Copyright © 2015 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education. Chapter 3 Building Goodwill

3-2 Chapter 3 Learning Objectives  LO 3-1 Create you-attitude  LO 3-2 Create positive emphasis  LO 3-3 Improve tone in business communications  LO 3-4 Reduce bias in business communications

3-3 Goodwill  Build goodwill through  You-attitude  Positive emphasis  Bias-free language

3-4 You-Attitude  Looks at things from audience’s viewpoint  Emphasizes what audience wants to know  Respects audience’s intelligence  Protects audience’s ego

3-5 Five Ways to Create You-Attitude 1. Talk about audience, not yourself. 2. Refer to audience’s request or order. 3. Don’t talk about feelings. 4. In positive situations, use you more often than I. Use we when it includes the audience. 5. In negative situations, avoid you.

3-6 Yourself 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   Lacks you-attitude We designed a new Web site for you.   Contains you-attitude Your Web site redesign is now online.

3-7 Refer to Audience’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   Lacks you-attitude We shipped your order.   Contains you-attitude Your order for 235 bicycle tires will arrive on Sept. 23.

3-8 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   Lacks you-attitude We are excited to have you as a customer.   Contains you-attitude Your new membership guarantees the lowest prices possible.

3-9 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   Lacks you-attitude We are now giving you a raise.   Contains you-attitude Your raise will be effective Jan. 1.

3-10 Avoid You in Negative Situations  Protect audience’s ego  Avoid assigning blame  Use passive verbs  Use impersonal style   Lacks you-attitude You were late this morning.   Contains you-attitude The timecard was not punched on time today.

3-11 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?

3-12 Five Ways to Create Positive Emphasis 1. Avoid negative words 2. Beware of hidden negatives 3. Focus on what audience can do, not limitations 4. Justify negative information by giving reason or linking to audience benefit 5. Put negative information in the middle and present it compactly

3-13 Tone, Power, and Politeness  Tone – implied attitude of the communicator toward the audience  Good tone –  Businesslike, not stiff  Friendly, not phony  Confident, not arrogant  Polite, not groveling

3-14 Bias-Free Language  Words that do not discriminate on basis of  Sex  Age  Race  Ethnicity  Physical condition  Religion