Key Takeaways: The Writing Process, Part 1: Prewriting

Key Takeaways

• Business communication has three purposes: to inform, to persuade, and to promote goodwill.  Knowing the purpose for writing at the outset helps keep you on track with topic selection.
• The three phases of the Writing Process: prewriting, researching and drafting, is a systematic way to make the writing process quicker and easier.
• Choose the most appropriate communication channel for the occasion by taking into account the full spectrum of traditional and electronic means, as well as your own and your audience’s needs.
• Knowing your audience by their size, position relative to you, knowledge of your topic, and demographic helps you craft your message content and style to meet their needs.
• Adapting your message to the audience increases your chance of effective communication.
• Highlighting reader benefits and using the “you” view are crucial motivators.