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Chapter Four
The Process of Preparing Effective Business Messages

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

By: Mohammad Zafeer Qasmi MA. English Assistant Professor at Kardan University, Kabul, Afghanistan

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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Five Planning Steps

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Identify Your Purpose

All messages have an underlying rational purposeto create goodwill. For example, in a credit refusal letter, your purpose is: to refuse the request while encouraging the customers continued business You realize how important it is to adapt your messages to your receivers views, mental filters, needs, and culture

2. Analyze Your Audience

3. Choose your Ideas

With your purpose and receiver in mind, the next step is to choose the ideas for your message If you are answering a letter, underline the main points to discuss and jot your ideas in the margin Begin by listing ideas as they come to youbrainstorming-and then choose the best ideas for your receiver The ideas you include depend on the type of message you are sending and the background and location of your receiver(national or international)

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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

4. Collect Your Data

You must determine whether you need specific facts, figures, quotations, or other forms of evidence to support your points Sometimes, you may need to enclose a brochure, table, picture, or product sample Before you write your first drat, outline your message(mentally or on paper) The order in which you present your ideas is as important as the ideas themselves Disorganized, rambling messages often seem careless, confusing, and unimportant

5. Organize Your Message

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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Basic Organizational Plans

For letters, you can choose one of four basic organizational plans:
1. 2. 3. 4. Direct-Request Plan Good-News Plan Bad-News Plan Persuasive-request Plan

The first two plans use the direct approach, which begins with the main idea; the last two plans use the indirect approach, which states the main idea later

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1. Direct (Deductive) Approach

When you think your reader or listener will have a favorable or neutral reaction to your message You begin with the main idea or best news. After the opening, you include all necessary explanatory details in one or several paragraphs and end with an appropriate, friendly closing Use the direct-request plan when the main purpose of your message is to make a request that requires less persuasion Use good-news plan to grant requests, announce favorable or neutral information, and exchange routine information within or between companies

2. Indirect (Inductive) Approach

If you think your readers or listeners might react negatively to your message, generally you should not present the main idea in the first paragraph Instead consider beginning with a buffer-a relevant pleasant, neutral, or receiver-benefit statement; then give an explanation before you introduce your idea The bad-news message is one of the most difficult to prepare because your reader may react negatively. Likewise, in the persuasive request you may face resistance

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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Beginnings and Endings

Two of the most important positions in business message are the opening and closing paragraphs You have probably heard the old sayings First impressions are lasting and We remember best what we read last. and All is well that ends well.

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Opening Paragraphs

Often the opening of a written message determines whether the reader continues reading, puts the message aside for later, or discards it
a. Choose Openings Appropriate for Message Purpose and Reader 1. Main idea or good-news first for direct-request, neutral, and good-news messages 2. Buffer first for bad-news messages 3. Attention-getting statements first for persuasive requests b. Make the opening considerate, courteous, concise, clear 1. Get reader into opening 2. Keep first paragraph relatively short 3. Focus on the positive 4. Use courteous, conversational language 5. Avoid unnecessary repetition c. Check for completeness regarding 1. Sentence structure 2. Date of letter you are answering

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Closing Paragraphs

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Your closing is more likely to motivate the reader to act as requested if it is appropriately strong, clear, and polite
1. Make action request clear and complete with the five Ws and the H if you want your reader to do something
What and Who: Clearly state what action you desire and who should do it How and Where: Make action easy. Include phone number, reply envelope ,give instructions, state your office hours and location When: Date the action, if desirable Why: Show reader benefit, if possible