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Planning Business Messages
Writing Business Messages
Completing Business Messages
Chapter 5-6-7
The Three-Step Writing Process
Planning Writing Completing
Purpose: Effective
messages messages messages & efficient
communication
Analyze the Adapt to your Revise your
situation audience message
The more you use,
the more intuitive
Gather the Compose your Produce your and automatic it will
information message message become.
Select the best
combination of
Proofread
medium and Time allocation
channel
target
Organize the Distribute your 50% ~ 25% ~25%
information message
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The Three-Step Writing Process
Step 1 Plan Step 2 Write Step 3 Complete
• Analyze the Situation: • Adapt to Your Audience: • Revise the Message:
Define purpose & audience. Sensitive to audience needs Improve clarity &
by using a “you” attitude, conciseness.
• Gather Information: politeness, positive emphasis
Determine audience needs • Produce the Message:
and unbiased language. Build Ensure a professional
& obtain the information a strong relationship with
necessary to satisfy those layout.
your audience by establishing
needs. your credibility and projecting • Proofread the
• Choose Medium and your company’s preferred Message: Review for
Channel: Identify the best image. Control your style with errors in layout, spelling,
combination for the a conversational tone, plain and mechanics.
situation, message and English, and appropriate • Distribute the
audience. voice. Message: Deliver your
• Organize the Information: • Compose the Message: message using the
Define your main idea, limit Choose strong words that will chosen channel; make
your scope, select the help you create effective sure all documents and
direct or indirect approach sentences and coherent all relevant files are
and outline your content. paragraphs. distributed successfully.
PLANNING BUSINESS MESSAGES
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Planning Effectively
• Thoughtful planning is necessary to make sure you
provide the right information in the right format to the right
people.
• With careful planning, the writing stage is faster, easier,
and much less stressful.
• Planning can save you from embarrassing blunders that
could hurt your company or your career.
Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Essential for a right content and tone of a message
1. Define purpose
• General and Specific Purposes of a Message
– Inform, persuade, or collaborate
– What you want to accomplish
• Ask these four questions:
1. Will anything change because of your message?
2. Is your purpose realistic?
3. Is the time right?
4. Is your purpose acceptable to your organization?
• Develop audience profile
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Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Essential for a right content and tone of a message
2. Develop audience profile
• Identify your primary audience.
• Determine audience size and geographic distribution.
• Determine audience composition.
• Gauge audience members’ level of understanding.
• Understand audience expectation and preferences.
• Forecast probable audience reactions.
Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Audience Analysis to Plan a Message
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Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Practice
You are employed by a company headquartered in the United
States but are currently based in a subsidiary located in a small
town in Taiwan. Your current task involves working on a project
specific to this subsidiary, which requires you to prepare a report
recommending the adoption of remote work policies. The aim of
this report is to enhance employee satisfaction and reduce
operational costs. Please work on the planning step.
– Primary audience.
– Audience size and geographic distribution.
– Audience composition.
– Audience members’ level of understanding.
– Audience expectation and preferences.
– Forecast probable audience reactions.
Project: A report recommending the adoption of remote work policies to
improve employee satisfaction and reduce operational costs.
– Primary Audience: The executive leadership team, including the
CEO, CFO, and HR Director.
– Size and Geographic Distribution: Five members, with three based
at headquarters and two working remotely from Taiwan.
– Composition: All have extensive experience in corporate
management, but some may be unfamiliar with the latest trends in
remote work technology.
– Level of Understanding: While they understand the financial
implications, they may not fully grasp the potential productivity and
morale benefits of remote work.
– Expectations and Preferences: They expect a detailed analysis of
cost savings, employee feedback, and potential challenges. A formal
report with supporting data and recommendations is preferred.
– Probable Reaction: Some executives may be skeptical about remote
work's impact on collaboration and accountability. The report should
address these concerns with evidence from successful case studies.
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Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
• Simple messages
– may have all the information needed
• Complex messages
– may need to do some research and analysis before
writing
• Use a variety of techniques to gather insights and guide
your research efforts.
– Read reports and other company documents.
– Consider the audience’s perspective.
– Understand the audience’s need.
▪ Listen to the community.
▪ Talk with supervisors, colleagues, or customers.
▪ Ask your audience for input.
Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Provide required information
• Provide required information
– Journalistic approach: who, what, when, where, why,
and how
• Be sure the information is accurate.
– Quality of information is just as important as quantity
– Double check every piece of information
• Be sure the information is ethical.
• Be sure the information is pertinent.
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Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Medium vs Channel
• The medium is the form a message takes.
• The channel is the system used to deliver the message.
• The simplest way to categorize media choices is to divide
them into oral (spoken), written, and visual.
• Each can be delivered through digital and nondigital
channels.
Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
The Most Common Media and Channel
Options
• Oral medium, in-person channel
– Talking with people who are in the same location
– Management by walking around
• Oral medium, digital channel:
– Transmission of voice via electronic means, both live
and recorded
– Example: telephone calls, Internet telephone (VoIP)
services such as Skype, voicemail messages, and
podcasts
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Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
The Most Common Media and Channel
Options
• Written medium, print channel
– Memos, letters
– Choose a printed message when you:
▪ Want to make a formal impression
▪ Are legally required to provide information in
printed form
▪ Want to stand out from the flood of digital
messages
▪ Need a permanent, unchangeable, or secure
record
Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
The Most Common Media and Channel
Options
• Written medium, digital channel
– Emails, Social media posts
• Visual medium, print channel
– Tables, diagrams
– Supporting material in printed documents
• Visual medium, digital channel
– Infographics, interactive diagrams, animation, and
digital video
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Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Factors to Consider When Choosing
Media and Channels
• Richness
• Formality
• Media and channel limitations
• Urgency
• Cost
• Audience preferences
• Security and privacy
Medium/Channel Combinations:
Advantages and Disadvantages
Medium/Channel Advantages Disadvantages
Oral, in-person • Provide opportunity for immediate feedback • Restrict participation to those
• Easily resolve misunderstandings and negotiate physically present
meanings • Unless recorded, provide no
• Involve rich nonverbal cues (both physical permanent, verifiable record of the
gestures and vocal inflections) communication
• Allow you to express the emotion behind your • Can reduce communicator’s
message control over the message
Oral, digital • Can provide opportunity for immediate feedback • Lack nonverbal cues other than
(live phone or online conversations) voice inflections
• Not restricted to participants in the same location • Can be tedious to listen to if not
• Allow time-shifted consumption (podcasts, for audience focused (recorded
example) messages such as podcasts)
Written, printed • Allow writers to plan and control their messages • Offer limited opportunities for
• Can reach geographically dispersed audiences, timely feedback
although not as easily as digital • Lack the rich nonverbal cues
• Offer a permanent, verifiable record provided by oral media
• Can be used to avoid immediate interactions • Often take more time and more
• Can deemphasize emotional elements resources to create and distribute
• Give recipients time to process messages before • Can require special skills in
responding (compared with oral communication preparation and production
and some digital formats) (elaborate documents)
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Medium/Channel Combinations:
Advantages and Disadvantages
Medium/Channel Advantages Disadvantages
Written, digital In general, all the advantages of written printed • Can be limited in terms of reach
documents plus: and capability (for instance, you
• Can be delivered quickly need someone’s email address
• Offer the flexibility of multiple formats and before sending a message)
channels, from microblogs to wikis • Require internet or mobile
• Offer the ability to structure messages in creative phone connectivity
ways, such as writing a headline on Twitter and • Are easy to overuse (sending
linking to the full message on a blog too many messages to too many
• Can offer links to related and more in-depth recipients)
information • Create privacy risks and
• Can increase accessibility and openness in an concerns (exposing confidential
organization through broader sharing data; employer monitoring;
• Enable audience interaction through social media accidental forwarding)
features • Entail security risks (viruses,
• Can be easily integrated with other media types, spyware; network breaches)
such as embedded videos or photos • Can create productivity
concerns (frequent interruptions;
nonbusiness usage)
Medium/Channel Combinations:
Advantages and Disadvantages
Medium/Channel Advantages Disadvantages
Visual, printed • Can convey complex ideas and relationships • Can require artistic skills to
quickly design (complicated visuals)
• Are often less intimidating than long blocks of • Require some technical skills to
text create
• Can reduce the burden on the audience to • Can require more time to
figure out how the pieces of a message or create than equivalent amount
concept fit of text
• Make simple charts and graphs (easy to create • Can be expensive to print
in spreadsheets and other software), then (large or elaborate pieces)
integrate with reports
Visual, digital In general, all the advantages of visual printed • Require time, cost, and skills to
documents and all the advantages of written create
digital formats plus: • Can require large amounts of
• Can personalize and enhance the experience bandwidth to distribute
for audience members
• Offer the persuasive power of multimedia
formats, particularly video
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Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
• Good organization benefits your audiences by helping
them accept your message in less time.
• Good organization helps the receivers of your message
in three ways:
1. It helps them understand your message.
2. It helps them accept your message.
3. It saves your audience time.
Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Defining Your Main Idea
• The topic of your message is the overall subject.
• The main idea is a specific statement about that topic.
General Example of Specific Example of Example of Main Idea
Purpose Purpose Topic
To inform Teach customer service Technical Careful, thorough edits and additions
representatives how to support wiki to the wiki help the entire department
edit and expand the provide better customer support.
technical support wiki
To persuade Convince top managers Funding for Competitors spend more than we do
to increase spending on research and on research and development, which
research and development helps them create more innovative
development products.
To Solicit ideas for a Incentive pay Tying wages to profits motivates
collaborate companywide incentive employees and reduces compensation
system that ties wages to costs in tough years.
profits
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Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Defining Your Main Idea
• If your main idea is not clear, multiple creative approaches can
clarify and refine it.
– Brainstorming
▪ Generating as many ideas as possible
– Journalistic approach
– Question-and-answer chain
▪ Start with a key question and work back to the
message
• Storyteller’s tour
• Mind mapping
– Generate and organize ideas
Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Limiting Your Scope
• Scope of message: the range of information presented,
the overall length, & level of details.
• Limit the number of major supporting points to the most
compelling and important ideas.
• The ideal length of a message depends on:
– The topic
– Your audience members’ familiarity with the material
– Their receptivity to your conclusions
– Your credibility
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Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Choose Direct or Indirect Approach
• Two options:
– Direct approach—starts with the main idea and
follows with supporting points and evidence
– Indirect approach—starts with reasoning, evidence,
and background information, and builds up to the
main idea
▪ Indirect approach is used when:
1. Your audience is likely skeptical or hostile
2. You need to convey negative information
3. You want to persuade people
Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Organizing Your Thoughts with a Clear Outline
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Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Outlining Your Content
• Identify the main idea
– This helps establish the goals and strategy of the
message.
• Two considerations:
1. What you want your audience to do or think
2. Why it is beneficial for them to do so
• Assemble major supporting points
• Gather compelling examples and evidence
Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Six Types of Detail
Type of Detail Example Example
Facts and Sales are strong this month. We have Enhance credibility more
figures two new contracts worth $5 million and than any other type, but can
a good chance of winning another worth become tedious if used
$2.5 million. excessively.
Example or We’ve spent four months trying to hire Adds life to a message, but
illustration recent accounting graduates, but so far, one example doesn’t
only one person has joined our firm. necessarily prove a point.
One candidate told me that she would Idea must be supported by
love to work for us, but she can get other evidence as well.
$10,000 more a year elsewhere.
Description Upscale hamburger restaurants target Helps audience visualize the
burger lovers who want more than the subject by creating a
convenience and low prices of a fast- sensory impression. Doesn’t
food burger. These places feature more prove a point but clarifies it
adventuresome menus, a greater range and makes it memorable.
of toppings, and a more sophisticated
atmosphere.
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Analyze Situation Gather Information Choose Medium & Channel Organize Information
Six Types of Detail
Type of Detail Example Example
Narration When Rita Longworth took over as C E O, Stimulates audience interest
(storytelling) she faced a tough choice: shut down the through the use of dramatic tension.
tablet P C division entirely or outsource In many instances, must be
manufacturing to lower costs while keeping supplemented with statistical data in
the division alive. As her first step, she order to prove a point convincingly.
convened a meeting with all the managers
in the division to get their input on the two
options. (Story continues from there.)
Reference to I discussed this idea with Jackie Loman in Bolsters a case while adding variety
authority the Chicago plant, and she was very and credibility. Works only if
supportive. As you know, Jackie has been authority is recognized and
in charge of that plant for the past six years. respected by audience.
She is confident that we can speed up the
number 2 line by 150 units an hour if we
add another worker.
Visual aids Graphs, charts, tables, infographics, data Helps audience grasp the key
visualization, photos, video points about sets of data or
visualize connections between
ideas.
Checklist: Planning Business Messages (1 of 3)
Checklist Planning Business Messages
• A. Analyze the situation.
– Determine whether the purpose of your message is to inform, persuade,
or collaborate.
– Identify what you want your audience to think or do after receiving the
message.
– Make sure your purpose is worthwhile and realistic.
– Make sure the time is right for your message.
– Make sure your purpose is acceptable to your organization.
– Identify the primary audience.
– Determine the size and composition of your audience.
– Estimate your audience’s level of understanding and probable reaction
to your message.
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Checklist: Planning Business Messages (2 of 3)
• B. Gather information.
– Decide whether to use formal or informal techniques for
gathering information.
– Figure out what your audience needs to know.
– Provide all required information, and make sure it’s accurate,
ethical, and pertinent.
• C. Select the best combination of medium and channel for your
message.
– Understand the advantages and disadvantages of oral, written,
and visual media distributed through both digital and nondigital
channels.
– Consider media richness, formality, media limitations, urgency,
cost, and audience preference.
Checklist: Planning Business Messages (3 of 3)
• D. Organize your information.
– Define your main idea.
– Limit your scope.
– Choose the direct or indirect approach.
– Outline content by defining your main idea, identifying
major supporting points, and gathering examples and
evidence.
– Look for opportunities to use storytelling to build
audience interest.
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