The Structure for Effective Business Writing

Your business writing becomes a tool for getting things done when you frame your content in this order

Part 1. Business application/significance (State what you want to get done.)

Part 2. Information/explanation (State why or how.)

Part 3. Deadline (Explain urgency.)

Examples:

Requests

- Could you move the meeting to April 3rd so the engineering staff can attend?
- Will you send the purchase order number to me so I can place the order?
- Can we transfer Barry to get him on the roster before playoffs?

- I’d like to give the okay to buy a new printer for the support staff.
- I suggest you put the project on hold until we receive our attorney’s opinion.
- We could really improve department morale if we had a decent clean-up hitter.

- We will lower our cost by 17% with this change in specifications.
- The profit rate was found to be fair and reasonable.
- Adding Barry to the roster will certainly increase our run production.

Think of information as a list of key points.

Here are some examples of lists:

This can also be a schedule, timeframe, or urgency.

If I get the type changes by Thursday noon, we can get it to the printer on time.
You’ll need to place the order this week for Jane’s group to remain on schedule.
We need to have the forms done by the end of the fiscal year.