Completing Business Messages

In any medium, readers tend to equate the quality of your writing with the quality of your thinking. When you finalize your written product, there are four steps to account for:

1. Revise your message to achieve optimum quality
2. Produce
3. Proofread
4. Distribute

Revising
If you have time, put aside your draft for a day or two before you begin the revision process. When you begin, focus your attention on content, organization, style, and tone. To evaluate the content of your message, answer these questions:

• Is the information accurate?
• Is the information relevant to the audience?
• Is there enough information to satisfy the readers' needs?
• Is there a good balance between general information (giving readers enough background information to appreciate the message) and specific information (giving readers the details they need to understand the message)?

When your are satisfied with the content of the message, you can review its organization by answering these questions:

• Are all the points covered in the most logical order?
• Do the most important ideas receive the most space, adn are they placed in the most prominent positions?
• Would the message be more convincing if it were arranged in another sequence?
• Are any points repeated unnecessarily?
• Are details grouped together logically, or are some still scattered through the document?

Some points to improve your messages readibility:

• Vary sentence length. 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 importent points, enlivens your writing style, and makes information more appealing to your reader. 
• Keep paragraphs short. Large blocks of text can be visually daunting. Keep paragraphs short to avoid intimidating even the most dedicated readers.
• Using lists and bullets to clarify and emphasize. How easy is this blog to follow?
• Adding headings and subheadings. Headings and subheadings improve a message's organization, attention, and connection.

Producing
Design affects readability in two important ways. First, if used carefully, design elements can improve the efectiveness of your message. If used poorly, design elements can act as barriers, blocking your communication. Second, the visual design sends a nonverbal message to your readers, influencing their perceptions of the communication before they read a single world. To achieve an effective design, pay careful attention to the following design elements:

• Consistency
• Balance
• Restraint
• Detail

Proofreading Your Message
Use these techniques from professional proofreaders to help ensure high-quality output:

• Make simple passes. Go through the document several times, focusing on a different aspect each time.
• Double-check high priority items. Check the spelling of names and the accuracy of dates, addresses, and any number that could cause grief if incorrect
• Give yourself some distance. If possible, don't proofread immediately after finishing a document; let your brain wander off to new topics and the come back fresh later on
• Be vigilant. Avoid reading large amounts of materal 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. 
• Take your time. Quick proofreading is not careful proofreading.

Distributing Your Message
 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. When choosing a means to distribute messages, consider the following factors:

• Cost
• Convenience
• Time
• Security and privacy

Worthy Sites/Links: 

Eight Steps to Effective Document Writing (PDF)
www.powa.org