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Business Communication > Chapter 5 > Flashcards

Chapter 5 Flashcards

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1
Q

Audience sensitivity

A
  • adopt a “you” attitude
  • demonstrate business etiquette
  • emphasize the positive
  • use bias-free language
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2
Q

The “you” attitude

A

Speaking and writing in terms of the audiences interests, hopes, and preferences

Genuine empathy

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3
Q

Bias free language

A

Age
Gender
Disability
Race or ethnicity

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4
Q

Controlling style and tone

A

Conversational tone
Plain English
Active and passive voice

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5
Q

Active voice

A

Subject + verb + object

Direct, concise, vigorous

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6
Q

Passive voice

A

Object + verb + subject

Indirect, tactful, reserved

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7
Q

Composing the message

A

Word choice
Sentences
Paragraphs

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8
Q

Word choice

A

Strong words vs abstract words

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9
Q

Sentences

A

Sentences should be no more than 30 words long because of coherence

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10
Q

Paragraphs

A

Paragraphs should be no more than 8 lines long. Avoid one-sentence paragraphs. Typically, a letter has 3 paragraphs

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11
Q

Finding words that communicate well

A

Use strong verbs
Use familiar words
Avoid cliches & buzzwords
Minimize jargon

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12
Q

Use strong words

A

Choose words that express your thoughts clearly, specifically, & dynamically.
Use nouns and verbs as much as you can
Adjectives and adverbs often evoke subjective judgements

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13
Q

Verbs

A

Tell what is happening in the sentence

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14
Q

Choose familiar words

A

Communicate best with words familiar to your readers

Words familiar to one reader might be unfamiliar to another

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15
Q

Avoid cliches and buzzwords

A

Beware of terms and phrases so common that they have become virtually meaningless

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16
Q

Use jargon carefully

A

When deciding whether to use technical jargon, let your audiences knowledge guide you.

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17
Q

Effective sentences

A

Simple
Compound
Complex
Compound-complex

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18
Q

Simple sentence

A

Has one main clause (a single subject and a single predicate)

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19
Q

Compound sentence

A

Has two main clauses that express two or more independent but related thoughts of equal importance (usually joined by and, but, or)

Merger of two or more simple sentences

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20
Q

Complex sentence

A

Expresses one main thought (independent clause) and one or more subordinate thoughts (dependent clause ) related to it, often separated by a comma.

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21
Q

Compound-complex sentence

A

Two main clauses, at least one of which containing a subordinate clause.

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22
Q

Coordinate conjunctions -compound

A

And , but, so

Require only a comma to link to independent clauses

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23
Q

Adverbial conjunctions -compound

A

Therefore, however, nevertheless

Requires a semicolon to link to independent clauses

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24
Q

Omitting conjunctions -compound

A

Requires only a semicolon to link independent clauses

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25
Subordinate conjunctions-complex
Because, if, when, since, although, while If the dependent clause begins the sentence, a comma is required
26
Coherent paragraphs
Topic sentences Support sentences Transitions
27
Paragraph
Cluster of sentences all related to the same general topic
28
Topic sentence
Sentence that introduces the single topic of the paragraph
29
Coherent
Paragraphs arranged in a logical order so that the audience can understand the train of thought
30
Transitions
Words or phrases that tie ideas together and show how one thought is related to another
31
Emphasis techniques
Placement Length Typographical
32
Design techniques
``` White space Margins Justification Typeface Type styles ```
33
White space
Provides visual contrast for readers, gives them a resting point. Open areas around headings, margins, vertical space between columns, ragged line endings, and indents between paragraphs
34
Margins
# Define the space around your text and between text columns Justified (flush on the left and right) Flush left with a ragged right margin Flush right with ragged left margin Centered
35
Justified
Frequently used in magazines, newspapers, & books. Can accommodate more text in a given space. Often have awkward gaps and variable spacing between words and letters
36
Typeface
Physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters.
37
Type style
Any modification that lends contrast or emphasis to type: boldface, italic, underlining, and other highlighting and decorative styles
38
Using technology
``` Templates and style sheets Page setup Column formatting Paragraph formatting Numbered and bulleted lists Tables and textboxes Pictures and objects ```
39
Templates and style sheets
Saves time | Ensures a consistent look and feel for all print and online documents
40
Page setup
Controls margins, Orientation (portrait/landscape), location of headers (text and graphics on top of each page), and footers (text and graphics at bottom of each page)
41
Column formatting
Most use single column of text per page Multiple columns can be used for newsletters Columns also help with long lists
42
Paragraph formatting
Take advantage of various paragraph formatting controls to enhance the look of documents
43
Numbered and bulleted lists
Let your word processor or online publishing system do the busywork of formatting numbered and bulleted lists, too. It can also renumber lists when you add or remove items
44
Tables
Tables are a great way to display any information that lends itself to rows and columns
45
Pictures, text boxes, and objects
Word processors let you insert a wide variety of pictures. Text boxes are small blocks of text that stand apart from the main text. Objects can be a spreadsheet to a sound clip to an engineering drawing. Similarly, blogging systems, wikis, and other web development tools let you insert a variety of pictures, audio and video clip, and other multimedia elements
46
Euphemisms
Words or phrases that express a thought in milder terms. Not as negative.
47
Bias-free language
Avoids words and phrases that unfairly and unethically categorize or stigmatize people
48
Establishing and maintaining credibility
``` Honesty Objectivity Awareness of audience needs Credentials, knowledge, and expertise Endorsement Performance Sincerity ```
49
Bias can come in variety of forms
Gender bias Racial and ethnic bias Age bias Disability bias
50
Credibility
Measure of believability based on how reliable you are and how much trust you evoke
51
Style
Choices choices you make to express yourself
52
Tone
Overall impression in messages
53
Conversational tone
Plain language that sounds businesslike without being extreme
54
Achieve a tone that is conversational but still businesslike by following these guidelines
- Understand the difference between texting and writing - Avoid stale and pompous language - avoid preaching and bragging - be careful with intimacy - be careful with humor
55
Important aspect in creating a conversational tone
Plain language
56
Active voice
Subject performs the action and object receives the action
57
Passive voice
Subject receives the action. Passive voice combines the helping verb to be with a form of the verb that is usually similar to the past tense
58
Denotive meaning
Literal or dictionary meaning
59
Connotative meaning
All the associations and feelings evokes by a word
60
Abstract word
Expresses a concept, quality, or characteristic
61
Concrete word
Something you can see, touch, or visualize
62
Find words that communicate well
Choose strong, precise words Choose familiar words Avoid cliches and be careful with buzzwords Use jargon carefully
63
LISTING- things to do or not to do in an interview
1. Go alone 2. Dress appropriately 3. Arrive a few mins before the interview time 4. Carry 2 copies of resume in case requested 5. Carry a reliable pen with you (and a pencil/eraser maybe needed for an employment test) 6. Before interview, find out about company 7. Do not carry a lot of things 8. Give name to receptionist and indicate who you have appointment with 9. Give full name clearly and shake hand 10. Don’t place personal items on interviewers desk 11. Do not chew gum or smoke 12. Appear relaxed, but businesslike 13. Let interviewer take lead (answer questions clearly and fully) 14. Talk about your accomplishments 15. Smile 16. Have pertinent questions in mind. Ready to discuss salary and advancement 17. Ask questions if unsure of what job entails 18. Be courteous 19. Watch to see if interview is drawing to close 20. Try to determine what interviewers next step will be. When you’ll be notified of decision 21. Thank interviewer for opportunity to discuss job 22. Thank the receptionist on the way out
64
Simple sentence
Has one main clause
64
Compound sentence
Has two main clauses
65
Complex sentence
Has one main clause and one subordinate clause
66
Compound-complex sentences
Has two main clauses and at least one dependent clause
67
Unified
Focusing on a single topic
68
Coherent
Presenting ideas in a logically connected way
69
Topic sentence
Sentence that introduces the topic
70
Establish Transitions
Shows how one thought is related to another - use connecting words - echo word or phrase from previous paragraph or sentence - use pronoun that refers to previously used noun - use words that are frequently paired
71
To write effectively for mobile devices
``` Use linear organization Prioritize information Write short, focused messages Use short subject lines and headings Use short paragraphs ```

Business Communication (10 decks)

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