WRITING FOR

EFFECT

Whats wrong?
You are hereby advised to endorse subject

proposal and return same to the

undersigned.
In reply to your letter of May 10, please be
informed that this office heretofore has
generously supported funding activities of
your organization.
Kindly advise the undersigned as to your
availability for participation in the program.
This is to advise that henceforth all invoices
will be submitted in duplicate.

Use Conversational Style

Avoid rubber stamps

Whats wrong?
We are happy to have your order for

Hewlett-Packard Products, which we are

sending today by UPS.
We sell the Chicago cutlery set for the low
price of $24 each and suggest a retail price
of $36.50.
We require that you sign the sales slip
before we will charge to your account.
We have shipped the two dozen Cross desk
sets you ordered.

Use You-Attitude

Whats wrong?
You failed to give us the fabric specifications

of the chair you ordered.

Smoking is not permitted anywhere except in
the lobby.
You were wrong in your conclusion, for
paragraph 3 of our agreement clearly states.
We regret to inform you that we must deny
your request for credit.
We cannot deliver until Friday.

Accent on positive
language

Business Etiquette and the Need for

Effect.
Written communication within a business

primarily requires clarity.

Business writing requires clarity and
planned effect. The goodwill effect is
valuable to business.
Most people enjoy building goodwill.
For their success, letters and some email
messages often require other effects.
Getting the desired effects is a matter of
writing skill and of understanding people.

CONVERSATIONAL STYLE
Writing in conversational language has a

favorable effect.

Resisting the Tendency to be Formal

Writing in conversational language is not

easy, for we tend to be stiff and formal.

Examples...

Cutting Out Rubber Stamps

Rubber stamps are expressions used by

habit every time a certain type of situation

occurs.
They give the effect of routine treatment. It
is better to use words written for the present
case.
Examples...

Proof through Contrasting Examples

The goodwill advantages of conversational

writing are obvious.

Examples...

YOU-VIEWPOINT
The you-viewpoint produces goodwill and

influences people favorably.

In face to face communication, words,
voice, facial expressions, gestures, and such
combine to determine the effect of the
message. In writing, the printed word alone
must do the job.
Even a bad-news situation can benefit from
you-viewpoint wording.

A Point of Controversy
Using the you-viewpoint is just being

courteous.
Research supports its use.
The you-viewpoint can manipulate . But
condemn the goal, not the technique.
A middle-ground approach is best. Use the
you-viewpoint when it is the right thing to
do.

ACCENT ON POSITIVE
LANGUAGE
Of the many ways of saying anything, each

has a unique meaning.

Effects of Words
Positive words are usually best for message

goals, especially when persuasion and

goodwill are needed.
Negative words stir up resistance and hurt
goodwill.
So beware of strongly negative words
(mistake, problem), words that deny (no, do
not), and ugly words (itch, guts).

COURTESY
Courtesy is a major contributor to goodwill

in business documents.
Singling out your reader.
Refraining from preaching
Doing more than is expected
Avoiding anger
Being sincere

Singling Out Your Reader

It involves writing directly for the one

reader.

This means writing for the one situation.

Refraining from Preaching

The effect of courtesy is helped by not

preaching (lecturing).

Usually preaching is not intended. It often

results from efforts to persuade.

Elementary, flat, and obvious statements

sound preachy.

Doing More than Is Expected

Doing more than necessary builds goodwill.

As the extras add length, they appear not to

be concise. But consciousness means word

economy, not leaving out essentials.

Avoiding Anger
Rarely is anger justified in messages. It

destroys goodwill.

Being Sincere
Efforts to be courteous must be sincere.

Sincerity results from believing in the

techniques of courtesy.

Overdoing the Goodwill Techniques

The goodwill effort can be overdone. Too

much you-viewpoint sounds insincere.

Avoid exaggeration, as such statements are

obviously insincere.

Superlatives (greatest, finest, strongest)

often suggest exaggeration.

THE ROLE OF EMPHASIS

Emphasis also determines effect. Every item

communicated should get the proper

emphasis.

There are four basic emphasis techniques.

Emphasis by Position
Space and Emphasis
Sentence Structure and Emphasis
Mechanical Means of Emphasis

COHERENCE
Messages should be coherent. The

relationships of parts should be clear.

Presenting information in logical order

helps coherence.

Coherence Techniques
Tie-In Sentences
Repetition of Key Words
Use of Pronouns
Transitional Words
A Word of Caution

Conclusion
&
Summary