CHAPTER 7:Negative Messages

OBJECTIVES

• Understandthe goals of business communicatiors 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
• Apply effective techniques in refusing typical requests
• Applyeffective techniques for delivering negative news within
organization
 When do you use Negative messages?

• Negative
message are rejection due to all bad
things happen in business

• Bad
news carry disappointed, inrritated and
sometimes anger to the receiver.
 Goals in Communicating Negative News

• Explaining clearly and completely

• Projecting a professional image

• Conveying empathy and sensitivity

• Being fair

• Maintaining friendly relations

 Planning the Message
Analyze the Determine Profile the
Situation Your Purpose Audience

Gather Select a Define Your

Information Medium Main Idea
 DIRECT STRATEGY
• USE WHEN

When the bad news is not damaging

When the receiver may overlook the bad news

When the organization or receiver prefers directness

When firmness is necessary

Annoucing bad
news directly
 INDIRECT STRATEGY
• USE WHEN

• When the bad news is personally upsetting

• When the bad news will provoke a hostile reaction

• When the bad news threatens the customer relationship

• When the bad news is unexpected

 Comparing Strategies for Delivering
Negative News

• Direct • Indirect Strategy

Strategy

• Buffer
• Bad News

• Reasons • Reasons

• Pleasant Close • Bad News

• Pleasant Choice
 WHAT IS BUFFER?
• A device to reduce shock or pain

• A neutral, but meaningful statement that makes the reader continue

reading

• A concise, relevant first paragraph providing a natural transition to the

explanation that follows

 Begin With a Buffer
Things to Do Things to Avoid
• Show appreciation • Saying “no”
• Pay attention • A know-it-all tone
• Compliment reader • Wordy phrases
• Be understanding • Apologies

• Show sincerity • Lengthy buffers

Presenting the Reasons for the Negative News

Corporate Image

De-emphasize
De-emphasize the
the Bad
Bad News
News

Acceptance Use
Use aa Conditional
Conditional Statement
Statement Goodwill

Focus
Focus on
on the
the Positive
Positive

Future Correspondence
 Other Techniques for Cushioning the Bad
News

• Position the bad news strategically.

• Use the passive voice.

• Highlight the positive, if plausible.

• Imply the refusal.

• Suggest a compromise or an alternative.

 Closing Pleasantly

• Forward Look • Anticipate future relations or business.

• Alternative • Give follow-through advice or offer an alternative, if
available.
• Good Wishes • Express sincere feelings, e.g., thank the reader, if
applicable.
• Freebies• Send a coupon, sample, or gift, if available, to restore
confidence.
• Resaleor Sales Promotion • Invite the reader to consider your other
products or services.
 SAY NO FOR
TYPICAL REQUESTS AND CLAIMS
• Requests for favors, money, information, and action
• Claims from disappointed customers
• Invitations

• Rate increases and price hikes

• Serious problems with orders
• Credit refusals
 Writing Plan for Refusing Typical Requests and Claims

Buffer
• Start with a neutral statement, such as a compliment, appreciation, quick
review of the facts, or an apology.
• Include a key idea that acts as a transition to the reasons.
Reasons
• Present valid reasons for the refusal.
• Avoid words that create a negative tone.
 Writing Plan for Refusing Typical Requests and Claims
Bad News
• De-emphasize the bad news by using the passive voice, accentuating the positive, or
implying a refusal.
• Suggest a compromise, alternative, or substitute, if possible .
Closing
• Strive to renew good feelings with a positive statement.
• Avoid referring to the bad news.
• Consider including resale or sales promotion.
• Look forward to continued business.
Refusing
Donation
Request
Dealing With Disappointed Customers in
Print

• Call or e-mail the individual immediately.

• Describe the problem and apologize.

 Dealing With Disappointed Customers in
Print
Explain the following:

• Why the problem occurred

• What you are doing to resolve it

• How you will prevent it from happening again

• Promote goodwill by following up with a message that documents the phone

call or e-mail message.

Bad news
follow-up
message
 Responding by E-mail and in Hard Copy

Written messages are important in these situations:

• When you cannot reach the customer personally

• When you need to establish a record of the incident

• When you wish to confirm follow-up procedures

 Why Consumers Complain Online
• Customers may receive faster responses to tweets than to customer service calls.

• Griping in public may help other consumers avoid the same problems.

• Public complaints can improve the complainer’s leverage in solving a problem.

• Sending a 140-character tweet is much easier than writing a complaint e-mail.

Responding to Negative Posts and Reviews Online

What smart businesses do:

• Verify the situation.
• Respond quickly and constructively.
• Consider freebies.
• Learn how to improve.
• Accept the inevitable.
Managing Bad News Within Organizations
• Telling the boss that something went wrong

• Confronting an employee about poor performance

• Announcing declining profits, lost contracts, harmful lawsuits,

public relations controversies, and changes in policy

Announcing Bad News to Individuals or
Groups
• Gather all the information.

• Prepare and rehearse.

• Explain past, present, and future

• Consider taking a partner.

• Think about timing.

• Be patient with the reaction.

Refusing an
internal
request
 Announcing Bad News to Employees and the Public
• Smart organizations involved in a crisis usually communicate the news openly.
• Managers explain the organization’s side of the story honestly and promptly.
• Morale can be destroyed when employees learn bad news through the grapevine or
from media.
• Whenever possible, management may want to deliver bad news personally.
• Organizations deliver bad news through multiple channels, print and digital.
Annoucing bad
news to employees
 Assignment
• You are a sale executive at Happiness travel agency. Due to the outbreak of
Covid – 19, many of your customers wanted to cancel their Christmas tour
packages to Sapa, and get their money back. You understand what your
customers are worrying about. However, you can't give the refund to any
customers regarding to the company's cancellation terms. Those are written
down clearly in the contract. Covid-19 is a force majeure which is not
covered by the compnay protection. The only thing you can support them by
postpone their departure dates accordingly to their revised schedule. But
customer has to pay if there are any differences (room rate, flight ticket, peak
season...etc)
• Your task: you have to write an email to customers to explain the situation as
the company can’t pay the refund as they wanted. Give them other offers by
Happiness company