| Course | BUS 305 Business Research and Communications |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Applied writing paper |
| Length | About 1,068 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Business Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUS 305 Module 1
One Change, Three Readers: Audience Analysis and the Writing Process at Tallgrass Logistics
Student Name
Business Administration Program, Aspen University
BUS 305: Business Research and Communications
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
One Change, Three Readers: Audience Analysis and the Writing Process at Tallgrass Logistics
Tallgrass Logistics, a composite freight and warehousing company in Kansas City with 220 employees, is replacing first-come, first-served loading with scheduled dock appointments at its main warehouse. Trucks now wait an average of 2 hours and 10 minutes to load, drivers complain, and customers are charged detention fees when their freight sits. The operations director wrote a single two-page memo announcing the change and asked for it to be sent to everyone. It opened with the history of the warehouse, mentioned the start date on page two and never told carriers how to book a slot. This paper uses audience analysis and the writing process to show why one message could not serve three audiences and how the announcement was rebuilt.
Why Audience Comes First
Writers tend to assume that what is clear to them is clear to readers. In a series of experiments, people who sent emails intended to be sarcastic, serious, happy or sad predicted that most recipients would read the tone correctly, but recipients' actual accuracy was much lower, in some conditions close to chance (Kruger et al., 2005). The same gap affects content. The operations director knew why appointments mattered, so the memo spent its first page on reasons and left out the steps readers needed. Audience analysis corrects this by asking, before drafting, who will read the message, what they already know, how they will feel about it and what they must do after reading it.
Identifying the Audiences
The announcement had three primary audiences, each of whom had to act, and one secondary audience. Carrier dispatchers and drivers had to book slots and arrive on time. Warehouse staff had to load to the schedule and handle late arrivals. Customers who ship through Tallgrass had to understand how the change would affect their pickups and detention charges. Tallgrass's own sales team was a secondary audience that would field questions. The table summarizes what analysis revealed about each primary group.
| Audience | What they know | Likely reaction | What they must do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier dispatchers and drivers | Current wait times; little about the new system | Skeptical; worry about missed slots | Book a slot online; arrive within a 30-minute window |
| Warehouse staff | Dock layout; current chaos | Relieved but worried about workload | Stage loads by appointment time; follow the late-arrival rule |
| Customers | Detention charges; little about operations | Interested if costs fall | Tell carriers to book; update pickup requests |
Planning Each Message
Planning turned the analysis into decisions about purpose, channel and structure. For carriers, the purpose was action, so the message would go by email and text to dispatchers, lead with the start date and booking link, and fit on one screen. For warehouse staff, the purpose was preparation, so the channel was a shift meeting supported by a one-page sheet. For customers, the purpose was reassurance and cooperation, so account managers would send a short email explaining the benefit to them. Rogers and Lasky-Fink (2023) argue that busy readers respond best when writers use fewer words, make the key action easy to find and tell readers why the message matters to them, and each plan applied those principles.
Drafting
Drafting is where the writer gets ideas down in order, without stopping to polish every sentence. The carrier message was drafted in the order readers needed: what is changing and when, how to book, what happens if a driver is late, and whom to call. The warehouse sheet was drafted around a shift's sequence, from checking the day's schedule to closing out a load. The customer email began with the expected drop in wait time and detention charges, then asked customers to pass the booking link to their carriers.
Revising
Revision is where most of the improvement happens. The first carrier draft was 280 words; revision cut it to 140 by deleting background, turning a paragraph of rules into three short bullets and moving the booking link to the second line. The writer checked each sentence against a question: does this help the reader act? Sentences that explained the company's reasons were kept only where they answered a likely objection. Plain language principles, such as short sentences, familiar words and active voice, guided the edit; federal law requires agencies to write this way for the public, and the same standard works in business (Plain Writing Act of 2010, 2010).
Before and After
The original memo opened: "As many of you are aware, the Kansas City facility has experienced significant growth in outbound volume over the past several fiscal periods, which has created certain operational challenges at the dock." The revised carrier message opens: "Starting March 3, all pickups at our Kansas City warehouse need a dock appointment. Book here: [link]. Appointments cut average wait time, which is now over two hours." The second version tells the reader what changes, when, and what to do, in three sentences a driver can read on a phone.
Proofreading and Testing
The last stage checks accuracy and usability. The writer confirmed the date, link and phone number, then asked two dispatchers from partner carriers to read the draft and book a test slot. One could not find the link on a small screen because it was buried in a sentence, so it was moved to its own line. Testing with real readers catches problems that the writer, who already knows what the message means, cannot see.
A Revision Checklist
Tallgrass now uses a short checklist before any operational announcement goes out. Who are the audiences, and does each get a message built for it? Does the first sentence state what is changing and when? Is the action the reader must take easy to find? Have background and history been cut to what answers likely objections? Has someone from the audience tried to use the message? The checklist takes minutes and prevents most of the confusion the original memo would have caused.
Conclusion
One well-meant memo could not serve drivers, warehouse staff and customers because each group knew different things, felt differently about the change and had different actions to take. Analyzing each audience first, then planning, drafting, revising and testing a message for each, produced shorter, clearer announcements that led with what readers needed. The writing process is not a formality; it is how a writer closes the gap between what he or she knows and what the reader needs.
References
Kruger, J., Epley, N., Parker, J., & Ng, Z.-W. (2005). Egocentrism over e-mail: Can we communicate as well as we think? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(6), 925-936. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.89.6.925
Plain Writing Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-274, 124 Stat. 2861 (2010).
Rogers, T., & Lasky-Fink, J. (2023). Writing for busy readers: Communicate more effectively in the real world. Dutton.
Reading the BUS 305 Module 1 assignment instructions
Aspen describes BUS 305 as grounded in audience-centered messages and the writing process, and a first paper usually asks students to show both at work. Since your instructor posts the real Module 1 prompt in class, this example rebuilds one flawed message. Start by explaining why a writer's own knowledge gets in the way. Identify every audience, primary and secondary, and describe what each knows, feels and must do. Show how that analysis changes purpose, channel and structure. Walk through drafting and revising with concrete changes, not general claims. Include a short before-and-after comparison. Test the draft with someone from the audience if you can, and close with a checklist or lesson you would apply to the next message.
Inside the BUS 305 Module 1 example
The paper opens with a two-hour average truck wait and the memo meant to fix it. It cites a study in which email senders predicted readers would catch their tone far more often than readers did. A table sets out what dispatchers and drivers, warehouse staff and customers know, how they will react and what they must do. Planning sections choose email and text for carriers, a shift meeting for staff and account manager emails for customers, guided by principles for busy readers. Drafting follows each reader's sequence. Revision cuts the carrier message in half and moves the booking link up. A quoted before-and-after opening, a test with two dispatchers and a five-question checklist close it.
BUS 305 Module 1 rubric: what earns full marks
Papers in this module are marked on insight into audience, a clear account of the process and visible improvement in the writing. This example treats each audience separately and shows how the analysis changed concrete decisions. The APA reference list holds Rogers and Lasky-Fink's book on writing for busy readers, a Journal of Personality and Social Psychology study of egocentrism in email and the Plain Writing Act of 2010. The before-and-after excerpt gives the instructor direct evidence of revision rather than a description of it. Testing with real readers, and the fix it produced, shows the process continuing past the first draft. The checklist turns the lesson into a habit.
Common BUS 305 Module 1 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Many students describe the writing process in textbook terms without showing it applied to a real message. Use one message and show each stage changing it. Another weakness is treating everyone who reads a message as one audience; separate them. Quote a short passage before and after revision so the improvement is visible. Explain channel choices as well as wording. Keep the paper itself clear and concise, since a communication course will judge how you write as well as what you say. If you draw on a message from your workplace, remove names and sensitive details. When audience analysis feels vague, ask what each reader must do after reading and work backward from there.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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BUS 305 Module 1 questions, answered
What does BUS 305 Module 1 usually ask for?
Aspen's BUS 305 stresses audience-centered messages and the writing process, so a first paper applying audience analysis and the stages of writing to a business message is typical. Follow your classroom prompt.
What are the stages of the business writing process?
Planning, including audience analysis and choice of channel; drafting; revising for content, organization and style; and proofreading and testing.
What is a secondary audience?
People who will read or be affected by a message but are not its main target, such as colleagues who will answer questions about it.
Where can I find a free BUS 305 Module 1 sample paper?
The whole paper is above: one dock appointment announcement rebuilt for three audiences, with an audience table, the stages of the writing process and a before-and-after excerpt.
Why should writers analyze their audience first?
Because writers overestimate how clear they are; knowing what readers already know, feel and must do lets you choose content, order and channel that work for them.