Writing Plan for Corporate Sales

Audience:

                To be one of the elite in the corporate sales world, a person that has an absolute determination and motivation will always be the best man for the job. The people that won’t be able to sleep until they get what they want; the people that know exactly how to connect with others; the people that can make you smile at any given moment because they know exactly what you are thinking and what you want to hear. These are the people that are the perfect fit to make it big in this type of career field. In order to get there, their motivation will have to start from the beginning due to the school course load that they will have to endure. Finance, Accounting, Marketing, and Economics are not known for being the easiest of classes. Not to mention, summers are no longer a fun vacation with the family. They are typically filled with full time internships with large companies in major cities of the world. Although the classes and scheduling may initially seem rigorous, the phrase “it’s not about what you know but who you know” rings extremely true as communication is literally fundamental in this career.

Context:

            In both formal and informal settings, a corporate sales executive has to know what to say and how to say it at all times. It’s difficult to even fathom the type of mindset one must have in order to be able to read people’s minds and make specific deals become more attractive. Wouldn’t it be incredible to build relationships with an enormous amount of people and give them exactly what they are looking for while simultaneously making a profit? Everyone benefits! It’s simply incredible. If a salesman has studied his whole life but never talked to a person, he will get literally nowhere. However, when they can communicate in an elegant, persuasive manner he becomes dangerously successful.

Rhetoric:

I think it will be important to discuss the general ideas regarding the high, middle, and low styles of speech. Especially high because of the formal presentations that will need to be executed. There will have to be a very elegant, formal way of expressing ideas that click in the minds of others. Relationships with superiors, clients, and coworkers will all be slightly different but discussing the different ways to communicate would be beneficial. 

History:

History would play an imperative role in the fact that the recent national crisis that the economy has hit could motivate more people to become successful, innovative businessman. Sales is more important than ever in a country that just went through something comparable to the closest thing to the “next great depression”. Even more is on the line in the corporate sales world than ever. I think there are many advantages to discussing the history.

Development Plan:

I think more than anything, I want to open up with giving a brief overview of the history of sales with a focus on the past decade in America. Due to various economic downfalls, it is time that America needs to rise again and that means that corporate sales executives need to be able to present and sell products more than ever. With this comes an extreme need for persuasiveness and rhetorical genius.

I will then discuss the type of speeches that one who goes through with the field of rhetoric will need to perfect. Different situations call for different forms of communication. However, more than anything, I will make it clear and perhaps close the paper with the type of person and attitude the perfect corporate salesman will need to be and have. I think I can end it in a way to leave an impression on the reader if they can see the kind of endurance and internal drive it takes to be a top dog in a cut throat corporate environment that in turn can help the economy greatly.

Writing Plan: English Teaching

Audience Profile

The typical people entering the English Teaching field are usually either English fanatics or fans of teaching. Ideally they are both. Generally, they take English survey courses or writing classes in the beginning years of their schooling. Once students have applied to the English Teaching program, they take an introduction course which overviews issues connected to teaching (such as communication) and which provides students opportunities to observe real teachers in the public schools. More advanced classes focus in on preparing students to teach and use effective communication in a classroom setting. At the end of their degree, student teaching allows students to practice communicating like an English Teacher.

Context

Since an English teacher teaches how to communicate well, drawing the audience's attention should be easy--they're already interested in improving communication! Presenting examples of situations that require wise communication (like in-class persuasion or parent-teacher conferences) will also provide a practical reason for studying communication.

Rhetoric

The styles of oratory are important--making the distinction between high, middle, and low style will allow me to focus my paper on the low teaching style. Then, my audience should understand that being aware of kairos, ethos, pathos, and audience will help them make the best decisions while they teach. I'll define each of these terms when I use them.

History

The Roman style of teaching (which focused on the trivium, reading and writing and performing, etc.) is extremely eye-opening. Persuading students to take an interest in the history of teaching should be easy, because Quintilian's discovery of the Roman curriculum is ground-breaking. I'll explain how the Romans' way of teaching literature and composition was much more effective than today's methods. 

Development Plan

If I begin the paper with examples of situations where an English teacher would need to use communication I think I'll capture the readers' attention. Then, I can reel them in with questions that target my audience ("Do you love English? Do you have a passion for teaching?" for example). I would follow up with a reason why they should be interested in my paper: A promise that by learning more about the history and rhetoric involved with teaching, they will be more prepared for the day that they teach in their own classroom. I'll go on to explain the Roman way of teaching, and then explain that although we teach a different curriculum than the Romans' in today's schools, at least we can use rhetoric effectively. I'll explain that teaching is considered low style, and that being aware of kairos, ethos, pathos, and audience will improve teaching and general communication in any classroom.

Outline of Thoughts

Audience Profile:

A psychology professor is going to have the characteristics of both someone interested in psychology and someone who enjoys teaching in a formal setting. Usually a psychology major or career would involve a lot of interpersonal communication and the ability to talk to disturbed people about their problems and concerns but since the target audience is interested in teaching psychology, their communication skills will need to be focused more on instructed a large class and not on therapy. For students majoring in psychology, they will take classes like any other field of psychology until they are working on their PhD, at which time they will start focusing on the teaching aspects of their field. The biggest training step that these students will go through is their graduate student teaching, where they will teach lower level psychology courses while working on their own higher education.

 Context:

A college professor has a much different job than that of a normal teacher. Professors have a different audience, have to publish, and have a lot more freedom about what they talk about and test on than a teacher of a different educational level. A professor has to be ready for criticism and feedback from students, from publishing companies, and from the university at which they work. Without proper communication and an understanding of the controversies of their field, a psychology professor could be in real trouble.

Rhetoric:

As a future college professor, students interested in psychology professoring need to keep in mind that they will be teaching adults, not kids or teenagers. This makes their job slightly easier in the fact that their students are, quite literally, invested in their education, but it also means that the communication and rhetoric that the professor uses must be adapted for students who make their own decisions and set their own schedules. The students may be more respectful, but they won’t always prioritize the class as much as the professor does. Of course, for some professors the class isn’t as much of a priority as the research and publishing that the professor also has to do. It really depends on the professor and on the university how much time and energy is spent on instruction instead of researching and vice versa. Of course a psychology professor also has to deal with interoffice relations; always being respectful of the other professors and staff. This is especially important in psychology where some of the information is controversial and heavily debated. A psych professor must always be respectful and open-minded to others’ views on these issues.

History:

A student interested in being a psychology professor needs to understand the historical and current perceptions in psychology so they do not tread on controversial issues unknowingly. Knowing that the ancient Greeks and Romans viewed psychology as a philosophy will put a different perspective on the study and implementation of psychology. Even though psychology is a relatively new science the ideas it presents have been around for a while. The torture and isolation that encapsulated psychology in Medieval Catholicism will remind studiers of psychology to be careful what they pass off a treatments. Professors’ publishing will be treated as fact by the general public and that can lead to dangerous and widespread practices if not handled with cautiousness. In modern times there are many different types of psychology. A professor does not have the luxury of choosing the one that he or she most agrees with and not learning about any others. Since the professor has to teach other students, he or she should try to be as unbiased as possible.

Development Plan:

Since I will be addressing this paper to people who are thinking about becoming psychology majors and professors but have not done so yet, I will need to be careful with how many psychology terms I use. They are not likely to know what psychotherapy entails or what the theories of Carl Rogers are until they have taken actually psychology courses. I will need to be direct and to the point with the way I word things but I do not really have to simplify anything because I will be addressing an audience that is of my own age and intellect.

The section that I will probably need to give the most attention to is the context of a professor and establishing the difference between any professoring job and psychology professoring, and being a professor of psychology versus becoming a psychiatrist or psychologist. I will also incorporate the differences in the types of rhetoric used in all of the various metaphorical “hats” a psychology professor wears in performing the many duties assigned to him or her. Of course I will need to address the controversies and difficulties a modern psychology professor faces, but I am waiting on one my sources to respond to me with information in that regard.

Communication Disorders Writing Plan

Audience Profile 

The typical aspiring ComD (Communication Disorders) student is female (generally speaking, though they definitely do not have to be). They take pre-requisite classes (human anatomy, statistics 121, and an entry level course), classes about anatomy (specifically focused on speech production and hearing ability), language classes (that dissect the components of language and how it is produced and received), and classes on different disorders and how they can be treated. They also take classes that provide an opportunity for experience in the field. Since field experience is part of the major requirements, doing it on your own before acceptance into the major is not really necessary nor does it give you an added advantage in the application process (not included on the application form at all). However, participating in internships, collaborative projects, or other extracurricular activities may benefit the student by giving them exposure and giving them an idea of what the field is like so that they don't do all the work to get into the major just to find out they don't like it at all. Personally, I major hopped a lot before I found Communication Disorders and it was because I was pursuing avenues that I really didn't understand what the work entailed. I waited a while to see those fields in action and by the time I did, I found out that I didn't like it and that I had wasted so much time and money on classes that weren't going to help me graduate at all. So from my personal experience, I think volunteering and getting out there to see this field is a good thing just even if it doesn't necessarily help you apply or get through your education. Finally, students learn about and practice communication that is applicable to the field from the very first entry level ComD class on. The whole major is communication based so don't expect any delay in learning about how to effectively communicate in this field and applying such knowledge.

Context

The most meaningful context I can provide for this student is to truly convince them through the use of examples that effective communication is not something that one turns on and off. Effective communication isn't reserved for school and work, but is to be embedded in our very nature. That is what speech pathologists do. We are social beings and when an individual is unable in any way to effectively communicate, they are negatively affected. I will be most successful in this if I list the secondary effects that often accompany those with communication disorders. 

Rhetoric

Because speech pathology is the study of effective communication, there are many ideas about communication that I need to be careful to emphasize. Communication is:

• Part of our daily lives; thus, if it is in any way inhibited, there will be negative consequences for the individual's well-being.
• influenced by many outside factors. Learning to account for every possible variable is an important skill.
• different for everyone. The purpose of the major is progress and not necessarily perfection. Any sort of progress in helping a client overcome a disorder will greatly increase their quality of life and well-being.

In regards to specific persuasive strategies used within the field, most persuasion will take place with the family and insurance companies. This will be done in the form of precise documentation and researched evidence. Most clients will have problems with very basic communication (and persuasion, in my opinion, is a more advanced form of communication). Since we mainly help individuals increase their levels of basic communication, I am not too worried about overwhelming my audience with technical rhetorical jargon. 

History

With any field, passion always helps establish perspective. Especially within this field, where we are still learning so much about why there are certain disorders and how best to treat them, optimism and creativity is key. I think by using some of my sources to recent and distant history, I can portray the quest of humanity since the beginning with solving these disorders. Using history in this way, I think it will establish the importance of the work speech pathologists do and how extensive the implications of a communication disorder are.

Development Plan

Looking at what I have so far, I am mildly concerned about the length of my final paper. However, several ideas have come to me as to how I can add more detail and length while continually increasing the strength of my piece. Reading through my old blog posts, I found that in one I set up two scenarios that will affect almost everyone. The one regarded a parents role in identifying a communication disorder in a small child, and another where a child or grandchild is responsible for monitoring the decline of a parent/ grandparent and must decide if they require more assistance to learn how to safely talk and swallow as their body deteriorates. Because I feel that this is something that encompasses everyone (whether it be a situation they have witnessed, experienced, or can imagine), I feel like I can do more to develop those scenarios and do more to explain the process.

Because I really want to establish communication disorders as something that has always been around and something that affects all people, I want to start my paper by giving more examples of people throughout history who had speech disorders. This requires some more research on my part because I only retrieved four or five examples when researching for my last post; but, I think that will make a clearer point and further establish a clearer context for the reader.

The section I anticipating needing the most work is my rhetoric section. I know I was very general in my outline and need to further search for applications of course concepts (beyond the three I identified in a previous blog post. If I can find more than that, I want to).

Writing Plan of the Accountant

Audience

People looking into accounting as their major are often analytical thinkers who like numbers, and the idea of fitting all the pieces of a puzzle together. In order to be fully equipped for a job in the accounting field one must take many technical classes in the accounting field. In these classes the student will learn how to communicate through the financial statements that accountants create. They also will need to have a solid business background, which will require them to take classes studying the basics of the other business fields such as marketing, finance or information systems. Internships are highly recommended for the accounting field, and most students apply for internships after their junior year. The department strongly recommends having an up-to-date and impressive resume to help communicate to possible employers how qualified you really are.

Context

Communication is vital in business, and accounting has no exception. I can explain different scenarios in which their use of rhetoric and communication come in handy. Through these different scenarios they can see a variety of ways that communication are used. This will help eliminate the problem that the reader won’t feel like the information is relevant to them because at least one scenario could relate to them.

Rhetoric

Communication occurs in many ways for accountants. The two main ways accountants communicate are through verbal communication and through documents.

• Verbal This type of communication is often seen in meetings, and discussions between colleagues. Accountants often use verbal communication to clear up any discrepancies or to answer any questions that may arise when performing their tasks.
•   Documents This type of communication is the more important form of communication because most information is shared through financial statements. The financial statements that companies present to their investors, and creditors help communicate and persuade that their company is in great (or sometimes not so great) standing.

History

Accounting has been around longer than most people realize, and some believe that the earliest forms of recording information was done through accounting practices. It is easy to see how keeping records of things like crops, taxes, and population were necessary in any civilization, but not many people understand how modern day accounting was shaped and created. During the industrial revolution businesses had developed into how we see them today, and their accounting practices at that time didn’t fully meet the business’s financial needs. Not all accountants had the same training or knowledge, which caused for variance in practice across the field. A group of extremely educated accountants met together in 1896 to solve this problem. They formed the American Association of Public Accountants, and developed the first Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. From there, they were able to help create standards in what was being taught, but also standards in procedures and formats that accountants use.

Development Plan

-Opening: For my opening I want to tie in the history of my profession, and use the information

-Body: I want to separate my body into two main categories written and verbal communication. It will look something similar to my rhetoric section, except it will be longer and more detailed. There will probably be subsections within these two topics that discuss the different times that the communication will be used.

-Closing: For my closing I want to explain the style and delivery that accountants use. I didn’t mention it in any other part of my essay, and I feel that it would be beneficial for the student interested in accounting to know. 

The path of a translator

The Audience Profile:

If people are looking for a job in translation, it would seem that they have an interest in communication in general. Social skills of speaking and communicating with others, whether on a

large scale as with public speaking or more private conversations would be a very useful skill for this

The ILR rating level. You must be this proficient to be a
translator. 

career. Manners are also very important and an cultural awareness is always appreciated.Often a background in business is appreciated as a complement to this career. What is more important however is one's fluency and experience in whatever language(s) they wish to interpret in. Studies abroad or years spent in countries using and improving fluency in said language are vital requirements that show off ones personal profficiency. Because efficiency in a language is such a key element to the career, an aspiring interpreter must achieve a minimum advanced-medium grade in both oral and written proficiency on the ILR language scale.

Context Profile:

If you are interested in this challenging yet exciting and rewarding career, you will become a vital link in connecting the world together. You must be able to control a careful balance between professional and casual as you work for various clients and jobs, whether you work for a company that performs translation, for the government or as a freelance interpreter. Each job that requires translation, from ocean cruise companies to international law, will enable you to become an intricate part of the net that connects us to each other, and allow you to experience all walks of life and how to work appropriately in each situation.

Rhetoric Profile:

When comparing rhetoric to translation, it is very important that you maintain the given rhetorical use as possible. Messing with the content of something can lead to obvious problems, but so can a change or lack of the client's style and/or delivery. A good translation is able to hold all of these features and maintains a flawless imitation of what parts of rhetoric are being expressed. Rhetoric is also vital in finding new clients and projects by communication and persuasion outside of an immediate business setting.

History Profile:

Translation is and has always been a valuable career since our earliest known recordings of it in the time of the Egyptians. It continues to maintain its merit in modern society and understanding how translation has advanced from rudimentary forms to the digital age broadens the viewpoint of how it has changed and how it will continue to grow and expand as the technological frontier continues to expand.

Plan Profile:

This outline has definitely put my own career into perspective as I have been able to evaluate the very skills I need to improve on so that I can be as prepared as possible when I graduate. I think that more emphasis on the rhetoric used in translation would help pull my argument better together. There are many instances of it, but it needs to be used in a more unique way than most, so that will require a bit more explanation on the how and the why of doing so.

Also, since this is going to both be a paper and a blog post, I will need to put thought into how I am going to organize this paper so that it is both entertaining and educational as a blog post while changing the design minimally so that it can also be an informative and persuasive paper on the subject. After all, delivery is everything, as the Romans believed.

Aspire to be a Doctor

Audience: 

            There is a lot of prestige and high esteem for the position of doctor—and rightfully so. Numerous years of life and youth are sacrificed to study in order to save the lives of others. Since people recognize the experience required to become a doctor, a doctor immediately holds some innate credibility and rhetorical potential. People who realize that this profession requires a lot of time to gain the title are more prone to accepting what a doctor says because they believe that the doctor knows more than them. Not only does their appearance and title cause an instant persuasion through ethos, but certain doctors also use logos through their attitude and way with words. In addition, a doctor often uses straight facts to convey a sense of intelligence. They recognize the side effects that may occur during certain treatments, but try to persuade that the good effects are worth the risk by comparing what negative effects might take place otherwise. 

            Oftentimes, the average student who wishes to become a doctor enrolls in biology and chemistry classes. When taking these classes, there are often issues with communication that are not explained in the class. Since prospective doctors are often interns for a long period, during their internship, it is necessary to learn how to write resumes, or else never find a position. While fledgling doctors are interning, they practice how to communicate with patients and learn from their superiors in the field. 

Context:

            As it was mentioned above, a doctor commands an extremely high level of respect and prestige. However, those rightfully deserved merits of being a doctor are the result of years and years of hard work. Students desiring to go into the medical field must devote a sizable chunk of their life to studying in college and in medical school, in addition to years after graduation as an intern learning the ropes. This huge sacrifice on the part of the doctor-to-be may seem insurmountable at first; however, sacrificing a portion of your life to save the lives of countless others is worth the cost. A life of dedicated service towards the advancement and benefit of the human race is a noble pursuit, to say the least.

            This brings me to my next point, which is that due to the nature of the profession, there are a few things that one needs to master in addition to just knowledge of medicine. It may not seem like it, but mastery of communication and an expansive knowledge of history are crucial to being a successful doctor. Drawing upon the genius of past doctors coupled with the ability to communicate with the patients—and their acquaintances—will be a recipe for success in helping your current patients but also for making breakthroughs to benefit future patients. Studying the necessary history and communication skills required to be a great doctor will benefit lives for generations upon generations.

Rhetoric:

            There are many principles and factors of communication that will help a doctor be more effective at what he or she does, but one of the more important points is the power of persuasion. When consulting patients, the white coat and stethoscope can be enough to convince many that their medication will benefit them. What's even more important, however, is that the doctor's ability to explain complicated concepts so that even those who haven't studied medicine can understand how their treatment will affect them. The doctor has the ability to save a life, but if the doctor and the patient aren't on the same page, that ability goes to waste. The doctor must possess the skills necessary to not only give the right prescription, but also to convince the patient that their prescription will help them in the intended way. The ability to convey all of that medical knowledge into terms that will help the patient to cooperate with the doctor is a necessary skill indeed.

History:

            The other important area of study is that of history. Especially in the field of medicine, knowledge of things that have passed is essential for success. Knowledge of past medical treatments and those who suffered from illness before will vastly improve a doctor's ability to perform pre-emptive care. Pre-emptive care comes in the form of curing an illness through recognition of symptoms and knowledge of a wide variety of medical remedies before the patient's life is at risk. Through knowledge of past illnesses and their cures, many patient's lives will be saved without them even needing extensive medical attention or a trip to the emergency room. Taking past experience and using it as a basis for the present often speeds up the process, in addition to preventing issues from escalating out of control (should the timing still allow).

Plan:

            This assignment has really helped me organize my thoughts and realize what's important when connecting the field of medicine to the importance of communication and history. I feel like I will need to do some extensive research in order to find evidence to support the relationship between these topics, but this is a good framework to build upon. In regards to the history of medicine, I feel that looking up specific examples of how that history has benefitted the present will be a powerful way to convey the importance of this concept.

            Furthermore, evidence or stories supporting the importance of communication in the medical field will be useful, but I feel like there is something on a more basic level that I can work on before I find those pieces of evidence. As I briefly mentioned in the Rhetoric section on this assignment, the ability for a doctor to convey complicated concepts in a simple way will be very applicable to this paper as well. I will need to convey my points in a simple and powerful way that will allow the evidence presented to the audience to actually make sense and help prove the points that I'll bring up in the paper. Convincing statements alongside solid evidence will be necessary to make a good paper, but I will have to research more things myself first. In addition to the studying on my part, I will really need to put an emphasis on just how relevant history and communication are to the success of a doctor. For those who are wishing to go into the medical field, I will need to create a paper that will help them develop useful skills that will in turn help their future patients.

Actuarial Career Seekers Notice

Audience

There are few who actually discover that actuarial science exists, let alone actually decide to pursue a career as an actuary. Those who typically find this field either know someone who is an actuary or hear about it in an accounting, finance, or economics course. Of the individuals that find actuarial science, those with a true love of mathematics and problem solving actually decide to test the waters and pursue a professional career as an actuary. One of the biggest dangers these newcomers will face are the stereotypes and the lack of emphasis on the non-mathematical skills required to be successful. Having strong analytical skills is obviously essential to being an actuary, but little realize the necessity and daily uses of communication that actuaries are required to master. There are certain skills that are needed to land a first job or internship, be successful in that job, and continue to progress in an actuarial career that are completely non analytical. Those entering into or deciding whether or not to pursue a career as an actuary need to consider that being able to be persuasive in their speech is necessary to their overall success. 

Context

The path to becoming an actuary is a long one. There are multiple national certification exams that one must complete, along with other required national course work, in order to become a certified actuary. Because of this long road to certification it is valuable for any student considering the path of actuarial science to get as much information as possible, to help themselves decide if it is really right for them and before taking too many of these excruciating exams. Knowing the history and the necessary role that communication could play in their lives is very valuable to students considering this field of study in order to prepare better for what may be ahead.

Rhetoric

The stereotypical math obsessed, non-social actuary is becoming a thing of the past. Many successful actuaries are business consultants, no longer crunching the numbers but simply working with clients every single day. For an actuary knowing what to say and how to say it could be the difference between signing a client, vs losing a client. This type of speech also is important in landing entry level jobs which can be competitive, and those who lack the communication skills (although they have the necessary analytical skills) will often be left out. Effective internal and external communication/persuasion are not optional for successful actuaries, they are absolutely essential.

History

The history of the science itself is important for this audience to understand, but more importantly the history of the “actuary” himself is more important to understand. This background can shed light on whether or not they fit the mold of an actuary, and put to rest what is true and what is false when it comes to the personality of the actuary. History can be very telling for someone trying to make a decision on whether or not to pursue actuarial science.

Plan

After outlining some of the things above I feel that I understand what is going to be most valuable to someone entering this field of study and what things I need to share more of. I need to emphasize more on how knowing rhetoric and history within the field can help you land your first job. In my experience that is where I have seen it be most helpful to this point. Before really applying persuasion into my interview process for example, I was not successful in securing an internship. These type of experiences and topics will be more applicable to those just starting down the road of actuarial science.

I may also spend a little more time researching some history of the science, as even those who have been students in the major for quite some time can struggle in answering the questions “What is actuarial science?” More background and history on the subject may help those who read make a more informed decision on whether or not this is the career path for them. With this in mind I think I can develop a powerful and helpful paper for those interested in pursuing actuarial science.