business communication -...

BUS 251: WASIK ALI KHAN ‘WRITING FOR A POSITIVE EFFECT’

Business Communication

SESSION 4, CHAPTER 5

‘WRITING FOR A POSITIVE EFFECT’


THE IMPORTANCE OF A POSITIVE EFFECT


The Importance of a Positive effect

• ‘People’ content as important as ‘informational’ content

• Helps build goodwill with business associates and customers

• Think about a bitter experience

• Courteous, pleasant behaviour is part of being professional


USING A CONVERSATIONAL STYLE

Not Colloquial. But avoid stiff, impersonal writing.


Choosing the Right Level of Formality

• Businesses have loosened up, many promote a relaxed culture

• Too formal – impersonal

• Too informal – not taking reader seriously/unprofessional

• More formal when

– Communicating with someone you don’t know

– Communicating with someone that is at a higher level than you

– Using Formal genre – letter, report, proposal

– Writing Ceremonial message – inspirational announcement

– Giving out extremely serious message

• Example: Page 97


Cutting out “Rubber Stamps”

• Rubber Stamps are expression used by habit every time a

certain type of situation occurs

• They are used without thought and are not adapted


USING THE YOU-VIEWPOINT


Using the You-viewpoint

• Focusing on the reader’s interests, no matter what type of

message you are preparing

• Sometimes it involves being friendly

• Sometimes it means managing people’s responses with

carefully chosen words in a carefully designed order


Sample Uses of the You-viewpoint

• “We are pleased to have your new account” – “Your new

charge account is open for your convenience”

• Examples: 9, 100

• Ethical Use of the You-viewpoint

– Critics: manipulative

– Advocates: friendly and courteous


ACCENTUATING THE POSITIVE


Use Positive Words

• Positive words best for achieving message goals

• However, negative words are powerful and very useful at

times

• Positive words puts the reader in the right frame of mind

• Negative words do the opposite

• Negative words: mistake, problem, error, damage, loss,

failure, no, do not, refuse, stop


Focus on What You Can Do

• Focus should be on not using negative words i.e. things that

cannot be done

• Instead, mention and highlight things that can be done

• Example: Page 101,102


BEING COURTEOUS

Apart from ‘please, thank you, we’re sorry’


Avoid Blaming the Reader

• No one likes being accused of negligence, wrongdoing or

faulty thinking



Refrain from Preaching

• Avoid tone of a lecture or sermon

• People like to treated as equals

• A new employee, for instance

• Avoid mentioning obvious facts

• Avoid phrases such as ‘you need, you should, you must’


Do More Than is Expected

• For a rejection, ‘no’ is enough

• But a few extra words go a long way

• “Hi Wasik. Yes, I also went to Sussex! I live in Hove on & off but at the moment

we're living in Nelson. I am really sorry but we have long term tenants moving into

the house later this month, so regret that I can't accept your booking. I do hope

that you find another nice place to stay & that you enjoy your trip to New Zealand.

Once again, I'm sorry. Esther”


Be Sincere

• Don’t overdo goodwill techniques

• Don’t exaggerate

– Exaggerated Word: greatest, finest, strongest

– Perfection, incredible, sensational


MANAGING EMPHASIS FOR A POSITIVE EFFECT


Emphasis by Position

• Important points at beginnings and endings

• Avoid putting negative points at those positions


Sentence Structure and Emphasis

• Place most positive information in short, simple sentences

• Put less important information in dependant clauses and

modifying phrases

• “While your plan is not feasible at this time, we encourage

you to submit it again next year when we are likely to have

more resources for implementing it”


Space and Emphasis

• De-emphasize negative content by spending as little space as

possible

• Takes longer to say ‘no’ than to say ‘yes’



THE ETHICS OF POSITIVE EMPHASIS


The Ethics of Positive Emphasis

• Can lead to fake and manipulative messages

• Questionable when intention is for the reader to overlook a

message

• Do not be dishonest and insincere

• Use it with the right intentions

• Glass half full perspective is better


End of Chapter

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