Excellence in Business Communication

EIGHTH EDITION
Welcome to this brief benefits tour of Excellence in Business Communication, Eighth Edition. Weve selected a dozen pages from the text to illustrate some of the many unique features that make EBC8 an ideal teaching and learning resource for your business communication course. To hear audio commentary on each page, click this icon:

Contents in Brief
Preface xvii Prologue: Building a Career with Your Communication Skills xxxiii

UNDERSTANDING THE FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 1

1 2 3

Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication 2 Communicating in Teams and Mastering Listening and Nonverbal Communication Skills 38 Communicating in a World of Diversity 70

II

APPLYING THE THREE-STEP WRITING PROCESS 97

4 5 6

Planning Business Messages 98 Writing Business Messages 130 Completing Business Messages 164

III

CRAFTING BRIEF MESSAGES 197

7 8 9 10

Crafting Messages for Electronic Media 198 Writing Routine and Positive Messages 236 Writing Negative Messages 280 Writing Persuasive Messages 322

IV

PREPARING REPORTS AND ORAL PRESENTATIONS 363

11 12 13 14

Planning Reports and Proposals 364 Writing Business Reports and Proposals 410 Completing Business Reports and Proposals 456 Designing and Delivering Oral and Online Presentations 504

WRITING EMPLOYMENT MESSAGES AND INTERVIEWING FOR JOBS 543

15 16 Appendix A: Appendix B:

Building Careers and Writing Rsums 544 Interviewing for Employment and Following Up 580 Format and Layout of Business Documents A-1 Documentation of Report Sources A-21 Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage H-1 Answer Keys AK-1 References R-1 Acknowledgments AC-1 Company/Name/Product Index I-1 Subject Index I-5

vii

Preface
Chapter-by-Chapter Changes and Improvements Chapter 9 Feature
Learning objectives
(formerly Chapter 8)

xxi

Chapter 10
(formerly Chapter 9)

Chapter 11
(formerly Chapter 10)

Chapter 12
(formerly Chapter 11)

More emphasis on the importance of ethics and etiquette in negative messages Updated: KMPG, which had to make a strategic decision about apologizing for illegal accounting practices

More emphasis on identifying objections before writing persuasive messages New: ClubMom, the rst online social network for mothers

Comparable to 7th edition

More emphasis on effective writing for the web

Chapter-opening vignette and chapter-closing simulation

New: Tesco, the leading grocery retailer in the UK, and its extensive audience research program

New: Tellabs, a major producer of Internet equipment, and its highly regarded annual reports

Chapter content (subject Expanded coverage of areas that were added, clari- ethics and etiquette in the ed, expanded, streampreparation and delivery lined, or updated for this of negative messages edition)

Revised coverage of audi- More on research ethics, Drafting online content ence motivation including pretexting Revised and expanded cov Revised coverage of antici- Organizing website erage of visual communicapating objections content tion, including visual design The challenge of nding principles, visual symbolinformation in the hidden ism, and the ethics of visual Internet design Taking advantage of innovative research technologies, including desktop and enterprise search, research and content managers, social bookmarking, and research newsfeeds Revised: Direct approach versus indirect approach in an introduction (Fig. 11.3) New: Information architecture (Fig. 11.9) Updated: Important resources for business research (Table 11.3) Updated: Best of Internet searching (Table 11.4) Updated: Choosing the right tone for business reports (Fig. 12.2) New: Effective report expressing action plan in the close (Fig. 12.4) New: Visual symbolism (Fig. 12.7) New: Ineffective and effective visual designs (Fig. 12.8) New: Mapping using geographic information system (Fig. 12.16b) New: Diagram (Fig. 12.17)

Model documents and other exhibits

Comparable to 7th edition New: Explaining the benets of product features (Fig. 10.4) New: The spectrum of emotional and logical appeals (Fig. 10.5) New: Flexible communication on the web (Fig. 10.6) New: Human needs that inuence motivation (Table 10.1)

End-of-chapter exercises

New exercises on buffers, New exercises on avoiding ethics, etiquette, and com- hard sells, anticipating pany culture objections, podcasting, writing persuasive subject lines, and building credibility 10 new cases 9 new cases

Comparable to 7th edition New exercises on online composition and visual design

End-of-chapter cases

N/A

Comparable to 7th edition

xxi

Chapter 12 Writing Business Reports and Proposals

Learning Objectives
AFTER STUDYING THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO 1 Explain how to adapt to your audiences when writing reports and proposals 2 List the topics commonly covered in the introduction, body, and close of informational and analytical reports 3 Name ve characteristics of effective report content 4 Name six strategies to strengthen your proposal argument 5 List the topics commonly covered in a proposals introduction, body, and close 6 Identify ve characteristics of effective writing in online reports 7 Describe the communication power that visuals add to your writing 8 Explain how to choose which points in your message to illustrate 9 Discuss six principles of graphic design that can improve the quality of your visuals 10 Name three qualities to look for before including a visual in a report or presentation

410

446

Part IV

Preparing Reports and Oral Presentations

Learning Objectives Checkup

Assess your understanding of the principles in this chapter by reading each learning objective and studying the accompanying exercises. For ll-in-the-blank items, write the missing text in the blank provided; for multiple-choice items, circle the letter of the correct answer. You can check your responses against the answer key on page AK-2. Objective 12.1: Explain how to adapt to your audiences when writing reports and proposals. 1. Why is the you attitude particularly important with long or complex reports and proposals? a. The you attitude takes less time to write, so youll save considerable time with long documents. b. Professionals are accustomed to reading long reports, so they dont require a lot of hand holding. c. People simply dont read reports that dont demonstrate good business etiquette. d. The length and complexity of these reports put a heavy demand on readers, making it particularly important to be sensitive to their needs. 2. Which of these sentences has the most formal tone? a. We discuss herein the possibility of synergistic development strategies between our rm and U.S. Medical. b. This report explores the potential for a strategic partnership with U.S. Medical. c. My report is the result of a formal investigation into the possibility of a strategic partnership with U.S. Medical. d. In this report, I address the potential for a strategic partnership with U.S. Medical. Objective 12.2: List the topics commonly covered in the introduction, body, and close of informational and analytical reports. 3. Which of these does not belong in the body of an informational or analytical report? a. An explanation of weaknesses in the report b. Facts, statistical evidence, and trends c. Conclusions and recommendations d. Criteria for evaluating alternatives and options 4. Where would you list action items in a report? a. In the opening b. In the body c. In the close d. Action items are never listed in reports. Objective 12.3: Name ve characteristics of effective report content. 5. Which of the following is not a characteristic of effective report content? a. Balanced b. Logical c. Entertaining d. Accurate 6. How are audiences likely to react if they spot several errors in your reports? a. Theyll become skeptical about the quality of all your work. b. Theyll forgive you and move on without thinking any more about it; everybody makes mistakes. c. Theyll stop reading your reports. d. Theyll respect the fact that you dont waste time proofreading. Objective 12.4: Name six strategies to strengthen your proposal argument. 7. Which of the following is not a recommended strategy for strengthening your proposal argument? a. Provide concrete examples of the value of your proposal. b. Demonstrate your knowledge. c. Identify the amount of time youve invested in the proposal. d. Adopt a you attitude. 8. If packaging and presentation are only superficial, why are they so important in proposal writing? a. Readers tend to prejudge the quality of your products and services based on the quality of your proposal. b. They show that youre more than just a numbers personthat you can think creatively. c. They show the audience that youre willing to invest time and money in getting your proposal accepted. d. Attractive documents always have high-quality information in them. Objective 12.5: List the topics commonly covered in a proposals introduction, body, and close. 9. Which of the following elements is usually not part of a proposals introduction? a. Background or statement of the problem b. Detailed cost analysis c. Organization of the proposal d. Scope of the proposal 10. The primary purpose of the body of a proposal is to a. List your rms qualications for the project in question b. Explain why the recipient needs to address a particular problem or opportunity c. Communicate your passion for solving the problem or addressing the opportunity d. Give complete details on the proposed solution and its anticipated benets 11. If a proposal is being sent in response to an RFP, how should the body of the proposal address the issue of costs? a. It should avoid any mention of costs. b. It should provide a total cost gure without wasting the readers time with a lot of details. c. It should follow whatever your companys policy is regarding cost estimates. d. It should follow the instructions in the RFP exactly. Objective 12.6: Identify five characteristics of effective writing in online reports. 12. ______________ goes a step beyond translating, making sure web content reects not only the native language of

On the Job
COMMUNICATING AT CLUBMOM

CREATING A BUSINESS BY CONNECTING MOTHERS EVERYWHERE

Few roles in life require more information and insight than parenting. From prenatal care to early childhood development to education to socialization issues, parents are in continuous learning mode as their children grow. Parents also need to learn about themselves as they grow in their roles, from balancing work and home life to nurturing their own relationships. At the same time, parenting can be one of the most isolating experiences for adults, often making it difficult for people to acquire the information and support they need to succeed as parents. Television personality Meredith Vieira, actor and activist Andrew Shue, and entrepreneur Michael Sanchez pondered this age-old challenge and saw the web as a solution. The three co-founded ClubMom, an online community and information resource that ClubMom appeals to new members with a variety of attractive images and brief, upbeat helps mothers nd answers, insights statements that emphasize the benets of joining. and each other. In addition to providcompelling case for joining ClubMom. Using straighting a huge library of articles, several dozen blogs on forward statements such as Join ClubMom and nd various topics, question-and-answer forums, and an answers, camaraderie, and support from other moms online shopping mall, ClubMom includes the Momand an upbeat but realistic writing style, the company Network, the rst social networking site created specifcommunicates the features of its various online serically for mothers. vices and the benets of joining. Information resources and social networks abound The persuasive communication effort certainly on the web, so like any other web start-up, ClubMom seems to have been successful: ClubMom already faced the challenge of standing apart from the crowd has more than 2 million members and continues to and growing its membership audience large enough expand as more mothers join in search of helpful to create a viable business. One of the keys to its sucinsights and friendly support from their peers.1 cess is clear, audience-focused messages that make a www.clubmom.com

323

Chapter 10

Writing Persuasive Messages

347

to your audience. An audience-centered approach, involving respect for your readers and their values, should help you avoid any such etiquette missteps. Technology also gives communicators new ways to demonstrate sensitivity to user needs. One example is automated updates from blogs and websites, alerting customers to information in which theyve expressed an interest. Opt-in e-mail newsletters are another technology that shows the you attitude at work. Unlike the unwelcome spam messages that litter e-mail inboxes these days, opt-in messages are sent only to those people who have specically requested information (see Figure 10.7).

Communication technologies such as opt-in e-mail and blog syndication can help you be sensitive to audience needs.

On the Job
SOLVING COMMUNICATION DILEMMAS AT CLUBMOM
Youre the vice president of member services at ClubMom, reporting to CEO Michael Sanchez. In addition to developing new online services, a key part of your job responsibility is crafting messages that describe the new services and persuade members to try them. Use what youve learned in this chapter and in your own experiences as a consumer (and as a parent, if applicable) to address these challenges. 1. You asked one of your staffers to write a benet statement to communicate the advantages of the MomBlogs section of the ClubMom website, which offers more than three dozen blogs on a variety of parenting topics. (You can learn more about the MomBlogs feature at the ClubMom website, www.clubmom.com.) She e-mails the following sentence: Weve worked hard to assemble a team of bloggers who share their knowledge, experience, and opinions on a wide variety of subjects, from pregnancy to schooling to religion. You then write back, explaining why its important to make marketing messages about the customer, not the company. Which of these versions best illustrates this vital aspect of the you attitude? a. The hardworking bloggers at ClubMom share their knowledge, experience, and opinions on a wide variety of subjects, from pregnancy to schooling to religion. b. Get insights, information, and thought-provoking opinions from the ClubMom bloggers. c. Get insights, information, and thought-provoking opinions from the ClubMom bloggers on a wide variety of subjects, from pregnancy to schooling to religion. d. Blogging has rapidly become a popular way for web surfers to get insights, information, and thought-provoking opinions, and the ClubMom blogs will help you, too. 2. A common challenge in marketing communication is distilling a long list of features to a single compelling message that can serve as the products headline. Review the following list of features and benets of the MomNetwork service (extracted from various communications presented by ClubMom and its business partners): The experiences of thousands of moms are now aggregated in a single place online. Connect with moms like you; search for moms by personal and family challenges, interests, age of kids, or location. Get and give support; find support and swap advice with other moms on a wide range of topics that matter most to you. Find the best of what moms have to say; discover thousands of helpful articles, know-how, and tips from ClubMom members and Mom Experts. Joining the MomNetwork is absolutely free. Setting up your own personal prole is fast and easy. Search for moms with similar interests, then send them private messages to establish online conversations. Use the My Network feature to collect the names of moms youve connected with online. Write as much or as little as you want to share in your personal prole. You have complete control over the privacy of your information. Which of the following statements is the best single-sentence encapsulation of the wide range of benefits that ClubMom offers? Obviously, a single sentence cant communicate every point listed; think more about an initial, high-level message that will entice people to keep reading. a. Connecting and collecting; caring and sharing: The online community at ClubMom lets you network with other moms and find information you can use to help make motherhood successful and satisfying. b. The online community at ClubMom lets you connect with other moms and find valuable information to help make motherhood successful and satisfying. c. ClubMom offers moms everywhere a unique online experience. (continued)

FIGURE 15.5 Effective Chronological Rsum

Compared to the version in Figure 15.4, this version does a much better job of presenting the candidates ability to contribute to a new employer. Notice in particular how easy it is to scan through this rsum to nd sections of interest.

Combines accounting expertise with international experience in a clearly stated objective

ROBERTO CORTEZ 5687 Crosswoods Drive Falls Church, Virginia 22046 Home: (703) 987-0086 Office: (703) 549-6624 E-mail: RCortez@silvernet.com OBJECTIVE Accounting management position requiring hands-on knowledge of international finance EXPERIENCE March 2002 to present Staff Accountant/Financial Analyst, Inter-American Imports (Alexandria, Virginia) Prepare accounting reports for wholesale giftware importer ($15 million annual sales) Audit financial transactions with suppliers in 12 Latin American countries Created a computerized model to adjust accounts for fluctuations in currency exchange rates Negotiated joint-venture agreements with major suppliers in Mexico and Colombia Implemented electronic funds transfer for vendor disbursements, improving cash flow and eliminating payables clerk position Staff Accountant, Monsanto Agricultural Chemicals (Mexico City, Mexico) Handled budgeting, billing, and credit-processing functions for the Mexico City branch Audited travel & entertainment expenses for Monsantos 30-member Latin American sales force Assisted in launching an online system to automate all accounting functions, improving reporting accuracy by 65% EDUCATION 1996 to 1998 Master of Business Administration with emphasis in international business, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia Bachelor of Business Administration, Accounting, University of Texas, Austin INTERCULTURAL AND TECHNICAL SKILLS Fluent in Spanish and German Traveled extensively in Latin America Excel Access HTML Visual Basic

Makes each description concise, easy to read, and informative; avoids I throughout
October 1998 to March 2002

Translates experience into general accomplishments that will appeal to any company that employs international accountants Uses active language to describe past and present responsibilities and accomplishments

Makes special skills easy to find (note that multiple bullets in the last line could cause problems with a scannable rsum format; see page 566)

1993 to 1996

Makes good use of headings so that major content sections are easy to identify

Planning
Analyze the Situation
Decide on the best way to combine finance and international experience.

Writing
Adapt to Your Audience
Translate specific experience into general qualifications that all international companies will find valuable.

Completing
Revise the Message
Evaluate your content and review readability, clarity, and accuracy.

Gather Information
Research target positions to identify key employer needs.

Produce the Message

Use effective design elements and suitable layout for a clean, professional appearance.

Compose the Message

Write clearly and succinctly, using active, powerful language that is appropriate to the financial management profession.

Select the Right Medium

Start with a traditional paper rsum and develop scannable or plain-text versions as needed.

Proofread the Message

Review for errors in layout, spelling, and mechanics.

Distribute the Message

Deliver your rsum and other employment messages following the specific instructions of each employer or job board website.

Organize the Information

Choose the chronological format since it fits this strong employment history perfectly.

Chapter 10

Writing Persuasive Messages

343

FIGURE 10.5
The Spectrum of Emotional and Logical Appeals
All marketing and sales messages strike a balance between logical and emotional appeals. Premier Building Systems, a maker of building materials, relies primarily on logical appeals. At the other extreme, ADiamondIsForever.com relies almost entirely on emotional appeals on its website. Gladiator GarageWorks lies somewhere between these two, emphasizing both the logical and emotional advantages of its garage organizers.

To help convince home builders to use its innovative panel system instead of traditional frame construction, Premier Building Systems focuses on logical factors such as cost, efficiency, and quality

Gladiator GarageWorks uses a combination of logical and emotional appeals by promising to make your garage a place to work, entertain and show off to your friends and neighbors.

Website photograph used with permission of Whirlpool Corporation

A Diamond Is Forever uses an appeal that is entirely emotional (for instance, it doesnt attempt to promote the investment value of a diamond)

Chapter 7

Crafting Messages for Electronic Media

231

E-Mail SKILLS
5. Must be an opportunity in here somewhere: The growing market of women living without husbands For the rst time in history (aside from special situations such as major wars), more than half51 percentof all U.S. adult women now live without a spouse. (In other words, they live alone, with roommates, or as part of an unmarried couple.) Twentyve percent have never married, and 26 percent are divorced, widowed, or married but living apart from their spouses. In the 1950s and into the 1960s, only 40 percent of women lived without a spouse, but every decade since, the percentage has increased. In your work as a consumer trend specialist for Seymour Powell (www.seymourpowell.com), a product design rm based in London that specializes in the home, personal, leisure, and transportation sectors, its your business to recognize and respond to demographic shifts such as this. Your task: With a small team of classmates, brainstorm possible product opportunities that respond to this trend. In an e-mail to be sent to the management team at Seymour Powell, list your ideas for new or modified products that might sell well in a society in which more than half of all adult women live without a spouse. For each idea, provide a one-sentence explanation of why you think the product has potential.39

by not restricting products such as Ciscos, the U.S. government is not enforcing the full intent of the restrictions. Moreover, they suggest that Cisco could be enabling abuse. For example, its Chinese marketing brochure promotes the equipments ability to strengthen police control. Your task: Write a brief post for the Cisco executive blog that explains the following points: The company rigorously follows all U.S. export regulations; the companys marketing efforts in China are consistent with the way it markets products to other police organizations throughout the world; the products are simply tools, and like all other tools, they can be applied in good or bad ways, and responsible application is the customers responsibility, not Ciscos; if Cisco didnt sell this equipment to the Chinese government, another company from another country would.41

IM SKILLS
8. The very definition of confusion: Helping consumers sort out high-denition television High-denition television can be a joy to watchbut, oh, what a pain to buy. The eld is littered with competing technologies and arcane terminology that is meaningless to most consumers. Moreover, its nearly impossible to dene one technical term without invoking two or three others, leaving consumers swimming in an alphanumeric soup of confusion. The manufacturers themselves cant even agree on which of the 18 different digital TV formats truly qualify as high definition. As a sales support manager for Crutcheld (www.crutcheld.com), a leading online retailer of audio and video systems, you understand the frustration buyers feel; your staff is deluged daily by their questions. Your task: To help your staff respond quickly to consumers who ask questions via Crutchelds online IM chat service, you are developing a set of canned responses to common questions. When a consumer asks one of these questions, a sales advisor can simply click on the ready-made answer. Start by writing concise, consumer-friendly denitions of the following terms: resolution, HDTV, 1080p, and HDMI. (Visit Crutchelds educational site, www.crutcheldadvisor.com, and click on Learn About Home Theater & A/V to learn more about these terms. Answers.com and CNET.com are two other handy sources.)42

E-Mail SKILLS

Portfolio BUILDER

6. Help is on the way: Encouraging Ford dealers The Big Three U.S. automakersGeneral Motors, Chrysler, and Fordhavent had much good news to share lately. Ford, in particular, has been going through a rough time, losing billions of dollars and being overtaken in sales volume by Toyota. Your task: Write an e-mail to be sent to all Ford dealers in North America, describing an exciting new model about to be introduced to the public. For this exercise, you can use either an upcoming Ford model you have researched in the automotive media or a ctitious car of your own imagination (make sure its something that could conceivably be introduced by Ford).40

Blogging SKILLS
7. Legitimate and legal: Defending technology sales to Chinese police agencies Cisco, a leading manufacturer of computer networking equipment, is one of several technology companies that have been criticized recently for selling hightech equipment to police agencies in China. After the Chinese government killed hundreds of protestors in Tiananmen Square in 1989, U.S. officials began restricting the export of products that could be used by Chinese security forces. The restrictions cover a range of low-tech devices, from helmets and handcuffs to ngerprint powder and teargas, but not certain high-tech products, such as the networking equipment that Cisco sells, which can conceivably be used by security forces in ways that violate human rights. Critics contend that

Podcasting SKILLS

Portfolio BUILDER

9. Based on my experience: Recommending your college or university With any purchase decision, from a restaurant meal to a college education, recommendations from satised customers are often the strongest promotional messages. Your task: Write a script for a one- to two-minute podcast (roughly 150 to 250 words) explaining why your college or university is a good place to get an education. Your audience is high school juniors and seniors. You can choose to craft a general message, something that would be useful to all prospective students, or you can focus on a specic academic discipline, the

14

Part I

Understanding the Foundations of Business Communication

companies you rely on to deliver a message can distort it, either accidentally or to meet their own needs. Channel breakdowns. Sometimes the channel simply breaks down and fails to deliver your message at all. A colleague you were counting on to deliver a message to your boss might have forgotten to do so, a brochure you sent to a customer might have gotten lost in the mail, or a computer server might have crashed and prevented your blog from displaying. As a communicator, try to be aware of any barriers that could prevent your messages from reaching their intended audiences. And make sure you havent unintentionally built barriers around yourself. If people dont feel that you are approachable for any reason, theyll avoid communicating with youeven regarding messages that you need to hear.17

Inside the Mind of Your Audience After a message survives the journey through the communication channel and reaches its intended audience, it encounters a whole new set of challenges. Understanding how audiences receive, decode, and respond to messages will help you create more effective messages.
To actually receive a message, audience members need to sense it, select it, and perceive it as a message.

How Audiences Receive Messages Messages often reach the intended audience but have no effect whatsoever. For an audience member to actually receive a message, three events need to occur: the receiver has to sense the presence of a message, select it from all the other messages clamoring for attention, and perceive it as an actual message (as opposed to random, pointless noise).18 You can appreciate the magnitude of this challenge by driving down any busy street in a commercial section of town. Youll encounter literally hundreds of messagesbillboards, posters, store window displays, thumping car stereos, pedestrians waving or talking on mobile phones, horns honking, street signs, traffic lights, and so on. However, you sense, select, and perceive only a small fraction of these messages. In fact, if you didnt ignore most of them, you would be one very dangerous driver! Todays business audiences are much like drivers on busy streets. They are inundated with so many messages and so much noise that they miss or ignore many of the messages intended for them. The good news is that through this course, you will learn a variety of techniques to craft messages that get noticed. In general, follow these ve principles to increase your chances of success: Consider audience expectations. Deliver messages using the media and channels that the audience expects. Of course, sometimes going against expectations can stimulate audience attention, which is why advertisers sometimes do wacky and creative things to get your attention. However, for most business communication efforts, following the expectations of your audience is the most efcient way to get your message across.

Trying to send and receive multiple messages simultaneously is so distracting that it can actually reduce a workers functioning intelligence level.

To improve the odds that your messages will be successfully perceived by your audience, pay close attention to expectations, ease of use, familiarity, empathy, and technical compatibility.

Ensure ease of use. Even if audiences are actively looking for your messages, they probably wont see your messages if you make them hard to nd. Poorly designed websites with confusing navigation are common culprits in this respect. Emphasize familiarity. Use words, images, and designs that are familiar to your audience. For example, most visitors to business websites now expect to see information about the company on a page called About Us.

Chapter 12

Writing Business Reports and Proposals

427

good design. Even without any formal training in design, being aware of the following six principles will help you be a more effective visual communicator (see Figure 12.8): Consistency. Think of continuity as visual parallelism, in the same way that textual parallelism helps audiences understand and compare a series of ideas.14 You

FIGURE 12.8
Ineffective and Effective Visual Designs
The slide in Figure 12.8a violates numerous principles of effective design, as you can see in the annotations. Figure 12.8b will never win any awards for exciting or innovative design, but it does its job efciently and effectively.
(a) Ineffective Design
Inappropriate emphasis draws the eye to the red rectangle, which is not central to the message

Unconventional arrangement forces the audience to read from lower left to upper right

Inconsistent bullets force audience to interpret symbols to see if they contain some additional message

Poor design buries the slide title in an image, rather than visually emphasizing it

Cluttered design forces audience to hunt for the message

(b) Effective Design

Headline is clearly emphasized

Consistent use of bullets lets audience focus on the message, not the mechanics

Conventional left-to-right, top-to-bottom arrangement makes it easy to find the message

xxvi

Preface

Social media Social networking Streaming media Syndication Tagging Templates and style sheets Text messaging Translation software Video blogging Video podcasts Videoconferencing and telepresence

Virtual agents and bots Voice synthesis and recognition Web 2.0 Web content management systems Web directories Web-based virtual meetings Webcasting Website accessibility Wikis Wireless networks (Wi-Fi and WiMAX) Wizards

VERSATILE RESOURCES FOR INSTRUCTORS AND STUDENTS

The multimedia Excellence in Business Communication package helps instructors and students take full advantage of the latest advances in instructional technology.

Business Communication Headline News

Stay on top of hot topics, important trends, and new technologies with Business Communication Headline News, which uses the newest Internet technologies to deliver late-breaking news in headlines with concise summaries. You can scan incoming items in a matter of seconds and simply click through to read the full articles that interest you. This free service offers numerous ways to enhance lectures and student activities: Keep current with the latest information and trends in the eld Easily update your lecture notes with fresh material Create visuals for your classroom presentations Supplement your lectures with cutting-edge handouts Gather podcasts, online video, and other new media examples to use in the classroom Enhance your research projects with the newest data Compare best practices from other instructors Improve the quality and effectiveness of your teaching by reading about new teaching tips and techniques While visiting the website, you also get free access to these powerful instructional resources: The Business Communication Web Directory, available only on this site, where youll nd more than 240 topics and more than 5,000 links, with a search engine for the site to help you nd exactly what you want. Thirty-six Business Communication Newsletters updated every 15 minutes, each devoted to a specific topic, such as business correspondence, blogging, e-mail, podcasting, and instant messaging.