THE PROCESS OF PREPARING EFFECTIVE BUSINESS

MESSAGES

Chapter 6

Outline

Five Planning Steps Basic Organizational Plans Beginning and Endings Composing the Message

Objectives: You Should Be Able ToAfter completing this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Identify the categories of communications and explain when they are used.

2. Analyze situations to select the best approach when responding to

3. communications.

4. Apply the direct approach in preparing positive communications.

5. Apply the indirect approach in preparing negative or bad news communications.

6. Apply the persuasive approach in preparing sales letters or other persuasive

7. communications.

8. Develop planning procedures for organizing communications.

Oral and Written Communications

Oral communication has definite advantages over written communication. Oral communication is more personal, quickly transmitted, provides immediate feedback, can see or listen to the observer's reaction, can answer/ask questions, and smooth out misunderstandings.

PLANNING FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

Positive tone can be conveyed orally and in writing. Orally—positive words, tone of voice, smile, facial expression, body language, etc. In writing—positive words, tone, content. Be impartial and avoid blame when addressing errors or defending unpopular decisions on behalf of the organization. Plan the message if the news is not good.

Planning is vital to effective communications. Remember to ask:

1. What is the purpose? 2. What is requested? 3. What must be included? 4. What response should result? 5. What is the best media to use?

It Is Important To Understand Policies And Procedures So: Communicate on behalf of the organization; Your personal views become "secondary"; That you are bound by the company policy; That you should never indicate to the customer

that you disagree with the policy; That you should never blame another person or

department for an error or an unpopular decision; That the organization speaks through you; That your job is to represent company in terms

that the receiver can accept; your job is to bring both sides to agreement.

You need to represent your organization in a way that shows the receiver that your organization’s position is a fair one. A dilemma arises when personal beliefs conflict with organizational policy, but you must remember that you represent the company and their policies. Effective communication begins by understanding your organization’s policies and procedures. You are communicating for the organization, not for yourself.

Five Planning Steps

1. Identify Your Purpose

The four purposes of communication are:

1. to inform

2. to request

3. to persuade

4. to build goodwill

You must know why you should write and what should be written . The purpose may be sale , good will , request , inquiry or refusal etc.

Five Planning Steps

2. Analyze Your Audience

It is better for the sender to understand the receiver. You should know his background , qualification , education , position , status in the company , desire , expectations , problems , circumstances and possible reactions to your request. Also he/she is superior , subordinate , laborer , professional or technical person , colleague , single or married , man or woman , young or old , new or long time customer .

To better understand the receiver, it may be necessary to research the company, review the letter to which you are responding, do research on the Internet, or look at previous correspondence from the individual. The more you know about how your receiver thinks and feels, the better chance you have of getting your message across.

Know the receiver: Who is the receiver? What is known about the receiver’s background,

knowledge, interests, and experiences? How does the receiver feel about the situation to which you

are responding? What does the receiver need or want to hear? What does the receiver expect from you? What objections might you expect from the receiver?

3. Choose Your Ideas

It depends upon the type of message . Before working jot down the points to be covered in communication , and then bring them in order of importance and urgency.

Communications

There are three types of communications:

1. Positive—Routine/informational; requests or transmits information. This uses the direct approach, can be written in a straightforward manner, and tells the reader what he or she wants to hear. This is the easiest, most pleasant approach. The basic rule in the direct approach is to start with the good news.

2. Negative—Gives the receiver bad news; refuses request; uses the indirect approach; challenging; goal is to have the reader understand and accept the message. Presents a challenge as it gives unpleasant, disappointing, or unfavorable information. The basic rule in the indirect approach is to put the bad news in the middle. This assists in establishing a rapport with the receiver; allows you to gradually address the bad news after you have developed some reasons or explanations.

3. Persuasive—Reader must be persuaded to do as asked (sales and recommendation letters). Uses the persuasive approach. The challenge of these messages is to create a communication that motivates the receiver to read or listen to the entire message and react positively. The basic rule in the persuasive approach is to mention the action requested at the end of the message.

4. Collect Your Data

To explain facts and figures , visual aids may be utilized , augmenting the communication.

First, analyze all facts related to the message; make notes on what to include; select the best approach. Next, turn the letter plan or informal outline into a letter. When writing a rough draft, concentrate only on content.

Two factors that influence planning are:

1. The person to whom you are writing, and2. Your reason for writing.

To accomplish the purpose of the letter: The content must be correct and appropriate. The style must be clear and natural. The tone must build goodwill.

Build goodwill by: Emphasizing things the reader wants to hear. Avoiding or subordinating negatives and other ideas unpleasant to the reader. Using friendly words and reflecting a sincere desire to serve.

5. Organize Your Message

Once the ideas have been jotted down , they should be properly arranged and organized. Failing to organize will fail the objectives of the message.

Good organization: Helps the receiver understand the message. Helps the receiver accept the message. Saves the receiver time. Eliminates unnecessary information. Puts information in a logical order. Simplifies the communicator's job.

Common organizational problems in communicating are: Taking too long to get to the point. Including irrelevant material. Confusing ideas. Leaving out necessary information

Basic Organizational PlansThe order of ideas for the direct approach

is:

1. Beginning: good news/main idea

2. Middle: explanation/details

3. Ending: goodwill/resale or positive statement

Direct Approach

The order of ideas for the is:

1. Beginning: good news/main idea

2. Middle: explanation/details

3. Ending: goodwill/resale or positive statement

The Direct Approach Types of Resume Cover Letters 2. Speculative Cover Letters/The Direct Approach When you use the direct approach, you are specifically addressing the employer as

someone who has a need which you have the skills to meet. And sometimes you can even target the employer before he or she actually

realizes a need exists, or at least before he or she has found time to draft an advert. You realize the need exists and have approached the employer with your ability to fill that need, effectively beating him or her to the punch.

In your letter you need to show the employer you've done your homework and realize the need or needs exists. You can find this information in news articles, from personal contacts, in publications, and so on. You can refer to this information at the beginning of your letter. Our cover letter examples will show you how.

If you do this, your prospective employer is much more likely to be receptive to considering you for the job. He or she will know that you have done your homework and not simply picked out a company at random.

Finally, remember that these are speculative enquiries. It’s likely you will get more rejections or no replies than you will invitations for interview but this is normal. Keep going –- chances are your letter will find the right person at the right time in some cases.

Sample covering letter for a speculative / direct approach to a company 12 Fairfax Close

StabletonBristol BS12 5RT

Kenneth BrownMolson plc14-24 Cable StreetBristol BS2 4RT

25 July Dear Mr Brown Yesterday's Evening Post reported that you are expanding your sales and servicing activities.

This highlighted your potential requirement for additional staff for your new branches. I am currently looking for opportunities to make use of my experience of working in a service centre and would therefore be extremely interested in any potential vacancies that might arise.

Over the past ten years I have worked in customer services, initially in retail and most recently for a major plc. This work has included: taking bookings from customers and organising job schedules for service engineers in a service centre; training and supervising a team; setting up and running a customer complaints service; and handling customer account queries.

Full details of my skills and experience are contained in my CV, which I have enclosed. I will phone next week to establish whether a meeting would be appropriate. I would very much like to discuss any potential opening with you.

Yours sincerely; Sally Jones Sample covering letter - in response to an advertisement

The direct approach 1000% More Effective than Speculative Letters And The ONLY Way To Succeed

In The Current Tough Jobs Market The direct approach is a radically different approach and is now the only way to

succeed in today's tough job market. You already know there is so much more to getting a new job or career change than waiting for the right advert to appear, because if you wait, it may never appear or somebody else may get there first before you do.

However, you can make things happen by applying my direct approach which involves careful research and targeting by putting together a carefully crafted direct approach sales letter.

This type of letter is 10x more likely to get a response than any straight speculative letter. You know how some junk mail annoys you, but others you find interesting because it has identified your needs. THIS is what you are going to do to find a new job in The Hidden Job Market.

The only way to think of this direct approach is as being a Direct Marketing Exercise to a specifically qualified target audience – it is NOT a mail-shot and certainly NOT a ‘speculative’ letter that some would have you waste your time writing.

Let’s look at that more closely: Compared to a direct approach,the speculative letter or mail-shot is a waste of time,

effort and possible opportunity.

Why The Direct Approach?

Well lets look at what is wrong with a speculative approach first: • The speculative letter type of approach aims to cover as many

possibilities as you can, so inherently it’s NOT specific to any particular reader.

• It also labels you as a job-seeker and usually gets sent straight to the Personnel or HR Department (if they have one and it gets past the waste-basket).

• Unless you want to work for the Personnel Department (if they have one) that’s the last place you want your letter to go.

• Mail-shots in general usually have less than 2% response rate so to generate some interest, (even before an interview is offered) you’d have to spend maybe £300 on postage alone.

• This approach at best will bring you what ‘they’ think you should have, NOT necessarily what you want for yourself.

NOT using a speculative letter: And the most important reason for NOT

using a speculative letter: • Because you try to cover all the possible

employers you make it virtually impossible to approach them in any other way. (Oh yes, you already sent your details didn’t you?)

Go on and read my Hidden Jobs page for when and how you should use the targeted, direct approach to make things happen and find those hidden, unadvertised jobs.

How To Use The Direct Approach?

The Hidden Job Market: With Redundancies and Downsizing On the Increase and Unemployment Rising, The Trick Is to Find Jobs That No-One Else Knows About.

Learn How To Find Hidden

Jobs And How You Can Work The Hidden Job Market! Be discriminating - it is not a mail-shot; Each approach must be tailor-made; Your letter must make a business proposition; Only contact the person who can take the decision to employ you; Research the organisation thoroughly; Be businesslike and professional; Do NOT include your CV Before you write your direct approach letter make sure that you: Have a specific reason for writing; Address your letter to a named individual; Make it clear you want a meeting; Are prepared to follow-up quickly once sent; Be persistent – they need you. Remember - fail to prepare - prepare to fail The Hidden Job Market: With Redundancies and Downsizing On the Increase and

Unemployment Rising, The Trick Is to Find Jobs That No-One Else Knows About.

Indirect Approach The order of ideas for the indirect approach is:

1. Begin with a "buffer"—a cushion—between the receiver and the bad news

2. Start and end the message with "neutral paragraphs—this ensures a positive beginning and ending

3. The buffer "smoothes the way." Look for something the receiver and you can agree on or look for any good news.

4. The buffer paragraph should pertain to the subject of the message (should not be a time waster); be brief and congenial; maintain neutrality (not indicating either yes or no); and serve as the transition to the explanation.

5. The middle paragraph should present a logical explanation of facts, details, and reasons to justify the negative message; begin with the best reason for the refusal and continue with the other reasons(s); state or imply the negative information or refusal; follow the refusal with another reason/alternative; stress what can be done rather than what cannot be done.

Indirect Approach6. The ending paragraph (the closing) should offer a

counterproposal or alternatives or resell your point of view; be neutral, courteous, and positive; be personalized if possible; avoid restating the refusal.

7. Negative information should be placed immediately following the explanation; stated quickly and explicitly; stated in clear and positive terms. The reader must clearly understand the negative information, but do not restate the refusal in the ending.

8. The emphasis on tone is vital—the receiver needs to feel that the request has been taken seriously; communication should be tactful and considerate and reflect a sincere interest and respect for the receiver's viewpoint.

Beginnings and EndingsOpening Paragraph

As the opening paragraph sets the tone for your letter, try to avoid using tired phrases that are wordy, give little information and create a formal and impersonal tone. Using the classic business-speak opening of Further to... almost guarantees the rest of the letter will be a typical, long-winded, standard piece of business writing.

These opening phrases are so popular because we don’t have to think of what to write. Watch out for standard phrases in opening paragraphs. Examples are:

Further to my recent I am writing I refer to my letter dated I refer to previous correspondence I write in reference to In respect of the above Recent correspondence Regarding With reference to With regards to

So be sure your opening paragraph sets the right tone for your letter. Be direct and use your words positively so your reader has a good impression from the beginning of your letter. Decide what is the most important information—and put it in the your first paragraph. Don’t be afraid to start your letter strongly.

Ending

If the average business letter starts poorly, then it invariably finishes poorly. Your closing paragraph should bring your letter to a polite, businesslike close. Typical final paragraphs in business letters invite the reader to write again or use overused and meaningless phrases that detract from the impact of the letter. Take a look at these examples of good closing sentences for business letters:

I would again apologize for the delay in replying and I trust that this has clarified the points you have raised, however, if you wish to discuss any points I have not clarified, or need any further information, you may wish to telephone or contact me accordingly.

I look forward to hearing from you and in the meantime, should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I regret that I cannot be of more assistance in this matter, and should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Your last paragraph should do something. In a longer letter it can summarize the key points or repeat the key message. If some action is needed, explain what you want the reader to do or what you will do. Use positive words such as when not if.

Make sure you avoid using weak phrases and overused business phrases in your closing paragraph.• Thanking you for your... • Hoping for a prompt reply... • Thanking you in advance for your assistance... • Trusting this answers your questions... • Please do not hesitate to contact me • I trust this clarifies the situation

End your letter positively and politely. Don’t leave your reader in mid-air, but use the final paragraph to explain or repeat what you want your reader to do.

Composing The Message In the first draft, the writer should concentrate only on

content. The focus should be on getting ideas on paper and revising the letter later.

Tips: Develop the letter directly from the letter plan or informal

outline. Use double spacing to leave space for marking revisions. Write on paper, key on the computer, or dictate as quickly

as you can. Do not check spelling, grammar, style, tone, or

references at this stage. Write the message in your own words.

Drafts

Drafts are important to prepare when responding to complex and/or problem situations.

After completion of the rough draft, check for the "you attitude," tone, and choice of words. The next steps are to:

Edit and correct the draft. Prepare the letter in final form. Proofread.

It is very convenient to prepare drafts directly on the computer to facilitate editing and final revisions.

Revise and Proofread:

Short communications are easy to transmit or dictate without revising or proofreading them . The reason is to ensure that the message fulfills the principles of communication.