Communication Strategy Chapter Two: Communication and Strategy J.S. O’Rourke, University of Notre Dame / USA

Communication Strategy Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Communication Strategy Always involves five basic considerations Communicator: who should send this message? Audience: who should receive this message? Message: what should we say? Channel Choice: how should we send this message? Cultural Context: what cultural factors will affect this attempt at communication? Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 2

Communication Strategy Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Communication Strategy As you formulate communication strategy, you should also consider: Your communication objectives. What do you want from this interaction? Your communication style. How will you approach your subject and your audience? Your credibility. What does your audience think of you, and how will that affect their response? Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 3

Communication Objectives Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Communication Objectives Defining your objectives will make you more efficient and effective as a communicator. General Objective: “Improve corporate cash flow.” Action Objective: “Reduce accounts receivable aging to 30 days or less.” Communication Objective: “As a direct result of this letter/phone call/personal contact, this client will be motivated to pay the account.” Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 4

Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Communication Style Your choice of communication style will depend on two key factors: Audience Involvement: Will this audience be more passive or more active as we communicate? Content Control: How much control will we need over the content of this communication. Four choices emerge for you to select from:  Tell  Sell  Consult  Join Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 5

Choosing an Appropriate Style Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Choosing an Appropriate Style Low Content Control High Low High Audience Involvement Business Communication Page 6

Choosing an Appropriate Style Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Choosing an Appropriate Style Low Content Control High Low High Audience Involvement Business Communication Page 7

Choosing an Appropriate Style Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Choosing an Appropriate Style Low Content Control High Low High Audience Involvement Business Communication Page 8

Choosing an Appropriate Style Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Choosing an Appropriate Style Low Content Control High Low High Audience Involvement Business Communication Page 9

Choosing an Appropriate Style Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Choosing an Appropriate Style Low Content Control High Tell Low High Audience Involvement Business Communication Page 10

Choosing an Appropriate Style Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Choosing an Appropriate Style Low Content Control High Sell Tell Low High Audience Involvement Business Communication Page 11

Choosing an Appropriate Style Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Choosing an Appropriate Style Low Content Control High Consult Sell Tell Low High Audience Involvement Business Communication Page 12

Choosing an Appropriate Style Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Choosing an Appropriate Style Low Content Control High Join Consult Sell Tell Low High Audience Involvement Business Communication Page 13

Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program The Tell / Sell Styles Feature lower audience involvement and higher content control. Use the tell style to inform and the sell style to persuade. In these situations: you have already sufficient information, you don’t need to hear other’s opinions or ideas, you need or want to control message content yourself. Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 14

The Consult / Join Styles Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program The Consult / Join Styles Feature higher audience involvement and lower content control Use the consult style to gather information or learn from the audience. Use the join style to collaborate with members of the audience. In these situations: you do not have sufficient information, you need to hear other’s opinions, ideas, or input, you want to involve your audience in content. Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 15

Communication Credibility Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Communication Credibility Five factors will generally affect your credibility: Rank Goodwill Expertise Image Shared Values Begin by emphasizing your initial credibility and work to increase your acquired credibility with the audience. Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 16

Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Audience Strategy Involves answering four sets of questions: Who are they? What do they know? What do they feel? How can you motivate them? Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 17

Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Who Are They? Primary Audience: who will receive your written or spoken message directly? Secondary Audience: consider any hidden audiences who will receive your message indirectly. Gatekeepers: Is there someone you need to route your message through who might filter or block it? Opinion Leaders: Who has significant influence over members of the audience? Key Decision-Makers: Who has power to influence the outcome of the communication? Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 18

Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program What Do They Know? Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program How much background information do they need? How much new information do they need? What are their expectations and preferences? Style Preferences (formal or informal, direct or indirect)? Channel Preferences (paper, e-mail, face-to-face, group or individual)? Length and Format Preferences (how should this message appear to your audience)? Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 19

Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program How Do They Feel? Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program What’s their level of interest in your message? What’s their probable bias: positive, negative, or neutral? How difficult is your desired outcome for them? Will this be relatively easy for them to buy into, or somewhat difficult? Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 20

How Can You Motivate Them? Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program How Can You Motivate Them? Shared Values and Common Ground: Begin with views and values you hold in common, then move to areas where disagreement is more likely. Goodwill and Reciprocity: This is a form of bargaining. You gain a concession by granting a favor. Rank and Reward/Punishment: Though inappropriate for most audiences, the removal of privileges or threats to do so may motivate the response you want. Message Structure: Arrangement of your message may help through inoculation techniques, segmented actions (“foot in the door”), or two-sided arguments. Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 21

Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Message Strategy Consider emphasis and organization. Using the direct approach. “The committee recommends this policy for three reasons: it will be cheaper, faster, and longer lasting.” Using the indirect approach. “Because it will be cheaper, faster, and longer lasting, the committee recommends this policy.” Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 22

Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program The Direct Approach Advantages of the direct approach: Improves comprehension. It’s audience-centered. It saves time. Why don’t more people use the direct approach? Habit Suspense Academic Training Effort Involved Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 23

Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program The Direct Approach When should you consider using a direct communication approach to your audience? All non-sensitive messages with no emotional overtones. Sensitive messages if the audience’s bias is positive. Sensitive messages if the audience is results-oriented. Sensitive messages if your credibility is particularly high. Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 24

Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program The Indirect Approach When should you consider using an indirect communication approach to your audience? Because this approach takes longer and does not take advantage of an audience’s initial attentiveness at the beginning of a message, use it only when: Sensitive message with emotional overtones and Your audience’s bias is negative and Your audience is analysis-oriented and Your credibility is low. Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 25

Channel Choice Strategy Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Channel Choice Strategy Writing or Speaking? Writing produces a permanent record, can be used to convey great detail, is often much more precise, and can be used for careful wording. Speaking produces a richer context, including non-verbal cues, less rigidity, less permanence, no permanent record, and may be quicker. Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 26

Channel Choice Strategy Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Channel Choice Strategy Formal or Informal? Formal channels may be needed for legal negotiations, tend to be precise, controlled, logical, focused, organized, conclusive, decisive, and action-oriented. Informal channels may be better when you need to gather new ideas; tend to be fast, interactive, uninhibited, innovative, creative, open, candid, communal, and flexible. Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 27

Channel Choice Strategy Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Channel Choice Strategy Individual or Group? Individual channels help build individual relationships, gain individual responses, may be more secure or private. Example: telephone, voice mail, personal memos, letters, fax, or e-mail. Group channels help build group relationships or identity, gain group responses (including consensus), avoid excluding people, make sure all audience members receive the message at the same time. Example: group meetings, electronic bulletin boards, news groups, videoconferences, conference calls, memos, fax, or e-mail. Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 28

Bayer Corporation/Notre Dame Management Development Program Cultural Strategy Not all cultures react to senders, messages, or channels in the same way. It’s best to consider your audience’s probable reaction from a cultural point of view. Time Power Distance Communication Style Non-verbal Mannerisms Language Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Business Communication Page 29

Copyright ©2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall