Ответы на вопросы к экзамену по бизнес-корреспонденции

1. An introduction to business writing

   1. Why is correspondence essential?

Correspondence is essential in establishing and confirming transactions in commerce, it reflects you or your business. Therefore what is written and how it is expressed is as much a part of a business education as accountancy and economics.

2. What are the purposes for writing business letters?

The business letter is the basic means of communication between two companies. It is estimated that close to 100 million Business Letters are written each workday. It is a document typically sent externally to those outside a company but is also sent internally to those within a company.

Purpose is the reason why you are writing. You may write a grocery list in order to remember what you need to buy. You may write a laboratory report in order to carefully describe a chemistry experiment. You may write an argumentative essay in order to persuade someone to change the parking rules on campus. You may write a letter to a friend to express your excitement about her new job.

Notice that selecting the form for your writing (list, report, essay, letter) is one of your choices that helps you achieve your purpose. You also have choices about style, organization; kinds of evidence that help you achieve your purpose.

Focusing on your purpose as you begin writing helps you know what form to choose, how to focus and organize your writing, what kinds of evidence to cite, how formal or informal your style should be, and how much you should write.

Remember, however, that often writers combine purposes in a single piece of writing. Thus, we may, in a business report, begin by informing readers of the economic facts before we try to persuade them to take a certain course of action.

A purpose is the aim or goal of the writer or the written product.

3. What strategies can be used to achieve your purpose?

A strategy is a means of achieving that purpose. For example, our purpose may be to explain something, but we may use definitions, examples, descriptions, and analysis in order to make our explanation clearer. A variety of strategies are available for writers to help them find ways to achieve their purpose(s).

Definition Illustration and Example Classification Comparison and Contrast

Analysis Description Process Analysis Narration Cause/Effect Analysis

4. Why is it important to analyze the audience you are writing to?

All readers have expectations. They assume what they read will meet their expectations. As a writer, your job is to make sure those expectations are met, while at the same time, fulfilling the purpose of your writing.

Writers need to consider both audience and purpose in writing because the two elements affect the paper so significantly, and decisions about one will affect the other. Remember: Analyze your audience BEFORE you start writing, so you'll know what format, style, vocabulary, or level or information is expected.

Writers in the advertising business spend a great deal of time researching their targeted audiences. Once they know who their audience is, they can mold their advertising – their words, format, graphics, images – to appeal to that specific audience.

Knowing the knowledge level of your audience will help you determine how to write, how much information to include, how long to make your text, how subjective or objective you should be, and how formal or informal your text should be.

5. What categories of audience do you know? Can you characterize them?

Writers determine their audience types by considering:

• Who they are (age, sex, education, economic status, political/social/religious beliefs);

• What Level of Information they have about the subject (novice, general reader, specialist or expert);

• The Context in which they will be reading a piece of writing (in a newspaper, textbook, popular magazine, specialized journal, on the Internet, and so forth).

Three Categories of Audience

Three categories of audience are the "lay" audience, the "managerial" audience, and the “experts”.

The "lay" audience has no special or expert knowledge. They connect with the human interest aspect of articles. They usually need background information; they expect more definition and description; and they may want attractive graphics or visuals.

The "managerial” audience may or may have more knowledge than the lay audience about the subject, but they need knowledge so they can make a decision about the issue. Any background information, facts, statistics needed to make a decision should be highlighted.

The "experts" may be the most demanding audience in terms of knowledge, presentation, and graphics or visuals. Experts are often "theorists" or "practitioners." For the "expert" audience, document formats are often elaborate and technical, style and vocabulary may be specialized or technical, source citations are reliable and up-to-date, and documentation is accurate.

6. What are the main types of business letters?

an enquiry a quotation an estimate a counter-proposal an order an invoice a reminder a receipt a statement a complaint

a request for information (sent by the customer) the price given for goods or a piece of work an approximate calculation of the cost of something a letter where the customer tries to get better terms a request to supply goods (sent by the customer) a bill for goods sent or work done a letter to a customer about an unpaid invoice a document that proves you have paid for some goods a list of amounts paid and still owed, sent every month a letter saying you are not satisfied about something