1






Module
2—Purpose,
Audience,
and
Scope
–
Planning
and
Organization


The
Writing
Process

Business
communication
is
a
process.

A
complete
and
polished
communication
is

the
result
of
planning
and
revising.

The
steps
in
the
writing
process
are
as
follows:

• Prewriting:
An
analysis
of
your
purpose
for
writing,
the
audience
you
are

writing
for,
and
the
best
channel
for
your
message

• Outlining:
The
best
organization
and
presentation
of
your
ideas

• Drafting:
The
composition
of
your
message
with
special
attention
to
word

choice,
style,
and
presentation

• Revision:
The
evaluation
of
your
message
from
the
point
of
view
of
your

audience
with
special
attention
to



o Completeness:
Are
you
missing
any
key
points?

o Coherence:
Does
your
message
follow
a
logical
progression
of
facts

and
ideas?

o Accuracy:
Are
names
spelled
correctly?

Should
anyone
else
be

receiving
your
message?

o Consistency:
Does
your
choice
of
language
match
the
level
of

familiarity
you
have
with
the
audience?

o Conciseness:
Is
your
message
to
the
point
and
your
purpose
clear?

o Organization:
Is
your
message
organized
in
such
a
way
that
the

previous
checks
of
accuracy,
consistency,
and
coherence
are

attainable?

Did
you
select
the
appropriate
medium
and
format?

The
length
of
time
required
to
complete
the
writing
process
depends
on
the

complexity
of
the
message.

A
simple
email
may
only
require
a
few
minutes
while
a

detailed
proposal
may
take
days.

The
key
point
to
remember
is
that
even
the

simplest
message
requires
planning
to
ensure
a
complete
and
successful
outcome.

Prewriting


Purpose

The
first
step
in
composing
a
business
communication
is
determining
your
purpose

for
sending
the
message.

Business
communication
is
results‐
and
objective‐
oriented;
every
communication
should
be
directed
at
achieving
a
result.

The
most

common
purposes
of
business
communications
are
to
inform,
persuade,
or
inform

and
persuade.

A
business
message
will
often
have
a
primary
and
a
secondary

purpose.

For
example,
a
well‐written
letter
that
refuses
a
customer’s
request
could

strengthen
the
company‐customer
relationship.

We
will
discuss
how
such
primary

and
secondary
purposes
are
achievable
in
later
modules.




 2






Scope


It
is
very
important
to
clearly
understand
the
level
of
detail
that
is
required.

Try
not

to
provide
too
little
or
too
much
detail.

Scope
is
closely
aligned
with
purpose:
what

is
the
minimal
amount
of
detail
required
to
achieve
the
desired
result?

Be
mindful

of
your
audience’s
time.

Too
little
detail
forces
your
audience
to
follow
up;
too
much

detail
forces
your
audience
to
sift
through
your
message
for
the
relevant
points.

Audience


Before
drafting
your
message
identify
and
analyze
your
audience.

While
it
is
not

always
possible
to
know
exactly
who
will
be
reading
your
message,
analyzing
your

potential
audience
is
useful.

Understanding
the
organizational
structure
and

cultural
background
of
your
readers
can
make
a
message
successful
or
not.

The

following
is
a
brief
outline
of
the
key
points
of
audience
analysis;
a
more
detailed

discussion
is
available
in
your
textbook.

• Responsibilities
and
position
of
the
receiver:
If
your
message
seeks
to

persuade,
is
the
receiver
a
decision
maker
or
an
advisor?
A
decision
maker
is

more
interested
in
the
facts
and
merits
of
your
proposal
while
an
advisor
is

interested
in
your
credibility
and
the
credibility
of
your
claims
and
research.


We
will
discuss
these
aspects
in
greater
detail
in
subsequent
modules.

• Receiver’s
attitudes:
Is
the
receiver
expecting
the
message?
Will
he
or
she

welcome
the
communication
or
is
it
a
“cold”
message?

• What
experience
does
your
receiver
have
with
your
organization
and

with
you?
Is
the
experience
positive
or
negative?

The
degree
to
which
your

receiver
likes
or
dislikes
your
organization
will
need
to
be
addressed
in
the

structure
and
language
of
the
message.

• What
is
the
knowledge
level
of
the
receiver?
The
level
of
knowledge
your

receiver
has
of
your
subject
and
purpose
will
affect
the
scope
of
your

message.

Carefully
analyze
the
level
of
detail
required.

• What
is
the
likely
response
of
the
receiver?
Will
the
receiver
react

neutrally,
positively,
or
negatively
to
your
message?
Take
the
anticipated

response
into
account
when
you
draft
your
message.

• Your
relationship
with
the
receiver:
How
familiar
are
you
with
the

receiver?

The
level
of
familiarity
will
determine
your
use
of
pronouns
(I,
we,

etc.)

• How
many
receivers
will
there
be?
There
could
be
a
secondary
audience

for
your
message.

For
example,
a
decision
maker
could
be
the
primary

audience,
but
he/she
may
forward
the
document
to
advisors
who
may
have

different
perspectives.

• Are
there
cultural
issues?
Do
you
need
to
take
environment
and
beliefs
into

account?






 3






• What
format
does
the
receiver
format
expect?:
Does
the
receiver

anticipate
a
short,
informal
report;
a
one‐page
email;
or
something
else?



Think
carefully
about
your
audience
even
if
you
are
composing
a
short
email.

All
the

aspects
discussed
above
will
affect
the
effectiveness
of
your
message.


Medium
or
Channel

Analyzing
the
audience
helps
you
determine
the
channel
for
your
message.

Does
the

receiver
prefer
email
or
hard
copy
reports?

Consider:


• Accuracy:
Is
the
channel
susceptible
to
technical
problems
that
could
affect

the
quality
of
the
message?

• Speed:
How
quickly
does
the
message
need
to
arrive
and
how
quickly
is

feedback
required?

• Cost:
Is
the
expense
of
the
channel
justifiable?


A
more
detailed
description
of
the
channels
for
all
forms
of
communication
is
found

in
your
textbook.

Outlining


If
the
document
you
are
composing
is
complex,
an
outline
is
necessary.

There
are

three
main
types
of
outlines:


• Sequential:
The
step‐by‐step
process
of
the
subject
of
your
communication

• Chronological:
Organised
by
time

• Cause­and­effect:
Organised
by
circumstances
and
reasons
for
events

and
facts.


The
outline
provides
a
framework
for
your
document
complete
with
main‐
and
sub‐
topic
headings.

The
outline
organizes
your
ideas
and
facts
in
a
coherent
and

consistent
fashion.



Drafting


The
key
to
writing
the
first
draft
of
your
document
is
an
open
mind.

Do
not
attempt

to
write
the
perfect
message
on
the
first
attempt.

Take
into
account
the
elements
of

purpose,
scope,
and
audience
but
let
your
thoughts
flow
freely;
there
will
be
time
to

analyze
language
choices
and
style
issues
during
the
revision
process.

Make
sure
to

set
aside
time
for
the
draft.



Revising


Revising
involves
carefully
analyzing
word
choice
and
organization.

You
will
add,

delete,
and
substitute
words
in
order
to
better
align
them
with
your
purpose,
scope,





 4






and
audience.

Editing
involves
fine‐tuning
the
grammar
and
spelling
of
the

document
to
assure
that
there
are
no
errors
that
will
reduce
the
effectiveness
of

your
message.