BUS 251: BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION

Spring 2019
 Lecture 10 - 11: Getting to the Point in Good News & Neutral
Messages (Chap 7)

Learning Outcomes:
▪ Good News and Neutral Messages in Business
▪ General Direct Plan for Direct-Order Messages
▪ Write Clear, Well Structured Routine Inquiries
▪ Write Direct, Orderly, and Favorable Answers to Inquiries
▪ Write Order Acknowledgement and Other Thank You Messages that Build
Goodwill
▪ Write Direct Claims in Situations Where an Adjustment will Likely be
Granted
▪ Compose Adjustment Grants that Regain Any Lost Confidence.
Good News and Neutral Messages in
Business
 Good News and Neutral Messages in Business

❖ Most business messages are crafted to solve every day business

problems – requesting information, providing information, announcing
good news or just routine communication about company’s culture and
work.
❖ In business, people need to know what to do, why, and how.
❖ External audiences also expect and need information presented as
clearly and concisely as possible.
 Which One to Choose? Direct or Indirect Plan?

❖ Writing any messages other than those for most mechanical, routine
circumstances requires careful thinking about the situation, you readers,
and your goals.
❖ As a good beginning, assess your reader’s probable reaction to your
message.
❖ If the reaction is likely to be positive or neutral, your best approach is
likely to be a direct plan – one that gets to the objective right away
without delay.
❖ If your reader’s reaction is likely to be negative, you may need to use the
indirect plan.
 Examples of Different Business Communications

❖ Routine Inquiries
❖ Responses to the Inquiries
❖ Direct Claims
(customer: delivery cost is 10 tk, but actual cost 50 tk main obj: 40tk refund)
❖ Grant Adjustments
❖ Order Acknowledgement
 THE GENERAL DIRECT PLAN
Beginning with the main objective, Covering the remaining part of the objective, Ending
with goodwill
 Beginning with the Objective

❖ Begin with your objective. If you are seeking information, start by asking
for it. If you are giving information, start by giving it. What ever it is – Lead
with it.
❖ If your reader is not expecting to hear from you or hearing from you for
the first time, you might need to open with a brief orienting phrase,
clause, or even sentence.
❖ However, keep any initial remark brief and get to the real message. Then
stop the first paragraph.
 Covering the Remaining Part of the Objective

❖ If all is covered with the opening sentence, nothing else is needed.

❖ If you have to ask or answer additional questions or provide information,
do so in the body of your message.
 End with Goodwill

❖ End the message with some appropriate friendly comment.

❖ Include a closing to the relevant topic of your message. General closings
like “Thank you” or “If you need further information, please don’t hesitate to
ask” are polite but clichés.
❖ Customize your message to build more goodwill such as “If you will answer
these questions about Ms. Hill right away, we can fill accounting position
before our busy tax season.”
❖ Be careful with phrases like “as soon as possible” or “at your convenience”.
If you need your response by a specific date e.g. “Your answers to these
questions by July 1 will help Ms. Hill and us to meet our deadline for filling
the accounting position.”
ROUTINE INQUIRIES
Write clear, well structured routine inquiries
 Choosing from Two Types of Beginnings

❖ There are two types of beginnings:

▪ With a direct question or request: If you begin with a direct question or
request, you can ask one broad question that sets up other questions you
will ask in the body of the message. For example:
Could you please send me the entry requirements information about the MBA
program?
▪ With a brief statement to orient the reader: followed by the request or
question.
The one-year extensive MBA program you advertised on June 19 seems like
a great opportunity for me. To help me decide on the program, could you
please provide me information about the entry requirements?
 Informing and Explaining Adequately

❖ If you do not explain enough or if you misjudge the reader’s knowledge, you
make the reader’s task difficult
❖ A good place to include explanatory material is before or after the direct
request in the opening paragraph
 Structuring the Questions

❖ If inquiry involves one question, you move to the goodwill ending

❖ If you have to ask several questions, develop a logical/organised list in your
body
▪ If you have 2 Qs, make them stand out
▪ You can make each question a separate sentence with a bullet.
▪ You can also make each question a paragraph, if needed.
▪ You can also rank your questions with numbers (e.g. first, second, third,
etc.)
▪ Use true question format (e.g. instead of I would like to know the cost…
use how much it costs?)
▪ Avoid questions that can be answered with a yes/no (instead of “is the
chair available in blue” use “In what colors the chair is available?”)
• Asking main obj: The one-year extensive MBA program you advertised on June 19
seems like a great opportunity for me. To help me decide on the program, could you please provide
me information about the entry requirements?

CAREER OPPORTUNITY
COMMUNITY
TUITION FEE
PART-TIME JOB OPPORTUNITY
DOCUMENTS
• Goodwill:
 Ending with Goodwill

❖ As discussed in the general plan is appropriate here.

 Reviewing the Order

❖ Focus directly on the objective, with either a specific question that sets up
the entire message or general request for the information.
❖ Include any necessary explanation, wherever it best fits.
❖ If two or more questions are involved, make them stand out with bullets,
numbering, paragraphing, and/or question form.
❖ End with goodwill words adapted to the topic of the message.
FAVORABLE RESPONSES
Write direct, orderly, and favorable answers to inquiries
 Begin with the Answer

❖ Directness here means giving the readers what they want at the beginning.
❖ Begin by answering
❖ What happens if you have more than one answers?
❖ Involve telling you are giving the readers what he or she is looking for-
Example: Here are the answers to your questions about the Edinburgh MBA
program
 Logically Arranging the Answers

❖ You have little to do if you answer one question

❖ You should order the answer logically when you have a series of questions
to answer
❖ You can number the answers, especially if the reader numbered the
questions. Or you may decide to arrange your answers by paragraphs so
that each stands out clearly.
 Skillfully Handling the Negatives

❖ Place the good news in position of high emphasis – at paragraph beginnings

and endings and at the beginning and ending of the message as a whole.
❖ Place the bad news in the secondary position.
❖ Use space emphasis: give more space to good news and less space to bad
news.
❖ Use positive words. The goal is to make your readers feel good about you
and your company.
 Considering Extras

❖ To build good will, you have to consider including extras

❖ Add some valuable extra pieces of information that the reader didn’t ask for
❖ Extras will help the reader to make the decision and establish a good
business relationship with you
❖ Example (The Edinburgh MBA)-
Performance of graduates- 95% of our MBA graduates get into jobs
within 6 months of graduation
 Closing Cordially

❖ Ending should be cordial

❖ Exploit the polite words that fit the case
❖ For example, please let me know if you need further assistance in deciding
whether the Edinburgh MBA will fulfill your requirements.
 Reviewing the Order

❖ Begin with the answer or state that you are complying with the request
❖ Continue to respond in way that is logical and orderly
❖ De-emphasize any negative information
❖ Consider including extras
❖ End with a friendly comment adapted to your reader.
End of Chap 7 Part 1