BUS 1104 - Written Business Communications

1. Apply a three-step writing process that includes analyzing the audience, organizing ideas, and revising.
2. Analyze business situations and select the most appropriate writing pattern (direct, indirect, persuasive) and message form (email, memo, letter, proposal, report).
3. Apply reader benefit, “you-view,” conversational but professional tone, positive expression, techniques for emphasizing important ideas, strategies for improving readability, and correct grammar to the writing of business documents.
4. Identify techniques for adapting written messages to intercultural audiences.
5. Compose email messages, letters, reports, and memos that convey positive and negative information, request information, solve problems, make claims, promote goodwill, give instructions, and confirm decisions to internal and external business audiences.
6. Develop an employment portfolio that includes a printed and electronic résumé, reference sheet, cover letter, and follow-up letter. ine the most relevant points, organizing information, making conclusions, and recommending courses of action.
7. Develop an informational or analytical report that recommends a solution to a problem using primary research and secondary sources. Emphasis is placed on writing problem and purpose statements, supplying background information, analyzing data to determine the most relevant points, organizing information, making conclusions, and recommending courses of action.
8. Critique real business documents and the documents of peers and make recommendations for improvement.
9. Apply correct formatting, style, and mechanics to business writing.

1. Analyzing the writing task, anticipation of audience, adaptation to the task and audience
2. Organizing ideas into direct, indirect, and persuasive writing patterns
3. Applying writing principles such as tone, clarity, conciseness, and readability that result in messages that meet the needs of organizations and readers
4. Writing business correspondence: email messages, memos, and letters that require direct, indirect, and persuasive writing patterns
5. Writing informal business reports that require identifying problems, making purpose statements, interpreting data, illustrating data, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations
6. Compiling an employment document portfolio that includes résumés, reference sheet, cover letter, and follow-up letter to potential employer
7. Analyzing the strengths of weaknesses of written communication of other writers
8. Formatting documents that meet professional business standards
9. Using software tools used by business to give feedback on written documents