Which of the Following Messages Is Most Likely to Require the Least Time for Planning and Reviewing?

What yous'll learn to practice: Identify the three parts of the writing process

Writing a message that is consistently well received can become a addiction, but it tin be difficult for new writers to achieve. The three part writing process ensures the best consequence each time.

Skilful writers plan their messages, ofttimes using an outline or notes made before writing the bulletin. Lack of a plan before writing may seemto salve a writer fourth dimension, just it can confuse the writer once she begins, and it slows the receiver. The communication will not be at its all-time that way. This module discusses how to improve speed and clarity in communication. With a solid outline, the actual writing focuses on phrasing and word choice. This module discusses how to word the message with a you-view. Finally, the message is reviewed and revised. This module provides the last clean-up tools to assist you proofread during the revising step.

Learning Outcomes

• Discuss the importance of the planning stage in the writing process
• Write a business message based on an outline using the appropriate components of a business concern message
• Revise a business message for tone, bulletin, and correctness

Planning Business Messages

While this whole module is well-nigh writing, nearly of thethinking about what you are going to write happens before y'all etch a unmarried sentence. Planning and outlining is where your analysis and organisation get washed, and then that when yous're ready to write, all y'all take to worry about is sentence structure, give-and-take selection, and tone—which is more than enough!

Retrieve those school days when teachers required outlines before you could first writing your paper? They may accept referred to it as part of a "pre-writing" phase. Information technology turns out those outlines are life skills, not just busy work. Every bit adult business communicators, you should nonetheless commit to outlining. An outline serves as a road map for what you're going to write,and it aids in breaking weak writing habits. Outlines set up a writer up for success. Unlike in school, they practise not need to exist formally typed and numbered; they can exist on a notepad or scrap to the side of the keyboard. That said, using your word processor's outlining part is a keen mode to go on your outline tidy, and cut and pasting makes it easy to rearrange your club.

Outset, make up one's mind how the receiver of this communication likely feels near the advice: positive, neutral or negative. Focus on what the receiver feels based on the receiver'due south state of affairs. Do non gene in "How I'd like to hear this news." The receiver has non researched this message, might not have heard parts of the topic before, or has the groundwork you accept. The receiver may have a different piece of work responsibility and may demand groundwork to fully appreciate the advice. Factor all of that into the audience analysis. This is you-view planning. Y'all-view thinks about what the receiver wants and needs to understand. Exercise not factor in your ain feelings.

Planning is the key first pace in the writing process because it enables the writer to begin thinking well-nigh how the final product will be created and evaluated. Information technology is the first step in establishing your accountability and reliability as a writer. Remember that when y'all are writing for a corporation or system, your writing lives on equally legal documentation and reference. Writers are no less responsible for accountability for their work than are lawyers and medical personnel. Solid planning leads to reliable final documents.

Skipping the pre-writing phase is like taking a vacation without get-go choosing a destination: If you don't know where you're going, how will you go at that place? Fortunately, pre-writing can take many forms, and there are strategies that suit every type of author.

The strategies and processes used in the pre-writing stage non only help the author formulate a topic and solidify ideas, they also serve as a kind of rehearsal for the residue of the writing process. As the writer uses the vocabulary associated with a detail topic, he or she becomes well-versed in the subject and is able to limited ideas with more than confidence, system, and clarity. All of this brings to heed the sometime joke, "How do you become to Carnegie Hall?" The respond, of course: "Practice. Practice. Practice."

Just as a musician must practice their musical instrument in order to achieve their goal, the exercise undertaken during the pre-writing phase guides the writer toward a specific goal. That goal is to develop a well-divers topic that will somewhen be couched in the language of a succinct thesis or hypothesis.

Planning starts with audition reaction, which maps to an organizational structure for the document.

Earlier in this module, three audience types were introduced: positive, neutral, and negative. These audiences may receive positive, negative, or persuasive letters:

• Positive letters are routine or good news. The receiver is likely to react positively or neutrally.
• Negative letters are bad news. The receiver is likely to react negatively.
• The overlapping category is persuasive messages. The audience is expected to need encouragement to act as the sender desires. In some cases, the receiver is more like a positive audience. In other cases, the receiver is more like a negative audition.

All messages contain three or four blocks:

1. News: Whether skilful news or bad news, the message states its point conspicuously. In that location receiver should clearly sympathise the news unambiguously.
2. Reasons: The reasons department supports or explains the news. This is the needed particular to help the receiver'due south agreement or activity.
3. Goodwill and Activeness: This is the closing paragraph where the sender provides a brief, sincere remark designed to continue the working relationship. The closing paragraph is not finished without some particular or reminder related to the purpose of the communication, or call to action.
4. Buffer. This is normally only found in negative and some persuasive messages. A buffer starts a bulletin where the reader is likely be to the negative side of the continuum by warming the reader to the topic, but not laying out the unabridged consequence of the message.

Depending on your audience reaction, you will place these blocks in a different guild:

Positive Message Outline

The basic organizational outline for a positive bulletin uses the blocks introduced above in that aforementioned order: news, reasons, and goodwill and activeness. Retrieve, this is the outline for writing the entire message (the second step in the writing process). The blocks are the labels of the outline department where the writer collects notes and thoughts on that part or paragraph. With these notes, the author tin can write the entire message without stopping to look for detail.

In this example of a positive message, assume the sender is confirming the receipt of a duplicate shipment and has agreed to provide credit.

Organization Block	Purpose	Notes for the Message
News	With a positively inclined receiver, the chief idea is in the first paragraph, first sentence. The reader wants to know some and is receptive, so the writer should just say it:	credit due 3/31
Reasons	This is the body of the message that contains the detail supporting the news	"The Leadership Experience" duplicate received. Invoice attached. Credit processed against acct 234-2345
Goodwill and Activeness	Acknowledge and endeavor or relationship with the receiver. Confirm whatsoever commitments.	She sent clear detail. Should come across on Apr argument.

Negative Message Outline

The generic organizational outline for a negative message uses the three blocks news, reasons, and goodwill and action. Information technology uses these organizational blocks in a different order and also adds the buffer block. Remember this is the outline for writing the entire message (stride 2 in the writing process). With these notes, the writer can write the entire bulletin without stopping to wait for particular.

In this example of a negative message, assume the sender is delivering the bad news about a filibuster in the promised ship date of a book. The receiver needs this to set for a ii week training conference simply didn't order it early on enough.

Organization Department	Purpose	Notes to write bulletin from….
Buffer	Starts the bulletin past being on topic, but not clearly laying out the news. Information technology is important to start neutrally so as to avert getting the reader's expectations gear up to high.	Been a client for many years.
Reasons	This is the body of the message that contains the detail supporting the news. Reasons must accept yous-view. Avoid mentioning policy or rules as this just encourages the reader to escalate to a higher level of direction.	Very popular title. good quality takes time.
News	The bad news is stated directly, yet gently. Offer any offsetting news, if possible. Avoid apologizing. It can bring on legal guilt in extreme situations. In many cases, the sender's company did zero wrong. If truly necessary and in alignment with company policy, and then apologize.	book delayed by 7 days. focus on her receipt added free aircraft.
Goodwill and Activity	Avert sounding trite but express interest in continuing the adept human relationship. Confirm the delivery engagement.	by good experiences. delivery april 5 Notice there is missing punctuation and capitalization. These are only notes, so those issues will be cleaned up in the following steps.

Persuasive Message Outline

The simplest understanding and arroyo to persuasive messages is to determine how likely the receiver is to comply with the sender's wishes. If the audience is positive, so follow that outline. For negative audiences you lot need to use a unlike approach.

It is helpful to overlay these structures with the marketing concept of Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Activity (AIDA).

This strategy starts with the opening of a positive or negative message. The opening should include an attention grabbing opening, such equally a fact, question, or something to catch the receiver'due south interest. Next, straight your writing to discuss more than details to interest the receiver in this state of affairs. The desire is about how the receiver's help or activity matters. Finally, the closing includes the specific action requested of the receiver.

Practise Question

Writing Business organization Messages

It's too helpful to remember at this stage that you're not actually starting from a blank page, even with your start draft. You've got the raw materials of your pre-writing, outlining, and source gathering at hand to build from.

From Planning to Writing

At this phase of the process, the purpose and organization of your message is already decided. Now you need to craft the words and phrasing for each part of the bulletin.

Whichever outline you've started with, it tin can seamlessly morph into a start draft simply past choosing an area to attack. Start fleshing it out with full sentences, complete thoughts, and relevant sources.

The format for the communication matters. Letter formats and layout are discussed at the end of this module.

Before examining types of messages, there are skills to have in hand.

Writing Skills

Subject Line

The field of study line is surprisingly of import in business communications. It is constitute in both e-mail and memo formats. Subject lines are a mini introduction to the message. However, they practise not supersede the need for subject to be addressed in the first paragraph of the advice.

What	Avoid	Try
Discipline Line	Regarding next Tuesday's meeting	Items to bring for Next Tuesday's meeting
Showtime line of the message	Will you bring the pens and pencils?	Volition y'all bring pens and pencils to next Tuesday's coming together?

Field of study lines are succinct introductions to a direct, negative, or persuasive message

What	Avoid	Try
Direct Message	Conference Dates	Please confirm briefing dates
Negative Message	Problem!	Confirmation needed Order 3145
Persuasive Bulletin	Need a Speaker	Speaking Opportunity for You

Check to see if your subject lines laissez passer a elementary list of questions:

• Is the main idea apparent from the subject area line?
• Is it more a phrase than total sentence?
• Can the receiver judge the urgency with respect to whether they must read the message now or can leave it for after?
• Will the receiver be able to find this message once more hands based on your subject line?

Constructing Buffers

Buffers are a specific component of negative messages. They allow the writer to start the message without fully disclosing the bad news that is coming. Buffers must be more an unrelated hello such as "How about those Broncos?" They must lead in to the topic while avoiding negative overtones. At the same fourth dimension, a buffer shouldn't promote an untruth or raise the recipient's hopes only to dash them. For example, in writing to a chore applicant, the subject line, "You are our best candidate" only to follow in the body with "but unfortunately, we needed to hire from within the company, so you didn't get the chore" is needlessly vicious. On the other hand, "Yous are one of many impressive candidates," is both honest and appropriately complimentary while serving every bit a buffer.

Buffer Topic	Sample	Reason for the "No"
Detail of Agreement	Planning a 250 person wedding is quite an undertaking.	The larger ballroom is booked on that engagement.
Compliment	The American Cancer Society provides splendid support to the community of Centennial, MO.	The system cannot fund the charity golf tournament this yr.
Reasons	With the increase in involvement rates, there is a turn down of 5% in new customer calls.	There are account reassignments planned.

Negative Words and Tone

Business relationships are like all relationships. At that place are ups and downs. At times employees, customers, and others must hear news that is not to their choosing. Two important skills save the relationship while delivering the bad news. In all situations, the sender works to avert negative words and tones. These words and tone tin can overshadow even the best bulletin, like grayness clouds on a warm summer solar day.

With negative messages there comes a fourth dimension where the bad news must be stated. A skilled writer who plans the message well has this part of the message contained to a single area of the communication. Yet, when saying "no," the meaning must exist clear. Sometimes the most diplomatic course of clarity is accomplished with a skilled "implied no." Consider how the post-obit are clear, however avoid a negative word or tone.

Avoid	Attempt
April 23 is not available.	Rooms are bachelor April twenty–22 or April 24–29.
Snakes are not allowed on the plane.	Please come across our pet policy that allows cats, dogs, and peacocks. (Add "but" if needed—only cats, dogs, and peacocks.)

You-View

In defining positive messages, both good news and expected news fit the category. However, some expected news may not please the receiver. The you-view in writing helps the sender keep an overall skillful human relationship to the receiver. Consider the following:

Avoid	Try	Why
Do not park in Lot C. It is being resurfaced.	While Lot C is resurfaced, Lots A and B should be used.	The direct object "you lot" is causeless with the teaching of "do non." Coupling a "you" with a "no" in the aforementioned sentence is probable to badger or feel accusatory to the receiver, thus dissentious the relationship. State what is possible rather than what is not.
I can't await to assist you.	I look frontward to helping you.	Here is something the sender wants to practice, only the instance clouds the positive desire with the negative "can't." If yous as the sender are eager, and so exist eager rather than disruptive the issue with a negative.
The claim is forthcoming, nonetheless, some other form is needed.	Another form is needed before the merits is candy.	"However" is oftentimes considered a negative word since information technology contradicts what comes before. The discussion "but" works in a like fashion.

Writing a Positive Message

Consider the following example outline synthetic in the planning process:

News	Need quote on security components
Detail	iv PCs, two printers, 1 wireless router. Need itemized cost, warranty/mtc, installations engagement
Goodwill and Action	2 year contract in place. Hope for Apr 15.

With this outline in place, the message is formatted as a business letter of the alphabet or electronic mail as the situation warrants.

Comments on Section	As Written
First Paragraph: Showtime the message with the news. This is a positive bulletin. Focus on the receiver and realize all she wants to know is "what do I need to exercise". The message opens with a you-view. The "Please" is proverb "you need to" but in a positive manner. The primary thought is piece of cake to detect. It is not hidden by unnecessary phrasing or preamble that does not advance the purpose of the message.	Please provide a quote for updated security systems.
Second Paragraph: Using paragraphs respects the reader by providing white spacing thus making the message easier to read. Paragraphs provide logical breaks to help in understanding and retention. Bullets do not exist except every bit role of a paragraph. There is the introduction to the paragraph and then the lists. Lists are easier on the optics through use of white space. They assist in retention. It will exist easy for the receiver to mark off items as completed. List items are constructed in a parallel style.	With your familiarity of our system, please maintain compatibility and quote for the following items. 4 PCs 2 printers ane wireless router In the response, delight address the following questions: How much is the total and itemized price? How much is the warranty and maintenance cost? When is the earliest installation date?
Last paragraph: Encourages the relationship with a specific notation of goodwill. Provides a crisp reminder of the activity needed.	Thanks for beingness so easy to piece of work with over the past two years. If possible, please provide this quote by Apr fifteen. If information technology will exist afterwards, please phone call to allow us know.

Writing a Negative Bulletin

Assume that the outline for this negative message constructed in the Planning process is the following. Observe that there is a typo where "april" is non capitalized. For the outline, that is merely fine. These are organizational notes that only the author sees:

Buffer	Long human relationship of mid-april conventions. Past relationship
Reasons	New personnel. Competitive calendar month and rates
News	Conference date must move earlier or back ane week
Goodwill and Activeness:	Discount. Must hear by March five

With this outline in place, the message is formatted equally a business letter or email, as the state of affairs warrants.

Comments on Section	Equally Written
Buffer: First paragraph — Get-go the message with a annotation that relates to the message, ane that both agree on. Do non be then cheerful equally to mislead the audience, nor prepare a dark tone that may cause additional trepidation in someone is about to exist disappointed. By not immediately confirming availability, the reader tin begin to prepare for the upcoming news.	Your organization has been a longtime partner of Aspen Gild, and we have been honored to be your location of choice for your almanac April conference. Thank yous for your recent letter regarding adjacent month'southward availability.
Reason: 2d paragraph. It is so tempting to write reasons for a no from the perspective of the sender. "We are all full." "Company policy says." Reasons in a negative bulletin offer the reader a manner to see it from the author's standpoint. If the bulletin is well written, by the the time the "no" comes, the receiver will exist in complete agreement.	With such a warm winter, your choice of Aspen Lodge remains one desired by many organizations eager to come west. The Lodge is e'er popular with local organizations due to the depression off-flavour rates, which means facilities book chop-chop and early.
Reason continued: Either 2d or third paragraph. Here is the hardest office of the message. The reader is likely anticipating being turned down by now. It is up to the sender to make the "no" clear, but not harsh. This may be done directly or with an Unsaid no. This writing assumes the group e'er comes on and had requested the second weekend. I key issue to watch out for when delivering negative messages in this way is that you might work to avert negative words so intently that you make the message difficult to understand. In this case, talking about the weekends thatare available leaves the message pretty clear.	With the second weekend already reserved, would you prefer the first or third weekend?
Final paragraph: Encourages the relationship with a specific notation of goodwill. Provide a crisp reminder of the activity needed.	Please call past Friday March 31st, to confirm which of the two remaining weekends best adjust your needs. Aspen Lodge is booking quickly, and we hope to have good friends like ABC company here again this year. Because you lot have been such a loyal partner, we are offering a five% discount for whichever weekend y'all practise end up choosing.

Writing a Persuasive Message

With persuasive messages, the audience analysis in the planning stage will betoken you in the correct management. This example outline assumes that the receiver needs a button to accept the solution being presented. In this example, a marketing squad has planned to do some focus groups in Manhattan amid a difficult-to-notice consumer segment (let's say, left-handed teenage girls who like both crocheting and motocross racing). The facility that's finding and scheduling the participants is having a hard time finding enough of these girls in Manhattan, so they want to loop in a partner facility merely beyond the river in New Jersey. It'due south going to cost the marketing squad more money, which they've predictable only still won't similar, and it will involve extra travel. Here's one fashion to nowadays that news.

Buffer / Attention	More diverse inquiry participants in Manhattan and Newark
Reasons / Interest	A more diverse set of participants in ii locations
News	We can't find plenty qualified people in Manhattan, so we're adding our Newark location
Goodwill and Activeness:	Travel between locations on a deluxe chartered omnibus bus at no extra cost

With this outline in place, the message is formatted as a business organisation letter or email, every bit the state of affairs warrants.

Comments on Section	As Written
Buffer: First paragraph— Start the message with a annotation that relates to the bulletin, ane that both agree on. Practise not be so cheerful as to mislead the audience, nor gear up a nighttime tone that may cause additional anger in someone is about to be disappointed. By starting with the proficient news, the writer can offset any disappointment or annoyance at the bad news.	Thank you lot for entrusting the states with this interesting and challenging recruit. We're calling on all of our feel to make sure we find you the best participants to see your inquiry needs and finding girls who non only run across the specifications but besides correspond a range of ethnicities and income levels.
Reasons: Second paragraph— It is and then tempting to write reasons for a no from the perspective of the sender. "We are all full." "Company policy says." What reasons in a negative bulletin practice are to offer the reader a way to run into it from the writer's standpoint. If well written past the the time the "no" comes the receiver will exist in consummate agreement.	As you've known from the kickoff of the projection, finding participants that meet your specifications was going to be difficult, and nosotros are about halfway recruited. Nosotros have placed ads in the newspapers and online, and nosotros have asked motocross courses to recommend members who might qualify.
Reasons connected: Either 2d or third paragraph— Here is the hardest part of the message. The reader is probable anticipating some sort of bad news past at present. It is upward to the sender to make the difficulty clear but not harsh. Even with the Goodwill activeness, at that place'southward likely to be some badgerer on the role of the receiver.	Yet, we seem to take stalled in finding people to come to our Manhattan facility. As we see information technology, we have ii choices. Nosotros tin relax the specifications, which might h2o downward your information, or we can reach out to a partner company in Newark. Between the ii facilities, nosotros believe we tin fully recruit your inquiry report. As nosotros discussed at the proposal stage, this will incur extra toll, and we recognize that you had not congenital travel to Newark into your schedule. Therefore, we accept taken the liberty of reserving a palatial coach bus and driver at our expense to move your team from their base in Manhattan to the facility in Newark on the days you volition be in that location.
Final paragraph: Encourages the relationship with a specific annotation of goodwill. Provide a crisp reminder of the activity needed.	Please let us know whether this solution is acceptable or whether y'all would like to loosen your participant specifications. Please also tell united states of america whether we can help with anything else, including changing hotel accommodations using our corporate discount. We are very much looking forward to hosting you and your team for this groundbreaking research. If I hear from you by Midweek forenoon, I can lock in whichever option you lot cull and move forwards with the work.

Practice question

Revising Business Letters

In one case y'all've written your message get-go to terminate, you may be feeling pretty proud of yourself and ready to movement on to your next task. Well, not quite. It's fourth dimension to analyze, refine, and reorganize to brand sure your bulletin is exactly what yous desire it to be.

The Art of Re-Seeing

Revising is the rearrangement and fine tuning of a fully adult—if not totally completed—draft then that the thesis or hypothesis is aligned with the writer'southward purpose,the audience'due south needs and characteristics, the development of the argument, and the persuasive determination.

A Critical Step

Revising, for many writers and teachers of writing, is the virtually critical stride in whatever writing process. It is also the step that often frustrates many writers because it tin can be difficult to maintain objectivity and focus when looking so closely at your own work.

Many writers notice information technology beneficial at this stage to have someone else read the certificate they accept been working on, since it is too close to the writer's thoughts and emotions. Remember that when y'all ask someone for a critique of your work, you are not asking for praise for your luminescence but rather asking to have your work made even meliorate and more than effective for its purpose. Also continue in mind that just because someone makes a suggestion doesn't hateful you have to accept information technology. Unless that person is your boss, of course.

The need to revise acknowledges the likely scenario that no one's writing is perfect as presented in the latest draft. Willingness to revise ways that the writer recognizes the dynamic nature of advice and that revisions are required in order to conspicuously articulate ideas and meet the expectations of the audience. Constructive written expression is the issue of conscientious revisions.

Practice Question

Revision Skills

A 2-Step Revision Procedure

In the revising process the author does two things:

1. Ensures the concluding messages accomplishes the goal identified in the planning step. This is content evaluation.
2. Ensures the grammar and proofreading step has corrected any errors. This makes sure the wording is easy to read for the receiver and that the writer'due south reputation is well-served by a professional document.

Proofreading Skills

Fragments

As the final readings of the bulletin, brusque or long, completes, make sure there are whole sentences.

Run-Ons

On the other side of fragments are sentences that go on and on and on. Beware the run-on sentence.

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Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-businesscommunicationmgrs/chapter/the-three-part-writing-process/

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