Modul Pengantar Bahasa Inggris Bisnis

UNIT 08
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WRITING

Exercise 1. Read the following text about writing:

Something we often hear in business is, “Get it in writing.”
This advice is meant to prevent misunderstandings based on what
one person thought the other person said. But does written
communication getting it in writing always prevent
misunderstandings?
According to a Washington Post news story, a written
agreement would have been helpful to an airline customer named
Mike. A victim of an airport mishap, Mike was given vouchers for
$7,500 worth of free travel. However, in accordance with the
airline’s standard policy, the vouchers were due to expire in twelve
months. When Mike saw that he and his wife would not be able to
do enough flying to use the entire amount before the expiration
date, he called the airline and asked for an extension. He was told
the airline would extend the deadline, but later discovered they
were willing to do so at only 50 percent of the vouchers’ value. An
airline spokesman told the newspaper, “If [Mike] can produce a
letter stating that we would give the full value of the vouchers, he
should produce it.”Oldenburg, D. (2005, April 12). Old adage
holds: Get it in writing. Washington Post, p. C10. Retrieved from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/articles/A453092005Apr1
1.html.

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 Yet, as we will see in this chapter, putting something in
writing is not always a foolproof way to ensure accuracy and
understanding. A written communication is only as accurate as the
writer’s knowledge of the subject and audience, and understanding
depends on how well the writer captures the reader’s attention.
This chapter addresses the written word in a business
context. We will also briefly consider the symbols, design, font,
timing, and related nonverbal expressions you make when
composing a page or document. Our discussions will focus on
effective communication of your thoughts and ideas through
writing that is clear, concise, and efficient.

Exercise 2. Read the following text about Oral communication

vs written communication:

Next, explain how written communication is similar to oral

communication, and how it is different.

The written word often stands in place of the spoken word.

People often say “it was good to hear from you” when they receive
an e-mail or a letter, when in fact they didn’t hear the message,
they read it. Still, if they know you well, they may mentally “hear”
your voice in your written words. Writing a message to friends or
colleagues can be as natural as talking to them. Yet when we are
asked to write something, we often feel anxious and view writing
as a more effortful, exacting process than talking would be.
Oral and written forms of communication are similar in
many ways. They both rely on the basic communication process,
which consists of eight essential elements: source, receiver,
message, channel, receiver, feedback, environment, context, and
interference. Table 9.1 "Eight Essential Elements of
Communication" summarizes these elements and provides
examples of how each element might be applied in oral and
written communication.
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Tabel 9.1 The Eight Essential Elements of Communication.

Element of Definition Oral Written
communication application application
A source creates and Jay makes a Jay writes an e
communicates a telephone call mail to
Sources
message to Heather Heather.
A receiver receives Heather listens Heather reads
the message from the to Jay Jay’s e-mail.
Receiver
source.
The message is the Jay asks Jay’s e-mail
stimulus or meaning Heather to asks Heather
Message
produced by the participate in a to participate
source for the conference call in a conference
receiver. at 3:15. call at 3:15.
A channel is the way a The channel is The channel is
message travels the telephone. e-mail.
Channel
between source and
receiver.
Feedback is the Heather says Heather replies
message the receiver yes. with an email
Feedback
sends in response to saying yes.
the source.
The environment is Heather is Heather is at
the physical traveling by her desk when
Environment
atmosphere where the train on a she receives
communication business trip Jay’s e-mail.
occurs. when she
receives Jay’s
phone call.
The context involves Heather Heather
the psychological expects Jay to expects Jay to
Context
expectations of the send an e-mail dial and
source and receiver. with the call-in connect the
information call. Jay
for the call. expects
Jay expects to Heather to
do so, and check her e-
does. mail for the
call-in

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 information so
that she can
join the call.
Also known as noise, Heather calls Heather waits
interference is in at 3:15, but for a phone
Interference
anything that blocks she has missed call from Jay
or distorts the the call at 3:15, but he
communication because she doesn’t call.
process. forgot that she
is in a different
time zone from
Jay.
As you can see from the applications in this example, at
least two different kinds of interference have the potential to ruin a
conference call, and the interference can exist regardless of
whether the communication to plan the call is oral or written. Try
switching the “Context” and “Interference” examples from Oral to
Written, and you will see that mismatched expectations and time
zone confusion can happen by phone or by e-mail. While this
example has an unfavorable outcome, it points out a way in which
oral and written communication processes are similar.
Another way in which oral and written forms of
communication are similar is that they can be divided into verbal
and nonverbal categories. Verbal communication involves the
words you say, and nonverbal communication involves how you
say them your tone of voice, your facial expression, body
language, and so forth.
Written communication also involves verbal and nonverbal
dimensions. The words you choose are the verbal dimension. How
you portray or display them is the nonverbal dimension, which can
include the medium (e-mail or a printed document), the typeface
or font, or the appearance of your signature on a letter. In this
sense, oral and written communication are similar in their
approach even as they are quite different in their application.
The written word allows for a dynamic communication
process between source and receiver, but is often asynchronous1,
meaning that it occurs at different times. When we communicate
face-to-face, we get immediate feedback, but our written words
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stand in place of that interpersonal interaction and we lack that

immediate response. Since we are often not physically present
when someone reads what we have written, it is important that we
anticipate the reader’s needs, interpretation, and likely response to
our written messages.
Suppose you are asked to write a message telling clients
about a new product or service your company is about to offer. If
you were speaking to one of them in a relaxed setting over coffee,
what would you say? What words would you choose to describe
the product or service, and how it may fulfill the client’s needs?
As the business communicator, you must focus on the words you
use and how you use them. Short, simple sentences, in themselves
composed of words, also communicate a business style. In your
previous English classes you may have learned to write
eloquently, but in a business context, your goal is clear, direct
communication. One strategy to achieve this goal is to write with
the same words and phrases you use when you talk. However,
since written communication lacks the immediate feedback that is
present in an oral conversation, you need to choose words and
phrases even more carefully to promote accuracy, clarity, and
understanding.

Exercise 3. Read the following questions try to answer

accordingly:
1) Review the oral and written applications in Table 9.1
"Eight Essential Elements of Communication" and
construct a different scenario for each. What could Jay and
Heather do differently to make the conference call a
success?
2) Visit a business Web site that has an “About Us” page.
Read the “About Us” message and write a summary in
your own words of what it tells you about the company.
Compare your results with those of your classmates.
3) You are your own company. What words describe you?
Design a logo, create a name, and present your descriptive

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 words in a way that gets attention. Share and compare with
classmates.

Exercise 4. Read the following text about “How Is Writing

Learned?”:
learning objective: Explain how reading, writing, and critical
thinking contribute to becoming a good writer.

You may think that some people are simply born better
writers than others, but in fact writing is a reflection of experience
and effort. If you think about your successes as a writer, you may
come up with a couple of favorite books, authors, or teachers that
inspired you to express yourself. You may also recall a sense of
frustration with your previous writing experiences. It is normal
and natural to experience a sense of frustration at the perceived
inability to express oneself. The emphasis here is on your
perception of yourself as a writer as one aspect of how you
communicate. Most people use oral communication for much of
their selfexpression, from daily interactions to formal business
meetings. You have a lifetime of experience in that arena that you
can leverage to your benefit in your writing. Reading out loud
what you have written is a positive technique we’ll address later in
more depth.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s statement, “Violence is the
language of the unheard” emphasizes the importance of finding
one’s voice, of being able to express one’s ideas. Violence comes
in many forms, but is often associated with frustration born of the
lack of opportunity to communicate. You may read King’s words
and think of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, or perhaps of
the violence of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, or of wars happening in
the world today. Public demonstrations and fighting are
expressions of voice, from individual to collective. Finding your
voice, and learning to listen to others, is part of learning to
communicate.
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You are your own best ally when it comes to your writing.
Keeping a positive frame of mind about your journey as a writer is
not a cliché or simple, hollow advice. Your attitude toward writing
can and does influence your written products. Even if writing has
been a challenge for you, the fact that you are reading this
sentence means you perceive the importance of this essential skill.
This text and our discussions will help you improve your writing,
and your positive attitude is part of your success strategy.
There is no underestimating the power of effort when
combined with inspiration and motivation. The catch then is to get
inspired and motivated. That’s not all it takes, but it is a great
place to start. You were not born with a key pad in front of you,
but when you want to share something with friends and text them,
the words (or abbreviations) come almost naturally. So you
recognize you have the skills necessary to begin the process of
improving and harnessing your writing abilities for business
success. It will take time and effort, and the proverbial journey
starts with a single step, but don’t lose sight of the fact that your
skillful ability to craft words will make a significant difference in
your career.
Reading
Reading is one step many writers point to as an integral
step in learning to write effectively. You may like Harry Potter
books or be a Twilight fan, but if you want to write effectively in
business, you need to read business-related documents. These can
include letters, reports, business proposals, and business plans.
You may find these where you work or in your school’s writing
center, business department, or library; there are also many Web
sites that provide sample business documents of all kinds. Your
reading should also include publications in the industry where you
work or plan to work, such as Aviation Week, InfoWorld, Journal
of Hospitality, International Real Estate Digest, or Women’s Wear
Daily, to name just a few. You can also gain an advantage by
reading publications in fields other than your chosen one; often
reading outside your niche can enhance your versatility and help
you learn how other people express similar concepts. Finally,
don’t neglect general media like the business section of your local

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newspaper, and national publications like the Wall Street Journal,
Fast Company, and the Harvard Business Review. Reading is one
of the most useful lifelong habits you can practice to boost your
business communication skills.
In the “real world” when you are under a deadline and
production is paramount, you’ll be rushed and may lack the time
to do adequate background reading for a particular assignment.
For now, take advantage of your business communication course
by exploring common business documents you may be called on
to write, contribute to, or play a role in drafting. Some documents
have a degree of formula to them, and your familiarity with them
will reduce your preparation and production time while increasing
your effectiveness. As you read similar documents, take notes on
what you observe. As you read several sales letters, you may
observe several patterns that can serve you well later on when it’s
your turn. These patterns are often called conventions2, or
conventional language patterns for a specific genre.
Writing
Never lose sight of one key measure of the effectiveness of
your writing: the degree to which it fulfills readers’ expectations.
If you are in a law office, you know the purpose of a court brief is
to convince the judge that certain points of law apply to the given
case. If you are at a newspaper, you know that an editorial opinion
article is supposed to convince readers of the merits of a certain
viewpoint, whereas a news article is supposed to report facts
without bias. If you are writing ad copy, the goal is to motivate
consumers to make a purchase decision. In each case, you are
writing to a specific purpose, and a great place to start when
considering what to write is to answer the following question:
what are the readers’ expectations?
When you are a junior member of the team, you may be
given clerical tasks like filling in forms, populating a database, or
coordinating appointments. Or you may be assigned to do research
that involves reading, interviewing, and note taking. Don’t
underestimate these facets of the writing process; instead, embrace
the fact that writing for business often involves tasks that a
novelist might not even recognize as “writing.” Your contribution
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is quite important and in itself is an on the job learning opportunity

that shouldn’t be taken for granted. When given a writing
assignment, it is important to make sure you understand what you
are being asked to do. You may read the directions and try to put
them in your own words to make sense of the assignment. Be
careful, however, not to lose sight of what the directions say
versus what you think they say. Just as an audience’s expectations
should be part of your consideration of how, what, and why to
write, the instructions given by your instructor, or in a work
situation by your supervisor, establish expectations. Just as you
might ask a mentor more about a business writing assignment at
work, you need to use the resources available to you to maximize
your learning opportunity. Ask the professor to clarify any points
you find confusing, or perceive more than one way to interpret, in
order to better meet the expectations.
Before you write an opening paragraph, or even the first
sentence, it is important to consider the overall goal of the
assignment. The word assignment can apply equally to a written
product for class or for your employer. You might make a list of
the main points and see how those points may become the topic
sentences in a series of paragraphs. You may also give
considerable thought to whether your word choice, your tone, your
language, and what you want to say is in line with your
understanding of your audience. We briefly introduced the writing
process previously, and will visit it in depth later in our discussion,
but for now writing should about exploring your options. Authors
rarely have a finished product in mind when they start, but once
you know what your goal is and how to reach it, you writing
process will become easier and more effective.
Learning to write effectively involves reading, writing,
critical thinking, and hard work. You may have seen The Wizard
of Oz and recall the scene when Dorothy discovers what is behind
the curtain. Up until that moment, she believed the Wizard’s
powers were needed to change her situation, but now she discovers
that the power is her own. Like Dorothy, you can discover that the
power to write successfully rests in your hands. Excellent business
writing can be inspiring, and it is important to not lose that sense

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of inspiration as we deconstruct the process of writing to its
elemental components.

Exercise 5. Answering the following questions relate to the

text:
1) Interview one person whose job involves writing. This can
include writing e-mails, reports, proposals, invoices, or
any other form of business document. Where did this
person learn to write? What would they include as
essential steps to learning to write for success in business?
Share your results with a classmate.
2) For five consecutive days, read the business section of
your local newspaper or another daily paper. Write a one-
page summary of the news that makes the most impression
on you. Review your summaries and compare them with
those of your classmates.
3) Practice filling out an online form that requires writing
sentences, such as a job application for a company that
receives applications online. How does this kind of writing
compare with the writing you have done for other courses
in the past? Discuss your thoughts with your classmates.

Exercise 6. Read the following text about Good writing:

Learning objectives:
1. Identify six basic qualities that characterize good
business writing.
2. Identify and explain the rhetorical elements and cognate
strategies that contribute to good writing.

One common concern is to simply address the question, what is

good writing? As we progress through our study of written
business communication we’ll try to answer it. But recognize that
while the question may be simple, the answer is complex. Edward
P. BaileyBailey, E. (2008). Writing and speaking. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill. offers several key points to remember.
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Good business writing

a) follows the rules,
b) is easy to read, and
c) attracts the reader.
Let’s examine these qualities in more depth.
Bailey’s first point is one that generates a fair amount of
debate. What are the rules? Do “the rules” depend on audience
expectations or industry standards, what your English teacher
taught you, or are they reflected in the amazing writing of authors
you might point to as positive examples? The answer is “all of the
above,” with a point of clarification. You may find it necessary to
balance audience expectations with industry standards for a
document, and may need to find a balance or compromise.
BaileyBailey, E. (2008). Writing and speaking. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill. points to common sense as one basic criterion of
good writing, but common sense is a product of experience. When
searching for balance, reader understanding is the deciding factor.
The correct use of a semicolon may not be what is needed to make
a sentence work. Your reading audience should carry extra
attention in everything you write because, without them, you
won’t have many more writing assignments.
When we say that good writing follows the rules, we don’t
mean that a writer cannot be creative. Just as an art student needs
to know how to draw a scene in correct perspective before he can
“break the rules” by “bending” perspective, so a writer needs to
know the rules of language. Being well versed in how to use words
correctly, form sentences with proper grammar, and build logical
paragraphs are skills the writer can use no matter what the
assignment. Even though some business settings may call for
conservative writing, there are other areas where creativity is not
only allowed but mandated. Imagine working for an advertising
agency or a software development firm; in such situations success
comes from expressing new, untried ideas. By following the rules
of language and correct writing, a writer can express those creative
ideas in a form that comes through clearly and promotes
understanding.

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 Similarly, writing that is easy to read is not the same as
“dumbed down” or simplistic writing. What is easy to read? For a
young audience, you may need to use straightforward, simple
terms, but to ignore their use of the language is to create an
artificial and unnecessary barrier. An example referring to Miley
Cyrus may work with one reading audience and fall flat with
another. Profession-specific terms can serve a valuable purpose as
we write about precise concepts. Not everyone will understand all
the terms in a profession, but if your audience is largely literate in
the terms of the field, using industry terms will help you establish
a relationship with your readers.
The truly excellent writer is one who can explain complex
ideas in a way that the reader can understand. Sometimes ease of
reading can come from the writer’s choice of a brilliant illustrative
example to get a point across. In other situations, it can be the
writer’s incorporation of definitions into the text so that the
meaning of unfamiliar words is clear. It may also be a matter of
choosing dynamic, specific verbs that make it clear what is
happening and who is carrying out the action.
Will they want to read it?
This question should guide much of what you write. We
increasingly gain information from our environment through
visual, auditory, and multimedia channels, from YouTube to
streaming audio, and to watching the news online. Some argue that
this has led to a decreased attention span for reading, meaning that
writers need to appeal to readers with short, punchy sentences and
catchy phrases. However, there are still plenty of people who love
to immerse themselves in reading an interesting article, proposal,
or marketing piece.
Perhaps the most universally useful strategy in capturing
your reader’s attention is to state how your writing can meet the
reader’s needs. If your document provides information to answer a
question, solve a problem, or explain how to increase profits or cut
costs, you may want to state this in the beginning. By opening
with a “what’s in it for me” strategy, you give your audience a
reason to be interested in.
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what you’ve written.

Good writing, meets the reader’s expectations, is
clear and concise, is efficient and effective. To meet the
reader’s expectations, the writer needs to understand who
the intended reader is. In some business situations, you are
writing just to one person: your boss, a coworker in
another department, or an individual customer or vendor.
If you know the person well, it may be as easy for you to
write to him or her as it is to write a note to your parent or
roommate. If you don’t know the person, you can at least
make some reasonable assumptions about his or her
expectations, based on the position he or she holds and its
relation to your job.
In other situations, you may be writing a document
to be read by a group or team, an entire department, or
even a large number of total strangers. How can you
anticipate their expectations and tailor your writing
accordingly? Naturally you want to learn as much as you
can about your likely audience. How much you can learn
and what kinds of information will vary with the situation.
If you are writing Web site content, for example, you may
never meet the people who will visit the site, but you can
predict why they would be drawn to the site and what they
would expect to read there. Beyond learning about your
audience, your clear understanding of the writing
assignment and its purpose will help you to meet reader
expectations.
Note to remember
Good writing is characterized by correctness, ease of
reading, and attractiveness; it also meets reader
expectations and is clear, concise, efficient, and effective.
Rhetorical elements (logos, ethos, and pathos) and cognate
strategies (clarity, conciseness, arrangement, credibility,
expectation, reference, tone, emphasis, and engagement)
are goals that are achieved in good business writing.

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Formality
In business writing, the appropriate style will have
a degree of formality. Formal language is communication
that focuses on professional expression with attention to
roles, protocol, and appearance. It is characterized by its
vocabulary and syntax (The grammatical arrangement of
words in a sentence). That is, writers using a formal style
tend to use a more sophisticated vocabulary a greater
variety of words, and more words with multiple syllables
not for the purpose of throwing big words around, but to
enhance the formal mood of the document. They also tend
to use more complex syntax, resulting in sentences that are
longer and contain more subordinate clauses. The
appropriate style for a particular business document may
be very formal, or less so. If your supervisor writes you an
e-mail and you reply, the exchange may be informal in that
it is fluid and relaxed, without much forethought or
fanfare, but it will still reflect the formality of the business
environment. Chances are you will be careful to use an
informative subject line, a salutation (“Hi [supervisor’s
name]” is typical in e-mails), a word of thanks for
whatever information or suggestion she provided you, and
an indication that you stand ready to help further if need
be. You will probably also check your grammar and
spelling before you click “send.”
A formal document such as a proposal or an annual
report will involve a great deal of planning and
preparation, and its style may not be fluid or relaxed.
Instead, it may use distinct language to emphasize the
prestige and professionalism of your company. Let’s say
you are going to write a marketing letter that will be
printed on company letterhead and mailed to a hundred
sales prospects. Naturally you want to represent your
company in a positive light. In a letter of this nature you
might write a sentence like “The Widget 300 is our
premium offering in the line; we have designed it for ease
of movement and efficiency of use, with your success
foremost in our mind.” But in an e-mail or a tweet, you
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might use an informal sentence instead, reading “W300—

good stapler.” Writing for business often involves
choosing the appropriate level of formality for the
company and industry, the particular document and
situation, and the audience.

Exercise 7. Read the following questions and give your answer.

1) Select a business document and describe its style. Is it
formal, informal, or colloquial? Can you rewrite it in a
different style?
2) List three words or phrases that you would say to your
friends. List three words or phrases that communicate
similar meanings that you would say to an authority figure.
Share and compare with classmates.
3) When is it appropriate to write in a casual tone? In a
formal tone? Write a one- to two-page essay on this topic.
4) How does the intended audience influence the choice of
words and use of language in a document? Think of a
specific topic and two specific kinds of audiences. Then
write a short example (250–500 words) of how this topic
might be presented to each of the two audiences.
5) Define the word “chair.” Describe what a table is. Draw a
window. Share, compare, and contrast results with
classmates.
6) Define love. Describe desire. Draw patience.
7) Identify a target audience and indicate at least three words
that you perceive would be appropriate and effective for
that audience. Identify a second audience (distinct from the
first) and indicate three words that you perceive would be
appropriate and effective. How are the audiences and their
words similar or different? Compare your results with
those of your classmates.
8) Create a sales letter for an audience that comes from a
culture other than your own. Identify the culture and

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 articulate how your message is tailored to your perception
of your intended audience. Share and compare with
classmates.
9) Do an online search on “online libel cases” and see what
you find. Discuss your results with your classmates.
10) In other examples beyond the grammar rules that guide our
use of words, consider the online environment. Conduct a
search on the word “netiquette” and share your findings.

Source of References
1. English for Business Success (v. 1.0). Scott McLean is an
Associate Professor of Communication, including
Journalism and English, at Arizona Western College in a
combined campus partnership with the University of
Arizona and Northern Arizona University 2012.
2. MacKenzie Ian. English for Business Studies. Cambridge
University Press. 1997.
3. MacKenzie Ian. Financial English with Mini-dictionary of
Finance. Language. Teaching Publication Series, 1995.
4. MacKenzie Ian. Management and Marketing. Language
Teaching Publications, 1997.
5. Mascull Bill. Business Vocabulary in Use, Advanced.
Cambridge University Press, 2004.
6. Mascull Bill. Business Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge
University Press, 2002.
7. Miller Roger LeRoy. Economics Today and Tomorrow.
Glencoe Division of Macmillan/McGraw-Hill School
Publishing Company, 1995.
8. Misztal Mariusz. Tests in English Thematic Vocabulary.
Intermediate and Advanced Level. Киев: «Знания», 1999.
9. Naterop B. Jean, revel Rod. Telephoning in English. Third
Edition. Cambridge University Press, 2004.