FIU Effective Business Communication For Good News Memoradum

You have the task of writing good news to your department. Remember to use the direct approach for positive messages

104 Unit 2: The Three-Stop Writing Process
5: Completing Business Messages 105
Use Lists and Bullets to Clarify and Emphasize
An effective alternative to using conventional sentences is to set off important ideas in a – a
series of words, names, or other items. Lists can show the sequence of your ideas,
heighten their impact visually, and increase the likelihood that readers will find your key
points. In addition, lists simplify complex subjects, highlight the main point, ease the
skimming process for busy readers, and give them a breather. Consider the difference
between the following two approaches to the same information:
Narrative
List
Owning your own business has many
advantages. One is the ease of
establishment. Another advantage is
the satisfaction of working for yourself.
As a sole proprietor, you also have the
advantage of privacy because you do
not have to reveal your information or
plans to anyone.
Owning your own business has three
advantages:
• Ease of establishment
• Satisfaction of working for yourself
• Privacy of information
When creating a list, you can separate items with numbers, letters, or bullets (a
general term for any kind of graphical element that precedes each item). Bullets are
generally preferred over numbers, unless the list is in some logical sequence or ranking,
or specific list items will be referred to later on.
Lists are easier to locate and read if the entire numbered or bulleted section is
set off by extra space before and after, as the preceding examples demonstrate.
Furthermore, when using lists, make sure to introduce them clearly so that people know
what they’re about to read.
Bibliography:
Courtland L., B., & John V., T. (2007). Completing Business Messages. In D. Parker, R.
Butera, & M. Boos (Eds.), Business Communication Essentials (3rd ed., pp. 104105). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.
1Lists are effective tools for highlighting and simplifying material.