Workplace Communication

Overview
• Chapter 4 will familiarize you with the direct writing plans for
positive messages whether electronic or paper based. First,
though, you will learn when to respond by letter and how to
format a business letter.
• You will study the goals of business communicators in working
with unfavorable news and learn techniques for achieving those
goals.
• focuses on messages that require deliberate and skilled
persuasion in the workplace. It also addresses selling, both offline
and online.
Chapter Objectives
• Understand the channels through which typical positive
messages travel in the digital era—e-mails, memos, and
business letters, and explain how business letters should be
formatted.
• Compose direct messages that make requests, respond to inquiries
online and offline, and deliver step-by-step instructions.
• Prepare messages that make direct claims and voice complaints,
including those posted online.
• Create adjustment messages that salvage customers’ trust and
promote further business.
• Write special messages that convey kindness and goodwill.

3
Chapter Objectives
• Understand the goals of business communicators in conveying
negative news.
• Compare the strategies and ethics of the direct and indirect plans in
communicating negative news.
• Explain the components of effective negative messages, including
opening with a buffer, apologizing, showing empathy, presenting the
reasons, cushioning the bad news, and closing pleasantly.
• Apply effective techniques in refusing typical requests or claims, as
well as handling customer bad news in print and online.
• Describe and apply effective techniques for delivering negative news
within organizations

4
Chapter Objectives
• Explain digital-age persuasion and identify time-proven
persuasive techniques.
• Craft persuasive messages that request actions.
• Write compelling claims and deliver successful
complaints.
• Understand interpersonal persuasion at work, and
compose persuasive messages within organizations.

5
Contents
• Positive Messages
• Negative Messages
• Persuasive Messages
 Positive Messages –
Characteristics
Positive messages share the following traits:

Help workers
1 Are routine and
straightforward 2 conduct everyday
business

Make up the bulk

Require solid
3 of workplace
communication
4 writing skills

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 7
 Channels Used for
Positive Messages

E-mails Memos Letters

Social media Blogs IM and text

networks messages
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 Understanding Business Letters
• Are still the preferred channel for external
communication in certain situations
• Go to suppliers, government
agencies, vendors, and customers
• Encourage feedback
• Project a favorable image of
the organization
• Promote future business

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 9
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 Understanding Business Letters

Explain terms Share ideas

Accompany Negotiate
contracts agreements
Are Answer
confidential vendor
and formal questions

Provide a Maintain
permanent customer
record relations

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 Writing Plan for Direct Requests

Opening
• Ask the most important question
first or express a polite
command (Please answer the
following questions).
• Avoid long explanations
preceding the main idea.

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 Writing Plan for Direct Requests
Body
• Explain the request logically and
courteously.
• List questions in numbered or
bulleted form.
• Use open-ended questions (What
steps are necessary…) instead of yes-
or-no questions (Will she complete her
contractual obligation…).
• Suggest reader benefits, if possible.

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 Writing Plan for Direct Requests

Closing
• State specifically, and
courteously, what action is
to be taken.
• Mention an end date, if
necessary. Provide logical
reasoning for the end date.
• Make it easy for the receiver
to respond.

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 13
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 Before Version of a
Request E-Mail
To: Caitlin Roberts
From: Patrick Banerjee
Subject: New Policy
This e-mail is to inform you that I continue to receive disturbing
reports about the misuse of e-mail by employees. In the course of
the past three months, I have heard of facebooking, tweeting, and
gaming. Excessive use of e-mail including downloads of videos is
sapping our bandwidth and slowing down the entire system.
In view of the foregoing, I am herewith instructing your office that
an e-mail policy to the staff is needed. By October 1 a rough draft of
a policy should be forthcoming. At the very minimum it should
inform each and every employee that e-mail is for business only.
Employees must be told that we reserve the right to monitor all
messages. No videos should be in the e-mail system without a valid
reason. And we should not be using company Internet access for
facebooking, tweeting, and gaming. No way!
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call.
©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 14
 After Version
of a Request E-Mail
To: Caitlin Roberts
From: Patrick Banerjee
Subject: Please Draft Employee E-mail Policy
Please draft a policy outlining appropriate e-mail use to employees.
We need a company e-mail policy because I have received reports
of misuse including facebooking, tweeting, gaming, and video
downloads. This misuse is sapping our bandwidth and slowing the
system. Here are a few points that the policy should cover:
• E-mail is for business only.
• Internet access should not be used for facebooking, tweeting,
shopping, and gaming.
• Videos may be downloaded only for valid work-related purposes.
• E-mail messages may be monitored.
Please submit a draft to me by October 1 because we hope to have
a final policy completed by November 5. Call if you have questions.

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 15
 Writing Plan for E-Mail, Memo, and
Letter Replies

Subject Line
• Summarize the main information
from your reply. (A subject line is
optional in letters.)

• Use abbreviated style

omitting articles (a, an, the).

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 16
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 Writing Plan for E-Mail, Memo, and
Letter Replies
Opening
• Start directly by responding to
the request with a summary
statement.
• Deliver the information that
the reader wants.
• When announcing good
news, do so promptly.

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 17
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 Writing Plan for E-Mail, Memo, and
Letter Replies
Body
• Explain the subject logically.
• Use lists, tables, headings,
bold, or italics to add
emphasis and improve
readability.
• Promote your products and
your organization to
customers.

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 15
 Writing Plan for E-Mail, Memo, and
Letter Replies
Closing
• Offer a concluding thought,
perhaps referring to the
information or action requested.
• Avoid cliché endings (If you
have any other questions, don’t
hesitate to call).
• Be cordial.

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 16
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 Responding to
Customers Online
• Vocal individuals can start a
firestorm of criticism or become
powerful brand ambassadors
championing certain products
they love.
• Companies must adopt strategies
that help them decide when and in
what ways to respond.
• Decision trees and diagrams guide
employees in responding to online posts.
©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 20
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 Responding to
Customers Online
Be positive
Be transparent

Be honest

Be timely

Be helpful

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 Writing Plan for Instruction
Messages
Subject Line
• Summarize the content of
the message.

Opening
• Expand the subject line by
stating the main idea concisely
in a full sentence.

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 Writing Plan for Instruction
Messages
Body
• Present the instructions in
orderly steps.
• Arrange the items vertically
with numbers.

• Begin each step with an action

verb using the imperative mood
(Sign and return the enclosed
document).
©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 23
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 Writing Plan for Instruction
Messages
Closing
• Request a specific action,
summarize the message, or
present a closing thought.
• Include a deadline and a
reason, if appropriate.

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 24
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 Instruction Message
To: Staff Members
From: k.warner@fiberco.com
Subject: New Procedure for Submitting Travel Expenses
Effective immediately, please follow this procedure for submitting your
travel expenses:

1. Retain detailed itemized receipts for expenses of $25 or more.

2. Download the new Employee Expense Report form from our intranet.
3. Prepare the report within 30 days of your trip.
4. Submit to your manager.

By following this streamlined reporting procedure, you should receive your

reimbursement within 60 days of submission.

Karen Warner
Human Resources
k.warner@fiberco.com
655-340-3320

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 25
 Writing Plan for a Direct Claim

Opening
• Describe clearly the
desired action.
• State the remedy briefly when
it is obvious (Please credit my
Visa account).
• Request an explanation when
the remedy is not obvious
(Please explain your policy . . .).

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 26
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 Writing Plan for a Direct Claim

Body
• Explain your claim.

• Tell why it is justified.

• Provide details describing

the desired action.

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 27
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 Writing Plan for a Direct Claim

Closing
• End pleasantly with a
goodwill statement.
• Include an end date and action
request, if appropriate.

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 28
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 Guidelines for Writing Online
Reviews and Complaints
 Establish your credibility.
 Check posting rules.
 Provide balanced reviews.
 Consider the Web’s permanence.
 Embrace transparency.
 Accept offers for help.
 Refuse payment for favorable critiques.

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 29
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 Three Goals in
Adjustment Messages
Definition: When a company receives a
claim and decides to respond favorably, the
message is called an adjustment.

1 2 3
Rectifying the Regaining the Promoting
wrong, if one confidence of further
exists the customer business

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 30
 Writing Plan for
Adjustment Messages
Subject Line (optional)
• Identify the previous correspondence
and refer to the main topic.

Opening
• Grant the request or announce
the adjustment immediately.
• Avoid sounding grudging or reluctant.

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 Writing Plan for
Adjustment Messages
Body
• Provide details about how you are
complying with the request.
• Try to regain the
customer’s confidence.
• Explain how diligently your
organization works to avoid
disappointing customers.
• Apologize, if appropriate, but don’t
admit negligence.
©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 32
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 Writing Plan for
Adjustment Messages
Body
• Don’t use negative words (trouble,
regret, misunderstanding, fault, error).

• Avoid blaming customers–even when

they may be at fault
• Don’t blame individuals or departments
within your organization
• Avoid making unrealistic promises; you
can’t guarantee that the situation will
never recur.
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 Writing Plan for
Adjustment Messages

• Closing

• Express appreciation that the customer

wrote.
• End positively with a forward-looking thought
perhaps suggesting future business relations.
• Avoid referring to unpleasantness by
mentioning again what went wrong.

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 34
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 The Five Ss of Goodwill Messages

Be
selfless
Keep it Be
short specific

Be Be
spontan- sincere
eous
©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 35
 Saying Thank You

• Written notes expressing thanks are

appreciated by their receivers.
• Thank-you notes are typically
short messages written on
notepaper.
• Businesspeople build goodwill by
thanking others graciously.

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 36
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 Replying to Goodwill Messages

• Send a brief note expressing

your appreciation.
• Tell how good the
message made you feel.
• Accept praise graciously.
Don’t make belittling statements.
(I’m not really deserving of that).

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 37
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 Is E-mail Appropriate for
Goodwill Messages?
• Depending on your relationship
with the receiver, sending a
goodwill message by e-mail is
acceptable.
• An e-mail may precede a phone
call or a handwritten message.
• Handwritten notes are most
impressive because they remain
and can be savored. E-mail is
quickly forgotten.
©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 6 / Slide 38
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Question & Answers