The audience is the intended readers of a written document (Tebeaux, 2017).
Understanding the type of audience and the intended message determines how effective the message will be. Misjudging the audience limits communication. A business proposal written in a friendly tone will give a poor picture of the writer. An executive reading it will not take it seriously. In the same way, a letter to a friend written in a formal tone can portray a picture of insincerity and lack of interest.
Emails written to customers will contain context meant to lure them into purchasing a certain product or service; hence, it will give the product’s positives or advantages. This is because the email’s purpose is to sell to a customer rather than to educate. In contrast, emails written to an executive of a company will be formal and may contain both positive and negative details on the product or service. The purpose of the email may be to create awareness of the company’s challenges with a certain product.
A writer needs to evaluate and understand the purpose of the specific writing. This refers to the specific message one wants to pass along to their readers.
As a writer, one needs to understand the goals the document should achieve and the business context to communicate. The goal will determine the tone of writing.
A writer should recognize his or her responsibility and how it should be reflected in the document. An irresponsible writer will pass the wrong message.
One should have in mind the reader’s frame of reference when determining the content and reason for writing.
A business reader’s purpose is to get answers; hence a writer should be particular in their writing. Consequently, for employees in various organizations, huge ones, it is important to include the relevant information on the first page of a report. They are usually overwhelmed with work and might have time to read long emails.
Establishing the reason for writing is as crucial as identifying the target audience. The statement “Purpose always relates to readers” (Tebeaux, 2017, pp. 16) reveals how content matters to certain audiences. The right purpose for the wrong audience will be ineffective. One may have more than a single purpose for writing.
Planning involves organizing ideas a writer intends to use to achieve the desired goals. Once a writer identifies the reader and defines the document’s purpose, it becomes easy to phrase and prioritizes ideas (Tebeaux, 2017).
It is important to determine the reader’s knowledge of the topic of discussion and whether they have mastery of the topic.
With the responsibility to perform specific roles, a writer, specifically in organizations, is bound to communicate with senior and low-level staff. Structuring an email with the right tone is necessary to pass the right information (Stich et al., 2018). Harsh or a serious tone may pass the wrong information to an otherwise subtle email.
References
Stich, J. F., Tarafdar, M., & Cooper, C. L. (2018). Electronic communication in the workplace: boon or bane?.Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 5(1), 98–106. Web.
Tebeaux, E.(2017). The essentials of technical communication (4th edition). Oxford University Press.