The importance to analyze the situation and define your purpose carefully before writing a message

ANALYZE YOUR SITUATION

It's vital to communicate clearly and effectively. People don't have time to read book-length emails, and they don't have the patience to figure out the message of the content.
When writing is involved, identifying your purpose and your audience makes your writing more effective. This would help you to analyze different kinds of messages you can write according to your audience. Following are two things you should focus on before writing.

1. Who is the audience?
   Audience Analysis is crucial for understanding what should go into each piece of writing. The first step for writing clearly is choosing the appropriate format. The format will define your "writing voice". This is how formal or relaxed the tone should be. Start by identifying who will read your message. For instance, if you write an email to a prospective client, should it have the same tone as an email to a friend?



2. What is the purpose?
   With everything you write readers should be able to define your tone as well as the content of the message. Business messages have two different purposes:
   

• General
– Inform, persuade, collaborate

• Specific
– Writer's goals, audience actions and thoughts

To determine the specific purpose, think of how the audience’s ideas or behaviors should be affected by the message. Ask yourself some key questions about your audience:

1) Who are the most important people in the audience?
2) Will anything change?
3) Is your purpose realistic?
4) How much do they already know about the subject?
5) What is their probable reaction to your message?
6) Is the purpose acceptable?
After answering all the questions it would be easier to proceed in your writing.

PROFILE YOUR AUDIENCE

This will encourage your message to be received as intended as well as the goals you set. You will need specific information about your audience, information about its understanding of and attitude toward your subject.

• Identify primary audience.
  Identifying your primary audience would help you to decide the appropriate language, wether your tone is going to be formal or informal.



• Determine your audience size and geographic distribution
  Identify cultural or language differences that exist.



• Level of understanding
  Identify how much information or evidence would be useful, assume what your audience already knows, and how to get readers attention.



• Audience expectations or preferences
  As a writer, you should anticipate the needs or expectations of your audience in order to convey information.

Always start with your readers - who are they, and what do they expect from you.

Writing Blog:

“Leaders need emotional intelligence in e-mail” Blog. (Deborah Dumaine)
http://www.bettercom.com/business-writing-advice/?Tag=customer-focused%20writing

Resources

“Tone in Business Writing” (Dana Lynn Driscoll)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/652/1/

“Analyze your audience before developing your message” (Tom Fuszard.)
http://ezinearticles.com/?Analyze-Your-Audience-Before-Developing-Your-Message&id=1064480

Photo Credit

“Writing” (thomasmorecollege.edu)
http://www.thomasmorecollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/writing.gif