 Welcome to Unit 1 of Sailor.org's Professional Writing course. In this unit, you'll begin by reviewing the typical formats of common business documents and communications. In the next unit, we'll ask you to draft a document. So start thinking now about what kind of message you want to work on. After the overview, you'll learn how to evaluate your intended audience so that you can tailor your writing to their needs and expectations. One of the big mistakes writers make is drafting a message before considering who is actually going to read it. Spending time now with getting to know your audience will increase the chances that your document gets the attention it deserves. Once you know something about your readers, figure out why you're addressing them. Most professional documents are written to motivate action. You write a resume and cover letter to encourage someone to hire you. You write a web page so that customers will flock to your products. In short, what do you want your reader to do? That desired outcome must be your main point and everything else should be organized around it. The last part of this unit focuses on overcoming a couple problems that many writers encounter, how to come up with good ideas, and how to write for an audience that might not want to listen. This unit should take you about an hour and 45 minutes to complete. And as you progress, you'll encounter brief readings, videos, and animations. Pay close attention and take notes. These will come in handy when you compose your draft in unit two and in the final exam. Now, let's get started and good luck.