Improving Business Writing by Anne Foley

Summary: 
- Utilize Four-Stage Process of Business Writing 
- Organize Messages for Optimal Reading 
Bottom lining 
Chunking 
 - Write Better E-mails and Subject Lines (Headlining) 

Business Writing Demands Different Skills 
The audience is broader with varying expectations. 
Business audiences are less patient. 
Business writing has a different goal.

Four stages:

1.Pre-writing

2.Drafting

3.Revising

4.Proofreading

Stages often overlap; each calls for a particular kind of attention and skill. 

Stage 1 – Pre-writing: Prepare to Write 
Key activities: 
Gather information 
 Conduct research 
Take notes 
Outline your thoughts 
 Assess your reader’s needs 

Stage 2 – Drafting: Get It Down 

 The first sentence should be based on what you want to accomplish with this communication. It will be removed when the correspondence is complete. Focus on purpose, audience, and subject. Don’t edit and revise as you go. Write first draft quickly and freely. (Tip: speak your message into a tape recorder and then write it as spoken.)

Stage 3 - Revise 
Reconsider broad issues:
- Your approach
- Persuasive strategy
 - Organization
    - Bottom Lining
    - Chunking
- Concentrate on what you are saying and how you are saying it.
- Revisit underlying questions relating to purpose, audience, and subject.


Stage 4 – Proofreading: Make It Presentable – Accurate
- Typical problems:

  Misspelled words
 Omitted numbers in enumerated lists
 Cut and paste text landed in the wrong location 

- Proofread by making multiple passes:

Pass 1 – Does it look right?
Pass 2 – Is it effective and complete?
Pass 3 – Does it sound right?
Pass 4 – Is it correct?