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©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. MODULE 12 Negative Messages.
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Transcript of ©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights reserved. MODULE 12 Negative Messages.
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.
Module 12
Skills to
• Organize negative messages
• Give bad news while retaining goodwill
• Write common kinds of negative messages
• Further analyze business communication
situations
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.
Module 12 Outline
• How should I organize negative messages?
• What are the most common kinds of
negative messages?
• What’s the best subject line for a negative
message?
• How can PAIBOC help me write negative
messages?
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.
• Rejections and refusals
• Policy changes that don’t benefit
customers
• Insulting or intrusive requests
• Negative performance appraisals
• Product recalls or defect notices
Types of Negative Messages
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.
Primary Purposes
• To give the reader bad news
• To have the reader read, understand, and accept the message
• To maintain as much goodwill as possible
Negative Messages
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
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Secondary Purposes
• To build a good image of the writer
• To build a good image of the writer’s organization
• To reduce or eliminate future correspondence on the same subject
Negative Messages
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rights reserved.
The message may be negative but the
readers should still feel several positives:
•They have been taken seriously
•Your decision is fair and reasonable
•If they had to, they would make the same
decision
Negative Messages
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For Bad News to Customers
• Start with a neutral statement or buffer
• Give the reason for the refusal
• Give the negative just once, clearly
• Present an alternative or compromise
• End with a positive, forward-looking
statement
Negative Messages
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Types of Buffers • Start with any good news or positive elements the
letter contains
• State a fact or provide a chronology of events
• Refer to enclosures in the letter
• Thank the reader for something he or she has
done
• State a general principle
Negative Messages
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Alternatives • Offer the reader another way to get what he or
she wants.
• Suggest that the writer really cares about the
reader.
• Enable the reader to reestablish psychological
freedom.
• End on a positive note.
Negative Messages
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Bad News to Superiors
• Describe the problem
• Explain how it happened
• Describe the options for fixing it
• Recommend a solution and ask for action
Negative Messages
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Bad News to Peers & Subordinates
•Describe the problem
•Present an alternative or compromise, if one
is available
•Ask for input or action, if possible
Negative Messages
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rights reserved.
• Do you have a good relationship with the audience?
• Does the organization treat people well? • Have readers been warned of possible
negatives? • Have readers “bought into” the criteria for the
decision? • Do communications after the negative build
goodwill?
Influences on Audience Reaction
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Three Common Negative Messages
• Rejections and refusals
• Disciplinary notices and negative
performance appraisals
• Layoffs and firings
Negative Messages
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rights reserved.
Subject Lines • Omit a subject line in negative letters
• Use a negative subject line only if you think the
letter may be ignored
• Use a subject line that focuses on solutions, not
problems
Negative Messages
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.
Negative Messages
P What are your purposes in writing? A Who is (are) your audience(s)? I What information must your message
include? B What reasons or reader benefits can you use
to support your position? O What objections can you expect your
reader(s) to have? C How will the context affect reader response?