商务英语的introduction

WritingforModernBusinessCommunicationMarch 7 2012 BriefIntroductiontotheteachingset upBriefintroductiontothecourse Whatisbusinesswriting acrucialskillforbusinesspeoplearoundtheworld Incomparisonwithoralcommunication writtencommunicationgivesstructureandformtoourideas soithastheadvantageofprovidingrecords referenceandlegaldefense Showmeapersonwhocancommunicateeffectively andI llshowyouafuturevice president thepersonneldirectorofalargecorporation Nothinginbusinessdetermineshowfastorhowfaryouwilladvancemorethanyourabilitytowriteclearandeffectivemessages Don tkidyourselfthatyouwon thavetowrite orthatyoursecretarywilldoallthewritingforyou Ifyoursecretarycanwritebetterthanyou thedaywillcomewhensheorhewillbeyourboss Inbusinesstheladdersareallmadeofpaper Youcanwriteyourselfintoavice presidencyoroutofajob amarketingrepresentativeofMobilOilCorporation Whatformtochoose Whatwillaffectaneffectivewrittencommunication languageprejudgementrelationshipsemotionalresponses Principlesofeffectivewrittencommunicationlayout appropriateideas logicallyconnectedspelling avoidanymistakesstyle tone suitableinformation tactfullyorganized FormsofwritinginbusinessInternalCommunicationMemoReportsMinutesNoticeMeetingmaterialscertificatesQuestionnaire ExternalCommunicationp 2LetterssalescorporateprofilesLeaflet ads PressreleaseInvitationcontracts Eg WritingforExternalCommunication Businessletterswhatisbusinessletter Businesslettersarenotnecessarilylettersthatdiscusscommercialmatters Theyaremoreformalthanpersonalletters Oftenyouandyourreaderdonotknoweachother Businesslettersarelikeconversationswithstrangers Maybeyouneedinformation orperhapsyouwantsomeonetodosomethingforyou therefore youshouldbepoliteandclearsothatyoucangettheinformationorhelpyouwant Guidelinesforwritingbusinessletters Putthenameandaddressofthepersonyouarewritingtobeneathyourownaddressanddate Ifyoudon tknowthereceiver sname use DearSir DearMadam DearSir Madam orusethejobtitle suchas DearManager Theopeningsentenceofaformalletterusuallytellsthepurposeoftheletter Ifyouarewritinginreply mentionthedateoftheletterreceivedandanyreferencecode Use Yoursfaithfully asendingiftheletterisaddressedtoanunnamedperson DearSir Madam use Yourssincerely iftheletterisaddressedtoapersonbyname DearMrTurner However Yourssincerely or Sincerelyyours isseenmoreandmoreinbothcases Putthesignaturebetweentheendingandthetypednameofthewriter Thewriter sofficialcapacitymaybeindicatedafterthetypedname 5 C s Yourreadermustbegivenallthenecessaryinformation sotheyshouldbeCOMPLETE Yourreadermustbeabletoseeexactlywhatyoumean sotheyshouldbeCLEAR Yourreaderisprobablyabusypersonwithnotimetowaste sotheyshouldbeCONCISE Yourreadermustbeaddressedinasincere politetone sotheyshouldbeCOURTEOUS Yourreadershouldnotbedistractedbymistakesingrammar punctuationorspelling sotheyshouldbeCORRECT Languagestyle p 15 rf ConciseBusinesslikePoliteavoidinsultsandsarcasmavoidcurtdemandavoidnegativeimplication Precision1 MechanicalprecisionMechanicalprecisionmeanscompliancewithalltheacceptedrulesofgrammar spelling punctuationandcapitalization andformat 2 FactualprecisionFactualprecisionisthequalitythatallowsyourreaderstograspyourintendedmeaningsfullyandimmediately withabsoluteclarity Blundersthatunderminefactualprecision1 OmissionIhavebookedalaterflighttoTokyo Iwaswonderingifyouwouldstillpickmeupattheairport 2 ContradictionWedonotadvocateviolence butwefeelit stheonlywayforminoritymemberstogettheirrights 3 AmbiguityMrConroyhastoldouragentHarristhatthemistakewashis 4 ImprecisewordingMytravelingexpensesdon tpaytax 5 MisusedabsoluteYoucanfindJohnson sBargainStoreseverywhereinLosAngeles Animportantprincipleforclarity Theclarityofyourwritingmustbeimmediate noteventual 3 VerbalprecisionVerbalprecisionmeansselectingthemostaccuratewordstocommunicateanidea 1 ExactnessofmeaningMisusedandinexactwordsundermineverbalprecision Heisoneofthemosteffectiveworkersintheworkshop Theplaneflewcontinuallyfor11hoursbeforelanding TheyensuredusthatthegoodswouldbedeliveredwithintwoweeksafterreceiptoftheL C 2 RelativeandabstractwordsIneedthechartsquickly Theconditionsontheislandareinsufferable Neverusearelativewordwhenyoucansubstituteamoreexactwordorphrase Neverallowanabstractwordtostandalone unelaborateduponbyconcretewordsthatcanbringtheabstraction smeaningintoclarityforthereader 3 Sexism Sexistlanguage Eachemployeeshouldshowhisbadgeatthegate Wordslikemankind manpower gentleman sagreementhaveanobvious masculinebias 4 Euphemismcheap inexpensiveheartdisease hearttroubleoldpeople seniorcitizensthepoor theneedy 5 LevelsofdictionDictionalstairwaybuy purchasestart begin commenceend terminatetry attempt endeavorknow beawareof becognizantof Nolevelofdictionisnaturallybetterthananyother Whatmattersisappropriateness Asthefifthplenarysessionconvened thedelegates allcognizantoftheimpendingconfrontation lookeddowninthedumps Teddygotthekindofjobhewaslookingfor withasmalloutfit greatworkingconditions lotsofroomtoclimb andamostsuperiorremuneration StyleStyleisthewayyourwriting sounds toitsreaders Yourstylemaybenaturalandlively Oritmaybeawkwardanddull 1 Stylepitfalls1 CircumlocutionCircumlocutionisthe longwayaround toexpressanidea duetothefactthat becauseinspiteofthefactthat although though while Therecanbenodoubtthatduringthetimethatalargenumberofpersonsofadolescentageare Undoubtedly whilemanyteenagersare 2 Pile upofadjectivesthemuch delayedPresidentialAdvisoryCommitteemeeting themuch delayedmeetingofPresidentialAdvisoryCommitteetheprimarymagneticgeneratormaterial theprimarymaterialforourmagneticgenerator 3 FracturedparallelismWhenCarsonretired hewasadmiredbyhiscolleagues respectedbyhisadversaries andhisstaffmemberslovedhim 2 Effectivestyletechniques1 Emphasisasthekeytolivelywritinga Emphasisbyweight BulkweightThegreaterthenumberofwordsyoudevotetoanidea themoreimportant oremphatic thatideaseemswithinthecontext HenryFord abrilliantinnovator single handedlyconvertedthemakingofautomobilesfromcottageindustrytoindustrialcolossus HenryFord aninnovatorofgreatbrilliance single handedlyconverted HenryFord aninnovatorofgreatandunquestionedbrilliance single handedlyconverted GrammaticalweightThelargerthegrammaticalunityoudevotetoanidea themoreemphaticthatideabecomes HenryFord abrilliantinnovator single handedlyconverted HenryFord whowasabrilliantinnovator single handedlyconverted HenryFordwasabrilliantinnovatorwhosingle handedlyconverted HenryFordwasabrilliantinnovator Hesingle handedlyconverted b Emphasisbyposition SubjectpositionThepositionofthegrammaticalsubjectinasentenceisasourceofnaturalemphasis HenryFordsingle handedlyconvertedthemakingofautomobiles Themakingofautomobileswasconvertedsingle handedlybyHenryFord InitialandterminalpositionsNoonecandenythatthecomputerhashadagreateffectuponthebusinessworld Noonecandenythatthecomputer seffectuponthebusinessworldhasbeengreat Undeniably thecomputer seffectuponthebusinessworldhasbeengreat Hefinallyleftafterwhatseemedlikehoursoftediouspleading Afterwhatseemedlikehoursoftediouspleading hefinallyleft Finally afterwhatseemedlikehoursoftediouspleading heleft c EmphasisbyseparationandisolationPutsomedistancebetweenkeyideas andthesignificanceofeachofthemwillstandoutmoreclearly Sameulson smemosareclearandconcise Sameulson smemosareclear andconcise Sameulson smemosareclear andtheyareconcise Sameulson smemosareclear Theyarealsoconcise Manhasthebrains imagination andskilltoovercometheproblemsthatstandbeforehim Manhasthebrains theimagination andtheskilltoovercometheproblemsthatstandbeforehim d EmphasisbyinterruptionAnythingthatinterruptssomethingelsecallsattentiontoitselfbydoingso Thenovel UncleTom sCabin wasoneofthegreatsuccessesinAmericanpublishing andoneofthemostimmediatelyinfluentialbooksevertohaveappearedinthiscountry Thenovel UncleTom sCabin wasoneofthegreatsuccessesinAmericanpublishing andoneofthemostimmediatelyinfluentialbooks evertohaveappearedinthiscountry Theextraordinarynumberoftopicsdiscussedatlastnight smeeting seventeenbymysecretary scount speakspoorlyofthecommittee sdesireforprudenceanddeliberation Tone1 CourtesyCourtesyinwritingismorethanawell timed please or thankyou Courtesyresultsfromabalancebetweencordialityandtact cordialitybeingthewarmthandfriendlinessyoushowtowardyourreader tact thesensitivityanddiscretion Courtesyblundersthatcandestroycourtesybalance 1 CurtnessThankyouforyourrecentletter Wearepleasedthatyoulikeyournewcalculator 2 SarcasmCongratulations ladies I mproudtoannouncethat asaresultofyourtirelesseffortslastmonth wefellonly 1700shortofoursalesquota 3 PeevishnessorangerWhenexactlycanyouputthedamnprinterright 4 SuspicionWhetheryoumeantoornot youcanmakeyourselfseemsuspiciousofyourreader smotivesbyusingphraseslike If asyoustate and Ifwhatyousayistrue Ifthemixerwasdefectiveatthetimeofpurchase asyouallege wewilldefinitelyreplaceitwithanewone Wedothinkitstrange however thatyouwaitedsolongtoinformus 5 InsultWehavereceivedsomanyapplicationsfromexcellentcandidatesthatweareunabletoconsideryours 6 AccusationYouobviouslyignoredourrequestforadiscount Anytimeyoufindyourselfusingphraseslike youneglected youomitted youforgotto youriskoffendingyourreaderwithatoneofaccusation 7 Talkingdown Condescension Inanestablishmentaslargeasours Mrs Harris weseldomhavecauseto Ourdictionarycostsmorethancompetingonesbecauseit sworthmorethancompetingones Youmustrealizethatyouarestartingaveryimportantphaseofyourcareer Weknowyouwillmakethisdecisionwisely 8 Over familiarityGivemyregardstoyourfamily Yousee Mr Lowe wehavebeeninbusinessforseventy eightyears Asyouandyourwifeknow Mr Lowe 2 SincerityThecourteousattitudewe vebeendiscussingisoneofthegreatestassetsyourwritingcanhave butonlyifit sbelieved Thepersonreadingyourwritingmustfeelthatyourcourtesyisgenuine notjustatoolforself gainliketheartificialsmilesweseeonsomepeople sfaces Notonlyyourmessage butitstoneaswell muststrikeyourreaderasgenuine Causesofinsincerity 1 Over humilityOurmostsincereapologiesforthefoolisherrorwemadeinhandlingyourlastorder Wearesoverythankfulfortherenewedopportunityyourgoodcompanyisgivingustoserveyourneeds 2 ObviousflatteryOnlyyou Mrs Owen canhandlethisdifficultassignmentforus 3 ExaggerationIthinkyouwillagreethatourrangeofwellover200productswhicharem