Composing Business Messages

When composing business messages, it is necessary to think in terms of the company’s beliefs and standards in able to represent the company through an authentic voice.

In Business Communication Essentials: A Skills-Based Approach, Courtlan Bovée and John Thill state that “the interests and preferred communication style of your company must take precedence over your own views and personal communication style” (84). Therefore, prevention of dual beliefs and communication style is important to produce an authentic, consistent message.

Authenticity in voice can be presented through the tone of the message, and “part of the challenge of communicating on the job is to read each situation and figure out the appropriate tone to use” (Bovée and Thill 84). Smaller organizations and colleagues may prefer a more intimate tone to produce a trustworthy relationship, as bigger companies and superiors find authoritative and credible messages more appealing.

Bovée and Thill find that writers should “avoid obsolete and pompous language, avoid preaching and bragging, be careful with intimacy, and be careful with humor,” but instead use plain language when composing a business message. Plain language poses authenticity because it does not beat around the bushes or become overbearing, but “allows your audience to easily grasp your meaning” (86).

Understanding the company’s aim and your audience are key factors to producing an effective business message. The message needs to adhere to the company’s beliefs in able to produce an accurate image, and your personal judgment should not interfere. As a representative of any company, it is vital to educate yourself about the company in which you work for before composing business messages.

Works Cited

Bovée, Courtlan and Thill John. Communication Essentials: A Skills-Based Approach. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2014. Print.