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Published byLucy Neal Modified over 9 years ago
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 1 Negative Messages Dual objectives Transmitting bad news Maintaining goodwill Four steps which follow an indirect organization: A delaying opening – carries high impact The reasons for the upcoming bad news The bad news itself – receives location of low emphasis A positive ending Preparing reader for the message can determine reader’s perception of the message
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 2 Negative Messages The Delaying Opening Presents general topic without hinting about upcoming negative news Must be written so that it doesn’t sound like it’s delaying the bad news Tone must not be too positive Writing the delaying opening is often difficult Opening must not appear manipulative
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 3 Negative Messages The Reasons Most crucial step in the formula Goal of the step is to seek reader acknowledgment of the reasons Should be logical to the reader Do not pass the buck, blaming someone else for a decision Each reason should build on preceding reasons
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 4 Negative Messages The Bad News Can be short, sometimes only a part of a sentence Short, but still important Requires careful wording Often follows from and can be appended to the reasons step Avoid putting bad news in a separate paragraph Present bad news as positively as possible Seek an impersonal style Avoid people’s names and personal pronouns Avoid statements of sympathy or apology
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 5 Negative Messages The Positive Ending Seeks to change the tone from negative to positive to maintain goodwill Extends thanks for whatever you have rejected Must sound sincere Suggest that a positive answer may be extended in the future Resist the desire to resurrect the negative message End on a positive thought
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 6 Persuasive Messages Use only when it is necessary to change an opinion Five steps are important to writing effective persuasive messages: 1. Attention 2. Interest 3. Desire 4. Conviction 5. Action Action!
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 7 Persuasive Messages The Attention Step If reader is less disposed to respond favorably, message should be stronger and more highly defined If reader is more likely to act as desired, message should be less attention-getting Goals of the attention step To get the reader’s attention To develop enough attention to carry reader into next step
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 8 Persuasive Messages The Interest Step Carries reader from the attention-getting opening to the desire step Gives some direction to the message Encourages involvement by the reader Relatively short Gives information that creates interest
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 9 Persuasive Messages The Desire Step Develops desire in reader for the ultimate good, service, or action Goal is to make reader desire product or service The Conviction Step Lays out counterarguments before reader has a change to organize arguments against action Positive ways of looking at the action’s weaknesses
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 10 Persuasive Messages The Action Step Propose only after reader is convinced of the need to take the action Builds on earlier steps and uses selected information from them Reemphasizes the reader’s benefit from taking the proposed action Makes it easy for reader to do as suggested Asks for the action
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 11 Persuasive Messages Ways to Stimulate Action Change behavior in two ways Threatening punishment Offering a reward Preferable in business settings Long-term business relationships benefit from this approach Emotional appeals Seek a quick action based on limited thought and perhaps incomplete logic Topics such as children are animals are rich with potential emotional content
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 12 Persuasive Messages Ways to Stimulate Action Rational appeals Seek a stronger commitment Reader is likely to feel more comfortable with appeal for a longer time Business topics rely more on logic than emotion
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 13 Persuasive Messages Hard Sell Versus Soft Sell Hard sell Uses all five steps of persuasive messages The harder the hard-sell message, the more emphasis is needed for the attention step Soft sell Must make judgments about whether the goals of the early steps can be assumed Start at the next step Extremely soft sell letters may only have the action step
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Chapter 6 - Writing Indirect Messages 14 Persuasive Messages Hints for Writing Persuasive Messages Organize your thoughts Seek a blending from one step to the next Writing your action step first may guide the development of the earlier steps Try not to let your desired action leak out until the action step
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