BCOMM Chapter 9 Routine Business Messages

What question should you ask yourself before sending a routine request?

Will the recipient understand what I want done?

Managers and supervisors need to ______, even if they are afraid of going beyond their authority.

communicate clear expectations

You can help maintain the ______ of the recipient of a routine request by showing respect for the recipient's time.

goodwill

A request does not require which of the following components?

expressing sympathy

True or false: More employees than ever are reporting that their supervisors thank them every day or very often.

false

Routine messages that include directions are much like those that

set expectations.

Components of Inquiry Responses

-Provide responses -State goodwill

A routine message should be written with which two of the following questions in mind?

-How would my audience want to receive this information? -How much detail does my audience expect?

It should take about ______ to complete a routine business message.

5 to 15 minutes

When a professional contact encounters a personal loss, it is ______ to extend sincere sympathies.

appropriate

Components of Apologies

- Make acknowledgment - Express regret - Take responsibility - Offer commitment - State goodwill

Components of Requests

- Make request - Provide rationale - Call to action (Optional-appropriate at the end of lengthy messages.) - State goodwill

Components of Congratulation and Celebration Messages

-Displays happiness, joy, and other positive sentiments. -Validate their accomplishment or milestone. -Express confidence in their future.

Components of Expectations

-Explain overall expectations -Describe responsibilities -Provide deadlines -Discuss coordination -State goodwill

Components of Sympathy Messages

-Express sympathy -Offer support -State goodwill

Components of Announcements

-Gain attention -Give announcement -Provide details -Call to action (For some announcements.) -State goodwill

Components of Appreciation Messages

-Give thanks Provide rationale -State goodwill

Which of the following statements about routine messages called claims are correct?

-Long-term relationships should be respected. -The purpose is to have the other company comply with your claim.

To be an effective routine message, a claim should do which of the following?

-Make a call to action. -Explain why the claim is being made. -Specify what the claim is.

Components of Claims

-Make claim -Provide rationale -Call to action -State goodwill

The Writing Process for Routine Messages

-Plan: Audience, Information, Message -Write: Tone, Style, Design -Review: Feedback, FAIR Test, Proofread

Which of the following are true of routine business messages? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Readers usually respond positively to them. -Readers are unlikely to resist them. -They convey straightforward information.

Components of Directions

-State goal -Give step-by-step directions -State goodwill

Components of Routine Messages

-State the primary message (ten words or fewer). -Provide details in paragraphs of 20 to 80 words. -Restate the request or key message in more specific terms. -State goodwill.

If too little information is provided in your routine message, which of the following are likely to happen?

-The receiver will be less apt to do what you are requesting. -Your credibility will be diminished.

Which components should be included in an effective message of appreciation?

-a brief rationale. -a statement of goodwill. -an expression of thanks.

Which of the following would be considered a business announcement? (Choose every correct answer.)

-a mass email informing customers that the company is moving to a new location -a statement that the company is changing its dress code -a notice that the office Christmas party will be held in the conference room

Sending thank-you notes can accomplish which of the following?

-boost repeat business -maintain strong working relationships

Factors that lead to personal offenses include

-careless comments. -different communication styles. -personality clashes.

A poorly delivered business apology may

-cause more problems. -make the first mistake seem even worse.

Apologies become ineffective when they are

-cliché. -vague. -insincere.

An effective announcement generally contains which of the following items?

-complete details -attention-getter

When explaining your expectations to employees that you manage, what are the three main elements to include?

-deadlines for the project -each person's responsibilities -how the work will be coordinated among all the people who are involved

An appreciation message should be which of the following?

-genuine -simple -personal

When drafting a routine message, you should strive for a ______ tone.

-helpful -professional -reader-oriented

Establishing clear expectations, especially when you are the supervisor or manager, directly

-improves your credibility. -cultivates interpersonal trust.

An ineffective announcement might include such flaws as

-jumbling too much information together. -incomplete information.

When making a claim to a company, the explanation that you lay out should be

-logical. -reasonable. -professional.

Which of the following might you use to highlight key ideas when drafting a routine message?

-numbering -external links -bullets

To maintain goodwill when making a routine request, you should compose your message with a tone that has which two characteristics?

-positive -other-oriented

An effective apology contains which of the following components?

-promising not to commit the offense again -saying you regret your actions -admitting that you offended someone

Effective apologies will achieve important results, such as

-rebuilding your reputation. -repairing working relationships.

Which of the following take place during the reviewing stage of a routine message?

-rereading the message -proofreading the message -getting feedback for a group message

Routine business messages should be constructed like other good writing, through use of

-reviewing. -drafting. -planning.

When delivering an appreciation message, an exaggerated display of gratitude may

-seem insincere. -appear unprofessional.

Which of the following are characteristics of effective thank-you notes? (Choose every correct answer.)

-sent promptly -written by hand -sincere

When responding to inquiries, which of the following are the three best ways to set off separate questions?

-special formatting -bullets -numbered lists

All routine business messages should contain which of the following components? (Choose every correct answer.)

-the primary message within the first two sentences -the primary message in the subject line -details

It is appropriate to extend sympathies to a professional contact

-when a loved one passes away. -when a loved one becomes seriously ill.

When drafting a business message that includes instructions, when should you have other people read your directions to make sure they are clear enough?

-when the directions describe a technical procedure -when the directions describe a complicated procedure

Order the components of a business claim in sequence, with the first component at the top and the last component at the bottom.

1.) Make the claim 2.) Provide a rationale 3.) Give a call to actions 4.) Make a statement of goodwill

The primary message in a routine communication should have ______ words.

10 or fewer

Polls have shown that ______ of employees say that supervisors thank them daily.

10%

The ______ planning process can be completed quickly for most routine messages.

AIM

Thank-you notes for ______ should be less formal but should not feel exaggerated.

colleagues

Why is it not advisable to compose a business message that includes step-by-step instructions written in narrative form within a paragraph?

The narrative format for instructions is more difficult to follow.

In routine business correspondence, the primary message should appear in

the first sentence or two.

A company writes to one of its suppliers, requesting an adjustment to the invoice for a recent shipment because some of the merchandise was missing. This type of business message is known as ______.

a claim

The main text of a routine message should consist of

brief paragraphs with pertinent details.

When providing directions, lack of ______ is most likely to frustrate your readers.

detail

Numerous routine messages are handled daily. Therefore they need to be produced with

efficiency.

After harming someone at work, whether intentionally or not, business professionals with high ______ will quickly try to make amends.

emotional intelligence

Which is part of the coordination component of setting expectations for the people you manage?

guidelines for communication

A person reading a well-crafted announcement should grasp all of its important information

in 10 to 15 seconds.

Handling a routine message typically requires ______ other types of business correspondence.

less time than

Your response to inquiries will be more effective if you ______ so that readers can easily identify your answers.

mark each question with a bullet or number

In a routine business message, how long should the primary message be?

no more than 10 words

In business correspondence that includes procedures and directions, ______ the steps to differentiate them from each other.

number

Messages that include directions usually

offer guidelines for specific tasks.

An announcement is what type of communication?

one-to-many

Which of the following is not a component of a claim?

providing responses

In response to a routine business request, the reader is likely to express little or no ______ to what the message is saying.

resistance

Proofreading and requests for feedback should take place during the ______ stage of routine message development.

reviewing

By a large margin, most business messages are

routine messages.

In an email announcement business message, the ______ must be specific and must pique the interest of the reader so that the message will not be overlooked.

subject line

The ______ of a routine request should be clear and specific.

subject lines.

When you justify a routine request, you should provide

the rationale for the request in your message.

When employees explain their reasons in the text of routine requests, the company is better able to maintain ______ by keeping written records that show why decisions were made.

transparency