline should be revised. Revise, add and delete topics where necessary. 6. Organise Data and Prepare final Outline- After careful analysis and interpretation, you will organize the findings and make the final outline. But before preparing this important outline, you need to know what constitutes the report body and consider methods of organizing and outlining.

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Business Correspondence
Introduction In 1979, Fortune Magazine interviewed many successful executives about what business schools should teach. The question was What kind of academic programme best prepares the business school students to succeed in their careers? The answer from the top corporate executives was: Teach them to write better. The message is clear. Top executives are reiterating the point that managers should be made to learn the functional importance of effective business writing. Persuasive letters are important. And so are the routine ones, such as, writing an application for leave, explaining a situation, which has gone wrong, through a letter or a memo. In business deals, precision of writing and clarity of meaning are extremely important. When you write a letter you create an image of your company and yourself in the readers mind. A good letter should be effortless reading that makes the reader want to read more. It should be clear and concise, with short sentences and simple words. It should keep to the facts and be easy to read and to understand. In this chapter we will focus more on business letters, although the principles involved in effective written communication also apply entirely to business letters.

The Seven Cs of Business Letter Writing

Effective letter writing is effectual when one knows why one is writing a letter, understands the readers needs, and then clearly writes what is needed. Every letter should be clear, human, helpful and as friendly as the topic allows. The best letters have a conversational tone and read as if the reader was being spoken to. In brief then, discover the seven Cs of letter writing. You should be: Clear Concise Correct Courteous Conversational Convincing Complete. When you write a letter, you try to convince someone to act or react in a appositive way. The reader will respond quickly only if the meaning is crystal clear.

Effective Business Correspondence: Basic Principles

Place the reader first: Keep your readers in mind when you write, it will help you use the right tone, the appropriate language, and include the right amount of detail. Readers want relevant information, presented in clear and easy to understand style. They do not want muddled thinking, background information they already know, business-speak and jargon.

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Keep to the point: When writing a business letter, try not to waste the readers time. The first step in any writing task is to set down the aim. To help you keep to the point, you can draw up an outline to plan your letter. Follow these steps: Make a list of the topics you want to cover but do not worry about the order. Under each topic list the keywords, examples, arguments, and facts. Review each topic in the outline for relevance to your aim or audience. Sort the information into the best order for the readers. Set the Right Tone: While writing a business letter, it is important to use a tone that is friendly yet efficient. Try to sound and be helpful and friendly. To do this, write as you speak. Write a Strong Opening: Your first job when writing a letter is to gain your readers attention. It is an important principle of effective writing to put the most important information first. The opening paragraph is both the headline and lead for the message that follows in the rest of the letter. Some examples of openings in business letters are given below: Thank you for your letter of 6 July 2009, which has been passed for my attention. I refer to previous correspondence in respect of the above and note that to date we have not received your cheque for the outstanding arrears. I write with reference to our telephone conversation yesterday regarding. Make your first paragraph stand out----get straight to the message and do not waste the readers time. As the opening paragraph sets the tone for your letter, avoid using tired phrases that are wordy, give little information, and create a formal and impersonal tone. Decide what the most important information is----and put it in the first paragraph. Do not be afraid to start your letter strongly. Write a Strong Close: A Closing paragraph should end the letter on a polite and business like tone. Typical final paragraphs in business letters invite the reader to write again or use overused and meaningless phrases that detract from the impact of the letter. Consider the following examples of good closing sentences for business letters: I would again apologise for the delay in replying and I trust that this clarified the points that you have raised. However, if you wish to discuss any points I have not clarified, or need any further information, you may wish to telephone or contact me accordingly. I look forward to hearing from you and in the meantime, should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me. I regret that I cannot be of more assistance in this matter, and should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me. In longer letter, the last paragraph can summarise the key points or repeat the key message.

Common Components of Business Letters

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Heading: The heading contains the writers address and the date of the letter. The writers name is not included and only the date is needed in headings in the letterhead stationery. Inside address: The inside address shows the name and address of the recipient of the letter. This information helps prevent confusion. In the inside address, include the appropriate title of respect of the recipient, and copy the name of the company exactly as that company writes it. Salutation: The salutation the Dear Sir of the letter is usually followed by colon, except when a friendly, familiar, or sociable tone is intended, in which case a comma is used. If you do not know whether the recipient is a man or woman, traditionally you write Dear Sir or Dear sirs. More recently salutations such as Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends, or Dear People have been recommended. Subject or reference line: The subject line replaces the salutation or is included with it. The subject line announces the main business of the letter. Body of the Letter: The actual message is contained in the body of the letter, the paragraphs between the salutation and the contemporary close. Complementary close: The Sincerely yours element of the business letter is called the complementary close. Other common ones are Thanking you, Cordially Respectfully, or Respectfully yours. Notice that only the first letter is capitalized, and is always followed by a comma. Enclosures: To make sure that the recipient knows that items accompany the letter in the same envelope, sue such indications as Enclosure, Encl., or Enclosures (when two or more attachments accompany the letter). For example if you send a resume and writing sample with your application letter, you would write this: Encl.: Resume and Writing Sample. If the enclosure is lost, the recipient will know. Copies: If you send copies of a letter to others, indicate this fact among the end notations also. For example, cc: Mr. Raymond Mason, Attorney.

LETTER WRITING STYLES

Block Style Modified Block Style Semi Block Style

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Block
In a Block format letter, (1) all text is aligned to the left margin, and (2) paragraphs are not indented.

Semi-Block
In a Semi-Block format letter, (1) all text is aligned to the left margin, and (2) paragraphs are indented.

Modified Block
In a Modified Block format letter, (1) all text is aligned to the left margin, except for the author's address, date, and closing; and (2) paragraphs are not indented. The author's address, date, and closing are usually indented three inches from the left margin, but can be set anywhere to the right of the middle of the page, as long as all three elements are indented to the same position.

Modified block Block Format

The heading complimentary at the left All parts of the letter begin closing and signature lines begin not indented. margin. Paragraphs areat the beginning of the page. Paragraphs are not indented. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------: ----------: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. ----------------------------------------. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. ------------- Hussain Faisal Sarah

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------------------------------. -------, -------

Semi Block Format

Block Format
March 16, 2001 Ernie English 1234 Writing Lab Lane Write City, IN 12345 Dear Mr. English: The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph.

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Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning. Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time. Sincerely,

Lucy Letter 123 Winner's Road New Employee Town, PA 12345

Modified Block Format

March 16, 2001 Ernie English 1234 Writing Lab Lane Write City, IN 12345 Dear Mr. English: The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph. Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning. Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time. Sincerely,

Lucy Letter

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Semi-Block Format
March 16, 2001 Ernie English 1234 Writing Lab Lane Write City, IN 12345 Dear Mr. English: (Indent) The first paragraph of a typical business letter is used to state the main point of the letter. Begin with a friendly opening; then quickly transition into the purpose of your letter. Use a couple of sentences to explain the purpose, but do not go in to detail until the next paragraph. (Indent) Beginning with the second paragraph, state the supporting details to justify your purpose. These may take the form of background information, statistics or first-hand accounts. A few short paragraphs within the body of the letter should be enough to support your reasoning. (Indent) Finally, in the closing paragraph, briefly restate your purpose and why it is important. If the purpose of your letter is employment related, consider ending your letter with your contact information. However, if the purpose is informational, think about closing with gratitude for the reader's time. Sincerely, Lucy Letter

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Sample Business Letter

July 20, 2006 Mr. Rodney Giles Manager, Customer Support Inter-Office Solutions Inc. 1289 Luxor Station Rd. Cedar Springs, IL, 34985

Dear Mr. Rodney: This is further to our meeting of last week at which we agreed to hold a series of meetings over the next two months to review your experiences with the pilot implementation of the 1to1 Customer Relationship Management Program. As discussed at that meeting, the objectives of our review sessions will be to: Review and assess the overall effectiveness of the program; Identify and document strengths weaknesses of the program; Propose customer-focused solutions to address areas of weakness; Develop an approach and action plan for Phase 2 of the project; Determine the staff members who will make up the Phase 2 Team.

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As agreed, meetings will be held every second Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. until noon, and the location will alternate between our two offices, the first one to be convened here at Inter-Office on August 14, 2005. Fred Johnson of your CRM group is to act as the meeting co-ordinator and recording secretary throughout the process. As discussed, at the end of the process, Deborah Buxton of Consultek will draft the summary report for review by the steering committee. As you requested, a copy of her c.v. has been enclosed. I trust I have covered all of the points that we discussed. If you have any questions or would like to add anything please give me a call at 745-9878. We look forward to seeing you at the August 14th meeting. Sincerely,

Marilyn French Senior Consultant Encl.

Business letter have to be printed on corporate letter heads.

Avoiding Jargon
Using jargon improperly is one of the chief barriers to business communication. However, a certain amount of jargon can be used if the recipient is a part of your organization, company, profession or industry. After all, jargon, which is simply specialized terminology, is often created because these terms are used by the members of a group to communicate with each other. These terms become a problem when the writer forgets that the reader, not being from the group, may not be able to understand the specialized language. In addition, when jargon is used, the recipient usually does not always communicate the fact that they did not understand, because they think that they ought to know. Hence, because of the use of inappropriate language, there is a breakdown in the communication, resulting in the message being lost.

E-mail
Much business correspondence is now sent electronically through e-mail. When writing these e-mails, follow the same rules for good writing that you would use in other formal business settings. If you would like to send a copy of an e-mail to individuals other than your primary correspondent, you should type their e-mail addresses in the Cc (carbon copy) field. If you do not want to inform your primary correspondent that you sent a copy of the e-mail, then type the additional recipients names in the Bcc (blind carbon copy) field.

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When writing business e-mails, avoid using

All capital letters (This makes your reader feel like youre SHOUTING AT THEM and makes text difficult to read.) All lower-case letters Informal abbreviations (LOL) Slang spelling (luv, cuz, u, etc.) Smiley faces J

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