Writing for Business Success/Delivering your message/Video signpost Booher

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View Part 1 of a video series – Dianna Booher: Four Ways to Cut the Clutter from Your Business Writing. [2:07 min.] Booher suggests an elegant ‘prime the pump’ strategy to help you create a clear opening line, and focus on key points and essential details. One key is to use strong verbs instead of filler words.

Booher - Part 1

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View Part 2 of Dianna Booher's: Four Ways to Cut the Clutter from Your Business Writing. [2:04 min.]

Booher - Part 2

After viewing the two videos, try revising this sentence in plain language:

“Focus on eliminating details that are unneccessary in delivering a message so that the key points in the message are not only clearer but also more emphatic.”

Tip: Using just seven words would make the point clear and more compelling.

An example answer is "Eliminate unnecessary details to create clear messages."

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View video – National Digital Learning Arena (Norway): Descriptive Language. [2:19 min.] As this video states, “descriptive language adds atmosphere, intensity and drama to a situation.” Choosing words to suit communication genre will increase your message effectiveness. And, as you may have noticed, descriptive language is also an important part of good storytelling.

Descriptive Language

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View video – ProsWrite: Style in Professional Writing: Active and Passive Voice [12:16 min.] A communicator’s choice of ‘voice’ can shift message emphasis, and audience understanding. In Western culture, choice of active or passive voice depends on whether you want to emphasize the speaker/agent responsibility or not, depending on audience readiness, and the rhetorical context. What do active and passive voice mean in your home cultural and community contexts?

Active and Passive Voice

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View video – Dianna Booher: Four Tips to Make Your Message Memorable. [3:56 min.] Beyond cutting clutter, Booher suggests state your message simply, select familiar frames, speak to the heart as well as the head, and manage time. She gives examples of sound bites and slogans.

Four Tips to Make Your Message Memorable

Task

Try writing a sound bite or slogan (50 words or less) and share it in WENotes feed.

Note: Your comment will be displayed in the course feed.