THE DIRECT MESSAGES

THE TYPES OF DIRECT MESSAGES ROUTINE GOOD NEWS GOODWILL BRIEF IN NATURE WRITING PROCESS STILL APPLIES

REQUEST – ASKING FOR SOMETHING INFORMATION ACTION PRODUCTS ADJUSTMENTS REFERENCES DIRECT PATTERN

GOOD NEWS – POSITIVE RESPONSE GRANTING CLAIMS / COMPLAINTS PROVIDING RECOMMENDATION GOOD NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT

GOOD WILL – RELATIONSHIPS CONGRATULATE THANKS NOTES APPRECIATION CONDOLENCES

DIRECT MESSAGES - STRATEGY OPENING  MAIN IDEA STATED CLEARLY BODY  NECESSARY DETAILS CLOSING  CORDIAL

DIRECT MESSAGES - STRATEGY PLANNING SPECIFIC PURPOSE SHOULD IT BE SENT RECEIVED POSITIVELY / NEUTRALLY

DIRECT MESSAGES - STRATEGY PLANNING THE READER’S PERSPECTIVE EXACT INFORMATION FOR THE READER

DIRECT MESSAGES - STRATEGY PLANNING APPROPRIATE MEDIUM ‘YOU ATTITUDE’ POLITE & POSITIVE LANGUAGE

DIRECT MESSAGES - STRATEGY WRITING ONLY RELEVANT POINTS LOGICAL GROUPING DIRECT APPROACH

ROUTINE REQUESTS OPENING  MAIN IDEA STATED CLEARLY BODY  JUSTIFICATION CLOSING  SPECIFIC ACTION - C CLOSE

R R’S - OPENING REQUEST PLACED FOR MOST ATTENTION NOT TO BE ABRUPT OR IMPOLITE

R R’S - OPENING TONE  “Please…. / I would appreciate…” AVOID  IMMEDIATE OR RAPID RESPONSE AVOID  PERSONAL INTRODUCTIONS PUNCUATION  QUESTION & POLITE REQUEST PRECISELY  STATE WHAT YOU REQUIRE

R R’S - BODY EXPLAINS AND JUSTIFIES THE REQUEST

R R’S - BODY COMPLIANCE  HOW COULD THE READER BENEFIT LISTED QUESTIONS BREAK DOWN MULTIPLE REQUESTS NUMBERED LISTS

USING A SERIES OF QUESTIONS PRIORITY OF IMPORTANCE TO YOU ONLY RELEVANT QUESTIONS PROVIDE BOXES FOR ‘YES’ ‘NO’ QUESTIONS ONE TOPIC PER QUESTION PARAGRAPH HEADINGS

RR’s CLOSING REQUEST SPECIFIC ACTION HOW CAN YOU BE REACHED EXPRESSION OF GOODWILL / APPRECIATION

REQUESTING INFO. / ACTION WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW? WHY YOU WANT TO KNOW? WHY IT IS IN THE READER’S INTEREST?

ASKING OUTSIDERS

PLACING ORDERS BEGIN WITH THE GENERAL REQUEST MIDDLE – SPECIFIC INFO. ABOUT ITEMS IN COLUMN FORM (DOUBLE SPACED)- PRICE TOTAL CLOSE – DELIVERY ADDRESS, SHIPPING INFO., PAYMENT TERMS, TIME DEADLINE.

AN ORDER PLACED

AN ORDER PLACED

REQUESTS FOR CLAIMS / ADJUSTMENTS CLAIM – A FORMAL COMPLAINT ADJUSTMENT REQUEST – CLAIM SETTLEMENT

REQUESTS FOR CLAIMS / ADJUSTMENTS ANGER – YOUR FIRST RESPONSE

IS ANGER THE SOLUTION? DOCUMENT YOUR DISSATISFACTION COURTSEY CLARITY CONCISENESS

ASSUME – ADJUSTMENT WILL BE MADE OPENING  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM MIDDLE  COMPLETE / SPECIFIC DETAILS CLOSE  REQUEST SPECIFIC ACTION SUGGEST, THE BUSINESS WILL CONTINUE IF THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS COPIES OF INVOICES, RECEIPTS, CANCELLED CHEQUES, CORRESPONDENCE E.T.C. HONESTLY FILE THE CLAIM

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS SUGGEST WHAT ACTION WILL SATISFY YOU AN EXCHANGE A REFUND A DISCUSSION TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE

AN ANGRY CLAIM

A PROFESSIONAL CLAIM

ROUTINE REPLIES / POSITIVE MESSAGES RESPONDING POSITIVELY TO A REQUEST SENDING GOOD NEWS

TYPES OF ROUTINE REPLIES REPLYING TO REQUESTS FOR INFO. & ACTION GRANTING CLAIMS / ADJUSTMENT REQUESTS

REPLYING – POTENTIAL SALE IS INVOLVED THREE MAIN OBJECTIVES RESPOND TO THE IMMEDIATE REQUEST CONVEY A GOOD IMPRESSION ENCOURAGE SALE

REPLYING – POTENTIAL SALE IS INVOLVED

SKILFULL HANDLING OF NEGATIVES RESPONSE CONCERNS SOME BAD NEWS ALONG WITH THE GOOD NEWS UNLESS WE ARE CAREFUL, THE BAD NEWS WILL STAND OUT EMPHASIZE THE GOOD NEWS – SUBORDINATE THE BAD NEWS

GOOD NEWS IN POSITIONS OF HIGH EMPHASIS BEGINNING AND ENDING OF PARAGRAPHS AND THE MESSAGE AS A WHOLE PLACE THE BAD NEWS IN SECONDARY POSITIONS LESS SPACE TO BAD NEWS AND MORE TO THE GOOD ONE USE PLEASANT & POSITIVE WORDS INSTEAD OF NEGATIVE & SAD ONES

GRANTING CLAIMS/ ADJUSTMENTS ANGRY CUSTOMER HARMS A COMPANY’S IMAGE SATISFYING THEM EARNS LOYALTY AND IMPROVES PUBLIC IMAGE GENERALLY COMPLAINTS ARE CONSIDERED GENUINE

BEFORE YOU REPLY INVESTIGATE WHAT WENT WRONG & WHY WHO IS AT FAULT YOUR COMPANY YOUR CUSTOMER A THIRD PARTY

THE COMPANY’S FAULT RESPONSE TO THE CLAIM IS POSITIVE PROTECT THE COMPANY IMAGE REGAIN THE CUSTOMER’S GOODWILL EXPLAIN COMPANY’S EFFORT TO DO A GOOD JOB IMPLY IT WAS AN UNUSUAL INCIDENT DON’T PROMISE IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN

THE COMPANY’S FAULT

THE CUSTOMER’S FAULT TWO OPTIONS REFUSE THE CLAIM & JUSTIFY YOUR REFUSAL SIMPLY ACCEPT THE CLAIM

THE CUSTOMER’S FAULT IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT BEGIN WITH THE GOOD NEWS MIDDLE – MAKE THE CUSTOMER REALIZE THE PRODUCT WAS MISUSED

THE DILEMMA NOT MAKING HIM REALIZE  MORE CLAIMS OFFENSIVE REALIZATION  CUSTOMER LOST- ADJUSTMENT WASTED

MAKING THE CUSTOMER REALIZE “Perhaps you failed to read the instructions….” “You should know a camera doesn’t need oiling….”

A THIRD PARTY’S FAULT THREE OPTIONS JUST HONOR THE CLAIM HONOR THE CLAIM, BUT EXPLAIN IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT REFER THE CLAIM TO THE THIRD PARTY

ANNOUNCING GOOD NEWS

ABOUT EMPLOYMENT OPEN  GIVE NEWS IN A WARM FRIENDLY MANNER MIDDLE  EXPLAIN DETAILS CLOSE  EXPLAIN FIRST DAY’S SCHEDULE

ABOUT PRODUCTS - OPERATIONS OPEN  PLAY TRUMPETS (DISCOUNT – NEW PRODUCT LINE – OUTLET) MIDDLE  DETAILS CLOSE  BIT OF RESALE & PREDICTION OF A PROFITABLE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

NEWS RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE

GOODWILL MESSAGES CONGRATULATION APPRECIATION CONDOLENCE

CONDOLENCE