Derek Ames

Professional Writing

Professor Bolduc-Simpson

In this module I learned how design an impactful and concise presentation, webpage, or document efficiently.

I learned the most about this when we wrote the book recommendation letter for OBOC. This is because I had to create appealing and clear tables and utilize practices such as using effective headings and using blank space in order to help me convince them to choose one of my recommendations.

This module is important because in order to get people to be interested in your message, let alone get it to stick with people, you must present it in an appealing fashion.

I will most definitely use what I have learned in this module in my future career. As a product manager I will have to make many power point presentations in order to promote products to potential customers.

In this module I learned that if at all possible, always write a short report as opposed to a long report, only using this information relevant to the message you are trying to pass on. I also learned how to effectively compare and contrast issues and how to effectively suggest solutions.

I learned the most about this in AA3 when we had to write a short report on a bad web page. I believe that I used aspects of an informative report as well as a feasibility report when writing it.

This module is important because in any line of work, there WILL be problems that need resolving. However, before you can deal with any problem, you and everyone else in the company needs to know what you’re dealing with; therefore, you write a report.

I will use the information I’ve learned in this chapter to improve myself by finding ways to be more concise when I write and/or talk about something, as I have a habit of elaborating too much.

In this module I learned how to effectively conduct an interview without eliciting a biased response, and then the methods to use when analyzing the data I’ve received.

We haven’t really had any assignments that touched on this topic so I can’t say that one has helped me learn this more than the others.

This module is important because in the business world, networking and gathering information from people in those networks is vital, and the correct use of interviewing skills is one of the best ways to do this.

As a product manager I will always be looking for good salespeople to go out and sell the product that I am promoting, so I will use the information I gather in interviews from/about potential subordinates to hire the right personell.

In this module I learned about different ways to make and send persuasive messages such as the direct request pattern and the problem-solving pattern. I also learned which methods are most effective, depending on if you think there will be objections to your message or not.

I learned the most about this when we had to try to persuade OBOC to choose one of my suggested books. I had to use the problem solving pattern because there was a high likelihood that they would not do what I asked although I did trust them to read my whole message.

The skills talked about in this module are equally important in life in general as they are in the business world. Every interaction with another person is a persuasive act. Whether your trying to get them to do something for u, trying to get them to like you, or just trying to get someone to listen to what you’re saying.

A goal I will set for myself in accordance with this information is to become more consistent in knowing which approach to take (direct or indirect) when I need to persuade someone to do something, based on how I think they will respond.

In this module I learned the 9-step method for writing a proposal for a class research project and the 5-step method for writing a sales proposal, as well as the tone usage necessary for either one. I also learned the importance of progress reports in the completion of a project.

Although it was long before this module, I learned a lot about writing a progress report/proposal when we had to write the PansedikMemorandum. This is because I had to both analyze the progress of a current situation as well as propose a solution.

The information in this module is important because no project will ever get started without a proposal and no project will ever be completed without progress reports.

I’m sure that by the time I make it through my first year as a product manager I will have written too many of each of these to count, so this knowledge will definitely go to good use.

After watching these videos and reading these texts I learned about how huge of an impact social media has on today’s business environment and how exponentially quickly the impact has increased in recent years.

I learned the most about this when I analyzed McDonald’s social networking blunder when they lost millions of dollars of revenue because of a failed promotional campaign on Twitter.

It’s important to know about how much of an impact social networking can have on business so that you are cautious of anything you put on the internet regarding your business, and so that you research it well before you do so.

Because social networking is constantly evolving, I plan on keeping up with the newest trends so that when I have the opportunity to use it to benefit my business, I will do it right.