Preparing Effective Business Messages

INTRODUCTION•While preparing an effective written or oral message, one needs to plan, organize, draft, revise, edit and proofread.•Equally important is the adherence to the communication principles, namely, the seven C qualities of communication.•Even with the most advanced forms of technology, preparation of written and oral messages is an essential requisite. •Now with companies going global and international, there is more emphasis on thoughtful preparation of messages.

FIVE PLANNING STEPS

•To communicate effectively, the following steps must be considered carefully before writing messages:• Identify your purpose•Analyze your audience•Select your ideas•Collect data to support your ideas•Organize your message

•Identify Your Purpose The objective of your message is the most important consideration. Identify the specific purpose for constituting your message – whether it is merely informational, or, whether it is persuasive, or are you trying to negotiate, or explaining the reason for something that you are unable to provide. Al messages have an underlying ‘relational’ purpose that is twofold – the reason for the message itself, and, to create goodwill.

•Analyze Your Audience It is very important to adapt your messages to the receivers’ views, mental filters, needs, interests’, attitudes and even their culture. Understand the nuances of preparing messages and take care of even with the salutation of the letter, paying proper attention to the proper placement of first and last names and even the correct titles.

•Try to understand if the person is a member of a group, committee, or a colleague, or a superior, or a subordinate, a woman or a man.•Also consider if your readers or listeners are informed or uninformed on the subject and their possible reaction – positive/negative/interest/ disinterest.

•Select Your Ideas The next step is to choose the ideas for your message. The ideas you include depends on the type of message you are sending, the situation and the cultural context. If you are answering a letter, the jot down the main points to discuss. Suppose you are sending an unsolicited or complex message, then list down your ideas as they come to you and then select the best ideas for your receiver.

•Collect Your Data After having decided what you wish to include, determine if you require specific facts, figures, quotation or other forms of evidence to support your message. Always check your data for correctness such as names, dates, rates, addresses and statistics for precision.

•Organize Your Message Before you write your first draft, outline your message. The order of the presentation of your message is as important as the ideas themselves. Disorganized, rambling messages seem careless, confusing and unimportant. You must vary your approaches according to differing cultures. For example, a direct style is preferred by U.S. businesspeople and Europeans while an indirect style is effective in South America, Asian countries and middle eastern countries.

BASIC ORGANIZATIONAL PLANS•The choice of organizational plans depends on several factors:• How you expect the readers/listeners to react to your message•How much the reader/listener is aware about the topic/situation•What is the cultural convention of the reader/listener

FOUR BASIC ORGANIZATIONAL PLANS

Direct-Request PlanGood-News PlanBad-News PlanPersuasive Request Plan

APPROACHES IN ORGANIZATIONAL PLANS

•There are Two approaches in the organizational plans, namely:

•Direct or Deductive Approach•Indirect or Inductive Approach• Direct-Request Plan & Good-News Plan use the Direct or Deductive approach.•Bad-News Plan & Persuasive-Request Plan use the Indirect or Inductive Approach.

DIRECT OR DEDUCTIVE APPROACH

•The Direct approach can be used when your audience will have a favorable or neutral reaction to your message.

•You can begin with the main idea or best news. After the opening, 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 the message is to make a request that requires less persuasion.

•This can be used to grant requests, announce favorable or neutral information, and exchange routine information.

INDIRECT OR INDUCTIVE APPROACH•The indirect or inductive approach can be used when your readers/listeners may react negatively to your message. In such cases, do 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.

•This pleasant and neutral opening is called ‘The Porch’.

•Man bad-news and persuasive requests plan use the Indirect approach. Goodwill and reader benefits are essential to these messages.

•Some cultural communication conventions require an indirect approach.

DIRECT OR DEDUCTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN

Direct-Request Plan Good-News Plan•Main idea a. Request, main statement, assertion,

recommendation, question b. Reasons, if desirable

1. Best news or main idea

2.Explanation a. All necessary & desirable details & data b. Numbered questions, if helpful c. Easy reading devices

2. Explanation a. All necessary & desirable details & data b. Favorable information about the product/service (Resale material) c. Educational material d. Sales promotional material

3.Courteous close, with motivation to action a. Clear statement of action required b. Easy action, dated when desirable c. Appreciation & goodwill

3. Positive, friendly close, and include if appropriate a. Appreciation b. Clear statement of action c. Easy action, dated when desirable d. Offer of further help, reader benefits

INDIRECT/INDUCTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN

Bad-News Plan Persuasive-Request Plan•Buffer (pleasant or neutral statements,

reader-oriented)

•Attention a. Reader benefit, Reader interest theme

2.Explanation a. Necessary data, tactfully stated b. Pertinent favourable, then unfavourable acts c. Reader benefit reasons

2.Interest a. Descriptive details & data b. Psychological appeals c. Reader benefits

3.Decision (implied or expressed) along with offer of additional help or suggestions

3.Desire a. Statement of request b. Supporting data to help create reader’s desire to grant request

4.Positive, friendly close a. Appreciation b. Invitation to future action desired c. Easy action, dated when desirable d. Willingness to help further e. Reader benefit & goodwill

4.Action a. Clear statement of action b. Easy action, dated when desirable c. Special inducement d. Reader benefit

BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS•Opening Paragraphs: The opening of a message determines the readability of the complete message.•Some suggestions for effective openings are as follows:1. Select openings appropriate for message purpose and reader a. Main idea or good-news subject first when the reader will consider the information favorable or neutral.

b. Buffer first if the news is not favourable c. Attention getting statements first when the news is a persuasive request.2. Make the opening considerate, courteous, concise, and clear.3. Check for completeness.

CLOSINGS

1.Make action request clear and complete with the five W’s and one H.

2.End on a positive, courteous thought

3.Keep last paragraph concise and correct.

COMPOSING THE MESSAGE

•Drafting the message

•Revising the message

•Editing and proofreading the message

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