[写作] Guide to Good Business Communications.-.How to Write and Speak English Well

Guide to Good Business Communications.-.How to Write and Speak English Well.-.In Every Business Situation

Introduction

Communication is the key to success in any business. Whether you are trying to sell a product, answer a query or complaint or convince your colleagues to adopt a certain course of action, good communication often means the difference between success and failure. At best, imprecise language, clumsy sentences or long-winded ‘waffle’, whether in speech or writing, will give a poor impression of you or your business; at worst, what you are trying to say will be misunderstood or ignored. In contrast, clear, precise English will be enjoyable to read or listen to, and is likely to evoke the response you want.

This book is written for everyone who wants to develop the skill of good communication in the workplace – from business students to managers, voluntary workers to government officials. Moreover, because of the globalisation of trade and the use of the Internet, the position of English as the international language of business is stronger than ever. I hope, therefore, that those who do not have English as their first language but need to use it for business communication will also find this a useful guide.

The aim is to give you a good grounding in writing and speaking style, which you can then apply to any situation. It shows what is good and bad style, what you should avoid and why. What it does not do is provide a set of model documents for particular situations. You should think about what you want to say, not just copy someone else’s models. So although you will find a great many examples of documents throughout the
book, they are just that – examples to illustrate particular points and techniques, not models to be copied.


The book is arranged in such a way as to be easy to use, whether you are following it from start to finish or dipping into it. It starts with a general discussion of business communication and then goes on to planning, layout, construction and style. There are chapters on grammar, punctuation and spelling, but I have put them towards the end. This is not because they are unimportant – far from it – but so that you can refer to them if you need to without them getting in the way of the discussion of style and construction. They contain the minimum of theory; the emphasis is on practical application, and on mistakes to avoid.


Throughout the book there are exercises in which you can put the techniques discussed into practice. Answers are provided at the back. In many cases (for example, when an exercise involves writing a letter or memo) there will be several possible options, depending on your own personal style, and the samples shown are just suggestions. In other instances, especially when it comes to grammar or spelling, there will clearly be only one answer, and in these cases that is made clear.


As you improve your communication skills, you will find it very satisfying to be able to express yourself clearly and succinctly, and to get your precise meaning across to your audience. Not only will you have the satisfaction of a job well done, but you will know that there is a greater chance that people will react in the way you want them to.


All the characters and organisations in the examples and exercises are purely fictional, and any resemblance to real individuals or organisations is purely coincidental.