Chapter 3 Building Goodwill Goodwill You-Attitude Positive Emphasis Tone, Power, & Politeness Reducing Bias Language

Goodwill Build goodwill through You-attitude Positive emphasis Bias-free language

You-Attitude Looks at things from audience’s viewpoint Emphasizes what audience wants to know Respects audience’s intelligence Protects audience’s ego

Five Ways to Create You-Attitude Talk about audience, not yourself. Refer to reader’s request or order. Don’t talk about feelings. In positive situations, use you more often than I. Use we when it includes the audience. In negative situations, avoid you.

Talk About Audience, Not Yourself Tell how message affects the audience Don’t mention communicator’s work or generosity Stress what audience wants to know Yourself

Talk About Audience: Examples Lacks you-attitude I negotiated an agreement with Apex Rent-a-Car that gives you a discount. We shipped your May 21 order today. Contains you-attitude You now get a 20% discount when you rent a car from Apex. The three Birth Year coin sets you ordered will ship today and should reach you by June 6.

Refer to Reader’s Request or Order Make specific references, not generic Name content of order for person or small business Cite purchase order numbers for customers that order often

Refer to Audience’s Request or Order: Examples Lacks you-attitude We shipped your order today. Contains you-attitude The 500 red and gray sweatshirts you ordered were shipped today and will reach you early next week. Your P.O. 7823-N shipped on 11/04 and will arrive within five business days.

Don’t Talk About Feelings Express your feelings to Offer sympathy to audience Congratulate audience Don’t talk about audience’s feelings Don’t predict audience’s response Give audience good news

Don’t Talk About Feelings: Examples Lacks you-attitude We are happy to give you a credit line of $2,000. You will be happy to learn that your reimbursement request has been approved. Contains you-attitude You now have a $2,000 credit line with VISA. Your reimbursement request has been approved.

In Positive Situations, Use You More Often Than I In Positive Situations, Use You More Often Than I. Use We If It Includes the Audience Use you in positive situations Avoid I in printed text Avoid we if it excludes the audience YOU

In Positive Situations, Use You More Often Than I In Positive Situations, Use You More Often Than I. Use We If It Includes the Audience: Example Lacks you-attitude We provide exercise equipment to all employees. I will schedule a due date that works best for my schedule. Contains you-attitude You have access to the latest exercise equipment as a full-time employee of RAC Inc. We will schedule the due date after we meet.

Avoid You in Negative Situations Protect audience’s ego Avoid assigning blame Use passive verbs Use impersonal style Talk about things, not people

Avoid You in Negative Situations: Examples Lacks you-attitude You failed to sign your flexible spending account form. You made no allowance for inflation in your estimate. Contains you-attitude Your flexible spending account form was not signed. The estimate makes no allowance for inflation. passive impersonal

Positive Emphasis Way of looking at situations Communication focuses on the positive Create positive emphasis through Words Information Organization Layout Half full or half empty?

Five Ways to Create Positive Emphasis Avoid negative words Focus on what audience can do, not limitations Justify negative information by giving reason or linking to audience benefit Omit unimportant negatives Put negative information in the middle and present it compactly

Avoid Negative Words: Examples Contains Negatives Never fail to return library books on time. Because you failed to pay your bill, your account is delinquent. Omits Negatives (Better) Always return library books on time. Your account is past due.

Focus on What the Audience Can Do: Example Negative You will not get your refund check until you submit your official grade report at the end of the semester. Better To receive your refund check, submit your official grade report at the end of the semester.

Justify Negative Information by Giving Reason or Linking to Audience Benefit: Example You cannot take vacation days without prior approval from your supervisor. Better To ensure that everyone’s duties will be covered, submit your first and second choices of vacation time to your supervisor by May 30.

Omit Unimportant Negatives When audience does not need the information to act When audience has the information in your previous message When information is trivial

Put the Negative in the Middle and Present it Compactly Put in middle of message and paragraph Don’t put at bottom of page 1 Don’t list vertically Make it short as you can Give it only once Negative

Tone, Power, & Politeness Tone – implied attitude of the communicator toward the audience Good tone Businesslike, not stiff Friendly, not phony Confident, not arrogant Polite, not groveling

Levels of Politeness: Examples Highest: Would you be able to complete your report by Friday? High: Progress reports should be turned in by Friday. Mid: Please turn in your progress report by Friday. Low: Turn in your progress report by Friday.

Reducing Bias Bias-free language – words that do not discriminate on basis of Sex Age Race Physical condition

Making Language Nonsexist Treat both sexes neutrally Businessman = Business person Woman doctor = Doctor Manning = Staffing Don’t assume everyone is heterosexual or married

Making Language Nonsexist, continued… Avoid sexist job titles Actress Repairman Chairman Salesman Foreman Waitress

Making Language Nonsexist, continued… Use Ms. as courtesy title for women Use professional title instead (if any) Use Miss or Mrs. if audience prefers it Determine proper courtesy title for letter address and salutation Omit sexist generic pronouns

Making Language Nonracist & Nonagist Give age or race only if relevant Refer to a group by term it prefers Don’t suggest competence is rare: She is an asset to her race. He is an active 83-year-old.

Talking about People with Disabilities & Diseases People-first language — Name person first; add disability or disease if relevant Don’t imply that disability or disease defines person Don’t use negative terms, unless audience prefers them (deaf vs. hard of hearing)