Professional Writing/Communication Case Study

I. Plan
A. Analyze the Situation
1. What is your general purpose?
2. What is your specific purpose?
3. Exactly what do you want your audience to think, feel or believe after receiving your message?
4. Who is your primary audience?
5. What is their background?
6. How are its members different from one another?
7. How are its members similar to one another?
8. What are their reactions likely to be to your message?
B. Gather Information
1. What information do your readers need to receive?
2. What facts must you gather in order to create an effective message?
C. Select the Right Medium
1. What medium were you told to use in the explanation of the task at the end of your case?
2. If you used a different medium, why did you?
D. Organize the Information
1. What is your main idea?
2. Will you use the direct or indirect approach?
3. Why are you using the approach you chose?
II. Write
A. Adapt to Your Audience
1. How will you show sensitivity to your audience's needs?
2. How much credibility do you already have with your audience?
3. How will you establish the additional credibility you need?
4. Will your tone be informal or more formal?
B. Compose the Message
• You DO NOT have to attach your first draft.
III. Complete
A. Revise the Message
Review the Checklist for Revising Business Messages in Chapter 6, on page 162.
List three or more changes you made between your first draft and final draft suggested by the prompts in that checklist:
1. First change?
2. Second change?
3. Third change?
4. Additional changes?
B. Produce the Message
Use effective design and layout for a clean, professional appearance, and include the message after the Case Study Questions below.
C. Proofread the Message
Review for errors in layout, spelling, punctuation and other mechanics.
• You DO NOT have to list typos and mechanical errors.
D. Distribute the Message