Chapter 4 The Writing Process

1. Chapter 4The Writing Process

2. The Writing Process

3. Former Basketball Star and Senator Bill Bradley Discusses the Importance of Writing • How is writing important for your career plans? • In what ways could writing distinguish you from others throughout your career? Click image to play the video

4. Former Basketball Star and Senator Bill Bradley Discusses the Importance of Writing

5. The Writing Process

6. The Writing Process

7. What Is the Value of Analyzing an Audience?

8. Remember This About Your Audience

9. Example: Changing Housekeepers’ Hours

10. The Writing Process

11. Identifying Specific Objectives

12. Using a Mind Map to Plan Content Details Details Possible Points Possible Points Details Message Purpose Details Possible Points Possible Points Details Details

13. Organizing Your Message Frequent-Stay Program Message Outline Introduction: Purpose, main points, and preview • Why should we create a frequent-stay program? • Reward guests for loyalty • Stay competitive • Increase profits • How should we develop the program? • Survey guests by location • Project all costs • Overhead • Awards • Research and development • Start-up • Study competitors’ programs • Hilton • Holiday Inn • Best Western • Hyatt (to be continued)

14. Direct Approach in the Introduction Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview? Thank you for hiring our firm to redesign Bistro Q's menu. This report describes our initial ideas and serves as a starting point for discussion. We're excited about the opportunity to work with you and are confident that together we'll create an attractive, innovative menu that is easy to understand. In this report, you will read the project objectives as we understand them, our straw‐model design, a proposed budget, and next steps. We look forward to your feedback on our proposed approach at our next meeting, on November 1.

15. Direct Approach in the Introduction Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview? Thank you for hiring our firm to redesign Bistro Q's menu. This report describes our initial ideas and serves as a starting point for discussion. We're excited about the opportunity to work with you and are confident that together we'll create an attractive, innovative menu that is easy to understand. In this report, you will read the project objectives as we understand them, our straw‐model design, a proposed budget, and next steps. We look forward to your feedback on our proposed approach at our next meeting, on November 1. Purpose

16. Direct Approach in the Introduction Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview? Thank you for hiring our firm to redesign Bistro Q's menu. This report describes our initial ideas and serves as a starting point for discussion. We're excited about the opportunity to work with you and are confident that together we'll create an attractive, innovative menu that is easy to understand. In this report, you will read the project objectives as we understand them, our straw‐model design, a proposed budget, and next steps. We look forward to your feedback on our proposed approach at our next meeting, on November 1. Main Points

17. Direct Approach in the Introduction Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview? Thank you for hiring our firm to redesign Bistro Q's menu. This report describes our initial ideas and serves as a starting point for discussion. We're excited about the opportunity to work with you and are confident that together we'll create an attractive, innovative menu that is easy to understand. In this report, you will read the project objectives as we understand them, our straw‐model design, a proposed budget, and next steps. We look forward to your feedback on our proposed approach at our next meeting, on November 1. Preview

18. Indirect Approach in the Introduction Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview? Last week, you mentioned that you would like to do something special for our major clients. Based on my discussions with several people over the past six months, I recommend building a community of our key product users. In this proposal, I’ll discuss what other firms are doing and what results they have seen from building client communities. You’ll see the potential benefits of hosting a conference for our top 50 clients: improving the perception of our brand and increasing future sales.

19. Indirect Approach in the Introduction Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview? Last week, you mentioned that you would like to do something special for our major clients. Based on my discussions with several people over the past six months, I recommend building a community of our key product users. In this proposal, I’ll discuss what other firms are doing and what results they have seen from building client communities. You’ll see the potential benefits of hosting a conference for our top 50 clients: improving the perception of our brand and increasing future sales. Purpose

20. Indirect Approach in the Introduction Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview? Last week, you mentioned that you would like to do something special for our major clients. Based on my discussions with several people over the past six months, I recommend building a community of our key product users. In this proposal, I’ll discuss what other firms are doing and what results they have seen from building client communities. You’ll see the potential benefits of hosting a conference for our top 50 clients: improving the perception of our brand and increasing future sales. Main Points

21. Indirect Approach in the Introduction Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview? Last week, you mentioned that you would like to do something special for our major clients. Based on my discussions with several people over the past six months, I believe we could build a community of our key product users. In this proposal, I’ll discuss what other firms are doing and what results they have seen from building client communities.I will show the potential benefits of hosting a conference for our top 50 clients: improving the perception of our brand and increasing future sales. Preview

22. The Writing Process

23. Ideas to Stop Procrastinating Procrastination is just a habit. A week or two before the deadline… • Set small goals for yourself (e.g., write the first paragraph) and then reward yourself. • Pretend your first draft is an essay exam. Set a timer, consult your outline, and write. • You have to give an oral presentation on your subject. You have 10 minutes. Go!

24. Overcoming Writer’s Block

25. Writing Email Messages • Follow company standards for the salutation • Use a descriptive, attention-grabbing subject line • Don’t copy the world • Use BCC sparingly • Keep emails short and skimmable • Check your tone • Provide context • Follow company standards for the closing and signature line

26. Sample Email

27. Link to the full story on the blog. Companies Send Email about Security Breach Epsilon, an email marketing firm, reported that their contact list was stolen. Epsilon sends emails on behalf of several large companies. Companies responded in force, contacting customers to disclose what happened and to allay fears. According to these messages and Epsilon's press release, the impact on consumers is minimal.  Compare companies’ emails.

28. The Writing Process

29. Three Steps to Revising Reread your purpose statement and the entire draft to get an overview of your message. Read each paragraph again (aloud, if possible) to get a feel for the rhythm and flow of your writing. Identify problems with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word usage.

30. The Writing Process

31. Look for Hard-to-Spot Errors

32. Catch More Errors

33. What Is Wrong with These Sentences? • There to busy with they’re report to be their for the hearing. • I will except your advise, but the affect of doing so may bring alot of change. • Your going to present you’re report first. • Whose going to let us know who’s turn it is to make coffee? • How much farther can we pursue this if its not past on through regular channels?

34. Additional Video Suggestion

35. Funny Commercial: Is the Water Free? What other homonyms could cause confusion in business writing?