©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. MODULE 12 Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Module 12 Skills to Organize negative messages Give bad news while retaining goodwill Write common kinds of negative messages Further analyze business communication situations

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Module 12 Outline How should I organize negative messages? What are the most common kinds of negative messages? What’s the best subject line for a negative message? How can PAIBOC help me write negative messages?

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Rejections and refusals Policy changes that don’t benefit customers Insulting or intrusive requests Negative performance appraisals Product recalls or defect notices Types of Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Primary Purposes To give the reader bad news To have the reader read, understand, and accept the message To maintain as much goodwill as possible Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Secondary Purposes To build a good image of the writer To build a good image of the writer ’ s organization To reduce or eliminate future correspondence on the same subject Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. The message may be negative but the readers should still feel several positives: They have been taken seriously Your decision is fair and reasonable If they had to, they would make the same decision Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. For Bad News to Customers Start with a neutral statement or buffer Give the reason for the refusal Give the negative just once, clearly Present an alternative or compromise End with a positive, forward-looking statement Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Types of Buffers Start with any good news or positive elements the letter contains State a fact or provide a chronology of events Refer to enclosures in the letter Thank the reader for something he or she has done State a general principle Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Alternatives Offer the reader another way to get what he or she wants. Suggest that the writer really cares about the reader. Enable the reader to reestablish psychological freedom. End on a positive note. Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Bad News to Superiors Describe the problem Explain how it happened Describe the options for fixing it Recommend a solution and ask for action Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Bad News to Peers & Subordinates Describe the problem Present an alternative or compromise, if one is available Ask for input or action, if possible Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Do you have a good relationship with the audience? Does the organization treat people well? Have readers been warned of possible negatives? Have readers “bought into” the criteria for the decision? Do communications after the negative build goodwill? Influences on Audience Reaction

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Three Common Negative Messages Rejections and refusals Disciplinary notices and negative performance appraisals Layoffs and firings Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Subject Lines Omit a subject line in negative letters Use a negative subject line only if you think the letter may be ignored Use a subject line that focuses on solutions, not problems Negative Messages

©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. Negative Messages PWhat are your purposes in writing? AWho is (are) your audience(s)? IWhat information must your message include? BWhat reasons or reader benefits can you use to support your position? OWhat objections can you expect your reader(s) to have? CHow will the context affect reader response?