Analyzing the Audience In order to craft effective business messages, beginning writers should follow the writing process closely.

3.What is the secondary purpose of this message?

To sell more voice mail systems

To offer a guarantee of service

To maintain the customer's goodwill

After identifying the purpose of your message, you should select the most appropriate communication channel. When determining the most effective channel for your message,

4.which of the following should you consider? Check all that apply.

Importance of the message

Amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required

Degree of formality desired

Amount of effort involved

Necessity of a permanent record

Sender's composing preference

Confidentiality and sensitivity of the message

Consider the following situation and choose the most appropriate communication channel.

You just got back from a convention where you saw some new software that you think the information technology director could use. You can get a discount on the software for the next six weeks because you attended the convention. Unfortunately, the IT director is on vacation this week. How should you tell him about this opportunity?

You should use:

A blog

An e-mail

Video- or teleconferencing

A letter

Technology and competition continue to accelerate the pace of business; thus, business writers switch to increasingly faster means of communication. Consider the following

scenario, and determine if a faster communication channel would be more appropriate.

Marco is on the phone with a client. He needs to get his boss's approval for an immediate change in the client's contract. Marco writes his boss an e-mail.

Marco should send an instant message.

Marco has chosen the correct channel.

Marco should put his request for approval in a memo.

3. Composing Effective Sentences

The most compelling and effective messages contain a variety of sentence patterns and avoid common sentence faults. You can create successful messages with sentence variety by understanding the four sentence types, controlling the length of your sentences, and avoiding fragments, run-ons, and comma splices.

1. Identify the correct pattern of a complex sentence.

Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction, a semicolon, or a conjunctive adverb

An independent clause and a dependent clause

One independent clause with a subject and a predicate verb

2. Identify the sentence pattern of the following sentence.

Katherine should proofread the recommendation report, and you should finish the slide deck for the presentation.

Simple

Compound

Compound-complex

Sentence length also impacts the reception of your message.

Complete the following sentence.

Limiting your sentences to (20 words or fewer, 28 words on average)will help clarify your message.

The three most common sentence errors are fragments, run-ons, and comma splices. If you can identify the common types of sentence errors, you will be more likely to avoid making them.

Read the following selections and identify the sentence error.

Typing an e-mail message is a form of message encoding. Such as converting an idea into written language.

Run-on

Fragment

Comma splice

Avoiding the most common sentence faults helps you maintain professional credibility and craft more effective messages.

Select the correct version of each pair of the following sentences.

Local markets have become saturated companies now look to other countries for further expansion.

Local markets have become saturated, so companies now look to other countries for further expansion.

If you can write well, you can represent your company well.

If you can write well; you can represent your company well.

Employees today aren't hired only for their knowledge, their ability to learn new things is also vital.

Employees today aren't hired only for their knowledge. Their ability to learn new things is also vital.

The communication process works fluidly. It moves from one step to the next often without pause.

The communication process works fluidly it moves from one step to the next often without pause.

To ensure clear communication; use precise words to convey your ideas.

To ensure clear communication, use precise words to convey your ideas.