Writing Rhetorically

Writing Rhetorically

If you are writing a memo, an email, or a business proposal, there are certain elements of writing that must be considered. I want to help you out—so I’ve made a bit of a summary of things that you MUST consider if you are writing professionally.  I gathered this information from a highly informative book, which I recommend strongly for anyone considering business writing seriously! You can access the book from here: Writing that Works

Here are the three categories that you must consider!!

Topic:

This is sort of like your thesis. Think of the overall topic you are considering for your writing, and organize your writing according to that topic. In other words, it is important to focus on the scope of your topic. If you are writing about a business proposal, avoid talking about superfluous information. So avoid unnecessary facts, and in general, any point that does not directly relate to your topic.

Audience:

For everything that your write, your audience might vary dramatically. This is incredibly important. If you are writing to your boss, and you know that your boss is a snob about vocabulary, you can use that knowledge to your advantage, and use big words! The way that you incorporate your audience into your writing will have a direct impact on whether you are heard or ignored. So remember, tailor your writing for the intended audience, and they will think better of you.

Purpose:

Remember, you have a goal. In business writing, there is always something that you are trying to accomplish; whether it is a specific proposal you want passed, or a new employee policy, you will need to keep in mind the ultimate resolution you want. For instance, consider whether your writing will need to meet the approval of one person, or a committee. Also, focus on an argument that will support your end-goal. If you keep your purpose in mind, you will not only help to clarify your aims for yourself, but you will also become clearer in your writing. If your writing is clear and poignant, then you will be more likely to be heard.

Don’t Forget!

Your writing is going to be considered as it is. The reader will not incorporate what you intend to say into their reading. If you want a specific point to be considered, you must make it explicit!

If you keep these ideas in mind, you will do just fine…

Best of luck!

Tone and Style

Why Tone is Vital for Success

One of the most vital aspects of any piece of writing is building audience trust. If your reader does not feel that what you are saying is genuine and convincing, then any point the text has to make will be nullified. To establish a strong and effective relationship with your reader, you need to maintain a proper level of appropriate tone and style. Tone is used to show how you feel about your audience, and style is the expression, in writing, of that attitude.

Essential Organizational Patterns

Organizational patterns are chosen based on audience and purpose. With some subjects, organizational patterns are easy to choose, while others may involve a combination of patterns. Anticipate the needs of your audience and logically consider which type of organization best fits your purpose.

Sequential divides a subject into steps and present them in the order they occur. The audience is able to easily understand and follow this type of organization since it flows logically from one step to the other. Avoid the pitfall of assuming the audience knows more than they do and provide detailed explanations to each step. Sequential patterns are typically used for writing instructions.

Chronological focuses on the order steps occur in time. This is typically used in trip reports, work schedules, minutes of meetings, and laboratory test procedures.

Spatial describes an object according to the arrangements of its features. You may choose to describe the subject by dimension, direction, shape, or proportion. This can easily be used with sequential or chronological organizations since all are divided into steps. Spatial organization is commonly used with emergency plans, layouts, and progress reports.

Division separates a whole into parts. Carefully consider the subject and your purpose before dividing information and keep your choice of division consistent.

Both division and classification are used to help the audience consider individual areas of a subject and their relationship to one another.

Classification groups a number of units into related categories. Outlining or tables are often used since both organize information by relationship and further break down the subject.

Decreasing order of importance begins with the most important point and ends with the least important point. This is useful for audiences with limited time who need to quickly scan a document. Newspapers adopt this model of organization by placing primary information first followed by background information.

Increasing order of importance begins with the least important point and concludes with the most important point. This is useful when you want the reader to have the most important information fresh in mind. However, your audience may get distracted or impatient before reaching the main point.

General-to-specific places a general statement or the key finding at the beginning and follows with supporting facts or examples. This is commonly used in memos and reports, which place the key statement at the beginning followed by supporting facts in the body of the document.

Specific-to-general begins with specific information and builds toward a general conclusion. This is useful when dealing with a skeptical audience because it allows you to build your case throughout the document before reaching the general conclusion.

Comparison is used to evaluate the merits of different items for a specific purpose. First, determine the basis for the comparison. Then, find an effective way to structure the comparison.

• The whole-by-whole pattern is used to discuss all relevant characteristics of one item before moving onto the next.
• The part-by-part pattern is used to compare relevant features of each item one by one.

Most comparisons use tables so your reader can compare the information all at once. 

Executive Summaries

Executive summaries, which are basically somewhat short written accounts of major reports, are extremely useful for people who do not have time to read an entire in-depth report. They essentially preview main points of a detailed report while allowing the reader to become familiar enough with the main report without actually having to read it.

Here is some useful information to help you create a successful executive summary:

Rules of thumb:

• If you write a report that exceeds four pages, plan to write an executive summary.
• Write your executive summary after you write the main report.
• Make sure your executive summary is no longer than one-tenths of the main report.

       

       Writing it out:

• Make sure the main points in your executive summary are in the same order as they appear in the main report.
• Write a simple declarative statement for each main point.
• Add supporting or explanatory sentences to your main points as needed.

       Checking for errors:

• Read over your completed executive summary and make sure it clearly communicates your purpose and main ideas.
• Identify any errors of grammar, usage, mechanics, or spelling.
• Have a nontechnical person (such as a friend or family member) read your executive summary. If they find your executive summary boring or confusing, than it is likely that your summary will have the same effect on other people. 

       Overall, there are three types of executive summaries: formal reports, sales proposals, and technical reports.

1) Formal Reports- summaries of main projects such as research into new developments in a field, explorations of the feasibility of a new product or service, or an organization's end-of-year review

• Most formal reports require signposts that lead to material in the report such as a table of contents, a list of figures, or an abstract (a brief summary of the report).
• One of the most important things to keep in mind when writing a formal report is that you are organizing your report to address the needs of more than one audience.

2) Sales Proposal- a major marketing tool for business and industry/a company's offer to provide specific goods or services to a potential buyer within a specified period of time or for a specified price

• Sales proposals vary greatly in length and sophistication
• One of the most important things to keep in mind when writing a sales proposal is that you must find out exactly what the prospective customer needs

3) Technical Reports- a document that describes the process, progress, or results of technical or scientific research

• In todays world, technical reports are a major source of scientific and technical information
• Technical reports commonly contain the state of a technical or scientific research problems.

Sources:

"How to Write an Executive Summary." eHow.com. Demand Media, Inc., n.d.                  Web. 19. April 2012.

Oliu, et al. Writing That Works. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. Print.

Giving Presentations

Giving Presentations

When done well, oral communication can be an effective tool in the workplace. To be successful, it needs a clear structure and should be concise (Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu 498). Here is a breakdown of the main components that make up this workplace skill, adapted from Writing That Works by editors Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu.

What’s your goal?

Before putting together your presentation, you need to determine your purpose for giving it. You can do this by creating a purpose statement that answers these two questions: “what?” and “why?” (Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu 499).

Here’s an example:

The purpose of my presentation is to explain to my coworkers the reception our company products received during my business trip to Hong Kong (what) so that they will consider expanding the company to Hong Kong permanently (why).

It is important to do this step first so that your presentation will have clarity. Your purpose statement will serve as a thesis around which to build your presentation.

Know your audience

Your audience will affect how you approach the delivery of your information. Answer the following questions about your audience which are detailed in Writing That Works (500):

• What is their level of experience or knowledge about your topic?
• What is their general education level and age?
• What is their attitude toward the topic you are addressing and, based on that attitude, what interests, concerns, fears, or objections might they have?

Everything in its place

The structure of your presentation operates on an understanding of the human attention span. The most important information should go first and be re-introduced at the end.

The three parts of any presentation are the introduction, body, and closing (Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu).

Here is a closer look at each:

Introduction

·      Begins with an attention-grabbing statement that is relevant to the issue

·      Identifies the issue that will be presented and what the audience can expect to gain from your presentation

·      Provides necessary background information on the issue

    (501)

Body

·      Offers a solution to a problem that maybe have been stated in the introduction

·      Proves your point – presents any data and facts from reliable sources that will defend your claims

    (502)

Closing

·      Should achieve the purpose of your presentation – convinces your audience to agree, change their minds, or to do something you’re asking

·      Wraps up – gives an overview for those who may have lost attention

·      Invites questions and objections – anticipate any confusion or resistance and be ready to respond

·      Thanks the audience for their time and attention

                             (502)

Something shiny

It’s proven that visual aids greatly increase audience attention and understanding (Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu 504). Consequently, providing charts, graphs, or illustrations are a necessity and can save you from filling all of your slides with explanatory text (Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu 504).

Approach the use of visuals with caution. Keep them simple. Avoid special effects and bright colors whenever possible since they can turn a visual aid into a distraction.

Practice Makes Perfect

In conclusion, be sure to practice your presentation out loud and while standing to adequately prepare yourself (Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu 513). If you apply each of the above components to your presentation you should find that it goes very smoothly, and with a bit of practice you will be able to effectively communicate to your audience.

Resume Building: Making Yours Stand Out

    Whether you're a recent college graduate trying for that dream job or a lowly freshman looking for extra money, every student knows how hard it is to compete for jobs in these economic times. Having an effective resume could be that giant step that sets you apart from the crowds and gets your foot in the door! Below are a few tips that will help you write that eye-catching and job-getting resume.

Organize Strategically 
     
     Though it can depend on the job you are striving for, most fields of work stick to the following seven categories to organize resumes:

• Heading-  This includes your name and contact information (Address, email, phone number) usually centered on the top of the page.  
• Job Objective-  This section is a one to two sentence description of your career goals. This can be omitted if it will limit the kinds of jobs you qualify for. 
• Education-  This portion summarizes any educational experience you may have, starting with college.
• Employment Experience-  Here, all paid and unpaid work experience should be outlined chronologically beginning with the most recent. 
• Related Skills and Abilities-  This is the space to write all other relevant abilities not exhibited by the education or employment experience sections. 
• Honors and Achievements-  All relevant extracurricular activities, awards, and professional affiliations are listed in this portion. 
• References-  This section lists persons with whom you have some professional or educational connection and are willing to testify for your good work. 

     Going off of this template can get you started, but to really make your resume shine, think about what skills are going to matter most to whomever will be reviewing your resume. Are you applying for a job in which a certain college education is crucial? Emphasize this part of your experience. Is work experience more important for the job you are seeking? Make the "Employment Experience" the first section that your possible employer sees.


Write Professionally
  
     Though organizing your content is key to a good resume, any irrelevant, unprofessional, or error-filled writing will cause a possible employer to lose interest. It's important to understand what to include in each of the resume categories and how to include it. The following are tips found in Writing that Works that explain how you should decide what details to include:

• Eliminate irrelevant information-  Employers don't need to know your hobbies or interests that don't pertain to the job. If you are applying for a secretary position, your years of dance training are not relevant.
• Eliminate wordiness-  In business, time is money, so your resume should be as short and skimmable as possible. Keep out unnecessary adverbs ("very," "interestingly"), redundant words, or throat-clearing phrases ("The fact that," "It is").
• Be consistent-  Use the same format, punctuation, and spacing throughout the resume. If you choose to make your headings bold, be sure to do so throughout the entire document. 
• Proofread carefully- Verify the accuracy of the information, and have at least one over person look over your resume. Any careless mistakes will cause possible employers to take you much less seriously. 

E-mail Etiquette in the Work Place

E-mail etiquette in the work place hinges on professionalism, effective communication, and proper structuring. Though E-mail is a primary form of communication in today’s fast-paced and technological world, the principles of professionalism are often overlooked. Learning about E-mail etiquette is essential for success in every field.


Maintain Professionalism

E-mail is not primarily a social media networking device. It is “electronic mail”. Although it is a fast form of communication, take your time. Careless errors appear more commonly than they should in professional E-mails. Because of the nature of the medium, it is also common for the writers of business E-mails to say things that they wouldn’t typically say in a business setting. Professional E-mails are not the appropriate medium for expressing intense emotion, sharing personal/confidential information, or socializing. Remember that you represent not only yourself, but your client and your company or organization at all times.

Refrain from including the following in professional E-mails:

•  Emoticons
• Jokes or sarcasm
• Bias or unnecessarily opinionated language
• Personal information or gossip
• Slang
• Unnecessary or irrelevant visuals

Beware of Miscommunication

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that your audience will automatically receive your message the way you intend them to receive it. Miscommunication is easy when using mediums such as E-mail. Because of this, it is important to communicate as clearly, effectively, and succinctly as possible.

Consider the following to avoid miscommunication:

• Refrain from using idioms or jargon that your audience may not understand
• Focus each E-mail; avoid presenting multiple or unrelated subjects
• Be succinct and to the point; avoid wordy language
• Use bullets, bold, italics, etc. to guide your reader and highlight important parts
• Place calls to action as close to the beginning as possible
• Avoid using confusing abbreviations or acronyms
• Include all information the first time (attachments, contact info, dates, facts, etc.)

Structure E-mails Properly

Although it is important to structure each E-mail in accordance with its individual purpose and audience, professional E-mails are largely uniform in structure.  In this way, it is acceptable to build professional E-mails off of a formula.

Adhere to the following professional standards:

• Always include a subject line; it should summarize the content of your message.
• Compose your list of recipients in order of importance from greatest to least (e.g. list the Executive Director’s E-mail address first).
• Begin the body of each E-mail with a greeting and conclude with a salutation.
• Include a signature block with your name, position, company and contact information.

It is important to know and to abide by the expected E-mail etiquette for your specific organization or company. If you don’t know, ask! To conclude, here is a short informative video from a seminar on professional E-mail etiquette.