lecture 3: planning and composing business messages
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Lecture 3: Lecture 3: Planning and Composing Planning and Composing
Business MessagesBusiness Messages
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Planning and Composing Planning and Composing Business MessagesBusiness Messages
PART A: Planning Business Messages
I. Defining the purpose of writing taskA. Common purposes of business messages
B. Testing the purpose
II. Analyzing your audience and adapting your messageA. Developing audience profile
B. Satisfying the audience’s needs
C. Personalizing letter
III.Selecting the appropriate channel and mediumA. Oral communication
B. Written communication
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PART B: Organizing and Composing Business Messages
I. Importance of good organizationA. Helping audience identify the main ideas more quickly and
comprehend important information better
B. Helping audience to accept your message
C. Saving audience time by eliminating unnecessary information and putting message in logical order
II. Four common organizational problemsA. Taking too long to get to the pointB. Including irrelevant materialC. Getting ideas mixed upD. Leaving out necessary information
Planning and Composing Business Planning and Composing Business MessagesMessages
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PART B: Organizing and Composing Business MessagesIII. Organization is a three-step process and can be achieved
by:
A. Defining the main idea
B. Grouping your ideas
C. Choosing between direct and indirect approaches
IV. Types of messages and organizational plansA. Direct requests
B. Routine, good-news messages
C. Bad-news messages
D. Persuasive messages
Planning and Composing Business Planning and Composing Business MessagesMessages
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PART B: Organizing and Composing Business Messages
V. Composing business messagesA. Controlling both style and tone to suit the occasionB. Selecting the best words for correctness and effectivenessC. Creating effective sentencesD. Developing coherent paragraphs
VI. Checklist for composing sentence and paragraph
A. Tips for creating effective sentencesB. Tips for creating effective paragraphs
C. Five common ways for developing a paragraph
Planning and Composing Business Planning and Composing Business MessagesMessages
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Part APart A
Planning Business MessagesPlanning Business Messages
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General Purposes Specific Purposes
To inform (Tell)
To present last month’s sales figures to the vice president of Marketing
To announce a major management structuring before the rumour mill distorts it and gets out by the press
To persuade (Sell)
To convince the vice president of marketing to hire more sales representatives
To analyze the probability of a plant your management is considering closing
To collaborate (Join) To help the personnel department
develop a training program for new members of the sales staff
Common Purposes of Business Common Purposes of Business MessagesMessages
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Common Purposes of Business Common Purposes of Business Messages (cont’d)Messages (cont’d)
Medium
Low Medium High
Collaborate
Persuade
Inform
High
Low
Au
die
nce
Par
tici
pat
ion
Communicator Control
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Common Purposes of Business Common Purposes of Business Messages (cont’d)Messages (cont’d)
Using Inform (Tell) Approach When:
a. Messages at the informative end of the continuum require less interaction with the audience.
b. You are in complete command of the necessary authority and information.
c. Example: You ask a subordinate to carry out a routine task.
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Common Purposes of Business Common Purposes of Business Messages (cont’d)Messages (cont’d)
Using Persuasive (Sell) Approach When:
a. You are in command of the information, but your audience retains the ultimate decision-making power.
b. Persuasive messages require a moderate amount of audience participation and allow a moderate amount of control.
c. EX: You ask a customer to buy your product.
d. Sell benefits, not features.
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Common Purposes of Business Common Purposes of Business Messages (cont’d)Messages (cont’d)
Using Collaborative (Join) Approach When:
a. Your point of view is one among many.b. Collaborative messages require maximum
audience participation.c. EX: You serve as a representative at an
interdepartmental strategy session.d. When collaboration is your goal, you must
be prepared to adjust to new input and unexpected reactions.
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Testing the PurposeTesting the Purpose
Testing the purpose by asking:
1. Realistic?
2. Right time?
3. Right person delivering the message? (See example on Memo to Henry C. Hendrikson.)
4. Acceptable to the organization?
*The memo will be discussed in tutorial.
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When Analyzing Your Audience When Analyzing Your Audience (Profile / Needs)(Profile / Needs)
1.Developing an audience profile WHO WHAT Channel (size) HOW --
Anticipate the audience’s reaction Gear information to the audience’s level of
understanding Consider your relationship with the audience
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When Analyzing Your Audience When Analyzing Your Audience (Profile / Needs) (cont’d)(Profile / Needs) (cont’d)
2. Satisfying the audience’s needs
Informational needs Motivational needs -- Appeal to reason
versus Appeal to emotions
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When Analyzing Your Audience When Analyzing Your Audience (Profile / Needs) (cont’d)(Profile / Needs) (cont’d)
3. Personalize your letter
Address a particular need (Sample A)* Tailor to customer profile (Sample B)* Appeal to audience empathy by using a
personal voice (Sample C)*
*Three sample letters are included for reference.
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Selecting the Channel and MediumSelecting the Channel and Medium
Oral Communication Permits immediate feedback Good for dealing with questions, making group
decisions, presenting controversial information Forms: Unplanned conversations, telephone calls,
interviews, small group meetings, seminars, workshops, training programs, formal speeches, presentations
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Selecting the Channel and Medium Selecting the Channel and Medium (cont’d)(cont’d)
Written Communication
Provides the writer with a chance to plan and control the message
Good when Information is complex Documentation is required Audience is large and dispersed Feedback is unnecessary
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Selecting the Channel and Medium Selecting the Channel and Medium (cont’d)(cont’d)
Written Communication
Most common forms: Memos and letters Reports and proposals
Factual, objective documents for internal or external audiences
Generally longer and more formal than letters and memos
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Planning Audience-Centered Planning Audience-Centered Business MessagesBusiness Messages
Purpose(Be clear about exactly what you mean to accomplish before you write)
Information gathering through
ReadingInterviewingDiscussing
Thinking
Brainstorming by
5 “WH-questions” (Who; What; Where; When; Why)
Structuring your ideas in the order how best to carrying out
your purpose
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PART BPART B
Organizing and Composing Organizing and Composing Business MessagesBusiness Messages
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Importance of Good OrganizationImportance of Good Organization
A. Helping audience identify the main ideas more quickly and comprehend important information better.
B. Helping audience accept your message.
C. Saving audience time by eliminating unnecessary information and putting message in logical order.
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Four Common Organization Four Common Organization ProblemsProblems
A. Taking too long to get to the point
B. Including irrelevant material
C. Getting ideas mixed up
D. Leaving out necessary information
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Good Organization Can Be Achieved Good Organization Can Be Achieved through a Three-step Process:through a Three-step Process:
A. Defining the main idea
B. Grouping the main idea
C. Choosing between direct and indirect approaches
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Establishing Organization PlansEstablishing Organization Plans
Direct approach (Deductive)
Main idea presented first; followed by the evidence; use your strongest evidence first
Example: The committee recommends Policy X for the following reasons: Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3
Indirect approach (Inductive)
Evidence precedes main idea Present your view last Example: Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Therefore, the committee recommends Policy X.
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When and Why Using Direct or When and Why Using Direct or Indirect ApproachIndirect Approach
Direct Approach
Have receptive audience Save audience time Set a proper frame of mind Prevent frustration
Indirect Approach
Have unreceptive audience Soften audience’s resistance
and minimize a negative reaction
Arouse interest and curiosity Respect the audience’s
feelings
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Types of Messages and Types of Messages and Organizational PlansOrganizational Plans
Shorter Messages
Direct requests
Straightforward; easy to comply Begin with the request or main idea Provide necessary details Close with a statement of the desired action
Routine, good-news messages
Audience will be neutral or pleased by information
Begin with main idea or good news Provide necessary details Close with reference to good news or a
positive comment
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Types of Messages and Types of Messages and Organizational Plans (cont’d)Organizational Plans (cont’d)
Shorter Messages
Bad-news messages
Cushion the blow when the audience will be displeased
Begin with a neutral buffer Justify the negative point with evidence State the bad news in positive terms Close cordially
Persuasive Messages
Provide motivational incentives (unwilling to comply)
Begin with attention getter Build interest by describing the general idea Explain benefits to create desire Request action
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Controlling Both Style and ToneControlling Both Style and Tone
Beware of the differences between style and tone
• Style: The way words are used to create effects• Tone: The overall effect; the result of style
Avoid big words
I will fill the order as soon as I receive more supplies.
Upon procurement of additional supplies, I will initiate fulfillment of the order as quickly as possible.
Avoid gushy, overblown terms• (e.g. extremely, extraordinary, exceptionally)
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Selecting the Best WordsSelecting the Best Words
Use functional and content words:
Functional words (e.g. conjunctions, preposition, articles and pronouns)
• Express relationships• Have one final meaning
Content words (e.g. nouns, verbs, adjective, adverbs)
• Carry the meaning of the sentence• Are subject to many interpretations• Vary in degree of abstraction
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Creating Effective SentencesCreating Effective Sentences
Three types of sentences:
Simple: Profits have increased.
Compound: Wage rates have declined and turnover has been high.
Complex: Although the sales force is strong, the business depends heavily on advertising to reach consumers.
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Developing Coherent ParagraphsDeveloping Coherent Paragraphs
Three basic elements of a paragraph:
A. Topic Sentence Summarizes main idea Usually comes first
B. Related Sentences Explain and pertain to the main idea Are more specific than the topic sentence
C. Transitional elements Link sentences and paragraphs Establish relationships among ideas
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Developing Coherent Paragraphs Developing Coherent Paragraphs (cont’d)(cont’d)
Example:
Each year McDonald’s sponsors the All-American Band, made up of two high school students from each State. The band marches in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City and the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. Franchisees are urged to join their local Chamber of Commerce, United Way, American Legion, and other bastions of All-Americana. McDonald’s tries hard to project an image of almost a charitable organization. Local outlets sponsor campaigns on fire prevention, bicycle safety, and letter cleanup, with advice from Hamburger Central on how to extract the most publicity from their efforts.
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Developing Coherent Paragraphs Developing Coherent Paragraphs (cont’d)(cont’d)
Five Most Common Ways to Develop a Paragraph
A. Illustrations: Examples that demonstrate the general idea
B. Comparison or contrast: Similarities or differences among thoughts
C. Cause and effect: Reasons for somethingD. Classification: Division of ideas into sub-categoriesE. Problem and Solution: What’s wrong and how to fix it
Examples: (to be discussed in tutorials; see Supplementary Reading)
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Checklist for Composing Checklist for Composing Sentences and ParagraphsSentences and Paragraphs
Tips For Creating Effective Sentences1. Use a mix of sentence type for variety2. Keep sentences short – 20 words on average,
but vary the length to make writing interesting3. Emphasize important ideas - (Key thoughts)4. Apply active and passive verbs carefully - (Keep verbs in active voice, but use passive voice to soften criticism.)
EX: The shipment was lost. – NOT – You lost the shipment.
5. Eliminate misplaced modifiers EX: See next pages for examples
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Examples of Misplaced ModifiersExamples of Misplaced Modifiers1. Antia Information Systems has bought new computer chairs for the
programmers with more comfortable seats. Revised Version: Antia Information Systems has bought new
computer chairs with more comfortable seats for the programmers.
2. I asked him to file all the letters in the cabinet that had been answered.
Revised Version: I asked him to file in the cabinet all the letters that had been answered.
3. The merchandise was inspected by our inventory manager that was received today.
Revised Version 1: The merchandise that was received today was inspected by our inventory manager.
Revised Version 2: Our inventory manager inspected the merchandise that was received today.
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Checklist for Composing Sentences Checklist for Composing Sentences and Paragraphs (cont’d)and Paragraphs (cont’d)
Tips For Creating Effective Paragraphs1. Develop and stick to one point per paragraph2. Use the direct plan3. Use the indirect plan4. Build coherence by linking sentences5. Provide road signs with transitional expressions6. Limit paragraph length (100 words on average)7. Use information heading to grab readers’ attention
and make document easier to read
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~ The End ~
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