1. Writing negative messages
Chapter six

2. Negative messages Convey the bad news
Gain acceptance (of the bad news)
Maintain as much goodwill as possible with your audience
Maintain a good image for your organization
Reduce or eliminate the need for future correspondence on the matter (if appropriate)

3. When to use direct & indirect approach
When the negative news will be disappointing, but not necessarily a shock
When you know your audience prefers the bad news first
When the scenario is minor or routine
When you need to get the reader’s attention
When the negative news may come as a shock
When the reader has an emotional investment in the situation or the consequences to the reader are considerable
When you need to maintain a close working relationship with the reader

4. How? direct indirect Opens with a clear statement of the bad news
Covers the more positive points first before moving to the less positive ones
Provides reasons and additional information when giving your reasons for the bad news
Provides enough detail for your audience to understand your reasons
Avoids hiding behind company policy
Opens with a clear statement of the bad news
Proceeds to list the reasons and additional information for the negative decision
Closes with a positive statement aimed at maintaining a good relationship

5. Writing persuasive messages
Chapter seven

6. Remember the three step model
Plan
Write
complete

7. The four strategies of effective persuasion
Framing your arguments
Balancing emotional and logical appeals
Reinforcing your position
Anticipating objections

8. Framing the argument - The aida model
Attention
Interest
Desire
action

9. attention
Your first objective is to encourage your audience to want to hear about your problem, idea, or new product - whatever your main idea is. Be sure to find some common ground on which to build your case.

10. interest
Provide additional details that prompt audience members to imagine how the solution might benefit them.

11. desire
Help audience members embrace your idea by explaining how the change will benefit them and answering potential objections.

12. action
Suggest the specific action you want your audience to take. Include a deadline, when applicable.

13. Balancing Emotional & logical appeals
Invoke feelings & emotions of audience
Be careful to remain ethical
Use logic to allow audience to find rational support for an argument they have already embraced emotionally

14. example
Hire my consulting company and we will improve things so you do not have to retrench staff- the emotional appeal
Hire my consulting firm and we will improve your profitability by showing you how to work smarter – the rational explanation

15. Reinforcing your position
Consider how to reinforce your position
Use metaphors, paint a picture

16. Anticipating objections
Anticipate objections and deal with them
Show all sides
Give other solutions first
Involve the audience

17. Crafting messages for electronic & social media
Chapter eight

18. Electronic media – many options
Websites, Blogs, Wiki’s
Instant messaging

19. Electronic media – proliferation of platforms
WhatsApp, WeChat, BBM, ChatOn etc
Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest
You Tube, Facebook, LinkedIN,

20. Cautions
Law may require hard copy/print
Spam
Lost in the flood
formality

21. Effective e-mail messages
Use the three step process
(business) is much more formal
Consequences of poor judgment or writing
An is the same as a printed document
signatures
policy

22. Writing effective e-mails
(semi) formal style
Importance of the subject line
Is the mail necessary?
Think before you CC
Keep emotions under control
style

23. Instant messaging (text/SMS)
advantages
disadvantages
Rapid response
Low cost
Mimics conversation more closely
Wide availability
Less misuse (in the past)
Security
Difficulty in storing/logging
Incompatibility issues
Needs authentication
Growing misuse

24. Effective IM
Do not send confidential content unless on secure system
Make yourself unavailable if necessary
Be careful of personal content
Make sure there is a reason to send the message

25. Business blogging
Allows personal style & authentic voice
Allows rapid dissemination of new information
Encourages audience participation
Choose relevant topics

26. Some uses of blogging
Company news
Crises communication
Recruitment
Customer service issues
Marketing & pr
Brand building
Tackle issues facing industry

27. Adapting the three step model to a blog
Pay attention to your audience, your purpose, and your scope
Carefully consider the information you are including (others could link to it months or years from now)
Evaluate the content and readability of your message - write in a comfortable, personal style
Successful blog content also needs to be interesting, valuable to readers, and as brief as possible
Completing messages for blogs is quite easy if you evaluate the content and readability of your message, proofread to correct any errors, and post using your blogging system’s tools for doing so

28. What is a wiki?
A Wiki is an online resource (usually a website) where articles, documents or any source of information can be developed collaboratively by a community of users, allowing any user to add and edit content. Wikis are a great way for teams and other groups to collaborate on writing projects. Wikis provide the opportunity to post new or revised material without prior approval.
BBA Year 1 Business Communications Study Guide Page 105

29. Tips for writing wiki’s
Don’t expect to be recognised as the author
Follow existing style and format (use template)
Practice in the “sandbox”

30. Social media in business