Business chap 2

Ch 6: What are the 3 stages of effective message creation?

Plan = get the content right. Write = get the delivery right. Review = double-check everything.

Ch 6: What does the PLAN stage include?

Understand the audience and gather information.

Ch 6: What does the WRITE stage include?

Get the tone right, apply a clear and concise style, focus on navigational design.

Ch 6: What does the REVIEW stage include?

Get feedback, ensure the message is fair, proofread.

Ch 6: How do excellent writers spend their time compared to poor writers?

Excellent writers spend much more time planning and reviewing. Poor writers spend almost all their time writing.

Ch 6: What are the planning steps?

1) Define purpose 2) Analyze audience 3) Choose organizational pattern 4) Create effective… (check your slides for the last step)

Ch 6: What is a memo?

An internal message (goes to people inside your company).

Ch 6: What are the 5 components of audience analysis?

Reader benefits and constraints, reader values and priorities, personal credibility, anticipate reactions, secondary audiences.

Ch 6: What is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT planning step?

Identifying reader benefits and constraints. Readers respond when you give them something they value.

Ch 6: Benefit vs. constraint?

Benefit = what the reader gains. Constraint = what limits or worries them (time, money, rules).

Ch 6: What are the 3 components of information gathering?

Identify business problems, analyze the business problems, clarify objectives.

Ch 6: What does framing the primary message mean?

Ask: what simple, vivid statement captures the essence of my message?

Ch 6: What is the direct (deductive) approach?

State the primary message first, lay out supporting reasons, end with a call to action. Used for most business messages.

Ch 6: What is the indirect (inductive) approach?

Supporting reasons first, then the primary message. Used for bad news.

Ch 6: What is a buffer?

A gentle intro added in the indirect approach to soften bad news.

Ch 6: What is tone?

The overall evaluation the reader perceives the writer to have toward the reader and message (how you come across).

Ch 6: What are the 3 parts of concern for others (tone)?

Avoid relying too heavily on the I-voice, respect the time and autonomy of readers, give credit to others.

Ch 6: Words to avoid for faulty cause-effect?

definitely, will, would have

Ch 6: Words to use for cause-effect claims?

anticipate, projected, leads us to believe, some

Ch 6: Slanting vs. exaggeration?

Slanting = hiding information. Exaggeration = inflating language.

Ch 6: Generalization vs. cause-effect?

Generalization = broad claim with no facts. Cause-effect = claiming one thing makes another happen.

Ch 6: What company and policy are used in the Table 6.1 to 6.6 examples?

Eastmond, and PPL (paid parental leave).

Ch 6: When do you use YOU-VOICE?

When the focus is solely on the reader. Best for describing how products and services benefit customers, clients, and colleagues.

Ch 6: When do you AVOID you-voice?

When pointing out the mistakes of others, or when the statement may be presumptuous.

Ch 6: Example of you-voice?

You will receive regular updates about how to use PPL and related services to meet your family needs.

Ch 6: When do you use WE-VOICE?

When the focus is on shared efforts, interests, and problems. Best for messages within a company (a work team).

Ch 6: Example of we-voice?

Were we to offer PPL, we could actively promote this benefit to potential hires.

Ch 6: When do you use IMPERSONAL VOICE?

When rational and neutral analysis is expected. Best for explaining business ideas, plans, and reports.

Ch 6: Example of impersonal voice?

A PPL policy can increase employee engagement and satisfaction, reduce turnover, and attract top talent.

Ch 6: When do you use I-VOICE?

With nonthreatening verbs (think, feel) when there is bad news, a difference of opinion, or blame. Best for situations that could cause personal disappointment. Used most often in oral communication.

Ch 6: Example of I-voice?

I think right now is not the right time to focus on creating a PPL policy.

Ch 6: Which voice is best for team messages inside a company?

We-voice.

Ch 6: Which voice is best for reports and business plans?

Impersonal voice.

Ch 6: Which voice is best for delivering bad news or disagreeing?

I-voice (with verbs like think or feel).

Ch 6: Which voice focuses solely on the reader's benefits?

You-voice.

Ch 7: What is readability?

How readable your message is to your audience, improved with style and design.

Ch 7: What is conciseness?

Omit needless words so readers can rapidly process your main ideas. Say as much as you can in as few words as possible.

Ch 7: Motto for conciseness?

Impress with ideas, not words.

Ch 7: What are the 3 parts of writing style?

Completeness, conciseness, natural style.

Ch 7: What is completeness?

Provide all relevant information, be accurate, be specific.

Ch 7: How do you achieve conciseness?

Control paragraph length, use short sentences, avoid redundancy, empty phrases, and wordy prepositional phrases.

Ch 7: What is natural style?

Action verbs, active voice, short and familiar words, parallel language. Avoid buzzwords, figures of speech, and it is / there are.

Ch 7: Active voice pattern?

Doer as subject + verb + object. Example: Mary baked a cake.

Ch 7: Passive voice pattern?

Object as subject + be verb + verb + doer (optional). Example: A cake was baked by Mary.

Ch 7: Why is active voice better?

Faster processing, emphasizes the action, specifies the doer, fewer words.

Ch 7: How do you spot passive voice?

Look for a be word (is, was, were) plus a past-tense verb, like was baked.

Ch 7: What is parallel language?

Using a consistent grammatical pattern across sentences or paragraphs. Most important in series or lists. (Table 7.12, slide 43)

Ch 7: How do you check if a list is parallel?

Make sure every item has the same grammatical pattern (example: all verb-object or all adjective-noun).

Ch 7: Which words should you avoid?

it is, there are, that, those

Ch 7: What is the primary goal of navigational design?

Making the message easy to navigate.

Ch 7: What tools improve navigation?

Headings, highlighting, lists, white space, simplicity, enumeration (numbering).

Ch 7: Edit vs. revise vs. proofread?

Edit = check things. Revise = change things. Proofread = the final pass, the last thing you do.

Ch 7: What are the review steps?

Conduct the FAIR test, proofread, get feedback. (Check your slides for what FAIR stands for.)

Ch 10: What is a routine message?

Everyday business message that takes less time than others but still needs planning, drafting, and reviewing.

Ch 10: What is the most important step for routine messages?

Message development.

Ch 10: What are the basic components of a routine message?

State the primary message (about 16 words or fewer), provide details in 20 to 80 word paragraphs, restate the request or key message, state goodwill.

Ch 10: What is goodwill?

A friendly, positive closing. It appears in nearly every routine message type.

Ch 10: Components of MAKING REQUESTS?

Make request, provide rationale, call to action, state goodwill.

Ch 10: Components of SETTING EXPECTATIONS?

Explain overall expectations, describe responsibilities, provide deadlines, discuss coordination, state goodwill.

Ch 10: Components of PROVIDING DIRECTIONS?

State goal, give directions, state scope.

Ch 10: Components of RESPONDING TO INQUIRIES?

Provide responses, state goodwill.

Ch 10: Components of ANNOUNCEMENTS?

Gain attention, give announcement, provide details, call to action, state goodwill.

Ch 10: What are announcements for?

Updates to policies or events.

Ch 10: What is a claim?

A request for another company to compensate for or correct a wrong or mistake they made.

Ch 10: What is the goal of a claim?

To have the claim honored.

Ch 10: How should you approach a claim?

Focus on facts, then emotions (if needed). Be logical, reasonable, and professional.

Ch 10: Components of a CLAIM?

Make claim, provide rationale, call to action, state goodwill.

Ch 10: Components of SHOWING APPRECIATION?

Give thanks, provide rationale, state goodwill.

Ch 10: What does showing appreciation do?

Helps achieve goals and strengthens relationships.

Ch 11: What does AIDA stand for?

Attention, Interest, Desire (reduce resistance), Action.

Ch 11: How do you persuade?

Through emotion and reason/logic. Do audience analysis and use logical appeals.

Ch 11: Components of a persuasive message?

Gain attention, raise a need, deliver a solution, provide a rationale, validate the views of others, give counterpoints, call to action.

Ch 11: What does validate the views of others mean?

Show you understand why someone might disagree.

Ch 11: Tone and style for persuasive messages?

Apply the personal touch, use action-oriented lively language, write with confidence, offer choice, show positivity.

Ch 11: Tangible means?

Concrete. The reader can discern something in terms meaningful to them (example: saves you 2 hours a week).

Ch 11: Intangible means?

Meaningful to the reader or feels good (example: peace of mind, pride).