Essentials of Business Communication

by Guffey, Mary Ellen

• ISBN13: 9780324313925
• ISBN10: 0324313926
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-24
• Publisher: South-Western College Pub

Summary

This cost-effective textbook/workbook/handbook presents a streamlined, no-nonsense approach to business communication that includes comprehensive Web resources and unparalleled author support for instructors and students. ESSENTIALS provides a three-in-one learning package: (1) authoritative text, (2) practical workbook, and (3) self-teaching grammar/mechanics handbook. Especially effective for students with outdated or inadequate language skills, ESSENTIALS offers extraordinary digital and printed exercises to help students build confidence as they review grammar, punctuation, and writing guidelines. Textbook chapters teach basic writing skills and then apply these skills to a variety of e-mails, memos, letters, reports, and resumes. Realistic model documents and structured writing assignments build lasting workplace skills. The Seventh Edition of this award-winning favorite features increased coverage of employment communication, communication technology, and professionalism in the workplace.

Table of Contents

UNIT 1 LAYING COMMUNICATION FOUNDATIONS	1	(30)
Building Your Career Success With Communication Skills	2	(29)
The Importance of Communication Skills to Your Career	2	(6)
Examining the Communication Process	8	(1)
Developing Better Listening Skills	9	(3)
Improving Your Nonverbal Communication Skills	12	(3)
Understanding How Culture Affects Communication	15	(3)
Capitalizing on Workforce Diversity	18	(3)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	21	(1)
Critical Thinking	21	(1)
Chapter Review	21	(2)
Expand Your Learning With These Bonus Resources!	23	(1)
Info Trac College Edition	23	(1)
Activities and Cases	23	(3)
Video Resources	26	(1)
Career Success Starts With Communication Foundations	27	(1)
Erasing Stereotypes: Zubi Advertising	27	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	27	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	28	(1)
Communication Workshop: Technology
Using Job Boards to Learn About Employment Possibilities in Your Field	29	(2)
UNIT 2 THE WRITING PROCESS	31	(66)
Creating Business Messages	32	(24)
The Basics of Business Writing	32	(1)
The Writing Process for Business Messages and Oral Presentations	33	(2)
Analyzing the Purpose and the Audience	35	(2)
Anticipating the Audience	37	(1)
Adapting to the Task and Audience	38	(8)
Technology Improves Your Business Writing	46	(1)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	47	(1)
Critical Thinking	47	(1)
Chapter Review	47	(2)
Expand Your Learning With These Bonus Resources!	49	(1)
Writing Improvement Exercises	49	(3)
Activity	52	(1)
Video Resource	52	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	52	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	53	(1)
Communication Workshop: Career Skills
Sharpening Your Skills for Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making	54	(2)
Improving Writing Techniques	56	(24)
Researching to Collect Needed Information	56	(2)
Organizing to Show Relationships	58	(3)
Writing Effective Sentences	61	(2)
Improving Writing Techniques	63	(5)
Striving for Paragraph Coherence	68	(1)
Composing the First Draft	69	(1)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	70	(1)
Critical Thinking	70	(1)
Chapter Review	70	(1)
Expand Your Learning With These Bonus Resources!	71	(1)
Writing Improvement Exercises	72	(4)
Activity	76	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	76	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	77	(1)
Communication Workshop: Ethics
Using Ethical Tools to Help You Do the Right Thing	78	(2)
Revising and Proofreading Business Messages	80	(17)
Understanding the Process of Revision	80	(1)
Concise Wording	81	(6)
Understanding the Process of Proofreading	87	(2)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	89	(1)
Critical Thinking	89	(1)
Chapter Review	89	(1)
Writing Improvement Exercises	90	(3)
Activity	93	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	93	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	94	(1)
Communication Workshop: Technology
Using Word's Track Changes and Comment Features to Edit and Revise Documents	95	(2)
UNIT 3 CORRESPONDING AT WORK	97	(140)
E-Mail and Memorandums	98	(36)
Applying the Writing Process to Produce Effective E-Mail Messages and Memos	98	(3)
Analyzing the Structure and Format of E-Mail Messages and Memos	101	(6)
Using E-Mail Smartly and Safely	107	(5)
Writing Information and Procedure E-Mail Messages and Memos	112	(2)
Writing Request and Reply E-Mail Messages and Memos	114	(2)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	116	(1)
Critical Thinking	116	(1)
Chapter Review	117	(1)
Writing Improvement Exercises	118	(2)
Writing Coach---Request E-Mail	120	(2)
Writing Improvement Cases	122	(2)
Activities and Cases	124	(5)
Video Resources
Smart E-Mail Messages and Memos Advance Your Career	129	(1)
Innovation, Learning, and Communication: A Study of Yahoo	129	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	130	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	131	(1)
Communication Workshop: Ethics
Whose Computer Is It Anyway?	132	(2)
Direct Letters and Goodwill Messages	134	(38)
Writing Effective Direct Business Letters	134	(1)
Direct Requests for Information and Action	135	(2)
Direct Claims	137	(3)
Replies to Information Requests	140	(1)
Adjustment Letters	141	(5)
Letters of Recommendation	146	(3)
Writing Winning Goodwill Messages	149	(3)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	152	(1)
Critical Thinking	152	(1)
Chapter Review	152	(1)
Writing Improvement Exercises	153	(3)
Writing Coach---Direct Request Letter	156	(2)
Writing Improvement Cases	158	(2)
Activities and Cases	160	(7)
Video Resources
Social Responsibility and Communication: Ben & Jerry's	167	(1)
MeetingsAmerica	167	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	168	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	169	(1)
Communication Workshop: Career Skills
Dr. Guffey's Guide to Business Etiquette and Workplace Manners	170	(2)
Persuasive Messages	172	(29)
Persuasive Requests	172	(7)
Crafting Winning Sales Letters	179	(5)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	184	(1)
Critical Thinking	184	(1)
Chapter Review	185	(1)
Writing Coach---Favor Request	186	(2)
Writing Improvement Exercises	188	(1)
Writing Improvement Cases	189	(1)
Activities and Cases	190	(6)
Video Resource
Persuasion and Profitability: World Gym	196	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	196	(2)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	198	(1)
Communication Workshop: Ethics
Making Sure Your Sales Letters Are Legal	199	(2)
Negative Messages	201	(36)
Strategies for Delivering Bad News	201	(4)
Techniques for Delivering Bad News Sensitively	205	(5)
Refusing Routine Requests and Claims	210	(3)
Breaking Bad News to Customers	213	(4)
Breaking Bad News to Employees	217	(1)
Ethics and the Indirect Strategy	218	(2)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	220	(1)
Critical Thinking	220	(1)
Chapter Review	220	(1)
Writing Improvement Exercises	221	(2)
Writing Improvement Cases	223	(1)
Writing Coach---Refusing a Favor Request	224	(3)
Activities and Cases	227	(6)
Video Resource
Negative News: DawnSign Press	233	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	234	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	235	(1)
Communication Workshop: Multicultural Issues
Presenting Bad News in Other Cultures	236	(1)
UNIT 4 REPORTING WORKPLACE DATA	237	(78)
Informal Reports	238	(29)
Understanding Report Basics	239	(4)
Guidelines for Developing Informal Reports	243	(5)
Six Kinds of Informal Reports	248	(1)
Information Reports	249	(1)
Progress Reports	249	(2)
Justification/Recommendation Reports	251	(2)
Feasibility Reports	253	(1)
Minutes of Meetings	254	(1)
Summaries	255	(2)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	257	(1)
Critical Thinking	257	(1)
Chapter Review	257	(2)
Writing Improvement Exercises	259	(1)
Activities and Cases	259	(4)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	263	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	264	(1)
Communication Workshop: Collaboration
Laying the Groundwork for Team Writing Projects	265	(2)
Proposals and Formal Reports	267	(48)
Understanding Business Proposals	267	(1)
Informal Proposals	268	(4)
Formal Proposals	272	(1)
Preparing to Write Formal Reports	272	(1)
Researching Secondary Data	273	(3)
Generating Primary Data	276	(2)
Documenting Data	278	(2)
Organizing and Outlining Data	280	(3)
Illustrating Data	283	(7)
Presenting the Final Report	290	(12)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	302	(1)
Critical Thinking	302	(1)
Chapter Review	302	(2)
Activities and Cases	304	(7)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	311	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	312	(1)
Communication Workshop: Technology
Trash or Treasure: Assessing the Quality of Web Documents	313	(2)
UNIT 5 DEVELOPING SPEAKING AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS	315	(60)
Communicating in Person, in Meetings, by Telephone, and Digitally	316	(28)
Improving Face-to-Face Workplace Communication	317	(5)
Planning and Participating in Productive Business and Professional Meetings	322	(6)
Improving Telephone, Cell Phone, and Voice Mail Skills	328	(5)
Other Digital Communication Tools in the Workplace	333	(2)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	335	(1)
Critical Thinking	335	(1)
Chapter Review	336	(1)
Activities and Cases	337	(3)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	340	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	341	(1)
Communication Workshop: Career Skills
Eight Steps to Resolving Workplace Conflicts	342	(2)
Making Effective and Professional Oral Presentations	344	(31)
Getting Ready for an Oral Presentation	345	(2)
Organizing Content for a Powerful Impact	347	(4)
How the Best Speakers Build Audience Rapport	351	(2)
Planning Visual Aids	353	(2)
Designing an Impressive Multimedia Presentation	355	(6)
Polishing Your Delivery and Following Up	361	(4)
Adapting to International and Cross-Cultural Audiences	365	(1)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	366	(1)
Critical Thinking	366	(1)
Chapter Review	367	(1)
Activities and Cases	368	(3)
Video Resource
Effective On-the-Job Presentations	371	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	371	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	372	(1)
Communication Workshop: Collaboration
Techniques for Taking Part in Effective and Professional Team Presentations	373	(2)
UNIT 6 COMMUNICATING FOR EMPLOYMENT	375
The Job Search, Resumes, and Cover Letters	376	(43)
Preparing for Employment	376	(7)
The Persuasive Resume	383	(13)
Optimizing Your Resume for Today's Technologies	396	(4)
Applying the Final Touches to Your Resume	400	(3)
The Persuasive Cover Letter	403	(6)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	409	(1)
Critical Thinking	409	(1)
Chapter Review	410	(1)
Writing Improvement Cases	411	(2)
Activities and Cases	413	(2)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup	415	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	416	(1)
Communication Workshop: Career Skills
Network Your Way to a Job in the Hidden Market	417	(2)
Employment Interviewing and Follow-Up Messages	419
Types of Employment Interviews	420	(2)
Before the Interview	422	(3)
On the Day of Your Interview	425	(2)
During the Interview	427	(8)
Closing the Interview	435	(1)
After the Interview	436	(3)
Other Employment Letters and Documents	439	(3)
Summing Up and Looking Forward	442	(1)
Critical Thinking	442	(1)
Chapter Review	442	(2)
Activities and Cases	444	(4)
Video Resource
Sharpening Your Interview Skills	448	(1)
Grammar/Mechanics Checkup---Punctuation Review	448	(2)
Grammar/Mechanics Challenge	450	(1)
Communication Workshop: Career Skills
Let's Talk Money: Negotiating a Salary	451
Appendix A Reference Guide to Document Formats	1	(12)
Appendix B InSite Correction Symbols and Proofreading Marks	13	(3)
Appendix C Documentation Formats	16
Grammar/Mechanics Handbook	1	(1)
Key to Grammar/Mechanics Checkups	1	(1)
Endnotes	1	(1)
Index	1