Essentials of Business Communication

560 Pages·2010·11.24 MB·English

by  Mary Ellen Guffey

Mary EllenGuffey’s
E S S E N T I A L S O F
BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
7
EDITION
M A R Y E L L E N G U F F E Y
Professor of Business Emerita
Los Angeles Pierce College
•
CAROLYN M. SEEFER, Contributing Editor
Professor of Business, Diablo Valley College
Essentials of Business Communication, Seventh Edition
Mary Ellen Guffey
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Dear Business Communication Students:
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Get Prepared. . .
Mary Ellen Guffey’s Essentials of Business Communication has helped countless students prepare
for success in today’s technology-driven workplace. The Seventh Edition of this award-winning text
contains the instruction you need for business communication success, with practice opportunities in
every chapter to help you hone your skills.
Improve Your Writing and Grammar Skills…
Guffey’s textbook/workbook/handbook
format teaches writing skills while
reviewing and reinforcing your basic
grammar and mechanics skills.
Writing Plans and Writing
Improvement Exercises
Clear step-by-step writing plans structure
the assignments so that novice writers
can get started quickly and stay focused
on the writing experience – without
struggling to provide unknown details to
unfamiliar, hypothetical cases.
(cid:2) Writing Coach
This new step-by-step demonstration of
the writing process shows you how to
write and revise e-mails, memos, and
letters using a brief case, writing
instructions, and before-and-after
documents.
e
c (cid:2) Emphasis on Grammar
a and Mechanics
f Throughout the text, you will be
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encouraged to build on your basic
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P grammar skills. Grammar/Mechanics
Checkups, Grammar/Mechanics

t Challenges, and chapter discussions
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keep you in practice. Plus…Your
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Personal Language Trainer, a self-
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teaching grammar/mechanics review
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included in Guffey Xtra!, helps to further
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S enhance language skills.
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…with Time-tested Learning Tools
(cid:1) Model Documents
Before-and-after sample documents and descriptive callouts
are a road map to the writing process, demonstrating for
you the effective use of the skills being taught, as well as
the significance of the revision process in writing.
(cid:2) End-of-Chapter
Concepts are translated into action, as you
try out your skills in activities designed to mirror
“real-world” experiences.
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t
u
d
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(cid:1) Communication Workshops
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Communication workshops develop critical thinking
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skills and provide insight into special business
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communication topics such as ethics, technology,
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career skills, and collaboration.
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Contemporary Content for the
Technology-Driven Student
Videoconferencing, résumé
scanning, IP telephony (VoIP),
e-mail strategies, Web
researching, and blogging…
they’re all covered here.
Essentials of Business
Communication explores how
technology has changed the
world of work. Discussions of
these technologies are
integrated into relevant
chapters and become part of
end-of-chapter activities so you
can hit the ground running
when you enter today’s digital
workplace.Technology
discussions encompass the
latest information on:
(cid:1) Voice, Web, and
videoconferencing
(cid:1) Electronic presentations
(cid:1) Instant messaging and other
wireless technologies
(cid:1) E-mail techniques, etiquette,
risks, and tips
(cid:1) Electronic networking, job
boards, and job-searching
advice
e
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See this two-page figure in Chapter 1.
a
f
e
r
P “Guffey seems to have her hands on the
pulse of not only what is currently needed by
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n students and instructors, but is looking
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toward what might be needed in the future. I
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think this is what has always made her
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t textbooks seem more current than some of
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the other texts out there.”
Sheryl E. C. Joshua,
University of North Carolina, Greensboro
vi
Real Advice for Succeeding
in the Job Market
You will use these skills in the real world. Essentials of Business Communication offers practical advice
and models that you can understand and adapt to your needs. More emphasis is placed on job-search
technology and résumé preparation, including a discussion of online job boards and the reality that few
candidates actually find jobs online.
Inside you’ll find:
(cid:1) Résumés in three forms: traditional
print-based résumés, scannable résumés,
and embedded résumés for today’s
technologies.
(cid:1) New “Summary of Qualifications” for a
résumé immediately reveals a candidate’s
fit for a position.
(cid:1) E-portfolios and digitized materials
provide a snapshot of a candidate’s
performance, talents, and accomplishments.
(cid:1) Social online networking with specific
Web sites to visit to aid in networking and
the job search.
(cid:1) Updated section about hiring and
placement interviews with discussion of
group interviews and panel, sequential, and
stress interviews.
Guffey demonstrates how significant
professionalism is to overall business
communication endeavors. Coverage of
professional workplace behavior has been
enhanced in this edition with cues on how to
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act in business social situations. In this edition:
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(cid:1) Etiquette tips for leaders and participants to u
help them act appropriately and professionally in d
meetings. e
(cid:1) Telephone etiquette tips including how to n
handle calls professionally, courteously, and t

effectively. P
(cid:1) Enhanced coverage of the importance of
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professionalism when giving oral presentations, e
with added information about dressing f
a
professionally.
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(cid:1) A section on creating professional visual aids
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that add value to a presentation so that you
will learn how to highlight main ideas, ensure
visibility, enhance comprehension, and
exemplify professionalism when designing
and using visual aids.
vii
Technology Tools That Inform,
Educate, and Entertain
The book is just the beginning. Make the grade and improve your tech knowledge with
Guffey’s online resources and technology support.
Guffey Xtra! Companion Web Site
Guffey Xtra! is an online study assistant that includes http://guffey.swlearning.com
the following features: (cid:1) Chapter Review Quizzes reinforce chapter
concepts, testing your knowledge and preparing
(cid:1) Your Personal Language Trainer is a cutting-edge
you for exams.
self-teaching online tool that enables you to review
(cid:1) Flash Cards and Key Termsbuild vocabulary skills
an entire business English course, including
while reviewing text material.
grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and number
(cid:1) Business Etiquette Guide teaches basic business
style. Instead of using valuable class time to teach
etiquette and workplace manners.
grammar, instructors
(cid:1) Listening Quiz pinpoints listening strengths and
can rely on Dr. Guffey
weaknesses in interactive exercises.
to act as a personal
(cid:1) APA and MLA Citation Formats help you correctly
trainer in helping
cite business references.
students pump up
(cid:1) Writing Help links to the best college and university
their language
online writing labs.
muscles. Your
Personal Language Trainer provides hundreds of
sentence reinforcement exercises with immedi-
InfoTrac® College Edition
ate feedback and explanations for the best
With InfoTrac College Edition, you can
comprehension and retention.
receive complete, 24-hour-a-day access to
over 18 million full-text articles from
thousands of journals, popular periodicals,
and newspapers such as Newsweek, Time, The New
York Times, and USA Today.
Note: Access to Guffey Xtra! and InfoTrac® College
Edition may come packaged with your new text if your
instructor has ordered it. If not, you may purchase
these online resources through 1Pass access at
http://www.thomsonedu.com.
(cid:1) Student version PowerPoint slides
(cid:1) Bonus chapters
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(cid:1) Speak Right! and Spell Right! practice activities
c
(cid:1) Sentence Competency exercises
a
(cid:1) Grammar/Mechanics Challenge exercises
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e (cid:1) Advanced Grammar/Mechanics Challenge
r exercises
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(cid:1) Business Report topics

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e “This book is great! It will be going to work with me
d as a reference book. The interactive quizzes are
u
wonderful. What a great way to review for tests!
t
S My instructor recommended your site, and I’m
very glad she did.”
Deanna Jokinen, student,
Dakota County Technical College
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UNIT 1 UNIT 6
LAYING COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATING FOR
FOUNDATIONS 1 EMPLOYMENT 375
1 Building Your Career Success 13 The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover
With Communication Skills 2 Letters 376
14 Employment Interviewing and
UNIT 2 Follow-Up Messages 419
THE WRITING PROCESS 31
Appendix A Reference Guide to Document
2 Creating Business Messages 32
Formats A-1
3 Improving Writing Techniques 56
4 Revising and Proofreading Business Appendix B InSite Correction Symbols and
Messages 80 Proofreading Marks A-13
Appendix C Documentation Formats A-16
UNIT 3
CORRESPONDING AT WORK 97 Grammar/Mechanics Handbook GM-1
5 E-Mail and Memorandums 98
Key to Grammar/Mechanics Checkups K-1
6 Direct Letters and Goodwill
Messages 134
Endnotes N-1
7 Persuasive Messages 172
8 Negative Messages 201 Index I-1
UNIT 4
REPORTING WORKPLACE DATA 237
9 Informal Reports 238
10 Proposals and Formal Reports 267
UNIT 5
DEVELOPING SPEAKING
AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS 315
11 Communicating in Person, in Meetings,
by Telephone, and Digitally 316
12 Making Effective and Professional Oral
Presentations 344
Brief Contents ix