Chapt 6 (Completing Business Messages)

Table 6.2 (2 of 3)

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Achieving Parallelism Table 6.1

-Parallel forms are easier to read and skim. You can create parallelism by repeating the pattern in words, phrases, clauses, or entire sentences.

Producing Your Message & Designing for Readability figure 6.3

-L O 6.4 List four principles of effective design, and explain the role of major design elements in document readability. -Now it's time to put your hard work on display. The production quality of your message—the total effect of page or screen design, graphical elements, typography, and so on—plays an important role in its effectiveness. A polished, inviting design not only makes your material easier to read but also conveys a sense of professionalism and importance. -The quality of your document design, both on paper and on screen, affects readability and audience perceptions. Good design enhances the readability of your material. Effective design helps you establish the tone of your document and helps guide your readers through your message (see Figure 6.3). To achieve an effective design, pay careful attention to the following design elements: -Consistency. Throughout each message, be consistent in your use of margins, typeface, type size, and space. Also be consistent when using recurring design elements, such as vertical lines, columns, and borders. In many cases you'll want to be consistent from message to message as well; that way, audiences who receive multiple messages from you recognize your documents and know what to expect. -Balance. Is an important but subjective issue. One document may have a formal, rigid design in which the various elements are placed in a grid pattern, whereas another may have a less formal design in which elements flow more freely across the page—and both could be in balance. Like the tone of your language, visual balance can be too formal, just right, or too informal for a given message. -Restraint. Strive for simplicity in design. Don't clutter your message with too many design elements, too many typeface treatments, too many colors, or too many decorative touches. Let "simpler" and "fewer" be your guiding concepts. -Detail. Pay attention to details that affect your design and thus your message. For instance, extremely wide columns of text can be difficult to read; in many cases a better solution is to split the text into two narrower columns. -Even without special training in graphic design, you can make your print and digital messages more effective by understanding the use of white space, margins and line justification, typefaces, and type styles. Design affects readability: -Design elements can act as a barrier to communication. -Visual design sends a nonverbal message to your readers. Fig 6.3 info: -The layout is statically balanced, with equal visual weight on either side of the vertical centerline. -The picture of the anvil (a device used by blacksmiths to shape pieces of iron) plays off the company name and provides visual interest without overwhelming the page. -These three concise labels are the sub-headings" of the website, directing readers to each of the major sections of content. -These introductory paragraphs offer succinct summaries of the three content areas. The centered paragraphs promote the look of calm balance, and in these small sections of centered text is easy to read. -When a reader clicks on any of the three sections above, this area presents the next level of detail. -Readers can "drill down" through the layers of information without getting overwhelmed by large amounts of text or distracting visual elements.

Evaluating, Editing, and Revising the Work of Others

-What's the purpose of this document or message? -Who's the target audience? -What info does the audience need? -Does the document provide this information in a well-organized way? -Does the writing demonstrate the "you" attitude toward the audience? Remember when evaluating, editing, & revising other's work: -Unless specifically asked to rewrite something in your own style or to change the emphasis of the message, your job is to help the other writer succeed at his or her task, not to impose your writing style or pursue your own agenda. Make sure your input focuses on making the piece more effective, not on making it more like something you would've written. -Make sure you understand the writer's intent before you begin suggesting or making changes. If you try to edit or revise without knowing what the writer hoped to accomplish, you run the risk of making the piece less effective, not more. Summary: -When you evaluate, edit, or revise someone else's work, remember that your job is to help that person succeed, not to impose your own style. -Is the tone of the writing appropriate for the audience? -Can the readability be improved? -Is the writing clear? If not, how can it be improved? -Is the writing as concise as it could be? -Does the design support the intended message?

Effective Design Choices for Business Documents

Compare to the version in Figure 6.5—notice how with just a few simple changes, the ineffective version becomes much more inviting to read. (Note that this open layout will require more pages, which could be a consideration if the document is meant to be printed.) Info on the picture: (a) The typeface used in the headings is clear and clean, with the right look for a business document. (b) The paragraphs are left justified, which eliminates the excessive gaps between words. (c) Generous leading and space between paragraphs open up the page and make it more inviting and easier to read. (d) This version refrains from any special type treatment, although a few selected instances would be fine. (e )The typeface is easy to read. A sans serif typeface such as Arial or Helvetica would've worked nicely as well. (f) By wrapping text around the visual, this version makes better use of the space and can position the image directly beside the relevant text. (g) Generous margins keep the text lines short and make the page more inviting to read. (h)Widow and orphan control was activated in the word-processing software, which ensures that at least two lines of a split paragraph appear at the bottom of a page.

Chapt 6 vocabulary

Heading-A brief title that tells readers about the content of the section that follows. Subheading-Titles that are subordinate to headings, indicating subsections with a major section. Descriptive headings-Headings that simply identify a topic. Informative headings-Headings that guide readers to think in a certain way about a topic. White space-Space (of any color) in a document or screen that doesn't contain any text or artwork. Typeface-The physical design of letters, numbers, & other text characters (font & typeface are often used interchangeably, although strictly speaking, a font is a set of characters in a given typeface). Serif typeface-Typefaces with small crosslines (called serifs) at the ends of letter strokes. Sans serif typeface-Typefaces whose letters lack serifs. Type styles-Any modification that lends contrast or emphasis to type, including boldface, italic, underlining, color, & other highlighting & decorative styles.

Figure 6.2

Info: -The content is now organized in three coherent paragraphs, each with a distinct message. - The tone is friendly and engaging without being flowery.

Editing for Clarity and Conciseness & Editing for Clarity & Table 6.2 (1 of 3)

L O 6.3 Describe eight steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and give four tips on making your writing more concise. -After you've reviewed and revised your message for readability, your next step is to make your message as clear and as concise as possible. -Break up overly long sentences. If you find yourself stuck in a long sentence, you're probably trying to make the sentence do more than it reasonably can, such as expressing two dissimilar thoughts or peppering the reader with too many pieces of supporting evidence at once. (Did you notice how difficult this long sentence was to read?) -Rewrite hedging sentences. Hedging means pulling back from making a confident, definitive statement about a topic. Granted, sometimes you have to write may or seems to avoid stating a judgment or prediction as a fact. When you hedge too often or without good reason, however, you come across as being unsure of what you're saying. -Impose parallelism. When you have two or more similar ideas to express, make them parallel by using the same grammatical construction. Parallelism shows that the ideas are related, of similar importance, and on the same level of generality. -Correct dangling modifiers. Sometimes a modifier is not just an adjective or an adverb but an entire phrase modifying a noun or a verb. Be careful not to leave this type of modifier dangling, with no connection to the subject of the sentence. -Reword long noun sequences. When multiple nouns are strung together as modifiers, the resulting sentence can be hard to read. See if a single well-chosen word will do the job. If the nouns are all necessary, consider moving one or more to a modifying phrase, as shown in Table 6.2. -Replace camouflaged verbs. Watch for words that end in -ion, -tion, -ing, -ment, -ant, -ent, -ence, -ance, and -ency. These endings often change verbs into nouns and adjectives, requiring you to add a verb to get your point across. -Clarify sentence structure. Keep the subject and predicate of a sentence as close together as possible. When the subject and predicate are far apart, readers may need to read the sentence twice to figure out who did what. Similarly, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases usually make the most sense when they're placed as close as possible to the words they modify. -Clarify awkward references. If you want readers to refer to a specific point in a document, avoid vague references such as the above-mentioned, as mentioned above, the aforementioned, the former, the latter, and respectively. Use a specific pointer such as "as described in the second paragraph on page 162."

Editing for Conciseness with Table 6.3 (1 of 5)

Many of the changes you make to improve clarity also shorten your message by removing unnecessary words. The next step is to examine the text with the specific goal of reducing the number of words. Readers appreciate conciseness and are more likely to read your documents if you have a reputation for efficient writing. See Table 6.3 for examples of the following tips: -Delete unnecessary words and phrases. To test whether a word or phrase is essential, try the sentence without it. If the meaning doesn't change, leave it out. -Shorten long words and phrases. Short words and phrases are generally more vivid and easier to read than long ones. Also, by using infinitives (the "to" form of a verb) in place of some phrases, you can often shorten sentences while making them clearer. -Eliminate redundancies. In some word combinations, the words say the same thing. For instance, "visible to the eye" is redundant because visible is enough without further clarification; "to the eye" adds nothing. -Rewrite "It is/There are" starters. If you start a sentence with an indefinite pronoun such as it or there, chances are the sentence could be shorter and more active. For instance, "We believe . . . " is a stronger opening than "It is believed that . . . " because it is shorter and because it identifies who is doing the believing. -As you rewrite, concentrate on how each word contributes to an effective sentence and on how each sentence helps build a coherent paragraph. For a reminder of the tasks involved in revision, see "Checklist: Revising Business Messages." Checklist: Evaluate content, organization, style, and tone. •Make sure the information is accurate, relevant, and sufficient. •Check that all necessary points appear in logical order. •Verify that you present enough support to make the main idea convincing and compelling. •Be sure the beginning and ending of the message are effective. •Make sure you've achieved the right tone for the audience and the situation. Review for readability. •Consider using a readability index, but be sure to interpret the answer carefully. •Use a mix of short, medium, and long sentences. •Keep paragraphs short. •Use bulleted and numbered lists to emphasize key points. •Make the document easy to skim with headings and subheadings. Edit for clarity. •Break up overly long sentences and rewrite hedging sentences. •Impose parallelism to simplify reading. •Correct dangling modifiers. •Reword long noun sequences and replace camouflaged verbs. •Clarify sentence structure and awkward references. Edit for conciseness. •Delete unnecessary words and phrases. •Shorten long words and phrases. •Eliminate redundancies. •Rewrite sentences that start with "It is" or "There are."

Careful Proofreading

Resist the temptation to treat proofreading as a casual scan up and down the page or screen. Instead, approach it as a methodical procedure in which you look for specific problems that may occur. Use these techniques from professional proofreaders to help ensure high-quality output: -Make multiple passes. Go through the document several times, focusing on a different aspect each time. For instance, look for content errors the first time and layout errors the second time. -Use perceptual tricks. You've probably experienced the frustration of reading over something a dozen times and still missing an obvious error. This happens because your brain has developed a wonderful skill of subconsciously supplying missing pieces and correcting mistakes when it knows what is supposed to be on the page. To keep your brain from tricking you, you need to trick it by changing the way you process the visual information. Try (1) reading each page backward, from the bottom to the top, (2) placing your finger under each word and reading it silently, (3) making a slit in a sheet of paper that reveals only one line of type at a time, and (4) reading the document aloud and pronouncing each word carefully. -Double-check high-priority items. Double-check the spelling of names and the accuracy of dates, addresses, and any number that could cause grief if incorrect (such as telling a potential employer that you'd be happy to work for $5,000 a year when you meant to say $50,000). -Give yourself some distance. If possible, don't proofread immediately after finishing a document; let your mind wander off to new topics and then come back fresh later. -Be vigilant. Avoid reading large amounts of material in one sitting and try not to proofread when you're tired. -Stay focused. Concentrate on what you're doing. Try to block out distractions and focus as completely as possible on your proofreading task. -Review complex digital documents on paper. Some people have trouble proofreading webpages, online reports, and other digital documents on screen. If you have trouble, print the materials so you can review them on paper. -Take your time. Quick proofreading is not careful proofreading. -The amount of time you need to spend on proofing depends on the length and complexity of the document and the situation. A typo in an email message to your team may not be a big deal, but a typo in a financial report, a contract, or a medical file certainly could be serious. See "Checklist: Proofing Business Messages" for a handy list of items to review during proofing. Checklist Proofreading Business Messages: Look for writing errors.-Typographical mistakes -Misspelled words -Grammatical errors -Punctuation mistakes Look for missing elements.-Missing text sections -Missing exhibits (drawings, tables, photographs, charts, graphs, online images, and so on) -Missing source notes, copyright notices, or other reference items Look for design, formatting, and programming mistakes.-Incorrect or inconsistent font selections -Problems with column sizing, spacing, and alignment -Incorrect margins -Incorrect special characters -Clumsy line and page breaks -Problems with page numbers -Problems with page headers and footers -Lack of adherence to company standards -Inactive or incorrect links -Missing files

Formatting Formal Letters and Memos

This document, and the following document, illustrate some of the basic principles of effective document design (which apply to both printed and digital documents). Notice how with just a few simple changes, the ineffective version becomes much more inviting to read. Formal letters: -Most business letters are printed on letterhead stationery, which includes the company's name, address, and other contact information. -After the letterhead is the date, followed by the inside address, which identifies the person receiving the letter. -Next is the salutation, usually in the form of Dear Mr. or Ms. Last Name. -Next the message, followed by the complimentary close, usually Sincerely or Cordially. -Last comes the signature block: space for the signature, followed by the sender's printed name and title. -Your company may have a standard format, probably with a template in Microsoft Word whatever word processor is standard in the organization. Memos: -largely been replaced by digital media in many companies -the company may have a standard format or template. -Most begin with a title such as Memo, Memorandum, or Interoffice Correspondence. -usually four headings: Date, To, From, and Subject. (Re:, short for Regarding, is sometimes used instead of Subject.) -usually don't use a salutation, complimentary close, or signature, although signing your initials next to your name on the From line is standard practice in most companies. -often distributed without sealed envelopes, so they're less private than most other message formats. Info on the photo: (a)The typeface used in the headings has too much personality & the wrong feel for a business document. (b)The justified paragraphs have a "gappy" look, with excess space between words. (c)With tight leading (space between lines) & no extra space between paragraphs, the result is a visually intimidating "wall of text" look. (d)The overuse of type styles (bold, underline, & italics) creates visual clutter & reduces the impact of any individual style. (e)The typeface used for the body text is difficult to read. (f)Running the illustration inline, rather than wrapping text around it, leaves an enormous gap on the page (a poor use of white space, in this case). (g)The narrow margins make the text lines too long for easy reading & give the page a packed, intimidating look. (h)The first line of this paragraph left "stranded" at the bottom of the page is known as an orphan. (The last line of a paragraph stranded at the top of a succeeding page is a widow).

Table 6.3 (2 of 5)

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Table 6.2 (3 of 3)

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Table 6.3 (3 of 5)

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Table 6.3 (4 of 5)

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Table 6.3 (5 of 5)

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Adding Headings and Subheadings

-A heading is a brief title that tells readers about the content of the section that follows. -Subheadings are subordinate to headings, indicating subsections within a major section. Headings and subheadings serve these important functions: -Organization. Headings show your reader at a glance how the document is organized. They act as labels to group related paragraphs and organize lengthy material into shorter sections. -Attention. Informative, inviting, and in some cases intriguing headings grab the reader's attention, make the text easier to read, and help the reader find the parts he or she needs to read—or skip. -Connection. Using headings and subheadings together helps readers see the relationship between main ideas and subordinate ones so that they can understand your message more easily. Moreover, headings and subheadings visually indicate shifts from one idea to the next. Headings and subheadings fall into two categories: -Descriptive headings, such as "Cost Considerations," identify a topic but do little more. -Informative headings, such as "Redesigning Material Flow to Cut Production Costs," guide readers to think in a certain way about the topic. Are generally more helpful than descriptive ones. Well-written informative headings are self-contained, which means readers can read just the headings and subheadings and understand them without reading the rest of the document. Helpful especially if cast as questions you plan to address in your document. Remember -Whatever types of headings you choose, keep them brief and use parallel construction throughout the document.

Document Design Elements

-Any space that doesn't contain text or artwork, both in print and online, is considered white space. (Note that "white space" isn't necessarily white; it is simply blank.) These unused areas provide visual contrast and important resting points for your readers. White space includes the margins, paragraph indents, space around images, open areas surrounding headings, vertical space between columns, and horizontal space between paragraphs or lines of text. To increase the chance that readers will read your messages, be generous with white space; it makes pages and screens feel less intimidating and easier to read. -Margins define the space around text and between text columns. In addition to their width, the look and feel of margins are influenced by the way lines of text are arranged. They can be set (1) justified (which means they are flush, or aligned vertically, on both the left and the right), (2) flush left with a ragged right margin, (3) flush right with a ragged left margin, or (4) centered. Most business documents use a flush left margin and a ragged right margin. Justified type: -Used with magazines, newspapers, & books. Can accommodate more text in a given space. -Creates a denser look, the uniform line lengths decrease the amount of white space along the right margin. -It produces a more formal & less personalized look. -Unless used with some skill & attention, it can be more difficult to read because it can produce large gaps between words & excessive hyphenation at the ends of lines. -Time & skill are required, adjusting character & word spacing to eliminate these problems. -Sometimes sentences are even rewritten to improve the appearance of the printed page. Centered type (Flush-right, ragged-left type): -Rarely used for text paragraphs but is commonly used for headings and subheadings. -Rarely used for business documents. Flush-left ragged right type: -Creates a more open appearance on the page, producing a less formal and more contemporary look. -Spacing between words is consistent, and only long words that fall at the ends of lines are hyphenated. -Typeface refers to the visual design of letters, numbers, and other text characters. As the Type Together vignette at the beginning of the chapter noted, typeface and font are often used interchangeably, but typeface is the design of the type itself, and a font is a collection of characters using that design. The classic style of document design uses a sans serif typeface for headings and a serif typeface for regular paragraph text; however, many contemporary documents and webpages now use all sans serif. (Note that many of the fonts on your computer are not appropriate for normal business use.) Typeface design influences the tone of your message. Typography conventional wisdom: Serif faces were easier to read in long blocks of text because the serifs made it easier for the eye to pick out individual letters. The standard advice was to use serif faces for the body of a document and sans serif for headings and subheadings. Research behind the conventional wisdom: Many sans serif typefaces work as well or better for body text than some serif typefaces. This seems to be particularly true on screens, which often have lower resolution than printed text. For most documents, you shouldn't need more than two typefaces. -Type style refers to any modification that lends contrast or emphasis to type, including boldface, italic, underlining, color, and other highlighting and decorative styles. Avoid using any type style that inhibits your audience's ability to read your messages. Italics: -Used for highlighting quotations & indicating foreign words, irony, humor, book & movie titles, & unconventional usage. Avoid: -overusing any type style. ( putting too many words in boldface dilutes the impact of the special treatment by creating too many focal points in the paragraph) -reducing type size too much in order to squeeze in extra text or to enlarge type to fill up space. Type size (for most printed business documents): -10-12 points for regular text -12-18 points for headings & subheadings -1 point is approximately 1/72 inch) Remember: -One type that looks fine on one screen can be hard to read. Low-resolution screens (because these displays can make letters look jagged or fuzzy) & high-resolution screens (because these monitors reduce the apparent size of the type even further).

Haptics Technology

-As the most intimate form of communication, touch can convey shades of emotion and meaning in ways that other forms can't match. -Haptic communication or haptics is the study of touch in a communication context. -Touch is a vital aspect of human-to-human and human-to-machine interaction, but it is missing from most forms of digital communication. Field of haptic technology is enabling touch and tactile sensations in a growing number of ways: -Arcade video games and video game controllers use haptic feedback to give players some sense of the feel of driving a racecar. -Beyond simple vibration feedback, some controllers can now simulate the sensation of holding and using specific weapons or other physical elements in a game. Mobile devices and wearables such as smartwatches are incorporating haptic input and output in ways that simulate the nuances of human touch: -You can use a smartwatch to send specific, personalized "touch messages" to other smartwatch wearers with complete privacy. -The tech has exciting potential in such diverse areas as training, online retailing, and making more devices usable by people with limited vision. -Now that display technologies have more or less reached the resolution capacity of human eyesight, the next wave of user interface advances is likely to come in the form of touch.

Type Together

-Font & typeface are often used interchangeably, although strictly speaking, a font is a set of characters that use a given typeface design. -Typefaces can influence a written message's success. -Type design-contribute or detract in 2 major ways: readability & personality -Readability:If people can't accurately read the words on the page or screen, they won't interpret a message as intended. -Personality: If a typeface is legible but difficult to read for more than a few words, people will tend to give up & never finish reading the document. Is more subtle but also important because the "look and feel" of a typeface sends a nonverbal message along with the verbal (written) message. Nonverbal messages-serious & formal to casual & even playful. -You can see from studying a variety of typefaces, personality needs to be balanced with readability; some typefaces with "strong" personalities can be difficult to read.) -Personality is so important that some companies commission their own custom typefaces that become integral elements of their overall brand presence. -Type design has been an active art form for hundreds of years, & many contemporary designs are the result of efforts to adapt classic designs to contemporary uses. -For some designs, this modernization is an effort to improve a typeface's readability or update its visual presence. -For others modernization has a more technical aspect, creating typefaces that work more successfully with digital print or display technologies. -Example: Georgia typeface was created in the 1990s primarily as a solution for that era's lower-resolution computer screens, although thanks to its attractive readability it's still a popular choice today. -Type design remains a vibrant artistic profession, with new designs appearing all the time. -Veronika Burian & José Scaglione: among the latest generation of designers lending their talents to the ageless challenge of balancing readability & personality. Created Type Together (type foundry) based in Czech Republic (Prague). -Type Together: Specializes in editorial typefaces, those used for long blocks of text such as in newspapers & books. (As a nod to the days when all typefaces were made from metal, type design studios are still referred to as foundries.) -Burian & Scaglione:focus on the challenge of making type that's highly readable while offering fresh new personalities & meeting the technical demands of contemporary digital publishing. Achieved international recognition for their designs & their contribution to the art of type design through workshops, teaching, and publications. Commissioned work has ranged from customizing e-reader type for Apple's iBooks to creating a font that Levi's could use in multiple languages for a global ad campaign. -Audiences:responses to your messages and documents depend more than they might imagine on the efforts of type designers such as Burian & Scaglione—& on your skill in using their designs.

Revising Your Message: Evaluating the First Draft

-L O 6.1 Discuss the value of careful revision, and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your first drafts and the work of other writers. -For important messages, schedule time to put your draft aside for a day or two before you begin the revision process. -Before getting to the design stage, though, it's important to fine-tune the content you've diligently researched, organized, and composed. Successful communicators recognize that the first draft is rarely as tight, clear, and compelling as it needs to be. Careful revision can mean the difference between a rambling, unfocused message and a lively, direct message that gets results. Revision task can vary somewhat depending on: -the medium -nature of your message For informal messages to internal audiences (particularly when using instant messaging(IM), text messaging, email, or blogging): -often as simple as quickly looking over your message to correct any mistakes before sending or posting it. Remember: -grammar, spelling, clarity, & other fundamentals of good writing. Especially important in digital media when: -these messages are the only contact your audience has with you. -The quality or your writing will be equated with the quality of your thinking (Can reflect poorly on you & cause annoyance for your audience). For more complex messages: -try to put your draft aside for a day or two before you begin the revision process so you can approach the material with a fresh eye. -Then start with the "big picture," making sure that the document accomplishes your overall goals before moving to finer points such as readability, clarity, & conciseness. Info on Figure 6.1: Careful revision makes this draft shorter, clearer, and more focused. The proofreading symbols you see here are still widely used whenever printed documents are edited and revised; you can find a complete list of symbols in Appendix C. Note that many business documents are now "marked up" using such software tools as revision marks in Microsoft Word and comments in Adobe Acrobat. No matter what the medium, however, careful revision is key to more effective messages. -The two circled sentences say essentially the same thing, so this edit combines them into one sentence. -Changing adjusting to adjustment makes it parallel with evaluation. -Replacing its with your piano's avoids any confusion about which noun that it is supposed to replace. -The simple complimentary close replaces a close that was stylistically over the top. -The phrase you can bet is too informal for this message. -The sentence beginning with "Much to the contrary ... " is awkward and unnecessary. -This edit inserts a missing word (dealer). -This group of edits removes unnecessary words in several places.

Revising to Improve Readability & Creating Readable Documents

-L O 6.2 List four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages. -After confirming the content, organization, style, and tone of your message, make a second pass to improve readability. Example Index (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level): -computes reading difficulty relative to U.S. grade-level achievement. -a score of 10 suggests that a document can be read & understood by the average 10th grader. Example Index (Flesch Reading Ease): -ranks documents on a 100-point scale. -Higher scores suggest that the document should be easier to read, based on word size & sentence length. Keep in mind: -As a general rule, then, don't assume that a piece of text is readable if it scores well on a readability index—or that it is difficult to read if it doesn't score well. -Readability indexes offer a useful reference point, but they're limited by what they're able to measure: word length, number of syllables, sentence length, and paragraph length. They can't measure any of the other factors that affect readability, such as document design, the "you" attitude, clear sentence structure, smooth transitions, and proper word usage. -Beyond using shorter words and simpler sentences, you can improve the readability of a message by making the document interesting and easy to skim. Most business audiences—particularly influential senior managers—tend to skim documents, looking for key ideas, conclusions, and recommendations. If they think a document contains valuable info or requires a response, they'll read it more carefully when time permits. 4 techniques to make your message easier to read & easier to skim: -varying sentence length -using shorter paragraphs -using lists & bullets instead of narrative -adding effective headings & subheadings. Note: -If these measurements aren't built into your word-processing software, you can find a number of calculators for various indexes online.

Proofreading Your Message & Identifying Problems

-L O 6.5 Explain the importance of proofreading, and give seven tips for successful proofreading. -Proofreading is the quality inspection stage for your documents, your last chance to make sure that your document is ready to carry your message—and your reputation—to the intended audience. Even a small mistake can doom your efforts, so take proofreading seriously. -Language Errors -Missing Material -Design Errors -Typographical Errors Look for two types of problems: (1) undetected mistakes from the writing, design, and layout stages (2) mistakes that crept in during production. For the first category, you can review format and layout guidelines in Appendix A on page 579 and brush up on writing basics with the Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage on page 603. The second category can include anything from computer glitches such as missing fonts to broken web links to problems with the ink used in printing. Be particularly vigilant with complex documents and complex production processes that involve multiple colleagues and multiple computers. Strange things can happen as files move from computer to computer, especially when lots of fonts and multimedia elements are involved. -The types of details to look for when proofreading include language errors, missing material, design errors, and typographical errors.

Distributing Your Message & Factors In Choosing a Distribution Method

-L O 6.6 Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages. -With the production finished, you're ready to distribute your message. As with every other aspect of business communication, your options for distribution multiply with every advance in technology. -For many digital systems, distribution is a simple matter of selecting a Send or Publish option when you're ready to go. When you have a 100-page report with full-color graphics or a massive multimedia file, however, you need to plan the distribution carefully so that your message is received by everyone who needs it. When choosing a means to distribute messages, consider the following factors: -Cost. Isn't a concern for most messages, but for lengthy reports or multimedia productions, it may well be. Printing, binding, and delivering reports can be expensive, so weigh the cost versus the benefits. Be sure to consider the nonverbal message you send regarding cost as well. Overnight delivery of a printed report could seem responsive in one situation but wasteful in another, for example. -Convenience. How much work is involved for you and your audience? For instance, if you use a file-compression utility to shrink the size of email attachments, make sure your recipients have the means to expand the files on arrival. For extremely large files, consider recordable media such as DVDs or one of the many free or low-cost file-hosting sites now available. -Time. How soon does the message need to reach the audience? Don't waste money on overnight delivery if the recipient won't read the report for a week. And speaking of time, don't mark any messages, printed or digital, as "urgent" if they aren't truly urgent. -Security and privacy.The convenience offered by digital communication needs to be weighed against security and privacy concerns. For the most sensitive messages, your company will probably restrict both the people who can receive the messages and the means you can use to distribute them. In addition, most computer users are wary of opening attachments these days. Instead of sending word processor files, you can use Adobe Acrobat or an equivalent product to convert your documents to PDF files (which are more immune to viruses).

Designing Messages for Mobile Devices

In addition to making your content mobile-friendly using the writing tips in Chapter 4 (see page 108), you can follow these steps in formatting that content for mobile devices (See Figure 6.4): -Think in small chunks. Remember that mobile users consume information one screen at a time, so try to divide your message into independent, easy-to-consume bites. If readers have to scroll through a dozen screens to piece together your message, they might miss your point or just give up entirely. -Make generous use of white space. White space is always helpful, but it's critical on small screens because readers are trying to get the point of every message as quickly as possible. Keep your paragraphs short (four to six lines), and separate them with blank lines so the reader's eyes can easily jump from one point to the next. -Format simply. Avoid anything that is likely to get in the way of fast, easy reading, including busy typefaces, complex graphics, and complicated layouts. -Consider horizontal and vertical layouts. Most phones and tablets can automatically rotate their screen content from horizontal to vertical as the user rotates the device. A layout that doesn't work well with the narrow vertical perspective might be acceptable at the wider horizontal perspective. Info on Figure 6.4: -White space between the heading and the body text helps readers perceive the heading as a single block of text. -Generous margins reduce the visual clutter on screen. -The sans serif typeface (right) is easier to read than the serif typeface (left). -Shorter paragraphs simplify reading and allow for more white space breaks between paragraphs.

Using Lists to Clarify and Emphasize

Set Off Important Ideas: -Series of words, names, or other items Simplify: -Break down complex subjects Highlight: -Sequences of ideas -An effective alternative to using conventional sentences is to set off important ideas in a list—a series of words, names, or other items. Lists can show the sequence of your ideas, heighten their visual impact, and increase the likelihood that a reader will find key points. In addition, lists help simplify complex subjects, highlight main points, visually break up a page or screen, ease the skimming process for busy readers, and give readers a breather. -You can separate list items with numbers, letters, or bullets (a general term for any kind of graphical element that precedes each item). Bullets are generally preferred over numbers, unless the list is in some logical sequence or ranking or you need to refer to specific list items elsewhere in the document. -Lists are easier to locate and read if the entire numbered or bulleted section is set off by a blank line before and after. Furthermore, make sure to introduce lists clearly so that people know what they're about to read. Ways: -introduce lists is to make them a part of the introductory sentence. -introduce a list is to precede it with a complete introductory sentence, followed by a colon. -Regardless of the format you choose, the items in a list should be parallel; that is, they should all use the same grammatical pattern. For example, if one list item begins with a verb, every item should begin with a verb. If one item is a noun phrase, all should be noun phrases.

Varying the Length of Your Sentences & Keeping Your Paragraphs Short

Short: -Up to 15 Words Medium: -15-25 Words Long: -Over 25 Words -Varying the length of your sentences is a creative way to make your messages interesting and readable. By choosing words and sentence structure with care, you can create a rhythm that emphasizes important points, enlivens your writing style, and makes information more appealing to your reader. -Advantages: Short sentences can be processed quickly and are easier for nonnative speakers and translators to interpret. Medium-length sentences are useful for showing the relationships among ideas. Long sentences are often the best for conveying complex ideas, listing multiple related points, or summarizing or previewing info. -Disadvantages: Too many short sentences in a row can make your writing choppy. Medium sentences can lack the punch of short sentences and the informative power of longer sentences. Long sentences can be difficult to understand because they contain more info and usually have a more complicated structure. Because readers can absorb only a few words per glance, longer sentences are also more difficult to skim. By choosing the best sentence length for each communication need and remembering to mix sentence lengths for variety, you'll get your points across while keeping your messages lively and interesting. -To keep readers' interest, look for ways to combine a variety of short, medium, and long sentences. -Short paragraphs have the major advantage of being easy to read. -Short paragraphs, generally 100 words or fewer (this paragraph has 92 words), are easier to read than long ones, and they make your writing look inviting. You can also emphasize ideas by isolating them in short, forceful paragraphs. -However, don't go overboard with short paragraphs. In particular, be careful to use one-sentence paragraphs only occasionally and usually only for emphasis. Also, if you need to divide a subject into several pieces to keep paragraphs short, be sure to help your readers keep the ideas connected by guiding them with plenty of transitional elements. -the optimum paragraph length is short to medium in most cases.

Evaluating Your Content, Organization Style, and Tone

When you begin the revision process, focus your attention on content, organization, style, and tone. To evaluate the content of your message, ask yourself these questions: -Is the info accurate? -Is the info relevant to the audience? -Is there enough info to satisfy the readers' needs? -Is there a good balance between general info (giving readers enough background info to appreciate the message) & specific info (giving readers the details they need to understand the message)? Continue your evaluation by verifying that the information is presented in a tight, logical manner. Review the organization: -Are all the points covered in the most logical order? -Do the most important ideas receive the most space, and are they placed in the most prominent positions? -Would the message be more convincing if it were arranged in a different sequence? -Are any points repeated unnecessarily? -Are details grouped together logically, or are some still scattered throughout the document? Next: -Have you achieved the right tone? -Formal enough to meet the audience's expectations without being too formal or academic? -Is it too casual for a serious subject? Remember: -Spend a few extra moments on the beginning & end of your message; these sections usually have the greatest impact on the audience. -Be sure that the opening is relevant, interesting, & geared to the reader's probable reaction. -In longer messages, ensure that the first few paragraphs establish the subject, purpose, & organization of the material. -Review the conclusion to be sure that it summarizes the main idea & leaves the audience with a positive impression.