Chapter 6 Writing Good and Neutral-News Messages

Chapter 6

Writing Good- and Neutral-News Messages

Learning Objectives

  1. Describe the deductive outline for good news and routine information, and its adaptations for specific situations and for international audiences.
  2. Prepare messages that convey good news, including thank-you and appreciation messages.
  3. Write messages presenting claims and requests and favorable responses to them.
  4. Write message acknowledging customer orders, providing credit information, and extending credit.
  5. Prepare procedural messages that ensure clear and consistent application.

Chapter Overview

Good-news and neutral-news messages are included together in this chapter because the outlines for these communications are both deductive. Strategies and examples are presented for the creation of positive news messages, appreciation messages, routine claims and requests, routine messages about orders and credit, and procedural messages. Strategies for the use of form documents and for adapting messages sent to international audiences are also presented.

Key Terms

Acknowledgment message 97

Adjustment messages 90

Claim 90

Deductive (or direct) sequence 85

Good-news messages 84

Neutral-news messages 84

Persuasive claims 90

Persuasive requests 93

Resale 91

Routine claims 90

Routine requests 93

Sales promotional material 91

PowerPoint Slides

  • Lecture Slides — Students can review key chapter concepts on the Lecture Slides (found on the companion website (Student’s Resources)). Slides can be downloaded for convenient printing of handouts for taking class notes.

Slide Number and Title

  1. Chapter 6 Delivering Good- and Neutral- News Messages
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Direct Outline Used in Good- and Neutral-News Messages
  4. Advantages of the Deductive Outline
  5. Types of Good-News Messages
  6. Making the Most of Appreciation Messages
  7. Distinguishing Between Resale and Sales Promotion
  8. Requirements of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act
  9. Extending Credit: Write Deductively
  10. Guidelines for Procedural Messages
  • E-lectures — Slides with engaging narration of key concepts—useful as reinforcement of lectures and exam reviews—are available through the CourseMate site for BCOM3.
  • Resource Slides — A larger deck of slides for instructors for displaying in the classroom; these slides for class enrichment and solutions to activities and applications are also available at the companion website (Instructor’s Resources) and on the Instructor’s CD.

Slide Number and Title

  1. Chapter 6 Delivering Good- and Neutral- News Messages
  2. Learning Objectives
  3. Learning Objective 1 Describe the deductive outline for good news and routine information, and its adaptations for specific situations and for international audiences.
  4. Direct Outline Used in Good- and Neutral-News Messages
  5. Advantages of the Deductive Outline
  6. Learning Objective 2 Prepare messages that convey good news, including thank-you and appreciation messages.
  7. Types of Good-News Messages
  8. Positive News Message: Why It Works
  9. Benefits of Written Appreciation Messages
  10. Making the Most of Appreciation Messages
  11. Using Written Appreciation Messages Appropriately
  12. Appreciation Message: Why It Works
  13. Handling Apologies
  14. Apology Message: Why It Works
  15. Distinguishing Between Resale and Sales Promotion
  16. Learning Objective 3 Write messages presenting claims and requests and favorable responses to them.
  17. Routine Claim: What Does Not Work
  18. Routine Claim: Why It Works
  19. Learning Objective 4 Write message acknowledging customer orders, providing credit information, and extending credit.
  20. Requirements of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act
  21. Extending Credit: Write Deductively
  22. Learning Objective 5 Prepare procedural messages that ensure clear and consistent application.
  23. Guidelines for Procedural Messages
  24. Procedural Message: Why It Works
  25. Procedural Message: What Does Not Work
  26. Procedural Message: Why It Works

Chapter Outline

DEDUCTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN 84

GOOD-NEWS MESSAGES 86

Positive News 86

Thank-You and Appreciation Messages 88

ROUTINE CLAIMS 90

Claim Message 90

Favorable Response to a Claim Message 90

ROUTINE REQUESTS 93

Routine Request 93

Favorable Response to a Routine Request 93

Positive Response to a Favor Request 93

Form Messages for Routine Responses 95

ROUTINE MESSAGES ABOUT ORDERS AND CREDIT 95

Acknowledging Customer Orders 97

Providing Credit Information 97

Extending Credit 98

PROCEDURAL MESSAGES 100

Teaching Suggestions

Learning Objective 1

Describe the deductive outline for good news and routine information, and its adaptations for specific situations and for international audiences.

Introduction
  • Project the visual and discuss the wide variety of channels available for business communicators.
  • Point out the three main types of channels—written, electronic, and spoken—and options available in each.
  • Remind students of previous discussions of channel choice based on receiver-reaction, the importance of the message, and the need for permanent record of the message.

Resource slide 8, Ch 1: Communication Channels

  • Review the concepts from “Adapting the Message to the Audience” from Chapter 3. Ask students to read the following article as a springboard for discussing why these principles are important:

Heath, J.M., & Lang, E.J. (2005). How to write things people will read. Subiaco, WA: Viacorp.com. Retrieved from

DEDUCTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN
  • Show the visual displaying the four receiver reactions introduced in Chapter 3 as you discuss the need to assess the receiver’s likely reaction to a message.

Resource slide 26, Ch 3: Step 4—Select an Appropriate Outline

  • Show the deductive outline used when the reader will be pleased or interested (left) as you discuss the sequence of the good- or neutral-news messages. Refer students to Figure 6-1, page 86.

Resource slide 4: Direct Outline Used in Good- and Neutral-News Messages

  • Discuss the advantages of the deductive sequence as you display the visual. Use the “Check Your Communication” checklist in the Student Review card as a basis for discussion.

Resource slide 5: Advantages of the Deductive Outline

  • Ask students to complete Activity 1 that require the revision of the openings of several messages so they are deductive. Project the answers provided on resource slides as you review the principles of an effective deductive response. Refer to Activities 2 and 3 discuss which opening statement and closing statement is preferable for a positive response message.
  • Have students study the ineffective and effective applications of the deductive outline illustrated in the sample documents. Point out the ineffective icon that appears above the examples of poor composition. Model documents also appear on the companion website for additional review of effective message composition.

Learning Objective 2

Prepare messages that convey good news, including thank-you and appreciation messages.

GOOD-NEWS MESSAGES
  • Discuss with students the different types of good news messages (shown on the slide). Ask students, “How can you determine whether a message is good news or routine news?”
  • Discuss with students the need to always consider receiver reaction to determine into which category a message will fall.

Resource slide 7: Types of Good-News Messages

Positive News Messages
  • Emphasize placing the important information, the “good news,” at the beginning of the message because the receiver wants to know now.
  • Discuss the sample good news memo on the visual. Point out the information at the beginning, middle, and end. Remind students of the need for a forward-looking closing.

Resource slide 8: Positive News Message: Why It Works

Thank-You and Appreciation Messages
  • Emphasize that writing these messages is a part of civic responsibility and stress the following points:

─The motive of letters that commend should be to encourage and to give deserved recognition.

─Saying something favorable for the purpose of later gaining a reward from the receiver is not a legitimate motive.

  • Initiate a discussion of the need for thank-you and appreciation messages. Ask students if they have ever received a thank-you note they did not expect. How did receiving that commendation make them feel? Would they be more willing to help in the future because of the appreciation? Why or why not? How might these types of messages help businesses build lasting relationships with customers or clients?
  • Remind students to send thank-you notes and other appreciation messages as soon as possible, especially after job interviews. Remind them to include in the message something specific that occurred to personalize for the intended receiver.
  • Discuss email as a tool for appreciation messages. How effective is it?
  • Show the visual as you lead a discussion of the benefits of sending written appreciation messages.
  • Refer students to the visuals and examples of effective thank-you and appreciation messages, including Figure 6–3 as you lead a discussion of successful goodwill messages.

Resource slide 8: Positive News Message: Why It Works

Resource slide 9: Benefits of Written Appreciation Messages

Resource slide 10: Making the Most of Appreciation Messages

Resource slide 11: Using Written Appreciation Messages Appropriately

  • Assign Activity 9 that asks students to compose and send a message to someone who has been especially helpful to them in some way. As responses to those letters are received, ask students to share them with the class.
  • As an additional activity, ask students to read about Campbell Soup Co CEO Doug Conant’s strategy of sending handwritten thank you notes to employees.

Carter, A. (2006, December 4). Lighting a fire under Campbell: How Doug Conant’s quiet, cerebral style got things bubbling again, BusinessWeek, 4012, 96–101. Available from Business Source Complete database.

Web Enrichment Content: Handling Apologies

•Ask students to read the Web Enrichment: Handling Apologies at the companion website.

•Discuss the weak apology given by Eliot Spitzer, then New York governor, for alleged repeat visits to an exclusive call-girl service. You could also mention the famous 2004 Super Bowl “wardrobe malfunction” of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. How should have the two stars handled the situation? For more information, refer students to the entry at

•Ask students for their opinions on the resolution that passed The U.S. Senate in June 2009 that apologized for slavery. The resolution of apology was an effort by the federal government to take responsibility for over two centuries of slavery. Several members of the Congressional Black Caucus fought the measure when it reached the House.

─Instruct students to read the article on this resolution at the Washington Post website

─Instruct students to go to the following website to read about the controversy surrounding this government apology. Discuss other recent examples of apologies governments have offered to people they have wronged.

•Discuss communication strategies for handling apologies. Be sure to cover the main points (see visuals below), including:

─Ask students for examples of situations they have faced where a company owed them an apology. How did they feel and react when the company did not honor a request, was late shipping merchandise, etc.? How did they react if the company apologized for the mistake? If it did not?

─Relate apologies to building strong customer satisfaction and loyalty. Remind students that often the most loyal customer is the one who has experienced a problem with the company and had it satisfactorily resolved.

─Stress the need to handle apologies quickly and sincerely. Remind students not to overdo the “I’m sorry” because this strategy places too much emphasis on the negative action rather than on the apology.

─What channels are appropriate for apologies? Why?

Resource slide 13: Handling Apologies

Resource slide 14: Apology Message: Why It Works

Learning Objective 3

Write messages presenting routine claims and requests and favorable responses to them.

ROUTINE CLAIMS
Claim Message
  • Initiate a discussion about the importance of building lasting relationships with customers. Refer back to the strategies for building goodwill discussed in Chapter 3.
  • Tell students “The need for claim letters or requests for adjustment occurs when a business or consumer asks for something to which they think they are entitled.”
  • Ask “How many of you have returned merchandise that you ordered online? What happened?”
  • Discuss the difference between routine claims and persuasive claims, emphasizing the need for different outlines for each—deductive for routine (when the sender expects a positive response, inductive for persuasive when the sender does not necessarily expect a positive response).
  • Refer to Figure 6–4 (poor example) and 6–5 (good example) as you lead in a discussion of successful claims.
  • Remind students that email has become a key channel for both making and responding to claims.
  • Assign Activity 6 for classwork/homework. Project the solution provided on resource slides as you review the claim request.

Resource slide 17: Routine Claim: What Does Not Work

Resource slide 18: Routine Claim: Why It Works

Favorable Response to a Claim Message
  • Focus on the three steps involved in the claim letter sequence (request an adjustment, provide an explanation, and remind of the request).
  • Refer to Figure 6–6 (poor example) and 6–7 (good example) as you discuss successful adjustment letters.
  • Emphasize the value of including resale in adjustment letters. Incorporate case assignment 2 (at the end of this guide) that focuses on the claim process at Zappos.
  • Show the visual to help students identify the differences between resale and sales promotion. Discuss the definitions of each term. Remind students that all responses to claim letters should include one of these statements.

Resource slide 15: Distinguishing Between Resale and Sales Promotion

ROUTINE REQUESTS
Favorable Responses to a Routine Request
  • Refer to Figure 6–10 (poor example) and 6–11 (good example) as you lead in a discussion of successful favorable replies to routine requests.
  • Remind students again that email is becoming the channel of choice for many routine communications, including responses routine requests. Emphasize planning and executing messages via email and not allowing the “informality” of channel to lead to sloppy messages. Tell students to be careful using casual language that results in their messages lacking emphasis or significance.
Form letters for Routine Responses
  • Assign Application 5 and ask students to locate examples of form letters and discuss in small groups their adequacy and possible improvement. Have each group report on their discussion. Make visuals of some of the form letters brought in by students to project to the class, illustrating effective and ineffective examples.
  • Ask, “Have you ever received a form letter, especially for sending in a job application? How did you feel when you received it?”

Learning Objective 4

Write messages acknowledging customer orders, providing credit information, and extending credit.

ROUTINE MESSAGES ABOUT ORDERS AND CREDIT
  • Discuss the procedures companies typically use to acknowledge orders and situations when sending an individualized letter of acknowledgment would be appropriate.
  • Refer to Figure 6-12 as you discuss online order confirmation. Ask students to share their experiences with email order confirmations. What companies use effective messages? What companies have they experienced difficulties with concerning order confirmations?
Providing Credit Information
  • Lead students in a discussion of the legal and ethical responsibilities of providing credit information.
  • Ask: What are the long-term consequences of providing incorrect or exaggerated credit information? What are the consequences of ignoring a credit information request about a customer?
Extending Credit
  • Emphasize the legal aspects involved in writing letters about credit.
  • Project the visual and discuss the requirements of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA).
  • Refer to Figure 6-13 as you lead a discussion of successful credit extension letters.
  • Assign Application 2 that requires writing a message acknowledging a customer order and providing credit approval. Project the solutions provided on resource slides as you discuss the assignment.

Resource slide 20: Requirements of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act

Resource slide 21: Extending Credit: Write Deductively

Learning Objective 5

Prepare procedural messages that ensure clear and consistent application.

PROCEDURAL MESSAGES

  • Project the visual as you discuss the importance of writing effective procedures and instructions.
  • Refer students to visuals and Figure 6-14 as you discuss principles related to writing effective procedures and instructions.
  • Ask “What do you think about the statement, ‘Our company does not write letters anymore. We just email.’”

Resource slide 23: Guidelines for Procedural Messages

Resource slide 24: Procedural Message: Why It Works

  • Assign Activity 8 for classwork/homework or the following supplementary problem. Show the solution provided on the resource slide as you review the procedural message.

Resource slide 25: Procedural Message: What Does Not Work

Resource slide 26: Procedural Message: Why It Works

Case Assignment 1: Snoop Proof Your PC

  • Ask students to visit the websites indicated on the companion website concerning computer security and privacy on the Internet.
  • Assign students case assignment 1, Snoop Proof Your PC, which requires students to summarize the major snoop risks and what actions can be taken to avoid these risks. Discuss the risks and solutions in class.
  • Use this case to prepare students for an analytical writing assignment by having them write an essay relating the use of computers to the Mark Twain quote presented.

Summary

  • Assign Application 1 that requires students to locate an appropriate article and prepare an abstract for electronic distribution to a group.
  • Assign selected activities/applications at the end of chapter. Remind students to study suggestions in the “Check Your Communication” checklist when planning and revising an assignment.

Chapter Review