Ch. 9: Routine Business Messages
Effective Apology
-Acknowledgment of mistake -Statement of regret -Statement of responsibility -Commitment to avoid such behavior in the future & approach frustrations constructively
Effective Appreciation Message
-Gives thanks (not excessive or exaggerated) -Provides rationale -Goodwill is stated in last paragraph as well as the ending remarks ("Thanks again!") -Tone is team-oriented (not self-centered & self-congratulatory)
Effective Announcement
-Information is complete (not missing key dates) & easy to process. More readers will recognize all essential information within 15 seconds. -Rational is clear & concise -Tone is positive & helpful (possesses enough enthusiasm)
Body of the Routine Message
-Provide short paragraphs with related details. To make sure your message receiver will comply, include all needed information. -Readers less likely to comply when you don't provide enough information & you may lose credibility. -Once you establish a reputation for providing incomplete, overly general messages, your readers are less likely to pay close attention to your future messages.
Effective Response to an Inquiry
-Specific response to all questions -Navigation is easy with questions as headings (No Nonunified Responses: A single paragraph contains answers to all the questions)
Effective Directions
-Subject line is descriptive -Directions are specific & clear -Tone is professional & helpful (not careless & slopping; does not use passive voice, which makes message impersonal)
Effective Example of Setting Expectations
-Subject line is reveals expectation -Expectations are stated clearly & immediately -Responsibilities & deadlines are displayed (deadline is not buried within challenging navigation) -Coordination to be addressed -Tone is positive & upbeat (not demanding & bossy)
Effective Routine Request
-Subject line is short but effective -Request is stated clearly & up front -Rational is specific & clear -Navigation is easy among paragraphs (more than one paragraph)
Effective Claim
-Tone is not accusatory or demanding -Claim is made in both the subject line & the first sentence (after salutation) -Rationale for the claim is provided in an attachment as well as the following paragraphs -Goodwill is stated in last paragraph as well as the ending remarks ("Best wishes")
Components of Announcements
Announcements: Updates to policies and procedures, notices of events, and other correspondences that apply to a group of employees and/or customers. •Gain attention. -Subject line must be specific and must create interest •Give announcement. -Should be designed to let readers gather all relevant information in 10 to 15 seconds (especially for events) -Formatting is especially important •Provide details. •Call to action.* •State goodwill.
Components of Claims
Claims: Requests for other companies to compensate for or correct the wrongs of mistakes they have made. •Make claim. - Immediately state what the claim is and what you expect the company to do for you •Provide rationale. -In the body of the message •Call to action. -A specific request •State goodwill. -Goal: To have your claim honored. -Focus on facts first and emotions second, if at all. -Lay out a logical, reasonable, and professional explanation for your claim. -Remember: You will often work with the same people again and again. So, be polite and focus on the long-term working relationship.
The Writing Process for Routine Messages: Draft
Key Drafting Steps: -Tone: Aim for a helpful, professional, reader-centered tone. Show respect for your readers' time. -Style: Make your message easy to read. Use Short sentences & paragraphs & action-oriented language. -Design: Use subject lines & formatting to let your readers process & find information immediately.
The Writing Process for Routine Messages: Plan
Key Planning Steps: -Audience Analysis: Consider exactly what information your audience needs & how they want to receive it. -Idea Development: Identify & gather relevant, accurate, & up-to-date information. a) How would any audience want to receive this information? b)How much detail do my audience members expect? -Message Structuring: Create a front-loaded, direct, complete, & detail-oriented message.
The Writing Process for Routine Messages: Review
Key Reviewing Steps: -FAIR Test: Ensure that the message contains all needed information & that it is entirely correct. -Proofreading: Check for typos & any signals that you are not attentive to the needs of others. -Feedback: Request feedback from trusted colleagues when speaking on behalf of a team or unit.
Most important step: Message Structuring
Since routine messages are so common and your readers are likely overloaded with so many other messages and tasks, your primary challenge is to make sure your readers pay attention. -Your message should be direct and front-loaded. -The primary message should have ten words or fewer, and you should typically place it in the subject line of your email to immediately capture attention. -The primary message should appear in the first sentence or two of the message and again in the closing if your message is several paragraphs long.
Components of Expectations
•Explain overall expectation. -A lack of clarity regarding expectations causes misperceptions and misconstrued intentions. •Describe responsibilities. -Designating tasks and work outcomes to certain employees -Providing deadlines: Setting timeline -Discussing coordination: Involves providing guidelines for how employees should communicate and cooperate with one another. -From time to time, you should also describe your own role and responsibilities to supervisees. •Provide deadlines. •Discuss coordination. •State goodwill.
Components of Sympathy Messages
•Express sympathy. -Expression must be sincere -Keep brief -For deaths, state your support and concern to the person who has experienced the loss. Make the note personal by mentioning the deceased person by name and your positive impressions and memories •Offer support. -When possible, handwrite •State goodwill.
Components of Appreciation Messages
•Give thanks. -Thank-you notes (customers, clients, & special occasions) demand more formality. -Thank-you messages (colleagues & others you see each day) should be less formal and should not feel over the top. -A sincere expression of thanks also helps achieve business goals and strengthens work relationships. -Should be genuine, simple, warm, and personal -Should not appear self-serving in any way; state any reference to yourself carefully to avoid drawing attention away from those you are thanking. •Provide rationale. (quick) •State goodwill.
Components of Apologies
•Make acknowledgment. -Of mistake or an offense -Effective apologies achieve several important results. First, they help repair working relationships so that you can refocus on solving problems together. Second, they can rebuild your reputation. - Effective apologies should be timely and sincere. •Express regret. -Of harm caused •Take responsibility. -Show acceptance •Offer commitment. -Explain offense will not be repeated •State goodwill.
Components of Requests
•Make request. -one question you'll ask yourself is whether the message recipient will understand exactly what to do •Provide rationale. -Justifying the request shows your professionalism and attention to detail -Helps a company maintain transparency by keeping written records of why certain decisions were made •Call to action.* •State goodwill. -No one wants to feel bossed around, so make sure you achieve a positive, other-oriented tone. -Showing respect for the recipient's time goes a long way in maintaining goodwill.
Components of Inquiry Responses
•Provide responses. -One of most important strategies: Set off each question so your readers can quickly identify responses to particular questions -Use bullets or numbered lists &/or special formatting (i.e., bold or italics) -When choosing between bullets or numbered lists, consider whether the order of the items is important. -Consider telling your readers where to get additional and more specific information by providing links to FAQ web pages or other relevant web pages. •State goodwill.
Components of Directions
•State goal. -Primary distinction: Directions typically include specific—often step-by-step—guidelines for accomplishing particular tasks •Give step-by-step directions. -Make the steps stand out clearly by enumerating each one -Steps that are written in narrative form within a paragraph are typically difficult to follow •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.
