Business communication now

Copyright......Page 2
Preface......Page 9
About the Author......Page 17
Acknowledgments......Page 18
1 COMMUNICATING IN A CHANGING BUSINESS WORLD......Page 19
 “I’ll Never Have to Write Because . . .”......Page 21
 Understanding and Analyzing Business Communication Situations......Page 22
 Criteria for Effective Messages......Page 23
 Principles That Can Help Improve Your Communications......Page 24
 The Managerial Functions of Communication......Page 28
 Trends in Business Communication......Page 31
 Summary of Key Points......Page 39
 Exercises and Problems......Page 40
2 ADAPTING TO AUDIENCES......Page 43
 Identifying Your Audiences......Page 44
 Ways to Analyze Your Audience......Page 45
 Choosing Channels to Reach Your Audience......Page 47
 Using Audience Analysis to Adapt Your Message......Page 49
 Reader Benefits......Page 51
 Writing or Speaking to Multiple Audiences with Different Needs......Page 53
 You-Attitude......Page 54
 Positive Emphasis......Page 57
 Tone, Power, and Politeness......Page 60
 Reducing Bias in Business Communication......Page 61
 Summary of Key Points......Page 66
 Exercises and Problems......Page 67
3 PLANNING, COMPOSING, AND REVISING......Page 70
 How Good Writers Write......Page 71
 Activities in the Writing Process......Page 72
 Planning, Brainstorming, and Organizing Business Documents......Page 74
 Revising, Editing, and Proofreading......Page 76
 Good Style in Business Writing......Page 77
 Ten Ways to Make Your Writing Easier to Read......Page 79
 Writing and Editing for the Web......Page 87
 Giving, Getting, and Using Feedback......Page 88
 Organizational Preferences for Style......Page 89
 Summary of Key Points......Page 90
 Exercises and Problems......Page 91
4 DESIGNING DOCUMENTS, SLIDES, AND SCREENS......Page 96
 The Importance of Effective Design......Page 97
 Guidelines for Page Design......Page 98
 Deciding When to Use Visuals......Page 103
 Designing Visuals......Page 105
 Designing Web Sites......Page 109
 Designing Brochures......Page 110
 Testing the Design for Usability......Page 113
 Summary of Key Points......Page 115
 Exercises and Problems......Page 116
5 COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES......Page 120
 Understanding Diversity in Canada......Page 122
 Operating in a Global Business World......Page 124
 Understanding Cultures......Page 125
 Classifying High-Context and Low-Context Cultures......Page 127
 Distinguishing Monochronic and Polychronic Cultures......Page 128
 Nonverbal Communication......Page 130
 Oral Communication......Page 133
 Writing to International Audiences......Page 135
 Learning More about Intercultural and International Business Communication......Page 136
 Summary of Key Points......Page 137
 Exercises and Problems......Page 138
6 WORKING AND WRITING IN TEAMS......Page 142
 Listening......Page 144
 Group Interactions and Team Formation......Page 146
 Successful Student Teams......Page 149
 Conflict Resolution......Page 150
 Effective Meetings......Page 151
 Collaborative Writing......Page 153
 Summary of Key Points......Page 157
 Exercises and Problems......Page 158
7 ROUTINE MESSAGES......Page 162
 Writing Letters, Memos, and Electronic Media......Page 164
 Formatting Letters, Memos, and E-Mails......Page 165
 Organizing Routine Messages......Page 169
 Choosing Subject Lines for Routine Messages......Page 170
 Using Reader Benefits in Routine Messages......Page 172
 Distinguishing Varieties of Routine Messages......Page 173
 Summary of Key Points......Page 180
 Exercises and Problems......Page 181
8 NEGATIVE MESSAGES......Page 189
 Organizing Negative Letters, Memos, and Electronic Media......Page 191
 Choosing Subject Lines for Negative Messages......Page 195
 Wording the Parts of a Negative Message......Page 196
 Checking Tone in Negative Messages......Page 198
 Handling Apologies......Page 200
 Considering Alternative Strategies for Negative Situations......Page 201
 Distinguishing Varieties of Negative Messages......Page 202
 Summary of Key Points......Page 204
 Exercises and Problems......Page 205
9 PERSUASIVE AND SALES MESSAGES......Page 212
 Analyzing a Persuasive Situation......Page 214
 Writing Persuasive Direct Requests......Page 216
 Writing Persuasive Problem-Solving Messages......Page 217
 Collection Letters......Page 223
 Sales and Fundraising Letters......Page 225
 How to Organize a Sales or Fundraising Letter......Page 226
 Strategy in Sales Letters......Page 229
 Strategy in Fundraising Appeals......Page 230
 Strategy in Rack Cards and Brochures......Page 232
 Writing Style......Page 233
 Summary of Key Points......Page 236
 Exercises and Problems......Page 237
10 PLANNING, RESEARCHING, AND DOCUMENTING REPORTS......Page 242
 Defining Problems to Be Solved......Page 244
 Research Strategies for Reports......Page 246
 Finding Information Online and in Print......Page 247
 Designing Questions for Surveys and Interviews......Page 250
 Analyzing Data and Information for Reports......Page 254
 Organizing Information in Reports......Page 255
 Using and Documenting Sources......Page 256
 Summary of Key Points......Page 264
 Exercises and Problems......Page 265
11 WRITING PROPOSALS AND REPORTS......Page 268
 Varieties of Reports......Page 269
 How to Organize Different Kinds of Reports......Page 270
 Writing Proposals......Page 275
 Presenting Information Effectively in Reports......Page 281
 Writing Formal Reports......Page 283
 Summary of Key Points......Page 297
 Exercises and Problems......Page 298
12 MAKING ORAL PRESENTATIONS......Page 305
 Understanding Purposes in Oral Presentations......Page 306
 Planning a Strategy for Your Presentation......Page 307
 Choosing Information to Include in a Presentation......Page 313
 Organizing Your Information......Page 314
 Delivering an Effective Presentation......Page 315
 Handling Questions......Page 318
 Making Group Presentations......Page 319
 Evaluating Presentations......Page 320
 Summary of Key Points......Page 321
 Exercises and Problems......Page 322
13 EMPLOYMENT COMMUNICATIONS......Page 325
 Evaluating Your Strengths and Interests......Page 326
 Dealing with Difficulties......Page 327
 Finding Out about Employers and Jobs......Page 328
 Understanding Kinds of Résumés......Page 332
 Guidelines for Résumés......Page 333
 Organizing the Parts of a Résumé......Page 335
 Online Résumés......Page 341
 How Job Letters Differ from Résumés......Page 344
 Organizing Job Application Letters......Page 345
 Interviewing in the 21st Century......Page 349
 Taking Care of the Details......Page 351
 Answering Traditional Interview Questions......Page 352
 Behavioural, Situational, and Stress Interviews......Page 355
 Performance Appraisals......Page 356
 Summary of Key Points......Page 359
 Exercises and Problems......Page 360
APPENDIX A WRITING CORRECTLY......Page 365
 Using Grammar......Page 366
 Understanding Punctuation......Page 368
 Punctuation within Sentences......Page 370
 Words That Are Often Confused......Page 373
 Proofreading Symbols......Page 374
 Summary of Key Points......Page 375
 Exercises and Problems......Page 376
GLOSSARY......Page 381
NOTES......Page 387
PHOTO CREDITS......Page 399
ORGANIZATION INDEX......Page 401
SUBJECT INDEX......Page 404