Worksheets for Writing and Speaking

When developing business communications, consider these criteria:

Writing Criteria

Plan Your Strategy
  • State purpose
  • Ensure credibility
  • Tailor message to audience
  • Include necessary content
  • Use best structure, usually direct, with content organized so logical and easy to read
  • Reflect the organizational culture—the organization’s distinctive attributes
Write Effectively on the Macro Level
  • Ensure format follows company template
  • Use brief and parallel message headers, bullets, and lists
  • Use white space effectively so visually appealing and easy to read
  • Select best typeface and typestyle
  • Use single space within paragraphs, ragged right, and double space between paragraphs
  • Use effective topic sentences
  • Use effective transitions
Write Effectively on the Micro Level
  • Be conversational, use plain English, and avoid jargon
  • Use best voice, usually active
  • Be concise, not wordy
  • Select the best words—short, simple, strong (particularly verbs)
  • Be clear/​not vague
  • Vary sentence length
  • Use parallel construction
Edit and Proofread
  • Edit for Strategy, Macro Issues, and Micro issues
  • Use correct grammar and punctuation
  • Use correct spelling and usage

Speaking Criteria

Deliver an Audience-​​Grabbing and Effective Opening
  • Capture audience’s attention/​interest
  • Establish credibility
  • State purpose + benefit
  • Preview major points, explaining order of delivery
  • Use transition to connect to Body
Present Content with Emotion That’s Easy to Follow
  • Present and develop major points with examples
  • Organize content so easy-​​to-​​follow
  • Relate content to audience
  • Incorporate emotion
  • Use transitions to connect major points
  • Use transition to signal Close
Summarize Key Points and Deliver a Memorable Close
  • Restate the purpose
  • Review major points, using transitions
  • End on a strong, memorable note
Conduct an Effective Q&A
Use the Delivery to Enhance the Message
  • Have a professional appearance
  • Maintain eye contact
  • Use notes effectively—don’t read
  • Use appropriate gestures/​demonstrate energy & enthusiasm
  • Effectively use space—movement
  • Have effective voice quality and volume (enunciate clearly) with effective pitch and rate and avoid fillers
  • Use visuals/​technology effectively
Adhere to Timing
Use Visuals that Have Impact
  • Use message titles and parallel construction
  • Keep content simple & powerful—limited text—high impact
  • Use readable fonts and point size
  • Use effective background design and maintain consistency among slides
  • Incorporate logic and emotion through slides
  • Use effective grammar and spell correctly
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