Chapter 06Chapter 06

The Process Of Preparing The Process Of Preparing Effective Business MessagesEffective Business Messages

By By Syed Maqsood AhmedSyed Maqsood Ahmed

Five Planning StepsFive Planning Steps

To prepare an effective business message To prepare an effective business message weather written or oral you need to weather written or oral you need to

PlanPlan OrganizeOrganize Draft Draft Revise Revise Edit and proof readEdit and proof read Thoughtful adherence to communication principle the 7 Thoughtful adherence to communication principle the 7

C’s are also essential, and awareness of legal and ethical C’s are also essential, and awareness of legal and ethical aspects. aspects.

Five Planning StepsFive Planning Steps

To communicate effectively consider the To communicate effectively consider the following steps before you write your messagefollowing steps before you write your message

1.1. Identify your purposeIdentify your purpose

2.2. Analyze your audienceAnalyze your audience

3.3. Choose your ideasChoose your ideas

4.4. Collect data to support your ideas Collect data to support your ideas

5.5. Organize your message Organize your message

Identify Your PurposeIdentify Your Purpose

Your first step when planning your Your first step when planning your communication is to determine your specific communication is to determine your specific purpose. The objective of your message is purpose. The objective of your message is always twofold. always twofold.

1.1. The reason of messageThe reason of message: Such as giving : Such as giving information or marketing your products or information or marketing your products or negotiation with the supplier negotiation with the supplier

2.2. The goodwillThe goodwill

Analyze Your Audience Analyze Your Audience

For effective communication always see your For effective communication always see your message form your receiver’s point of viewmessage form your receiver’s point of view

Their CultureTheir Culture Their NeedsTheir Needs Their InterestsTheir Interests Their AttitudesTheir Attitudes Examples Examples

Choose Your IdeasChoose Your Ideas

After identifying your purpose and analyzing After identifying your purpose and analyzing your receiver the next step is to choose the your receiver the next step is to choose the ideas for your message. ideas for your message.

If you answering a letter, underline the main If you answering a letter, underline the main points to discuss and jot your ideas in the points to discuss and jot your ideas in the margin.margin.

If you are writing a unsolicited or a complex If you are writing a unsolicited or a complex message, begin by listing ideas as they come message, begin by listing ideas as they come to you. Examples from book to you. Examples from book

Collect Your DataCollect Your Data

Be sure to collect enough data to support your Be sure to collect enough data to support your ideas;ideas;

Check NamesCheck Names Dates Dates AddressesAddresses And Statistics for precision (Facts & Figures) And Statistics for precision (Facts & Figures)

Organize Your MessageOrganize Your Message Organizing your material before writing your first Organizing your material before writing your first

draft can prevent rambling and unclear messages, draft can prevent rambling and unclear messages, however different approaches are followed in however different approaches are followed in different culturesdifferent cultures

Direct Approach--- US. Europe Direct Approach--- US. Europe Indirect Approach – Middle East and Asia. Indirect Approach – Middle East and Asia.

Basic Organizational PlansBasic Organizational Plans

Organizational plans depends on a number of factors Organizational plans depends on a number of factors

1.1. How your listener or receiver will react to your message. How your listener or receiver will react to your message.

2.2. How much this person knows about the topicHow much this person knows about the topic

3.3. What is his or her cultural conversations What is his or her cultural conversations For letters and memos one of the four basic organizational For letters and memos one of the four basic organizational

plan can be chosenplan can be chosen The Direct Request The Direct Request Good NewsGood News Bad NewsBad News Persuasive RequestPersuasive Request

Direct Approach (Deductive)Direct Approach (Deductive)

Use the direct approach when your receiver is Use the direct approach when your receiver is receptive to your message, or will have a receptive to your message, or will have a favourable or neutral reaction to your message. favourable or neutral reaction to your message.

You begin with the main idea or best news. You begin with the main idea or best news. After the opening, you include all necessary After the opening, you include all necessary

explanatory details in one or two paragraphs explanatory details in one or two paragraphs and end with an appropriate, friendly closing.and end with an appropriate, friendly closing.

Check list 6.1 page 143Check list 6.1 page 143

Direct ApproachDirect Approach

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Indirect Approach (Inductive)Indirect Approach (Inductive)

Indirect approach can be used when you Indirect approach can be used when you expect resistance to your message expect resistance to your message

Such as in a bad news message or persuasive Such as in a bad news message or persuasive request. request.

Generally you should not use the main idea in Generally you should not use the main idea in the first paragraph the first paragraph

Check list 6.2 page 144Check list 6.2 page 144 Examples page 145-150 Examples page 145-150

Beginnings & Endings Beginnings & Endings

Two of the most important positions is any Two of the most important positions is any business message are the opening and closing.business message are the opening and closing.

There is an old saying. “ first impressions are There is an old saying. “ first impressions are lasting & we remember what we read last”.lasting & we remember what we read last”.

So try to place you main ideas at the beginning So try to place you main ideas at the beginning and ending of a message. and ending of a message.

Opening Paragraphs Opening Paragraphs Opening of the message decides that whether the reader is Opening of the message decides that whether the reader is

going to continue or discard it. going to continue or discard it. 1.1. Choose an appropriate opening for the message purpose and the Choose an appropriate opening for the message purpose and the

readerreader Main idea or good news first for the direct approach Main idea or good news first for the direct approach Buffer first for bad mewsBuffer first for bad mews Attention getting news firstAttention getting news first

2.2. Make the opening considerate, courteous, concise and clear. Make the opening considerate, courteous, concise and clear. Get reader into openingGet reader into opening keep first paragraph relatively shortkeep first paragraph relatively short Focus on the positiveFocus on the positive Use courteous languageUse courteous language Avoid unnecessary repetitionAvoid unnecessary repetition

3.3. Check for completeness Check for completeness

Closing A ParagraphClosing A Paragraph

Closing should be strong clear and polite Closing should be strong clear and polite It should leave a sense of closure and It should leave a sense of closure and

goodwill with the receiver goodwill with the receiver 1.1. Make your request clear & complete with the 5 W’s Make your request clear & complete with the 5 W’s

2.2. End on a positive, courteous thoughtEnd on a positive, courteous thought

3.3. Keep the last paragraph concise and correctKeep the last paragraph concise and correct

Composing The MessageComposing The Message

Drafting your messageDrafting your message Revising your messageRevising your message Editing and proofreading your message. Editing and proofreading your message.