Writing negative messages Chapter six

Negative messages Convey the bad news Gain acceptance (of the bad news) Maintain as much goodwill as possible with your audience Maintain a good image for your organization Reduce or eliminate the need for future correspondence on the matter (if appropriate)

When to use direct & indirect approach When the negative news will be disappointing, but not necessarily a shock When you know your audience prefers the bad news first When the scenario is minor or routine When you need to get the reader’s attention When the negative news may come as a shock When the reader has an emotional investment in the situation or the consequences to the reader are considerable When you need to maintain a close working relationship with the reader

How? direct indirect Opens with a clear statement of the bad news Covers the more positive points first before moving to the less positive ones Provides reasons and additional information when giving your reasons for the bad news Provides enough detail for your audience to understand your reasons Avoids hiding behind company policy Opens with a clear statement of the bad news Proceeds to list the reasons and additional information for the negative decision Closes with a positive statement aimed at maintaining a good relationship

Writing persuasive messages Chapter seven

Remember the three step model Plan Write complete

The four strategies of effective persuasion Framing your arguments Balancing emotional and logical appeals Reinforcing your position Anticipating objections

Framing the argument - The aida model Attention Interest Desire action

attention Your first objective is to encourage your audience to want to hear about your problem, idea, or new product - whatever your main idea is. Be sure to find some common ground on which to build your case.

interest Provide additional details that prompt audience members to imagine how the solution might benefit them.

desire Help audience members embrace your idea by explaining how the change will benefit them and answering potential objections.

action Suggest the specific action you want your audience to take. Include a deadline, when applicable.

Balancing Emotional & logical appeals Invoke feelings & emotions of audience Be careful to remain ethical Use logic to allow audience to find rational support for an argument they have already embraced emotionally

example Hire my consulting company and we will improve things so you do not have to retrench staff- the emotional appeal Hire my consulting firm and we will improve your profitability by showing you how to work smarter – the rational explanation

Reinforcing your position Consider how to reinforce your position Use metaphors, paint a picture

Anticipating objections Anticipate objections and deal with them Show all sides Give other solutions first Involve the audience

Crafting messages for electronic & social media Chapter eight

Electronic media – many options E-mail Websites, Blogs, Wiki’s Instant messaging

Electronic media – proliferation of platforms WhatsApp, WeChat, BBM, ChatOn etc Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest You Tube, Facebook, LinkedIN,

Cautions Law may require hard copy/print Spam Lost in the flood formality

Effective e-mail messages Use the three step process (business) E-mail is much more formal Consequences of poor judgment or writing An email is the same as a printed document E-mail signatures E-mail policy

Writing effective e-mails (semi) formal style Importance of the subject line Is the mail necessary? Think before you CC Keep emotions under control style

Instant messaging (text/SMS) advantages disadvantages Rapid response Low cost Mimics conversation more closely Wide availability Less misuse (in the past) Security Difficulty in storing/logging Incompatibility issues Needs authentication Growing misuse

Effective IM Do not send confidential content unless on secure system Make yourself unavailable if necessary Be careful of personal content Make sure there is a reason to send the message

Business blogging Allows personal style & authentic voice Allows rapid dissemination of new information Encourages audience participation Choose relevant topics

Some uses of blogging Company news Crises communication Recruitment Customer service issues Marketing & pr Brand building Tackle issues facing industry

Adapting the three step model to a blog Pay attention to your audience, your purpose, and your scope Carefully consider the information you are including (others could link to it months or years from now) Evaluate the content and readability of your message - write in a comfortable, personal style Successful blog content also needs to be interesting, valuable to readers, and as brief as possible Completing messages for blogs is quite easy if you evaluate the content and readability of your message, proofread to correct any errors, and post using your blogging system’s tools for doing so

What is a wiki? A Wiki is an online resource (usually a website) where articles, documents or any source of information can be developed collaboratively by a community of users, allowing any user to add and edit content. Wikis are a great way for teams and other groups to collaborate on writing projects. Wikis provide the opportunity to post new or revised material without prior approval. BBA Year 1 Business Communications Study Guide Page 105

Tips for writing wiki’s Don’t expect to be recognised as the author Follow existing style and format (use template) Practice in the “sandbox”

Social media in business