THE REALITIES ABOUT POULTRY The Modern Farm - The Realities About Poultry_Seco | Page 134

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Concreteness: Be specific, definite and vivid. Avoid being vague and general. Use specific facts
and figures. Use active verb forms instead of passive ones. Use vivid image building words (use
comparisons and figurative language.
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Correctness: As a business person you should understand that the way you write does not just
reflect on you. It reflects on your business as well. If what you write contains errors- misspelled
words, poor grammar, non-standard English- you may be sending an unintended message. By
being careless about your correspondence, you may be implying that your business is careless
and the quality of the work it does. Accuracy is another area of concern. If facts and figures
included in your correspondence are not carefully checked, you could find yourself forced to act
against your own interests. If you believe that you are weak in the mechanics of writing, you
should have someone else proofread your correspondence before you send it out. This is
especially important when you are dealing for the first time with someone critical to your
business success. (This person might be a client, customer, banker or supplier). Making a good
first impression through carefully written correspondence is often the first step in establishing a
valuable, long-term business relationship.
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Clarity: Get your message to the reader in a way that will ensure he does not misunderstand
what you are trying to convey. The reader must interpret your words with the same meaning you
have in mind. Take into account that individual experiences are not identical. Also different
words carry different meanings to different people. Choose short, familiar, conversational
words. The reader is busy and does not have time to consult the dictionary. Avoid technical
jargon when you communicate to people not acquainted with it. If you must use technical
words, define them briefly and clearly. Construct effective sentences and paragraphs. The
average length for sentences is about 12-20 words. In a letter, a paragraph is about 4-5 lines. Aim
for unity, coherence and emphasis. Unity: Each sentence should have one main idea and any
other ideas in the sentence must be closely related to it. Coherence: Show the reader the
relationships within a sentence and point the way from one sentence to another. Place every
modifier as close as possible to the word it is supposed to modify. Give force to important parts
of your sentence through positioning, spacing (e.g. using paragraphs) and repetition (e.g.
apology). Achieve appropriate readability. Adapt your writing to the level of your reader.
Consider his or her general educational level. Include examples, illustrations and other visual aids
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