Mary ellen guffey essentials of business communication

Mary EllenGuffey’s
E S S E N T I A L S

O F

BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
7

EDITION

MARY ELLEN GUFFEY
Professor of Business Emerita
Los Angeles Pierce College
•
CAROLYN M. SEEFER, Contributing Editor
Professor of Business, Diablo Valley College


Essentials of Business Communication, Seventh Edition
Mary Ellen Guffey

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Dear Business Comm
unication Students:
As we release the Seve
nth Edition of Essentials
of Business
Communication, I mu
st confess that this is the
best edition yet!
Essentials continues to
provide a cost-effective
three-in-one
learning package: (1) au
thoritative textbook, (2)
practical workbook,
and (3) self-teaching gra
mmar/mechanics hand
book.
I’m particularly excited
about this edition beca
use it brings you
valuable workplace inform
ation. Let me describe
a few of this
edition’s unparalleled fea
tures:
᭤

Increased Emphasis
on Professionalism. Co
ntent in every chapter

develop oral, written, an
helps you
d nonverbal skills that
make you sound and loo
as well as promotable.
k credible
᭤ Enhanced Co
verage of Communica
tion Technologies. Th
demonstrates how the
e Seventh Edition
world of work is being
changed by IP telepho
intranets, wireless netw
ny, company
orks, Wi-Fi, voice recog
nition, videoconferencin
technology, and many
g, presence
other advances.
᭤ Strengthened
Grammar/Mechanics
Review Materials. Ne
Checkups in the textbo
w Grammar/Mechanic
ok, as well as new dig
s
ital Advanced Gramma
Checkups and “Your Pe
r/Mechanics

rsonal Language Traine
r,” help you revive rusty
textbook provides a be
skills. No other
tter grammar/mechanics
review program using
print to build confidenc
bo
th digital and
e and skills.
᭤ New Writing Co
ach Feature. A step-b
y-step demonstration of
e-mails, memos, and let
the composition of
ters shows you how to
compose and revise me
᭤ Expanded Co
verage of Résumés. Ne
ssages.
w model documents em
qualifications and new
ph
as
ize
a summary of
cover letters. You also
learn how to optimize
today’s technologies.
your résumé for

Student Preface

Essentials provides ev
en more support mater
ials so that you leave thi
and fully prepared with
s course confident
marketable skills. As on
e of the most accessible
authors in the field, I am
and responsive
eager to learn whether
you agree that this is the
best edition yet!
Cordially,

iii


Get Prepared. . .
Mary Ellen Guffey’s Essentials of Business Communication has helped countless students prepare
for success in today’s technology-driven workplace. The Seventh Edition of this award-winning text
contains the instruction you need for business communication success, with practice opportunities in
every chapter to help you hone your skills.

Improve Your Writing and Grammar Skills…
Guffey’s textbook/workbook/handbook
format teaches writing skills while
reviewing and reinforcing your basic

grammar and mechanics skills.
Writing Plans and Writing
Improvement Exercises
Clear step-by-step writing plans structure
the assignments so that novice writers
can get started quickly and stay focused
on the writing experience – without
struggling to provide unknown details to
unfamiliar, hypothetical cases.

Student Preface

᭣ Writing Coach
This new step-by-step demonstration of
the writing process shows you how to
write and revise e-mails, memos, and
letters using a brief case, writing
instructions, and before-and-after
documents.

iv

᭣ Emphasis on Grammar
and Mechanics
Throughout the text, you will be
encouraged to build on your basic
grammar skills. Grammar/Mechanics
Checkups, Grammar/Mechanics
Challenges, and chapter discussions
keep you in practice. Plus…Your

Personal Language Trainer, a selfteaching grammar/mechanics review
included in Guffey Xtra!, helps to further
enhance language skills.


…with Time-tested Learning Tools
᭤ Model Documents
Before-and-after sample documents and descriptive callouts
are a road map to the writing process, demonstrating for
you the effective use of the skills being taught, as well as
the significance of the revision process in writing.

᭣ End-of-Chapter
Concepts are translated into action, as you
try out your skills in activities designed to mirror
“real-world” experiences.

Student Preface

᭤ Communication Workshops
Communication workshops develop critical thinking
skills and provide insight into special business
communication topics such as ethics, technology,
career skills, and collaboration.

v


Contemporary Content for the
Technology-Driven Student

Student Preface

Videoconferencing, résumé
scanning, IP telephony (VoIP),
e-mail strategies, Web
researching, and blogging…
they’re all covered here.
Essentials of Business
Communication explores how
technology has changed the
world of work. Discussions of
these technologies are
integrated into relevant
chapters and become part of
end-of-chapter activities so you
can hit the ground running
when you enter today’s digital
workplace. Technology
discussions encompass the
latest information on:
᭤ Voice, Web, and
videoconferencing
᭤ Electronic presentations
᭤ Instant messaging and other
wireless technologies
᭤ E-mail techniques, etiquette,
risks, and tips
᭤ Electronic networking, job
boards, and job-searching

advice

See this two-page figure in Chapter 1.

“Guffey seems to have her hands on the
pulse of not only what is currently needed by
students and instructors, but is looking
toward what might be needed in the future. I
think this is what has always made her
textbooks seem more current than some of
the other texts out there.”
Sheryl E. C. Joshua,
University of North Carolina, Greensboro

vi


Real Advice for Succeeding
in the Job Market
You will use these skills in the real world. Essentials of Business Communication offers practical advice
and models that you can understand and adapt to your needs. More emphasis is placed on job-search
technology and résumé preparation, including a discussion of online job boards and the reality that few
candidates actually find jobs online.
Inside you’ll find:
᭤ Résumés in three forms: traditional
print-based résumés, scannable résumés,
and embedded résumés for today’s
technologies.
᭤ New “Summary of Qualifications” for a
résumé immediately reveals a candidate’s

fit for a position.
᭤ E-portfolios and digitized materials
provide a snapshot of a candidate’s
performance, talents, and accomplishments.
᭤ Social online networking with specific
Web sites to visit to aid in networking and
the job search.
᭤ Updated section about hiring and
placement interviews with discussion of
group interviews and panel, sequential, and
stress interviews.

Student Preface

Guffey demonstrates how significant
professionalism is to overall business
communication endeavors. Coverage of
professional workplace behavior has been
enhanced in this edition with cues on how to
act in business social situations. In this edition:
᭤ Etiquette tips for leaders and participants to
help them act appropriately and professionally in
meetings.
᭤ Telephone etiquette tips including how to
handle calls professionally, courteously, and
effectively.
᭤ Enhanced coverage of the importance of
professionalism when giving oral presentations,
with added information about dressing
professionally.

᭤ A section on creating professional visual aids
that add value to a presentation so that you
will learn how to highlight main ideas, ensure
visibility, enhance comprehension, and
exemplify professionalism when designing
and using visual aids.

vii


Technology Tools That Inform,
Educate, and Entertain
The book is just the beginning. Make the grade and improve your tech knowledge with
Guffey’s online resources and technology support.
Guffey Xtra!
Guffey Xtra! is an online study assistant that includes
the following features:
᭤

Your Personal Language Trainer is a cutting-edge
self-teaching online tool that enables you to review
an entire business English course, including
grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and number
style. Instead of using valuable class time to teach
grammar, instructors
can rely on Dr. Guffey
to act as a personal
trainer in helping
students pump up
their language

muscles. Your
Personal Language Trainer provides hundreds of
sentence reinforcement exercises with immediate feedback and explanations for the best
comprehension and retention.

Companion Web Site

᭤ Chapter Review Quizzes reinforce chapter
concepts, testing your knowledge and preparing
you for exams.
᭤ Flash Cards and Key Terms build vocabulary skills
while reviewing text material.
᭤ Business Etiquette Guide teaches basic business
etiquette and workplace manners.
᭤ Listening Quiz pinpoints listening strengths and
weaknesses in interactive exercises.
᭤ APA and MLA Citation Formats help you correctly
cite business references.
᭤ Writing Help links to the best college and university
online writing labs.

InfoTrac® College Edition
With InfoTrac College Edition, you can
receive complete, 24-hour-a-day access to
over 18 million full-text articles from
thousands of journals, popular periodicals,
and newspapers such as Newsweek, Time, The New
York Times, and USA Today.

Student Preface

Note: Access to Guffey Xtra! and InfoTrac® College
Edition may come packaged with your new text if your
instructor has ordered it. If not, you may purchase
these online resources through 1Pass access at
.

᭤
᭤
᭤
᭤
᭤
᭤
᭤

Student version PowerPoint slides
Bonus chapters
Speak Right! and Spell Right! practice activities
Sentence Competency exercises
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge exercises
Advanced Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
exercises
Business Report topics
“This book is great! It will be going to work with me
as a reference book. The interactive quizzes are
wonderful. What a great way to review for tests!
My instructor recommended your site, and I’m
very glad she did.”
Deanna Jokinen, student,
Dakota County Technical College

viii


UNIT 1

UNIT 6

LAYING COMMUNICATION
FOUNDATIONS 1
1 Building Your Career Success

COMMUNICATING FOR
EMPLOYMENT 375
13 The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover

With Communication Skills 2

Letters 376

14 Employment Interviewing and

UNIT 2
THE WRITING PROCESS 31
2 Creating Business Messages 32
3 Improving Writing Techniques 56
4 Revising and Proofreading Business
Messages 80

UNIT 3

CORRESPONDING AT WORK 97
5 E-Mail and Memorandums 98
6 Direct Letters and Goodwill
Messages 134

7 Persuasive Messages 172
8 Negative Messages 201

Follow-Up Messages 419

Appendix A Reference Guide to Document
Formats A-1
Appendix B InSite Correction Symbols and
Proofreading Marks A-13
Appendix C Documentation Formats A-16
Grammar/Mechanics Handbook GM-1
Key to Grammar/Mechanics Checkups K-1
Endnotes N-1
Index I-1

UNIT 4
REPORTING WORKPLACE DATA 237
9 Informal Reports 238
10 Proposals and Formal Reports 267

UNIT 5
DEVELOPING SPEAKING
AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS 315
11 Communicating in Person, in Meetings,
by Telephone, and Digitally 316

12 Making Effective and Professional Oral
Presentations 344

Brief Contents

ix


UNIT 1
LAYING COMMUNICATION FOUNDATIONS 1
1 Building Your Career Success
With Communication Skills 2

Expand Your Learning With These Bonus
Resources! 23
InfoTrac College Edition 23
Activities and Cases 23
Video Resources 26
Career Success Starts With Communication
Foundations 27
Erasing Stereotypes: Zubi Advertising 27
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 27
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 28
Communication Workshop: Technology
Using Job Boards to Learn About Employment
Possibilities in Your Field 29

The Importance of Communication Skills to Your
Career 2

Examining the Communication Process 8
Developing Better Listening Skills 9
Improving Your Nonverbal Communication Skills 12
Understanding How Culture Affects
Communication 15
Capitalizing on Workforce Diversity 18
Summing Up and Looking Forward 21
Critical Thinking 21
Chapter Review 21

UNIT 2
THE WRITING PROCESS 31
2 Creating Business Messages 32
The Basics of Business Writing 32
The Writing Process for Business Messages
and Oral Presentations 33
Analyzing the Purpose and the Audience 35
Anticipating the Audience 37
Adapting to the Task and Audience 38
Technology Improves Your Business Writing 46
Summing Up and Looking Forward 47
Critical Thinking 47
Chapter Review 47
Expand Your Learning With These Bonus
Resources! 49
Writing Improvement Exercises 49
Activity 52
Video Resource 52
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 52
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 53

Communication Workshop: Career Skills
Sharpening Your Skills for Critical Thinking,
Problem Solving, and Decision Making 54

3 Improving Writing Techniques 56
Researching to Collect Needed Information 56
Organizing to Show Relationships 58

x

Writing Effective Sentences 61
Improving Writing Techniques 63
Striving for Paragraph Coherence 68
Composing the First Draft 69
Summing Up and Looking Forward 70
Critical Thinking 70
Chapter Review 70
Expand Your Learning With These Bonus
Resources! 71
Writing Improvement Exercises 72
Activity 76
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 76
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 77
Communication Workshop: Ethics
Using Ethical Tools to Help You Do the
Right Thing 78

4 Revising and Proofreading
Business Messages 80
Understanding the Process of Revision 80

Concise Wording 81
Understanding the Process of
Proofreading 87
Summing Up and Looking Forward 89
Critical Thinking 89
Contents


xi

Contents

Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 94
Communication Workshop: Technology
Using Word’s Track Changes and Comment
Features to Edit and Revise Documents 95

Chapter Review 89
Writing Improvement Exercises 90
Activity 93
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 93

UNIT 3
CORRESPONDING AT WORK 97
5 E-Mail and Memorandums 98
Applying the Writing Process to Produce Effective
E-Mail Messages and Memos 98
Analyzing the Structure and Format of E-Mail
Messages and Memos 101
Using E-Mail Smartly and Safely 107

Writing Information and Procedure E-Mail
Messages and Memos 112
Writing Request and Reply E-Mail Messages
and Memos 114
Summing Up and Looking Forward 116
Critical Thinking 116
Chapter Review 117
Writing Improvement Exercises 118
Writing Coach—Request E-Mail 120
Writing Improvement Cases 122
Activities and Cases 124
Video Resources:
Smart E-Mail Messages and Memos
Advance Your Career 129
Innovation, Learning, and Communication:
A Study of Yahoo 129
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 130
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 131
Communication Workshop: Ethics
Whose Computer Is It Anyway? 132

6 Direct Letters and Goodwill
Messages 134
Writing Effective Direct Business Letters 134
Direct Requests for Information and Action 135
Direct Claims 137
Replies to Information Requests 140
Adjustment Letters 141
Letters of Recommendation 146
Writing Winning Goodwill Messages 149

Summing Up and Looking Forward 152
Critical Thinking 152
Chapter Review 152
Writing Improvement Exercises 153
Writing Coach—Direct Request Letter 156
Writing Improvement Cases 158
Activities and Cases 160

Video Resources:
Social Responsibility and Communication:
Ben & Jerry’s 167
MeetingsAmerica 167
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 168
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 169
Communication Workshop: Career Skills
Dr. Guffey’s Guide to Business Etiquette and
Workplace Manners 170

7 Persuasive Messages 172
Persuasive Requests 172
Crafting Winning Sales Letters 179
Summing Up and Looking Forward 184
Critical Thinking 184
Chapter Review 185
Writing Coach—Favor Request 186
Writing Improvement Exercises 188
Writing Improvement Cases 189
Activities and Cases 190
Video Resource:
Persuasion and Profitability: World Gym 196

Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 196
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 198
Communication Workshop: Ethics
Making Sure Your Sales Letters
Are Legal 199

8 Negative Messages 201
Strategies for Delivering Bad News 201
Techniques for Delivering Bad News
Sensitively 205
Refusing Routine Requests and Claims 210
Breaking Bad News to Customers 213
Breaking Bad News to Employees 217
Ethics and the Indirect Strategy 218
Summing Up and Looking Forward 220
Critical Thinking 220
Chapter Review 220
Writing Improvement Exercises 221
Writing Improvement Cases 223
Writing Coach—Refusing a Favor Request 224
Activities and Cases 227


xii

Contents

Communication Workshop:
Multicultural Issues
Presenting Bad News in Other Cultures 236

Video Resource:
Negative News: DawnSign Press 233
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 234
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 235

UNIT 4
REPORTING WORKPLACE DATA 237
9 Informal Reports 238

10 Proposals and Formal Reports 267

Understanding Report Basics 239
Guidelines for Developing Informal Reports 243
Six Kinds of Informal Reports 248
Information Reports 249
Progress Reports 249
Justification/Recommendation Reports 251
Feasibility Reports 253
Minutes of Meetings 254
Summaries 255
Summing Up and Looking Forward 257
Critical Thinking 257
Chapter Review 257
Writing Improvement Exercises 259
Activities and Cases 259
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 263
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 264
Communication Workshop: Collaboration
Laying the Groundwork for Team Writing

Projects 265

Understanding Business Proposals 267
Informal Proposals 268
Formal Proposals 272
Preparing to Write Formal Reports 272
Researching Secondary Data 273
Generating Primary Data 276
Documenting Data 278
Organizing and Outlining Data 280
Illustrating Data 283
Presenting the Final Report 290
Summing Up and Looking Forward 302
Critical Thinking 302
Chapter Review 302
Activities and Cases 304
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 311
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 312
Communication Workshop: Technology
Trash or Treasure: Assessing the Quality
of Web Documents 313

UNIT 5
DEVELOPING SPEAKING AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS 315
11 Communicating in Person, in
Meetings, by Telephone, and
Digitally 316
Improving Face-to-Face Workplace
Communication 317
Planning and Participating in Productive Business

and Professional Meetings 322
Improving Telephone, Cell Phone, and Voice Mail
Skills 328
Other Digital Communication Tools in the
Workplace 333
Summing Up and Looking Forward 335
Critical Thinking 335
Chapter Review 336
Activities and Cases 337
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 340
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 341
Communication Workshop:
Career Skills
Eight Steps to Resolving Workplace
Conflicts 342

12 Making Effective and Professional
Oral Presentations 344
Getting Ready for an Oral Presentation 345
Organizing Content for a Powerful Impact 347
How the Best Speakers Build Audience Rapport 351
Planning Visual Aids 353
Designing an Impressive Multimedia Presentation 355
Polishing Your Delivery and Following Up 361
Adapting to International and Cross-Cultural
Audiences 365
Summing Up and Looking Forward 366
Critical Thinking 366
Chapter Review 367
Activities and Cases 368

Video Resource:
Effective On-the-Job Presentations 371
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 371
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 372
Communication Workshop: Collaboration
Techniques for Taking Part in Effective
and Professional Team Presentations 373


xiii

Contents

UNIT 6
COMMUNICATING FOR EMPLOYMENT 375
13 The Job Search, Résumés,
and Cover Letters 376
Preparing for Employment 376
The Persuasive Résumé 383
Optimizing Your Résumé for Today’s
Technologies 396
Applying the Final Touches to Your Résumé 400
The Persuasive Cover Letter 403
Summing Up and Looking Forward 409
Critical Thinking 409
Chapter Review 410
Writing Improvement Cases 411
Activities and Cases 413
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup 415
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 416

Communication Workshop: Career Skills
Network Your Way to a Job in the Hidden
Market 417

14 Employment Interviewing
and Follow-Up Messages 419
Types of Employment Interviews 420
Before the Interview 422
On the Day of Your Interview 425
During the Interview 427
Closing the Interview 435
After the Interview 436

Other Employment Letters and Documents 439
Summing Up and Looking Forward 442
Critical Thinking 442
Chapter Review 442
Activities and Cases 444
Video Resource:
Sharpening Your Interview Skills 448
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup—Punctuation
Review 448
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge 450
Communication Workshop: Career Skills
Let’s Talk Money: Negotiating a Salary 451

Appendix A Reference Guide to Document
Formats A-1
Appendix B InSite Correction Symbols
and Proofreading Marks A-13

Appendix C Documentation Formats A-16
Grammar/Mechanics Handbook GM-1
Key to Grammar/Mechanics Checkups K-1
Endnotes N-1
Index I-1


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A dedicated professional, Mary Ellen Guffey has taught
business communication and business English topics for
over thirty years. She received a bachelor’s degree, summa
cum laude, from Bowling Green State University; a master’s
degree from the University of Illinois, and a doctorate in
business and economic education from the University of
California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She has taught at the
University of Illinois, Santa Monica College, and Los Angeles
Pierce College.
Now recognized as the world’s leading business communication author, Dr. Guffey corresponds with instructors
around the globe who are using her books. She is the author of the award-winning
Business Communication: Process and Product, the leading business communication textbook in this country and abroad. She has also written Business English, which
serves more students than any other book in its field; Essentials of College English,
(with Carolyn M. Seefer), and Essentials of Business Communication, the leading
text/workbook in its market. Essentials of Business Communication recently received
an award of excellence from the Text and Academic Authors Association. The Canadian editions of her books are bestsellers in that country; one was named Book of
the Year by Nelson Canada.
Dr. Guffey is active professionally, serving on the review board of the Business
Communication Quarterly of the Association for Business Communication, participating in all national meetings, and sponsoring business communication awards.
A teacher’s teacher and leader in the field, Dr. Guffey acts as a partner and mentor to hundreds of business communication instructors nationally and internationally.

Her workshops, seminars, teleconferences, newsletters, articles, teaching materials,
and Web sites help novice and veteran business communication instructors achieve
effective results in their courses. She maintains comprehensive Web sites for students and instructors. Her print and online newsletters are used by thousands of
instructors in this country and around the world.

About the Author

xv


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PHOTOS: © ROYALTY-FREE/CORBIS; © ROYALTY-FREE/CORBIS; © ROYALTY-FREE/CORBIS

LAYING
COMMUNICATION
FOUNDATIONS

CHAPTER 1

Building Your Career Success
With Communication Skills


If I went back to college
again, I’d concentrate on
two areas: learning to
write and to speak before
an audience. Nothing in

OBJECTIVES

life is more important than

• Understand the importance of becoming an effective and professional
communicator in today’s changing workplace.

the ability to communicate

• Examine the process of communication.

effectively.

”

Gerald R. Ford, 38th
President of the United
States

• Discuss how to become an effective listener.
• Analyze nonverbal communication and explain techniques for improving
nonverbal communication skills.
• Explain how culture affects communication, and describe methods for improving
cross-cultural communication.
• Identify specific techniques that improve effective communication among
diverse workplace audiences.

THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO YOUR CAREER

Communication skills are critical
to your job placement, performance, career advancement,
and organizational success.

Three decades ago when he was president, Gerald Ford spoke about the importance of communication skills. If he had a second chance at college, he said, he’d
concentrate on learning to write and learning to speak. Today, communication is even
more important and more challenging than in President Ford’s time. We live in an
information age that revolves around communication.
Developing excellent communication skills is extremely important to your future
career. Surveys of employers often show that communication skills are critical to effective job placement, performance, career advancement, and organizational success.1 In making hiring decisions, employers often rank communication skills among
the most requested competencies. Many job advertisements specifically ask for excellent oral and written communication skills. In a poll of recruiters, oral and written
communication skills were by a large margin the top skill set sought in applicants.2
Another survey of managers and executives ranked the skills most lacking in job
candidates, and writing skills topped that list.3

PHOTOS: © ROYALTY-FREE/CORBIS; © ROYALTY-FREE/CORBIS; © ROYALTY-FREE/CORBIS

“

BUILDING YOUR
CAREER SUCCESS
WITH COMMUNICATION
SKILLS


Chapter 1

3

Building Your Career Success With Communication Skills

© PHOTODISC COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES

Communication skills
consistently rank near
the top of competencies
sought by recruiters.
Because more and more
messages are being
sent, writing skills are
particularly important to
succeed in first jobs and
to be promoted into
management.

Writing Skills and Professionalism Lead
to Success
Advancements in technology
mean that writing skills are
increasingly important because
more messages are being
exchanged.

Businesses don’t want
spellbinding storytellers; they
want people who can write
clearly and concisely.

Writing skills are particularly important today because technological advances enable
us to transmit messages more rapidly, more often, and to greater numbers of people than ever before. Writing skills, which were always a career advantage, are now

a necessity.4 They can be your ticket to work—or your ticket out the door, according
to a business executive responding to a recent survey. This survey of 120 American
corporations, by the National Commission on Writing, a panel established by the
College Board, found that two thirds of salaried employees have some writing responsibility. Yet, about one third of them do not meet the writing requirements for
their positions.5
“Businesses are crying out—they need to have people who write better,” said
Gaston Caperton, executive and College Board president. The ability to write opens
doors to professional employment. People who cannot write and communicate clearly
will not be hired. If already working, they are unlikely to last long enough to be considered for promotion.
Writing is a marker of high-skill, high-wage, professional work, according to Bob
Kerrey, president of New School University in New York and chair of the National
Commission on Writing. If you can’t express yourself clearly, he says, you limit your
opportunities for salaried positions.6 But writing skills are also important for nonsalaried workers such as electricians, engineers, technicians, and supervisors, who
must create reports for government agencies and regulatory bodies. Even hourly
workers must be able to communicate to exchange messages.
Lamenting the sorry state of business writing skills, a front-page article in The New
York Times announced, “What Corporate America Can’t Build: A Sentence.” Quoted
in the article, Susan Traiman, a director of the Business Roundtable, an association
of leading chief executives, said, “It’s not that companies want to hire Tolstoy.”7 They
aren’t seeking spellbinding authors; they just want people who can write clearly and
concisely. Because so many lack these skills, businesses are spending as much as
$3.1 billion annually on remedial training.
In addition to expecting employees to write clearly, businesses expect employees to act in a businesslike and professional manner on the job. Some new-hires


4

Unit 1

Laying Communication Foundations

have no idea that excessive absenteeism or tardiness are grounds for termination.
Others are surprised to learn that they are expected to devote their full attention to
their duties when on the job. One young man wanted to read Harry Potter novels
when things got slow. Even more employees don’t realize that they are sabotaging
their careers when they sprinkle their conversation with like, you know, and uptalk
(making declarative statements sound like questions). Companies are reluctant to
promote people into management who do not look or sound credible. Figure 1.1
reviews six areas you will want to check to be sure you are not sending the wrong
message with unwitting or unprofessional behavior.

FIGURE 1.1

Projecting Professionalism When You Communicate
Unprofessional

Professional

Speech
habits

Speaking in uptalk, a singsong
speech pattern that has a rising
inflection making sentences sound
like questions. Using like to fill in
mindless chatter, substituting go
for said, relying on slang, or
letting profanity slip into your
conversation.

Recognizing that your credibility can
be seriously damaged by sounding
uneducated, crude, or like a
teenager.

E-mail

Writing messages with incomplete
sentences, misspelled words,
exclamation points, IM slang, and
mindless chatting. Sloppy,
careless messages send a
nonverbal message that you
don’t care, don’t know, or aren’t
smart enough to know what is
correct.

Employers like to see subjects,
verbs, and punctuation marks. They
don’t recognize IM abbreviations.
Call it crazy, but they value
conciseness and correct spelling,
even in brief e-mail messages.

Internet

Using an e-mail address such as
,
supasnugglykitty.yahoo.com,
or

An e-mail address that is your
name or a relevant, positive,
businesslike expression. It should
not sound cute or like a chat room
nickname.

Answering machine/
voice mail

An outgoing message with strident
background music, weird sounds,
or a joke message.

An outgoing message that states
your name or phone number and
provides instructions for leaving a
message.

Telephone

Soap operas, thunderous music,
or a TV football game playing noisily
in the background when you answer
the phone.

A quiet background when you
answer the telephone, especially if
you are expecting a prospective
employer’s call.

Cell phone

Taking or placing cell phone calls
during business meetings or during
conversations with fellow employees.
Raising your voice (cell yell) or
engaging in cell calls when others
must reluctantly overhear.

Never letting a cell phone interrupt
business meetings. Using your cell
only when conversations can be
private.


Chapter 1

Building Your Career Success With Communication Skills

5

Using This Book to Build Career
Communication Skills
Because communication skills are
learned, you control how well you
communicate.

Developing career-boosting
communication skills requires

instruction, practice, and
feedback from a specialist.

This book and this course
might well be the most important
in your entire college career.

This book focuses on developing basic writing skills. You will, however, also learn to
improve your listening, nonverbal, and speaking skills. The abilities to read, listen,
speak, and write effectively, of course, are not inborn. When it comes to communication, it’s more nurture than nature. Good communicators are not born; they are
made. Thriving in the dynamic and demanding new world of work will depend on
many factors, some of which you cannot control. One factor that you do control, however, is how well you communicate.
The goal of this book is to teach you basic business communication skills. These
include learning how to write an e-mail, letter, or report and how to make a presentation. Anyone can learn these skills with the help of instructional materials and good
model documents, all of which you’ll find in this book. You also need practice—with
meaningful feedback. You need someone such as your instructor to tell you how to
modify your responses so that you can improve.
We’ve designed this book, its supplements, and two Web sites (http://guffeyxtra
.swlearning.com and ) to provide you and your instructor
with everything necessary to make you a successful business communicator in
today’s dynamic but demanding workplace. Given the increasing emphasis on communication, many businesses are paying huge sums to communication coaches and
trainers to teach employees the very skills that you are learning in this course. Your
coach is your instructor. So, get your money’s worth! Pick your instructor’s brains.
With this book as your guide and your instructor as your coach, you may find
this course to be the most important in your entire college curriculum. To get started,
this first chapter presents an overview. You’ll take a quick look at the changing workplace, the communication process, listening, nonverbal communication, culture and
communication, and workplace diversity. The remainder of the book is devoted to
developing specific writing and speaking skills.

Succeeding in the Changing World of Work

Trends in the new world of work
emphasize the importance of
communication skills.

Today’s employees must
contribute to improving
productivity and profitability.

The world of work is changing dramatically. The kind of work you’ll do, the tools you’ll
use, the form of management you’ll work under, the environment in which you’ll work,
the people with whom you’ll interact—all are undergoing a pronounced transformation. Many of the changes in this dynamic workplace revolve around processing and
communicating information. As a result, the most successful players in this new world
of work will be those with highly developed communication skills. The following business trends illustrate the importance of excellent communication skills.
• Flattened management hierarchies. To better compete and to reduce expenses,
businesses have for years been trimming layers of management. This means that
as a frontline employee, you will have fewer managers. You will be making decisions and communicating them to customers, to fellow employees, and to
executives.
• More participatory management. Gone are the days of command-and-control
management. Now, even new employees like you will be expected to understand
and contribute to the big picture. Improving productivity and profitability will be
everyone’s job, not just management’s.
• Increased emphasis on self-directed work groups and virtual teams. Businesses today are often run by cross-functional teams of peers. You can expect
to work with a team in gathering information, finding and sharing solutions, implementing decisions, and managing conflict. You may even become part of a
virtual team whose members are in remote locations and who communicate
almost exclusively electronically. Good communication skills are extremely important in working together successfully in all team environments, especially if
members do not meet face-to-face.


FIGURE 1.2

Communication
Technologies

Reshaping the World of Work

Today’s workplace is changing dramatically as a result of innovative software, superfast
wireless networks, and numerous technologies that allow workers to share information,
work from remote locations, and be more efficient and productive in or away from the
office. We're seeing a gradual progression from basic capabilities, such as e-mail and calendaring, to
deeper functionality, such as remote database access and worldwide videoconferencing. Becoming familiar with
modern workplace and collaboration technologies can help you be successful in today's digital workplace.

IP Telephony: VoIP

Wireless Networks and Wi-Fi

Savvy businesses are switching
from traditional phone service to
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
This technology allows callers to
make telephone calls using a
broadband Internet connection,
thus eliminating long-distance and
local telephone charges.

No longer are computers and workers
chained to their desks. Wireless networks
use radio waves to send signals and
connect to the Internet. Combined with
high-speed broadband connections, these

networks have fueled the increasing use
of laptop computers and portable devices.
Public Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) “hot spots” provide free connections that further
expand the range of laptops, PDAs (personal digital assistants), and handheld
devices such as the BlackBerry and the Treo. Wireless networks enable
business communicators to work anywhere, anytime, and still remain connected to office e-mail, company files, and programs such as Word and Excel.

Company Intranets
To share insider information, many
companies provide their own protected
Web site called an intranet. It may handle
company e-mail, announcements, an
employee directory, a policy handbook,
frequently asked questions, personnel forms
and data, employee discussion forums,
shared documents, and other employee information.

Electronic Presentations
Business presenters load a slide
presentation onto a laptop PC
or PDA for handy electronic
presentations in rooms equipped
with projectors. Sophisticated
presentations may include
animations, sound effects, digital
photos, video clips, or even
hyperlinks to Internet sites.

M M U N I C A T I O N

T E C H N O L O G I E S

Computers equipped with voice recognition
software enable users to dictate up to 160 words
a minute with accurate transcription. Voice
recognition is particularly helpful to disabled workers and to professionals with heavy dictation loads,
such as physicians and attorneys. Users can create
documents, enter data, compose and send e-mails,
browse the Web, and control the desktop—all by
voice.

•

C O M M U N I C A T I O N

T E C H N O L O G I E S

•

C O M M U N I C A T I O N

© GETTY IMAGES

Voice Recognition

T E C H N O L


Collaboration
Technologies

Global competition, expanding markets, and the ever-increasing pace of business accelerate the development of exciting collaboration tools. Employees working together may be down the hall, across the country, or around the world. With
today’s tools, workers exchange ideas, solve problems, develop products, forecast future performance, and complete
team projects any time of the day or night and anywhere in the world.

Voice Conferencing

Video Phones

Telephone “bridges” join two
or more callers from any
location to share the same
call. Voice conferencing (also
called audioconferencing,
teleconferencing, or just plain
conference calling) enables
people to collaborate by
telephone. Communicators at
both ends use an enhanced
speakerphone to talk and be heard simultaneously.

Using advanced video compression technology, video
phones transmit real-time audio and video so that communicators can see
each other as they collaborate. With a video
phone, you can videoconference without a
computer or a television screen.

Web Conferencing

One-Number Dialing

With services such as WebEx and Live Meeting, all you
need are a PC and an Internet connection to hold a meeting. Although the functions of Web conferencing (also
called desktop or media conferencing) are constantly
evolving, it currently incorporates screen sharing,
voice communication, slide
presentations, text messaging, and application
sharing (e.g., participants
can work on a spreadsheet together).

Smart phones switch seamlessly between cellular
networks and corporate Wi-Fi connections allowing
employees to take their phones around corporate
campuses, into their homes, or on the road. Onenumber dialing reduces frustration and wasted time.

Presence Technology

Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing allows
participants to meet in special
conference rooms equipped
with cameras and television
screens. Groups see each other
and interact in real time
although they may be worlds
apart. Faster computers, rapid
Internet connections, and better
cameras now enable 2 to 200
participants to sit at their own PCs and share applications,
spreadsheets, presentations, and photos.

A B O R A T I O N

T E C H N O L O G I E S

•

C O L L A B O R A T I O N

Responding to the demand for immediate communication, “presence awareness” builds on instant messaging. In a presence-enabled workplace, you would know
whether to contact someone via voice, e-mail, or instant
messaging. This awareness avoids time wasted in voice
mailboxes and waiting for e-mail responses. A light on
your telephone might indicate when key people on your
team are present on
your internal phone
network. Still being
developed, presence
technology is built on
Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP).

T E C H N O L O G I E S

•

C O L L A B O R A T I O N

T E C H N O L O G

8

Unit 1

Increasing global competition
and revolutionary technologies
demand cultural and
communication skills.

•

•

•

•

Laying Communication Foundations

Heightened global competition. Because American companies are moving beyond local markets, you may be interacting with people from many different cultures. As a successful business communicator, you will want to learn about other
cultures. You’ll also need to develop multicultural skills including sensitivity, flexibility, patience, and tolerance.
Innovative communication technologies. E-mail, fax, instant messaging, text
messaging, the Web, mobile technologies, audio- and videoconferencing, company intranets, and voice recognition—all these innovative technologies are reshaping the way we communicate at work, as summarized in Figure 1.2. You
can expect to be communicating more often and more rapidly than ever before.
Your writing and speaking skills will be showcased as never before.
New work environments. Mobile technologies and the desire for a better balance between work and family have resulted in flexible working arrangements.
You may become part of an increasing number of workers who are telecommuters or virtual team members. Working as a telecommuter or virtual team member requires even more communication, because staying connected with the
office or with one another means exchanging many messages. Another work
environment trend is the movement toward open offices divided into small
work cubicles. Working in a cubicle requires new rules of office etiquette and

civility.
Focus on information and knowledge as corporate assets. Corporate America
is increasingly aware that information is the key to better products and increased
profitability. You will be expected to gather, sort, store, and disseminate data in a
timely and accurate fashion. This is the new way of business life.

EXAMINING THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Communication is the
transmission of information and
meaning from one individual or
group to another.

As you can see, you can expect to be communicating more rapidly, more often, and
with greater numbers of people than ever before. The most successful players in this
new world of work will be those with highly developed communication skills. Because
good communication skills are essential to your success, we need to take a closer
look at the communication process.
Just what is communication? For our purposes communication is the transmission of information and meaning from one individual or group to another. The crucial
element in this definition is meaning. Communication has as its central objective the
transmission of meaning. The process of communication is successful only when the
receiver understands an idea as the sender intended it. This process generally involves five steps, discussed here and shown in Figure 1.3.
1.

Sender has an idea. The form of the idea may be influenced by the sender’s
mood, frame of reference, background, culture, and physical makeup, as well as
the context of the situation.

The communication process
has five steps: idea formation,

message encoding, message
transmission, message
decoding, and feedback.

2.

Sender encodes the idea in a message. Encoding means converting the idea
into words or gestures that will convey meaning. A major problem in communicating any message verbally is that words have different meanings for different
people. That’s why skilled communicators try to choose familiar words with concrete meanings on which both senders and receivers agree.

3.

Message travels over a channel. The medium over which the message is transmitted is the channel. Messages may be sent by computer, telephone, letter, or
memorandum. They may also be sent by means of a report, announcement, picture, spoken word, fax, or other channel. Because both verbal and nonverbal messages are carried, senders must choose channels carefully. Anything that disrupts
the transmission of a message in the communication process is called noise.