Planning Business Messages &

Applying the Three Step Writing

Process
Chapter 4 & 5
Plan
1. Analyze the situation


2.Gather information


3. Select right medium

4.Organize the
information
Define your purpose &
develop audience profile

Determine the audience
needs & obtain the
information necessary to
satisfy those needs
select the appropriate
method for message

Define your main idea, select
direct or indirect approach,
outline your content

1. Analyze Your Situation
Define your purpose & develop audience profile
to inform, persuade, collaborate with audience
What is your specific intention
Will there be changes as a result of your message?
Is your purpose realistic? If it is radical, youll need to
propose a first step
Is the time right? What will the impact of your message
be?
Is your purpose acceptable by the company?


2. Define an Audience Profile
Before your audiences will take the time to read or
hear your messages, they will need to be
interested.
What is the primary audience?
Determine size, geographic distribution?
Audience composition
Understand their expectations & preferences
Forecast their probable reaction


3. Gathering Information

Consider other viewpoints
Read reports or other related documents
Talk with coworkers, colleagues, supervisors
Ask for your audience input

What about ethical information?

3. Selecting the right medium
Oral medium
advantages disadvantages
1. restrict participation
2. No verifiable evidence of
communication, unless
recorded
3. Reduce the communicators
control over the message
4. Cannot edit spoken words

1. provide opportunity for immediate
feedback

2. Allow interaction

3. Nonverbal cues in the tone

4. Express emotions within the
message
Written communication
advantages disadvantages
Allow you to control the
message
Reach geographically
dispersed audiences
Offer verifiable record
Minimize distortion
Can be use to avoid interaction
De-emphasize emotions

Not conducive for immediate
feedback
Lack of nonverbal cues

Often take more time and
more resources to create and
distribute
May require special skills to
print and distribute
Visual communication
advantages disadvantages
Can convey complex messages
easily

Often less intimidating

Reduce the burden on
audience to figure things out
Require artistic skills

Require technical skills

Require more time to create

electronic communication
advantages Disadvantages
Deliver messages quickly

Reach geographically
dispersed audiences

Offer the persuasive power of
multimedia formats

Can increase accessibility and
openness in an organization

Are easy to overuse

Privacy risks esp with
confidential data

Security risks, like viruses

Frequent interruptions
4. Organizing your ideas
Direct Approach Indirect Approach
Use when you know your
audience will be receptive
a. Positive messages
Use when you know your
audience
a. begin softly
b. consider impact of your
message
c. Negative messages
Outlining your information

Main idea
Major points details
Facts
Examples
Description
Narration
Reference
Visual aids
Illustrate with evidence

Write
Routine messages

Positive messages

Negative message

Persuasive messages
Straightforward
Daily operations message

Convey good news


Convey bad news
Be honest, yet kind

Asking your audience to do
something
grab their attentions
Being sensitive
Use the you attitude

Maintain standards of etiquette

Emphasizing the positive

Using bias-free language
The You attitude
Instead of this write this
To help us process

We are pleased to announce

We offer MP3 players

You should never use

You must correct
So that your order can be filled

Now you can take advantage

Select your MP3 player

That type of paper doesnt

All five copies must be
corrected
Standards of Etiquette
Instead of this Write this
Once again, youve managed

Youve been sitting on our
order
Lets review the last website

Our production schedules
depend on the timely delivery
of parts, but we have yet to
receive the order you promised
to deliver
Emphasizing the Positive
Instead of this Write this
It is impossible to repair

We apologize for
inconveniencing you

We wasted $300,000
Your computer can be ready

The rennovations that are
under way will help us serve
you better

Our $300,000 advertisement
did not pay off;
Using bias-free language
Instead of this Write this
The problem with this
department is a failure

You failed to provide the
necessary information

We will notify all three credit
Bureaus

Cheap merchandise
Failing
The performance of this
department can be improved

Please review the items
marked

Paying you overdue bill within
10 days will prevent a negative

Inexpensive
Underperforming