1. Providing Practical Information
The following description of Energy Efficiency Ratio combines both the action-oriented and knowledge-oriented approaches of practical writing.
Whether you are buying window air-conditioning units or a central air-conditioning system, consider the performance factors and efficiency of the various units on the market. Before you buy, determine the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of the units under consideration. The EER is found by dividing the BTUs (units of heat) that the unit removes from the area to be cooled by the watts (amount of electricity) the unit consumes. The result is usually a number between 5 and 12. The higher the number, the more efficiently the unit will use electricity.
You’ll note that EER will vary considerably from unit to unit of a given manufacturer, and from brand to brand. As efficiency is increased, you may find the purchase price is higher; however, your operating costs will be lower. Remember, a good rule to follow is to choose the equipment with the highest EER. That way you’ll get efficient equipment and enjoy greater operating economy.
2. Giving Facts, Not Impressions
Occupational writing is concerned with what can be seen, heard, felt, tasted, or smelled. The writer uses concrete language and specific details. The emphasis is on facts rather than on the writer’s feelings or guesses.
The discussion below addressed to a group of scientists about the sources of oil spills and their impact on the environment is an example of writing with objectivity. It describes events and causes without anger or tears. Imagine how much emotion could have been packed into this paragraph by the residents of the coastal states who have watched such spills come ashore.
The most critical impact results from the escapement of oil into the ecosystem, both crude oil and refined fuel oils, the latter coming from sources such as marine traffic. Major oil spills occur as a result of accidents such as blowout, pipeline breakage, etc. Technological advances coupled with stringent regulations have helped to reduce the chances of such major spills; however, there is a chronic low-level discharge of oil associated with normal drilling and production operations. Waste oils discharged through the river systems and practices associated with tanker transports dump more significant quantities of oils into the ocean, compared to what is introduced by the offshore oil industry. All of this contributes to the chronic low-level discharge of oil into world oceans. The long-range cumulative effect of these discharges is possibly the most significant threat to the ecosystem.
3. Providing Visuals to Clarify and Condense Information
Visuals are indispensable partners of words in conveying information to your readers. On-the-job writing makes frequent use of visuals such as tables, charts, photographs, flow charts, diagrams, and drawings to clarify and condense information. Thanks to various software packages, you can easily create and insert visuals into your writing.
In addition to the visuals already mentioned, the following graphic devices in your letters, reports, and websites can make your writing easier to read and follow:
■ headings, such as Four Keys to Effective Writing or Characteristics of Job-Related Writing.
■ subheadings to divide major sections into parts, such as “Providing Practical Information” or
“Giving Facts, Not Impressions”
■ numbers within a paragraph, or even a line, such as (1) this, (2) this, and (3) also this
■ different types of s p a c i n g
■ CAPITALIZATION
■ italics (easily made by a word processing command or indicated in typed copy by
underscoring)
■ boldface (darker print for emphasis)
■ icons (visual markers such as ➝)
■ HYPERTEXT (the use of color or boldface to indicate links to the Internet)
■ asterisks to * separate * items * or to note key items *
■ lists with “bullets” (like those before each entry in this list)
Keep in mind that graphic devices should be used carefully and with moderation, not just for decoration or to dress up a letter or report. Used properly, they can help you to
■ organize, arrange, and emphasize your ideas
■ make your work easier to read and to recall
■ preview and summarize your ideas, for example, headings
■ list related items to help readers distinguish, follow, compare, and recall them—as this bulleted
list does.
4. Giving Accurate Measurements
Much of your work will depend on measurements—acres, bytes, calories, centimeters, degrees, dollars and cents, grams, percentages, pounds, square feet, units, etc. Numbers are clear and convincing. However, you must be sensitive to which units of measurement you use when writing to international readers. Not every culture computes in dollars or records temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit.
The following discussion of mixing colored cement for a basement floor would be useless to readers if it did not supply accurate quantities.
Including permanent color in a basement floor is a good selling point. One way of doing this is by incorporating commercially pure mineral pigments in a topping mixture placed to a 1-inch depth over a normal base slab. The topping mix should range in volume between 1 part portland cement, 11⁄4 parts sand, and 11⁄4 parts gravel or crushed stone and 1 part portland cement, 2 parts sand, and 2 parts gravel or crushed stone. Maximum size gravel or crushed stone should be 3⁄8 inch. Mix cement and pigment before aggregate and water are added and be very thorough to secure uniform dispersion and the full color value of the pigment. The proportion varies from 5 to 10 percent of pigment by weight of cement, depending on the shade desired. If carbon black is used as a pigment to obtain grays or black, a proportion of from 1⁄2 to 1 percent will be adequate. Manufacturers’ instructions should be followed closely; care in cleanliness, placing, and finishing are also essential. Colored topping mixes are available from some suppliers of ready mixed concrete.
5. Stating Responsibilities Precisely
Job-related writing, because it is directed to a specific audience, must make absolutely clear what it expects of, or can do for, that audience. Misunderstandings waste time and cost money. Directions on order forms, for example, should indicate how and where information is to be listed and how it is to be routed and acted on. The following three directions show readers how to perform different tasks and/or explain why.
■ Enter agency code numbers in the message box.
■ Items 1 through 16 of this form should be completed by the injured employee or by someone
acting on his or her behalf, whenever an injury is sustained on the job. The term injury
includes occupational disease caused by the employment. The form should be given to the
employee’s official superior within 24 hours following the injury. The official superior is that
individual having responsible supervision over the employee.
■ What is a credit report? A credit report is a record of how you’ve paid bills with credit
grantors such as stores and banks. Credit grantors use credit reports to determine whether or
not you will be extended credit. The report identifies you by information such as your name
and address, credit accounts, and payment history. Your credit report also includes public
record data, such as bankruptcies, court judgments, and tax liens. A list of those who have
recently requested a copy of your credit report is also included. A credit report does not
contain information on arrest records, specific purchases, or medical records.6 Other kinds
of job-related writing deal with the writer’s responsibilities rather than the reader’s, for
example, “Tomorrow I will meet with the district sales manager to discuss July’s sales, the
necessity of expanding our market, and next fall’s production schedule. I will e-mail a
report of our discussion by August 5.”
6. Persuading and Offering Recommendations
Persuasion is a vital part of writing on the job. In fact, persuasion is one of the most crucial skills you can learn. It determines how successful you and your company or agency will be. Persuasion is at the heart of the world of work, whether you are writing to someone outside or inside your company.
Writing Persuasively to Clients and Customers
Much of your writing in the business world will promote your company’s image by persuading customers and clients (a) to buy a product or service or (b) to adopt a plan of action endorsed by your employer. You will have to convince readers that you (and your company) can save them time and money, increase efficiency, reduce risks, or improve their image, and that you can do this better than your competitors can.
Expect also to be called on to write convincingly about your company’s image, as in the case of product recalls, customer complaints, or damage control after a corporate mistake affecting the environment. You may also have to convince customers or organizations around the globe that your company respects cultural diversity and that your products and services can appeal to specific ethnic values. As we saw, the global marketplace is diversity driven.
A large part of persuasion is supporting your claims with evidence. You will have to conduct research, provide logical arguments, supply examples of appropriate data, and identify the most relevant information for your particular audience. Notice how the advertisement in Figure 1.9 offers a bulleted list of persuasive reasons— based on cost, time, safety, efficiency, and convenience—to convince correctional officials that they should use General Medical’s services rather than those of a
hospital or clinic.
Writing Persuasively In-House
As much as 60 percent of your writing may be to individuals you work with and for. In-house writing also requires you to develop your persuasive skills. In fact, your very first job-related writing will likely be a persuasive letter of application to obtain a job interview with a potential employer.
On the job, you will have to evaluate various products or options by studying, analyzing, and deciding on the most relevant one(s) for your boss. Your reader will expect you to offer clear-cut, logical, and convincing reasons for your choice.
The following summary concludes why it is better for a company to lease a truck than to purchase one. Note its persuasive tone and logical presentation.
After studying the pros and cons of buying or leasing a company truck, I recommend that we
lease it for the following five reasons.
1. We will not have to expend any of our funds for a down payment, which is being
waived.
2. Our monthly payments for leasing the vehicle will be at least $150 less than the
payments we would have to make if we purchased the truck on a 3-year contract.
3. All major and minor maintenance (up to 36,000 miles) is included as part of our
monthly leasing payment.
4. Insurance (theft and damage) is also part of our monthly leasing payment.
5. We have the option of trading in the truck every 16 months for a newer model or
trading up for a more expensive model in the line every 12 months.
As part of your job, too, you will be asked to write persuasive memos, e-mails, and letters to boost the morale of employees, encourage them to be more productive, and compliment them on jobs well done. You can also expect to write persuasively to explain and solve problems your company faces. Finally, you may even have to write persuasively against the merits of a change proposed by a manager or another department in your company’s organization.
Figure 1.10 is a persuasive e-mail from an employee to a manager reporting a payroll mistake and convincing the reader to correct it. The e-mail also contains many of the other characteristics of job-related writing we have discussed. Note how the writer provides factual, not subjective, information, attaches a time sheet (a type of visual), gives accurate details, and identifies his own and his immediate supervisor’s responsibilities.
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