Planning

Business Messages

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 1

Three-Step Writing Process

• Planning
• Writing
• Completing

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 2

 Optimizing Writing Time

• Planning 50%
• Writing 25%
• Completing 25%

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 3

 Analyze the Situation

• Define your purpose

• Profile your audience

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 4

 Define Your Purpose

• General • Specific
– Inform – Realism
– Persuade – Timing
– Collaborate – Delivery
– Acceptability

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 5

 Test Your Purpose

1. What will your message change?

2. Is your purpose realistic?
3. Is the timing right?
4. Is the right person delivering it?
5. Is your purpose acceptable?

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 6

 Profile Your Audience
• Identify primary audience
• Determine size
• Determine composition
• Gauge level of knowledge
• Project expectations and preferences
• Estimate probable reaction
© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 7
 Gather Information

• Informal methods
– Viewpoints of others
– Reports and company documents
– Supervisors, colleagues, customers
– Audience input

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 8

 Provide Information

• Be sure information is accurate

• Be sure information is ethical
• Be sure information is pertinent

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 9

Selecting the Right Medium

• Oral
• Written
• Electronic

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 10

 Analysis of Oral Media
• Advantages
– Immediate feedback
– Ease of interaction
– Rich nonverbal cues
– Emotional content
• Disadvantages
– Restricted participation
– Nonpermanent
– Reduced control
– No editing or revision
© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 11
 Analysis of Written Media
• Advantages
– Planning and control
– Permanent record
– Wide audience
– Minimize distortion
• Disadvantages
– Delayed feedback
– Lacks nonverbal cues
– Creation and distribution
– Preparation and production
© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 12
 Electronic Media

• Voice mail • Faxing

• Teleconferencing • E-mail
• Videotape • Instant messaging
• Computer • Websites
conferencing

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 13

 Advantages
of Electronic Media
• Delivery speed
• Audience reach
• Multimedia
• Accessibility

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 14

 Disadvantages
of Electronic Media
• Tension or conflict
• Overuse
• Privacy issues
• Productivity

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 15

 Continuum
of Media Richness
• Media richness
– Leaner
• Fliers, bulletins, and reports
– Richer
• Conversations, meetings, presentations

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 16

 Choosing the Right Media

• Message formality
• Media limitations
• Sender intentions
• Urgency and cost
• Audience preferences

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 17

 Organizing Messages

• Get to the point

• Omit irrelevant details
• Use logical groupings
• Indicate relevant ideas

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 18

 Why Is Organization
So Important?
• Improves productivity
• Boosts understanding
• Increases acceptance
• Saves audience time

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 19

 Define the Main Idea

1. General purpose
2. Specific purpose
3. Basic topic
4. Main idea

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 20

 Generating Ideas

• Brainstorming
• Mapping
• Storyteller’s tour
• Journalistic approach
• Question-answer chain

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 21

 Limiting the Scope

• Time and space

• Number of main ideas
• Audience attitude
• Depth of research

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 22

 Sequencing the Message

• Direct approach
– Deductive
• Indirect approach
– Inductive

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 23

 Classifying Messages
Message Audience Type of
Type Reaction Approach

Routine, Good-News Pleased Direct

or Good Will Or Neutral

Bad News Displeased Indirect

Uninterested
Persuasive Indirect
or Unwilling

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 24

 Constructing Outlines
Alphanumeric Decimal
I. First Major Part 1.0 First Major Part
A. First subpoint 1.1 First subpoint
B. Second subpoint 1.2 Second subpoint
1. Evidence 1.2.1Evidence
2. Evidence 1.2.2Evidence
C. Third subpoint 1.2.3 Third subpoint
II. Second Major Point 2.0 Second Major Point
A. First subpoint 2.1 First subpoint
B. Second subpoint 2.2 Second subpoint

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 25

 Charting Organizations

The Main Idea

I. Major Point II. Major Point III. Major Point

A. Evidence A. Evidence A. Evidence

B. Evidence B. Evidence B. Evidence

C. Evidence C. Evidence C. Evidence

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 26

 Organizing Messages

• State the main idea

• State major points
• Provide evidence

© Prentice Hall, 2005 Business Communication Today 8e Chapter 4 - 27