Business Communication Essentials, 4E by Courtland L. Bovee, John V. Thill Solution Manuals.pdf (12)

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Type:

Solution Manual

Resource:

Business Communication Essentials

Edition:

4th Edition

Author(s):

Courtland L. Bovee John V. Thill Jean A. Scribner

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CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS COMMUNICATION IN TODAY’S WORKPLACE CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 1 focuses on the importance and benefits of becoming an effective business communicator and highlights characteristics of effective communication. A definition of effective communication is followed by a discussion of the six phases in the communication process. Five key ways to improve business communication are addressed in detail: committing to ethical communication, adopting an audiencecentered approach, improving intercultural sensitivity, improving workplace sensitivity, and using communication technology effectively. Examples of unethical communication practices and a discussion of how to recognize ethical choices precede a list of questions to help a communicator make an ethical decision. Readers will learn about ways to recognize cultural differences in areas such as cultural contexts, ethics, social customs, and nonverbal communication. The suggestions for polishing both written and oral intercultural skills can help a businessperson communicate more effectively with those of differing cultural backgrounds, as can the list of tips for working in a culturally diverse workforce. Readers are offered an overview of technologies that connect businesses and aspects of using communication technology effectively are presented. The information presented in Chapter 1 provides a base for all the remaining chapters in the text.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 1 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet: Number Content Transparency Understanding the Communication Process 1 Communication Ethics Transparency Testing for Communication Ethics 2 Cultural Differences Transparency Ethical Choices 3 Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution) Transparency 4 Transparency CHAPTER OUTLINE 5 Transparency Communicating in Today’s Global Business Environment 6 Recognizing Effective Communication Understanding What Employers Expect From You Understanding the Communication Process Developing Your Business Communication Skills Committing to Ethical Communication Recognizing Ethical Choices

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64 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace Making Ethical Choices Adopting an Audience-Centered Approach Improving Your Intercultural Sensitivity Recognizing Cultural Differences Cultural Context Legal and Ethical Differences Social Customs Nonverbal Communication Overcoming Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping Writing for Intercultural and International Audiences Speaking with Intercultural and International Audiences Giving—and Responding to—Constructive Feedback Being Sensitive to Business Etiquette Using Communication Technology Effectively Keeping Technology in Perspective Using Tools Wisely Reconnecting with People Frequently Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Communicating in Today’s Global Business Environment Communication is the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic channels.

Internal communication refers to the exchange of ideas within an organization.

External communication carries information into and out of the organization.

Effective communication yields a number of important benefits for both you and your company: Faster problem solving Stronger decision making Increased productivity Steadier work flow Strong business relationships More compelling promotional messages Enhanced professional images and stronger brands Improved response from colleagues, employees, supervisors, investors, customers, and other important audiences In this course you will learn the following: How to create effective messages.

How to improve your communication skills in an environment that provides honest, constructive criticism.

How to collaborate in teams, listen well, master nonverbal communication, and participate in business meetings.

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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 65 How to write effective business messages using a three step process that can be applied to various communication contexts, including e-mail, instant messages, blogs, and online presentations.

Recognizing Effective Communication Good ideas must be expressed clearly and persuasively. To develop effective messages, be sure to follow these steps: Provide practical information Give facts rather than vague impressions Present information in a concise, efficient manner Clarify expectations and responsibilities Offer compelling, persuasive arguments and recommendations

Understanding What Employers Expect from You No matter what career field you select, your employer will expect you to be competent at a wide range of communication tasks. Employers expect you to be able to accomplish the following skills: Organizing ideas and information logically and completely Expressing ideas and information coherently and persuasively Reading and listening to extract the intended meaning from other people’s messages Communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences Using communication technologies effectively and efficiently Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of highquality writing and speaking Communicating in a civilized manner that reflects contemporary expectations of business etiquette Adhering to applicable government regulations and guidelines Using your time productively

Understanding the Communication Process Communication is a dynamic, two-way process containing eight steps. It is helpful to understand these steps so that you may improve your own skills and be able to recognize the many places and ways in which communication can fail.

The following eight steps make up the communication process: The sender has an idea.

The sender encodes the idea in a message.

The sender produces the message in a transmittable medium.

The sender transmits the message through a channel.

The audience receives the message.

The audience decodes the message.

The audience responds to the message.

The audience provides feedback to the sender.

This process of communication is a simplified model; actual communication is often more complicated.

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66 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace

Developing Your Business Communication Skills Paying close attention to six themes will help improve business communication: Committing to ethical communication Adopting an audience-centered approach Improving intercultural sensitivity Giving—and responding to—constructive feedback Being sensitive to business etiquette Using communication technology effectively Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society.

Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way. Unethical communication can include falsehoods and misleading information (or exclude important information).

Examples of unethical communication include the following: Plagiarism Selective misquoting Misrepresenting numbers Distorting visuals Deciding what is ethical can be quite complex.

Every company has responsibilities to multiple groups of people inside and outside the firm, and those various groups often have competing interests. When individuals must choose between conflicting loyalties and weigh difficult trade-offs, they face a dilemma.

An ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that aren’t clear-cut.

An ethical lapse is a clearly unethical (and frequently illegal) choice.

Employers have a responsibility to establish clear guidelines for ethical behavior.

Many companies establish an explicit ethics policy by using a written code of ethics to help employees determine what is acceptable.

Asking yourself six questions can help you make an ethical decision: Have you defined the situation fairly and accurately?

What is your intention in communicating this message?

What impact will this message have on the people who receive it, or who might be affected by it?

Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm?

Will the assumptions you’ve made change over time?

Are you comfortable with your decision? Would you be embarrassed if it were printed in tomorrow’s newspaper or spread across the Internet? Would you be proud to describe your choice to someone you admire and respect?

One helpful way to make sure your messages are ethical is to consider your audience.

An audience-centered approach means focusing on and caring about the members of your audience (i.e., making an effort to get the message across in a way meaningful and respectful way to them).

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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 67 Improving intercultural sensitivity requires the realization of the interaction between culture and communication.

Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior.

Culture affects the way you think which, in turn, affects the way you communicate.

With workplaces becoming more diverse in terms of race, gender, age, national and regional attitudes and beliefs, family structure, religion, native language, and educational background, you will be able to communicate more effectively if you heed the following tips: Assume difference until similarity is proved Withhold judgment Show respect Tolerate ambiguity Look beyond the superficial Recognize your own cultural biases Be flexible Emphasize common ground Deal with the individual Learn when to be direct Observe and learn Another successful tip to utilize when communicating with those from another culture is to unlearn the “Golden Rule,” which encourages you to treat others as you would like to be treated. Instead, you should treat others as they would like to be treated. One doesn’t have to become an expert in the details of every culture in which you do business, but strive to attain a basic level of cultural proficiency in the areas such as context, law and ethics, social customs, and nonverbal communication.

Every attempt at communication occurs within a cultural context, the mixture of traditions, expectations, and unwritten social rules that help convey meaning between members of the same culture.

High-context cultures rely less on the explicit content of the message and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. The primary role of communication in high context cultures is building relationships, not exchanging information.

Low-context cultures rely more on the explicit content and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning. The primary task of communication in low context cultures is to exchange information.

Legal and ethical behaviors are also affected by cultural context. Persons from highcontext cultures put less emphasis on the written word and consider personal pledges more important than contracts.

Legal systems differ from culture to culture.

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68 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace Four basic principles can help keep an intercultural message ethical: Actively seek mutual ground Send and receive messages without judgment Send messages that are honest Show respect for cultural differences Rules governing social customs differ from culture to culture.

Some rules are formal and specifically articulated (e.g., table manners) and some are informal and learned over time (e.g., the comfortable standing distance between two speakers in an office).

Nonverbal communication is a vital part of the communication process. Nonverbal communication includes everything from facial expressions to style of dress.

Interpreting nonverbal communication according to your own culture can be dangerous.

Even simple hand gestures change meaning from culture to culture.

Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one’s own group.

Xenophobia, a fear of strangers and foreigners, is an extreme reaction for ethnocentric individuals.

Stereotyping occurs when one assigns a wide range of generalized—and often inaccurate— attributes to individuals on the basis of their membership in a particular culture or social group.

Cultural pluralism is the practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms.

The following simple habits can help you avoid the negativity of ethnocentrism and the oversimplification of stereotyping: Avoid assumptions Avoid judgments Acknowledge distinctions To help you prepare effective written communications for multicultural audiences, remember these tips: Use plain English Be clear Address international correspondence properly Cite numbers carefully Avoid slang and be careful with jargon and abbreviations Be brief Use short paragraphs Use transitions To help you prepare effective oral messages for those who English is not their native language, remember these tips: Speak clearly, simply, and relatively slowly Look for feedback Rephrase if necessary Clarify your true intent with repetition and examples Don’t talk down to the other person

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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 69 Learn important phrases in your audience’s language Listen carefully and respectfully Adapt your conversation style to the other person’s Check frequently for comprehension Clarify what will happen next You will encounter many situations where you are expected to give and receive feedback regarding communication efforts and you’ll want to be able to so constructively.

Constructive feedback, sometimes called constructive criticism, focuses on the process and outcomes of communication, not on the people involved.

Destructive feedback delivers criticism with no effort to stimulate improvement.

When receiving constructive feedback, avoid the urge to defend your work or deny the validity of the feedback. Remain open and realize that feedback is a valuable opportunity to learn and improve.

An important element of audience-centered communication is etiquette, the expected norms of behavior in a particular situation. Your behavior can have a profound influence on your company’s success and your career.

Long lists of etiquette “rules” can be overwhelming. Fortunately, three principles will get you through any situation: Respect Courtesy Common sense Today’s businesses rely heavily on technology to improve the communication process, and you’ll need to know how to use a variety of these technologies on the job. To communicate effectively you’ll need to keep technology in perspective, use technological tools productively, and disengage from the computer frequently to communicate in person.

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Getting off to a good start is essential to a successful term. Students will most likely experience some anxiety about the course requirements and content. Taking the time to provide an overview of the various chapters and elements of communication they will study can help overcome this initial uneasiness.

Although students will typically follow along with an explanation of the model of the communication process presented in the text, take time to discuss the model in class and provide numerous illustrations. Provide examples of feedback that is immediate (e.g., feedback given in a face to face conversation) versus feedback that is delayed (e.g., a letter to a newspaper editor). Provide examples that illustrate where problems can arise within the communication process. Help students understand that these problems can occur with the sender, the message, the channel, or the receiver. This . may also be a good time to have students develop a list of some of the barriers to effective communication that either a sender or a receiver may experience.

70 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace Discussing the importance of selecting the correct channel for communicating a message will also help students better understand the importance of each step of the communication process.

Students should all be able to provide examples of unethical business actions; however, they may not have viewed some of these as ethical issues as they relate to communication. Engage students by discussing communication documents such as product warranties, product assembly instructions, customer service documents, telephone conversations, marketing brochures and advertisements, human resource documents (including applications and annual reviews), information on company Web sites, and many others. Stress that some of the examples will be written and some will be oral. Invite students to provide other examples of situations in which ethical issues arise when communicating as a business employee. This discussion can lead to a dialogue about recognizing and making ethical choices. Apply Your Knowledge Exercise 5 and Practice Your Knowledge Activities 2 and 9 offer students practice in making ethical choices.

Helping students understand the importance of intercultural sensitivity often becomes a challenging task. During the class coverage of this topic, some students may argue that if a company from another part of the world wants to do business with a U.S. firm, then the other organization should adjust to U.S. business practices. Some will ask why U.S. companies are always expected to give in to the other companies’ practices. Other students may suggest that if employees with different cultural backgrounds want to work in U.S. organizations, then they should be expected to adapt completely to U.S. cultural norms. Provide class time to discuss the benefits a diverse workforce brings to any organization. Focus on the benefits of respecting and acknowledging other cultures. Stress the idea of a win-win solution for companies with different cultural traditions.

The idea of high-context and low-context cultures will undoubtedly be very new to students. Give various examples of how the context can affect business negotiations, ethical decisions, and the manner in which business is conducted. Since many students may not have traveled extensively, they may not understand how differently business is conducted in other countries. Provide examples of how to conduct business with firms in South America, Japan, Germany, France, and so forth. Or, have students do some research on the Internet to find country-specific information about business negotiations, high- and low-context cultures, and social customs (other than just dress and dining issues), all of which they can share with the class.

Although students should be able to define stereotyping, ethnocentrism may be a new concept. Engage students in a discussion of the term, giving examples to distinguish between ethnocentrism and stereotyping. Help students develop an understanding of how both concepts can contribute to ineffective communication.

Students may not have had an opportunity to write messages to someone with another cultural background, but they may have numerous examples of communicating orally with someone who speaks more than one language. Lead a discussion about problems and successes they have encountered in these situations and ask what a businessperson can do to reduce those problems. Building on the oral communication

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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 71 discussion, help students develop a list of things they should do and things they should avoid when writing to an intercultural audience.

Some students may be employed by companies with a diverse workforce. Lead a discussion to help the entire class identify the responsibilities a businessperson has to communicate effectively with co-workers. Help students understand that even though employees were born and raised in the United States, they may not share the same cultural background. Pointing out such differences can help students understand that we mayall need to follow the tips provided for improving workplace sensitivity. This be a good time to have students complete the Practice Your Knowledge Activity

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES 14 to help them understand that differences also exist in relation to gender, age, and physical abilities.

1. Get Acquainted.

To help start the class and the term in an enthusiastic manner, ask students to work in teams of two and interview each other. Give students five minutes to gather information about each other. You can either provide a list of facts you want the students to inquire about or invite the class to prepare a list of things they would like to know about each other. Once the students have completed their interviews, ask them to introduce each other using the information they gathered in their brief interviews. To put your students further at ease, you may want to participate by giving them comparable information about yourself. This exercise will help students get to know each other and develop a level of comfort with classmates early in the term.

2.

The Communication Process. Assign students to work in teams. Each team should prepare its own interpretation of the communication process by drawing a communication model and labeling the various parts. Have the teams share and discuss their models with the rest of the class. Transfer models to transparencies so students will be able to comment as a group and retention will be greater. This activity can help students comprehend the communication process while emphasizing that different ways of illustrating a concept or process can be acceptable. Another alternative to this assignment would be to ask students to come up with a metaphor for the communication process (e.g., the communication process could be compared to playing billiards, with the pool player being the sender, the cue ball would be the message, the pool table would be the channel, and the ball the player wishes to hit would be the receiver).

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72 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 3. Ethical Communication. Assign students to work in teams of 2-3. Each team should prepare a list of ethical and unethical business communication examples it has heard or read about in recent months. Students may also include some examples from their places of employment. To help students get started, you may want to mention some communication examples from Tyco, ENRON, WorldCom, Martha Stewart’s company, and other organizations that have come under fire in recent years for unethical communication actions. Based on examples the teams identify, conduct a discussion about committing to ethical communication, recognizing ethical choices, and making ethical choices.

4. Culture. Ask students to assume that they have traveled to another part of the country and have stopped to talk with a resident of the region. Ask students to prepare a list of the points they would mention if the local resident asked the students to describe the culture in which they currently live. This activity should generate some lively discussion about the various aspects of culture, especially if some class members are from different parts of the United States or from different countries. Students may also begin identifying misconceptions that others may have about the students’ local culture, thus leading to a discussion of stereotyping and ethnocentrism.

5. Intercultural Sensitivity. Assign student teams to research a particular culture to identify differences in social customs and preferences or rules for conducting business. Make sure some of the students research high-context cultures and others research low-context cultures. Ask each team to share its findings in class.

Use these findings as a basis for a discussion of high- and low-context cultures, social customs, and ethical issues in other cultures.

6. Intercultural Sensitivity. Invite a panel of businesspeople who grew up in different cultures to address your class. Ask panel members to comment on cultural differences in such areas as context, ethics, social customs, and nonverbal communication. Also ask them to share their knowledge about rules for conducting business in their cultures. If the panel contains persons from several different cultures, this should encourage a significant amount of discussion about intercultural communication.

7. Teamwork Exercise. Divide students into groups of 6-8 and give each group a ball. Tell the group that its “mission” is to make sure each member of the group touches the ball at least once and that the team completing the task the fastest wins. (Students will often pass the ball around the group as fast as possible. Give them several chances to try new techniques or, if they do not seem to be trying new techniques, encourage them to do so. Generally, one or two groups will figure out that if one person holds the ball in the center and the other students touch the ball simultaneously, they have discovered the quickest way to complete the task.)

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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 73

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 22) 1. Effective communication benefits you and your organization in the following ways: faster problem solving; stronger decision making; increased productivity; steadier workflow; stronger business relationships; more compelling promotional messages; enhanced professional images and stronger brands; and improved response from colleagues, employees, supervisors, investors, customers, and other important audiences.

2. Culture influences the way you think, which naturally affects the way you communication as both a sender and a receiver.

3. Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society (they define the boundary between right and wrong). Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way.

4. An audience-centered approach means focusing on and caring about the members of your audience—making every effort to get your message across in a way this is meaningful and respectful to the audience.

5. Technology can’t match the rich experience of person-to-person contact. Visiting with others in person allows you to pick up on nonverbal cues and engage in a more meaningful conversation. Communicating in person also allows you to become more than a voice on the phone or a name on a screen.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 22) 1. This exercise should help students organize their thoughts about how communication keeps organizations running, what business tasks require communication, and how communication benefits business organizations.

Students should also realize that effective communication helps employees feel as if they are a part of the business process because they feel supported in their efforts and rewarded for their accomplishments; they also believe that their comments, suggestions, and problems will receive fair consideration, so any problems among co-workers are quickly and easily resolved. Knowing the company’s objectives and having clear instructions on how to accomplish their tasks makes employees confident in their work.

2.

Only by understanding the process of communication can you determine whether each any step has been completed successfully. Communication cannot occur if step in the process is blocked. By understanding the process, you can determine where have the problem lies and correct it (e.g., you can determine whether you chosen an improper channel and medium for transmitting the message or if your receiver is from a different culture). Your knowledge of the communication process. helps you send messages that are ethical, audience-centered, and interculturally sensitive.

74 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 3. This question will help students consider the growing problems faced by employees from foreign cultures. The discussion should be lively with regard to just how much the company is responsible for learning about and adapting to the cultural backgrounds of its employees.

4. Since an audience-centered approach means focusing on and caring about the members of your audience, including making every effort to get your message across in a way this is meaningful and respectful to the audience, featuring readers’ comments on a corporate blog allows the audience to participate in the conversation.

5. Writing documents for superiors is usually a part of your job. Business documents often bear the signature of someone who did not actually write them.

Yet one person repeatedly taking credit for another’s work may also come to be seen as unethical behavior. So, when should action be taken?

Of course, once the decision to take action has been made, you don’t want to embarrass your boss or risk your relationship with a direct confrontation. The best tactic may be to keep quiet for now and find ways to clarify your role through informal lines of communication whenever you’re working on a report for your boss. In situations like this, word of mouth generally spreads quickly up the organizational ladder.

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 23) Activities 1.

2.

The slang and acronyms contained in the message are too informal for members of the audience and will probably confuse them. Words and phrases such as ASAP, our little family, high time, shaking hands across the sea, pleased as punch, my level best, and sell you on America will seriously impair their ability to understand your boss’s message. A fair suggestion would be to rewrite the message, omitting all cultural based expressions and idioms. This message is not audience-centered as the writer has not considered others’ perceptions and backgrounds.

The ethics of each situation may be decided as follows: a. De-emphasizing negative test results is an ethical lapse that could affect lives in some situations; for example, when women suffered from defective breast implants. b. Using equipment at home would be ethical, especially if permission was obtained. c. Helping a friend would be ethical, unless “privileged” information was being conveyed without permission. d. Using allocated funding for unnecessary purchases is unethical. It would be better to justify the need for next year’s budget than to preserve it by cheating.

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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 75 3.

4.

Students might mention the employees should always consult a company’s code of ethics (if one exists) before writing anything associated with the company. Students opposed to the ban may argue that it is an individual’s ethical responsibility to alert the public to serious concerns about an organization and that a policy that bans criticism is unfair and unjust.

Additionally, they might note that a blog containing valid criticism of the company may appear as more authentic and credible than blogs that just praise a company. Others supporting the ban may argue that any external communication about a company must be examined by that company since an employee could post something untrue; moreover, if employees are being paid to blog, then the company has a right to edit content.

After researching Cisco’s Code of Business Conduct, students might mention the following examples that violate the Code of Business Conduct: •

•

• •

•

•

•

•

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Cisco employees and members of their immediate families engaging in a direct or indirect financial relationship with other businesses that could cause divided loyalty.

Cisco employees not receiving written permission from the Cisco vice president for their organization before beginning any employment, business, or consulting relationship with another company.

Employees serving on outside Boards of Directors or Technical Advisory Boards of a profit-making organization not seeking, prior to acceptance, written approval.

Not disclosing or seeking approval of an investment more than one percent of total outstanding shares of a public company by the Review Board.

Requesting or negotiating a fee or receiving any form of compensation (except the novelties, favors, or entertainment described below) from the organization that requested the speech, unless the employee first receives express authorization from the Cisco department vice president; or not donating a fee to the Cisco Foundation or other non-profit charitable organization.

Not receiving written permission from the Cisco department vice president before developing, outside of Cisco, any products, software, or intellectual property that is or may be related to Cisco’s current or potential business.

Offering or accepting cash or cash equivalent (such as loans, stock, stock options, or other monetary instruments such as bank checks, traveler’s checks, money orders, investment securities or negotiable instruments).

Offering, accepting, or participating in any favors, gifts or entertainment or other situations that are unsavory, or otherwise violates Cisco’s commitment to diversity and mutual respect, or that would reasonably cause any customer or Cisco employee to feel uncomfortable, such as “adult entertainment.”

76 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace

• Offering favors, gifts or entertainment over $100 USD per year to any individual to a single customer, vendor or supplier— unless prior written approval of department vice president AND HR manager has been obtained.

• Accepting favors, gifts or entertainment over $100 USD per year from any single customer, vendor or supplier—unless prior written approval of department vice president AND HR manager has been obtained.

Students might list the following opportunities for Cisco employees to report ethics violations or ask questions regarding ethical dilemmas: • Employees could contact Cisco’s general counsel • Employees could send e-mail to • auditcommittee@externalcisco.com or ethics@cisco.com • Employees could mail a letter to a private outside mailbox • Employees could call several individuals Employees could issue internal complaints via the internal website 5.

6.

Student answers might mention that every employee is a representative of the organization and employee behavior should protect the company’s reputation; thus, all employees should receive etiquette training. Answers might also focus on the changing workplace with more emphasis placed on teams and flattened management hierarchies; with these changes, more and more employees might be coming into contact with high-profile clients.

In these memos or speeches of introduction, students should include information about their majors, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and future career plans. This activity should give you an idea of the level of your students’ writing or speaking skills, as well as help you get to know them.

Before writing the report, the author will want to know

7. a. The audience’s culture (so that cultural biases can be avoided) b. The audience’s level of knowledge about the subject (so that the report’s style, content, organization, and tone will reflect that level) c. The environment in which the report will be received (to compensate for any noise interference) d. Whether the report will be read directly by the intended audience or will first pass through several layers of gatekeepers (so that anticipated distortions can be minimized before the report is read and summarized by gatekeepers) e. The audience’s gender and family status (because child-care may be viewed from a different perspective by men, women, parents, and nonparents)

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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 77 8.

This exercise challenges students to apply their understanding of the communication process. Ask them to be specific about how they encoded and transmitted the idea they wanted to share; also ask them to explain exactly how they knew whether the message had been accurately decoded.

Students might identify such barriers as a difference in perception due to differences in age, background, culture, or language; a lack of credibility, precision, congeniality, or control; a lack of information about the audience; a misunderstanding caused by unfocused, incoherent, or sloppy communication; one party being sidetracked or bringing up unnecessary information; an inability to relate new information to existing ideas; or the noise from environmental distractions, including the emotional states of

9.

the people involved or a person’s poor listening ability.

This exercise asks students to consider a possible ethical dilemma: choosing among alternatives that aren’t clear cut.

Students might mention that if employees are violating company policy, then they should be reported; however, others might mention that the boss is unfairly taking advantage of the fact that this person has numerous friends within the company.

The questions that need to be asked before the employee makes a decision include: has the situation been defined fairly and accurately, what is the intention of communicating this information, what impact will this information information have on the people who are affected by it, will this

10.

11.

achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm, will this decision seem unethical in the future, and are we comfortable with this decision (would both parties be proud to describe the situation to someone they respect)?

Students might also wish to discuss whether or not the company has a code of ethics, whether or not employees are aware of company policies and the consequences for violating them, and whether or not the boss has asked others to report this type of information to her as well.

After studying the examples included in this chapter, students may recognize the dropped eyes, soft tone, and vague answers as the Japanese businessperson’s way of showing respect and saying no indirectly so that the Canadian negotiator would be able to save face.

Students may find that it’s difficult, even with their own understanding of the expressions, to translate the entire context of these phrases. For instance, “He .

couldn’t hang,” loses a little something when it’s translated to, “He couldn’t hold That’sout and remain calm until the situation concluded or changed.” why slang emerges in the first place—to fill a unique, idiosyncratic language

78 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 12.

13.

14.

Students should find this assignment interesting. A number of books are available on international business communication, and many of them provide country-by-country information. As an option, you may suggest that some students pick two countries and compare their customs, describing the similarities and differences in nonverbal communication, meeting protocol, decision-making processes, and so on. To make this activity more focused, assign each student or team one type of business practice, such as gift giving, and ask them to describe how that practice varies in a dozen or so countries.

The role-playing should reveal how easily we slip into ethnocentric and stereotypical viewpoints—which interfere with business communication even when the difference is one of age, gender, or physical ability. To deal with the problem, try to view issues from the other person’s perspective.

Students might suggest that the marketing director should recognize the impasse as cultural and drop the demand for a detailed contract before the whole deal falls through. After requesting an adjournment, the marketing director should do some research to learn about the Chinese representative’s culture. Then the marketing director could try an approach more attuned to Chinese cultural practices and suggest a compromise that will allow both parties to save face and achieve their mutual objectives.

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 25) 1.

2.

3.

Be predictable.

Refer mainly to your own behavior.

Let bygones be bygones.

Don’t demand instant appreciation.

Reinforce tiny changes for the better.

You must create a balance of respect and understanding in the workplace to have happy and optimally productive workers. In addition to this, it is important that you AND your employees are aware of the importance of respecting diversity when dealing with your clients. When you work effectively with your community, both you and the community benefit.

Incivility, rudeness, and lack of etiquette are common occurrences in our daily lives. In business, bad etiquette can spell the loss of income, contracts, and loss of respect from employees and clients alike.

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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 79

IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 25) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Nouns (p. 25) 1. Give the balance sheet to Melissa.

2. We’d like to order 50 more satchels for Craigmont Stores, and 3 each for the other stores on our list.

3. Tarnower Corporation donates a portion of its profits to charity every year.

4. Which aluminum bolts are packaged?

5. Please send the Joneses a dozen of the following: stopwatches, canteens, headbands, and wristbands.

6. The technician has already repaired the machine for the client.

7. An attorney will talk to the group about incorporation.

8. After her vacation, the buyer prepared a third-quarter budget.

9. The new flat monitors are serving our department very well.

10. Accuracy overrides speed in importance.

11.

copies

12.

employees’ the Red Cross drive.

13. sons-in-law / businesses

Make sure that all copys include the new addresses.

Ask Jennings to collect all employee’s donations for

Charlie now has two son-in-laws to help him with

his two online business’s.

14.

parentheses your reports.

Avoid using too many parenthesises when writing

15.

Ness’s / week’s a weeks work.

Follow President Nesses rules about what constitutes

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 26) 1. If a broken-down, unproductive guy like Carl can get a raise, why can’t a takecharge guy like me get one?

2.

Visit our website and sign up for “On Your Toes,” our free newsletter that keeps you informed about promotions, discounts, and Internet-only specials.

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80 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 3. As of March 2007, the Board of Directors has nine members, including three women, one African-American, and one Hispanic American.

4. We urge you, as one of the nearly three [or: 3] million New York Life policyholders eligible to vote, to approve the new investment advisory agreement.

5. Gerrald Higgins, Vice President for Marketing, told reporters that Capital One provides financial services to one-fourth of homes in the United States.

6. Our customer relations associates work with people every day to answer questions, provide assistance, and solve problems.

7. If tenants breach the lease, the landlord is likely to file legal action against them to collect on the remainder of the lease. [Preferable to: If anyone breaches the lease, it is likely that the landlord will file action against him or her to collect on the remainder of his or her lease. “Anyone” and “they” could also be replaced by “you,” which changes verb agreement.]

8. The IRA is one of the most common plans for the self-employed because it’s simple to set up and administer.

9. My advice to you is to put your mission statement on your website.

10. According to Karen Smith’s report, many small-business owners don’t recognize the full effect that layoffs and terminations can have on the motivation of surviving employees.

11. To facilitate the processing of your U.S. tax return, use the mailing label and barcoded envelope enclosed in your tax package.

12. The NASE have implemented an exciting array of programs that make it easy for you to voice your legislative opinions and concerns.

13. Keep in mind the old saying “When you laugh, the world laughs with you; when you cry, you cry alone.”

14. Albert Edmunds and I are owners of the real estate firm of Edmunds & Cale, which has recently opened a new office in San Diego County.

15. The memo implied that the economic downturn will have a greater effect on the company’s bottom line than we previously assumed; this was the worst news we could have received.

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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 81

Level 3: Document Critique—Well-written solution (p. 27) MEMO DATE:

December 28, 2009

TO:

All Employees

FROM:

Roberta Smith, Personnel Director RS

SUBJECT:

Implementation of Time Card System

After reviewing our current method of keeping track of employee hours, we have concluded that time cards leave a lot to be desired. Beginning Monday, we will have a new system: a time clock. You will just have to punch in and punch out whenever you come and go from your work area.

The new system may take a little while to get used to, but it should be helpful to those of us who are making a New Year's resolution to be more punctual.

Happy New Year to all! eg

*See Transparency 6 for a copy of this Well-written solution.

CHAPTER 1 POP QUIZ True-False 1. Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages. (True) 2. Pagers and other wireless devices have contributed to stress in the communication process. (False) In the first step of the communication process, the sender transmits the message.

3.

(False) Selective misquoting may involve omitting damaging comments to paint a better 4. picture of you or your company. (True) An ethical dilemma is making a clearly unethical or illegal choice. (False) 5 .

6 7. .

By adopting an audience-centered approach, the writer presents the message in a way that emphasizes the writer’s point of view, not the reader’s. (False) In a low-context culture, people rely more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. (False)

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82 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 8. Making ethical choices across cultures involves adapting to another culture’s traditions. (False) 9. Simple hand gestures convey the same meaning in every culture. (False) 10. Ethnocentrism allows communicators to correctly interpret the customs of another culture. (False)

Multiple Choice 11. Which of the following is a tangible benefit of effective communication in an organization? a. Faster problem solving b. Increased productivity c. Improved response from employees and supervisors d. All of the above 12. The U.S. workforce includes growing numbers of people with various ethnic backgrounds. This will require the effective communicator to: a. Communicate in team-based organizations b. Communicate in an age of information c. Communicate within a culturally diverse workforce d. None of the above 13. Which of the following most correctly describes the order of the communication process? a. The sender has an idea, the sender encodes a message, the sender transmits the message, the receiver gets the message. b. The sender transmits the message, the sender receives feedback, the receiver decodes the message. c. The sender has an idea, the receiver decodes the message, the receiver gets the message. d. The sender transmits the message, the sender encodes the message, the receiver sends feedback.

14. Which of the following questions is NOT a question that can help you make an ethical communication decision? a. Is this message legal? b. Is this message feasible? c. Is this a message you can live with? d. All are questions that can help you make an ethical decision.

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1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 83 15. Which of the following is an incorrect example of how cultural context affects business communication? a. Executive offices are shared and open to all in high-context companies. b. Objective data are valued over subjective relationships in a high-context company. c. Meetings have fixed agendas and plenty of advanced notice in low-context companies. d. Workers rely on detailed background information in low-context companies.

16. Informal social rules are: a. Specifically taught “rights” and “wrongs” of how to behave. b. Usually learned by watching how people behave and then imitating that behavior. c. Another way to describe dining manners. d. Avoided by cultures that condemn materialism.

17. When communicators assume that their own cultural background is superior to all others, they are using which of the following concepts? a. Stereotyping b. Ethnocentrism c. Accurate assumptions d. Social status 18. When speaking to someone whose first language is different from yours, you should: a. Use objective, accurate language. b. Use slang and clichés. c. Ask the listener, “Is this too difficult for you?” d. Speak rapidly since the listener is accustomed to rapid speech in his or her first language.

19. When writing to someone whose first language is different from yours, you should: a. Include lengthy sentences, using many compound and complex sentences. b. Use figures instead of writing numbers out in words. c. Include slang, idioms, and jargon. d. Do none of the above, since these are things to avoid in intercultural written communication.

20. Cultural diversity affects how business messages are: a. Conceived b. Planned c. Sent d.All of the above

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CHAPTER 2: MASTERING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION CHAPTER SUMMARY Building on material presented in Chapter 1, this chapter focuses on improving interpersonal skills that are critical in business. Students learn about the advantages and disadvantages of teamwork and collaborative writing. The chapter’s focus on interpersonal communication within teams addresses how to prepare for and conduct an effective meeting as well as how to be an effective meeting member and abide by etiquette standards in teams and social settings and how to effectively use meeting technologies. The chapter explains the various types of listening, the listening process, and sound strategies for improving students’ listening skills. Students are introduced to six categories of nonverbal communication: facial expressions, gesture and posture, vocal characteristics, personal appearance, touch, and the use of time and space. Students are also presented with suggestions for improving their nonverbal communication skills.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 2 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet: Number Transparency 7 Transparency 8 Transparency 9 Transparency 10

Content Working in Teams The Listening Process Understanding Nonverbal Communication Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution)

CHAPTER OUTLINE Improving Your Performance in Teams Advantages and Disadvantages of Teams Collaborative Writing Developing Your Business Etiquette Etiquette in the Workplace Etiquette in Social Settings Making Your Meetings More Productive Preparing for Meetings Leading and Participating in Meetings Using Meeting Technologies Improving Your Listening Skills Recognizing Various Types of Listening Understanding the Listening Process .

2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication 85 Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening Improving Your Nonverbal Communication Skills Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Improving Your Performance in Teams A team is a unit of two or more people who share a mission and the responsibility for working to achieve their goal.

Teams are important in today’s workplace and help an organization succeed by: Improving productivity Improving creativity Increasing employee involvement Increasing employee job security The most effective teams share the following characteristics: Have a clear sense of purpose Communicate openly and honestly Reach decisions by consensus Think creatively Know how to resolve conflict A successful team can provide a number of advantages: Increased information and knowledge Increased diversity of views Increased acceptance of a solution Higher performance levels Teams need to be aware of and work to counter the following potential disadvantages: Groupthink—when individuals go along with everyone else on the team, even though everyone else is wrong.

Hidden agendas—when private motives affect group interaction.

Free riders—when some members don’t contribute their fair share.

Cost—coordinating group activities, schedules, etc. can be quite costly.

Teams are often expected to collaborate on reports, websites, presentations, and other communication projects. These guidelines will help teams work together successfully: Select collaborators carefully Agree on project goals before you start Give your team time to bond before diving in Clarify individual responsibilities Establish clear processes Avoid writing as a group Verify tools and techniques

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86 2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication

A variety of writing collaboration tools exist that allow team members to work together. These tools include group review, multiauthor blogs, and content management systems. These systems allow specific team members to read, edit, and save specific files. Revision control goes one step further and allows only one person at a time to check out a document and records all the changes that person makes so that team members’ efforts are not duplicated.

Developing Your Business Etiquette Etiquette is now considered a vital business skill and is important for getting along with team members and while you are out in public.

Etiquette in the Workplace Proper etiquette in the workplace helps you appear polished, professional, and confident. Proper etiquette also helps you put others at ease so they are comfortable enough to do business with you.

Factors that influence etiquette in the workplace include: Your personal appearance Your personal grooming Your smile Your mobile phone use Etiquette in Social Settings Since you represent your company when you are out in public, follow these steps: Make sure your appearance and actions are appropriate to the situation.

Get to know the customs of the culture when you meet new people.

When introducing yourself, include a brief description of your role in the company.

When introducing two people, speak both their first and last names clearly and offer some information about each person to ease them into a conversation.

Introduce the lower-ranking person to the senior-ranking person.

When you’ve been introduced to someone, repeat that person’s name as soon as possible.

Business is often conducted over meals. Remembering these steps will help you be more effective in these situations: Choose foods that are easy to eat If appropriate, order an alcoholic beverage only at the end of the meal Do not discuss politics, religion, or any other topic likely to stir up emotions during dinner Remember that you represent your company whenever you’re online as well so think carefully when posting information about yourself on social networking sites or leaving comments on blogs. .

2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication 87

Making Your Meetings More Productive Meetings are a primary communication venue for today’s businesses. By preparing carefully, conducting meetings effectively, and using meeting technologies wisely, you’ll be able to help your company make better use of meeting times. The two most frequently reported problems with meetings are 1) holding a meeting when distributing a message would do the job, and 2) holding a meeting without a specific goal.

Productive meetings require: Identifying your purpose of the meeting prior to calling one—whether it’s an informational or a decision-making meeting Selecting participants whose presence is essential—for informational meetings, larger groups can be invited; for decision-making meetings, invite only those who are in a direct position to help the meeting reach its objective.

Choosing an appropriate time and facility—morning meetings are often more productive Setting and following an agenda—productive agendas identify what needs to be done at the meeting to accomplish the goals, which issues will be of greatest importance to all participants, and what information must be available to discuss these issues.

An effective leader contributes to the success of a meeting by Keeping the meeting on track Following agreed-upon rules Encouraging participation Participating actively Closing the meeting effectively Participants should receive a copy of the minutes as soon as possible after a meeting.

With advances in technology, virtual teams and meetings are becoming more popular. Videoconferencing (combines audio communication with live video) and Web-based meeting systems (combines the best of instant messaging, shared workspaces, and videoconferencing) are two other advances that allow employees more flexibility when meeting.

Some companies are also making use of virtual worlds. In this context, professionals can create online versions of themselves (avatars) to participate in meetings, training sessions, sales presentations, and casual conversations with customers.

When conducting meetings online or over the phone, be sure that you’ve done extra planning, including determining how everyone will stay engaged and has the opportunity to contribute.

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Improving Your Listening Skills Effective listening strengthens organizational relationships, alerts the organization to opportunities for innovation, and allows the organization to manage growing diversity both in the workforce and in the customers it serves.

The goal of content listening is to understand and retain the information in the speaker’s message.

The goal of critical listening is to understand and evaluate the meaning of the logic of the speaker’s message, including the logic of the argument, the strength of the evidence, the validity of the conclusions, the implications of the message for your and your organization, the speaker’s intentions and motives, and the omission of any important or relevant points.

The goal of empathic listening is to understand the speaker’s feelings, needs, and wants so that you can appreciate his or her point of view, regardless of whether you share that perspective.

No matter what mode listeners are using, they should always try to engage in active listening and make a conscious effort to turn off their own filters and biases to truly hear and understand what the other party is saying.

Most of us listen at or below at 25 percent efficiency rate, remember only about half of what’s said during a 10 minute conversation, and forget half of that within 48 hours.

The listening process involves five steps: Receiving—physically hearing and acknowledging the message Decoding—assigning meaning to sounds Remembering—storing information for future processing before acting on it Evaluating—applying critical thinking skills to the speaker’s message Responding—reacting to the message Good listeners recognize and overcome barriers such as Selective listening—allowing your mind to wander while others are speaking We think faster than people speak. Most people process information at up to 500 words per minute; yet, most people speak at a rate of 120 to 150 words per minute.

Prejudgment—making up your mind before truly hearing what a person has to say Selective perception—molding a message to fit what listeners already believe about a given subject

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2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication 89 To improve your long-term memory, heed these tips: Associate new information with something closely related Categorize the new information into logical groups Visualize words and ideas as pictures Create mnemonics such as acronyms or rhymes

Improving Your Nonverbal Communication Skills Nonverbal communication is the process of sending and receiving information, both intentionally and unintentionally, without using written or spoken language.

Nonverbal communication plays two important roles: complementing verbal language and revealing truth.

Nonverbal communication can be grouped into six general categories: Facial expressions Gesture and posture Vocal characteristics Personal appearance Touch Time and space

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Some members of your class will have limited experience working in teams designed specifically to make decisions. Include team assignments related to the chapter to help them improve team communication skills. A number of the Apply Your Knowledge exercises can be completed using teams. The fourth Practice Your Knowledge activity offers students the opportunity to analyze an agenda for a meeting. A brief review of parliamentary procedure can also be tied to the meeting agenda exercise since students may have some misconceptions of what is and is not correct parliamentary procedure.

Students will all be able to cite examples of meetings that accomplished nothing other than wasting the participants’ time; however, they may not know what could have been done to turn things around so that the goals of the meeting could be accomplished. Not every student will recognize that all the attendees may need to take some responsibility for an ineffective meeting. If possible, have students observe a meeting of a group or team known for its efficiency and effectiveness. Have students discuss the responsibilities of both participants and leaders.

Many students may think they are good listeners. Convincing them that each of us can benefit from polishing our listening skills may be a challenge. You might also wish to read a passage in a text and ask students to summarize it or answer questions related to it. This activity helps students understand that most of us listen at a 25 percent efficiency rate. You could also give students a set of instructions orally and . all at once and ask students to follow those instructions (e.g., tell students to draw a three inch triangle in the upper right corner of the paper, a one inch square in the

90 2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication

center, a circle in the lower right corner of the paper, and a star in the lower left corner). After you’ve given students time to follow the instructions, invite them to share their interpretations of your instructions; this exercise also illustrates that we are not all good listeners all the time.

Before students identify ways to improve their listening skills, have them review the bad listener habits in the textbook. You may also want to have students complete the listening skills self-assessment (Practice Your Knowledge, #9) or have them track their listening skills improvements over a number of days.

To begin a discussion of nonverbal communication, have students complete the analysis of body language activity at the end of the chapter (Practice Your Knowledge, #8). Some class members may think that they always interpret nonverbal communication correctly. Ask students to observe a short film clip (with no audio) and take notes about the nonverbal communication and then have students share their observations with the rest of the class. This activity helps students understand that nonverbal communication can mean different things to different people. Provide some examples of different meanings for various gestures in different cultures. Invite class members who have spent extensive time in another culture to share examples of different interpretations of nonverbal messages.

The concept of vocal characteristics, use of space, and use of time as components of nonverbal communication may be new or even difficult for some students to grasp so be sure to provide examples during the nonverbal communication discussion.

Examples from different cultures will enhance student understanding. To further enhance their understanding of these items as components of nonverbal communication, you may want your students to conduct secondary research to find examples of how different cultures interpret the use of space and time.

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES 1. Planning Effective Meeting Agendas. Assign students to work in teams of 2-3.

Tell students they must plan the agenda for the monthly meeting of the accounting club (or let students choose a particular student organization). They may wish to examine the agenda illustrated in Figure 2.1. Using the agendas the teams prepare, discuss the need for successful meetings, the part an agenda can play, when participants should receive the agenda, and other responsibilities of the meeting leader and individual attendees.

2. Listening for Facts. Ask a student to stand and provide some personal background information about him- or herself. Or, if you prefer, you may wish to give some background about yourself. Plan to talk for approximately 2 minutes. Ask students to write down the facts the speaker shared about him- or herself. Have students compare answers; point out any incorrect restatements of fact to emphasize that effective listening is hard work and that we all have room for improvement.

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2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication 91 3. Analyzing Listening Skills. Have students complete the Listening Skills SelfAssessment (Practice Your Knowledge, #9). Ask them to identify one area in which they note room for improvement and to plan a strategy for improving that particular listening skill. You could also ask students to document their efforts to improve that skill over 21 days—the time needed to break a habit.

4. Emphasizing Various Meanings of Nonverbal Communication. The Public Broadcasting System’s website features compelling examples of how political candidates are able to manipulate messages using nonverbal communication components discussed in this chapter. As a class or individually, visit the following link and watch the original commercial, the commercial for the candidate, and the commercial against the candidate: http://www.pbs.org/30secondcandidate/tricks_of_the_trade/.

After watching all three spots, discuss the impact of nonverbal communication on a message.

5. Developing Effective Handshakes. As students enter the classroom, shake hands with each one. Have each student shake hands with another member of the class.

Direct the students to write a brief phrase describing the handshake. Next, have the students repeat the activity by shaking hands with at least five other classmates.

Review effective and ineffective handshake characteristics, such as the firm business handshake, the “limp fish” handshake, the “two- or three-fingered claw” handshake, and the “power” handshake. Discuss why an effective business handshake is an important nonverbal skill to develop. Also discuss who should shake hands and when in the business environment. Students typically enjoy this activity, and it provides an interesting way to emphasize that both men and women need to develop firm business handshakes. You may want students to repeat their handshakes at the end of the discussion and evaluate whether they note any differences. This activity can also segue into a discussion of different forms of business greetings in other cultures.

6. Researching Nonverbal Communication Components. Assign students to work in teams of two or three. Assign each team one of the following nonverbal communication components to research: facial expression (including eye contact), gesture and posture, vocal characteristics, personal appearance, touching behavior, and use of time and space. You may also want the teams to research intercultural aspects of these components. Ask each team to share their findings in class. This should stimulate some interesting class discussion about nonverbal communication.

7. Nonverbal Communication and Color. Assign students to work in teams of two or three. Ask students to research nonverbal responses to colors. Discuss how various colors project a definite message. You might even extend your discussion to various situations where it would be appropriate to avoid or select certain colors, including: Résumés Job interviews Speaking engagements Sales presentations

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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 41) 1. The five characteristics of effective teams include: having a clear sense of purpose, communicating openly and honestly, reaching decisions by consensus, thinking creatively, and knowing how to resolve conflict.

2. Effective teams must avoid groupthink, hidden agendas, free riders, and high coordination costs.

3. The listening process consists of receiving (actually hearing the message), decoding (assigning meaning), remembering (storing the message for future reference), evaluating (weighing the ideas), and responding (reacting to the message).

4. The three main barriers to effective listening are selective listening, prejudgment, and selective perception.

5. An individual can communicate nonverbally through facial expressions, gestures and postures, vocal characteristics, personal appearance, touch, and the use of time and space.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 41) 1. Students should list remarks that take the boss’s point of view into consideration and that avoid any confrontational or accusatory statements. Students should draw on what they’ve learned about message receptivity to phrase everything in a tone and style that will make their comments easy for any boss to hear and accept.

2. This exercise asks students to focus on two issues: the importance of nonverbal communication and conducting meetings. One effective way to explain this policy is to focus on the important of personal appearance and how clothing impacts that factor of nonverbal communication. Students should also decide on the channel for addressing these concerns: Does a meeting need to be held or will an employee memo suffice? If a meeting is to be held, will it be informational or decision making? Who should attend?

What will the agenda look like?

3. This exercise helps students explore ways to improve listening. Students not only review the suggestions listed in the book but also are also encouraged to come up with their own suggestions and to think about how they would present this information diplomatically to a fellow worker.

4. This situation invites students to acknowledge that gestures can be just as important as facial expressions since they can also influence the reception of a message. Since communication is a simultaneous process, the fact that the audience can see the speaker but the speaker can’t see the audience allows for a potential breakdown since the speaker is unable to receive the audience’s nonverbal reactions to his or her message.

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2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication 93 5. Voice mail and e-mail are probably too impersonal for this type of message, lacking the opportunity for feedback that a face-to-face meeting presents. Students may choose any of the options, as long as they are able to explain sound reasons for their choice.

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 42) 2.1 Students should examine the sample agenda in Figure 2.1 and then reorganize and reword the information provided in the exercise to create a well-organized agenda. Here’s one suggested agenda: AGENDA Budget Committee Meeting December 12, 2009, 9:30 a.m.

Conference Room 3 I. II. III. A. B. IV. A. B. C. V. VI.

Call to Order Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting Director Reports Greentree Site Director’s Report on Cost Overruns Finance Director’s Report on Quarterly Revenues and Expenses New Business Discussion of Cost Overrun Issues Discussion of Additional Quarterly Budget Issues Presentation of Divisional Budget Announcements Adjournment

2.2

This exercise gives students the opportunity practice listening, observe nonverbal cues, and critique a group in action in an actual setting. To answer the questions, students will have to pay careful attention to a number of things occurring at the meeting. The purpose of comparing notes with a partner is to show students that a person’s own background and listening skills influence the type and content of the notes taken. What is obvious to one person may be worth noting to another. Similarly, poor listeners tend to have superficial notes.

2.3 Students should try to be as inclusive as possible, without making the situation unreasonably uncomfortable. Consider two options: 1) They might ask the speechimpaired person to team up with one or more other employees and let that team report as a unit, or 2) they might provide an alternative way for this person to communicate during meetings, such as overhead slides or flip charts. Most important, since this communication challenge surely exists outside formal meetings, students may suggest working closely with the person to explore ways to help him or her contribute to the department’s work flow.

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94 2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication

2.4 Students can compare the agendas they obtain with the agenda in Figure 2.1 to see whether important items are missing and to get a sense of what an agenda should look like. Ask students to make specific suggestions for improvements, such as using more informative phrases to describe agenda items.

2.5 The objective here is to stimulate self-analysis. The following list of listening problems should spark discussion: • Prejudging the subject as boring • Reacting to a speaker’s style • Overreacting to certain ideas or words • Listening only for facts • Trying to take notes on everything • Faking attention • Succumbing to distractions • Tuning out difficult material • Planning a rebuttal while the speaker talks • Jumping ahead of the speaker; presuming the next point 2.6 This exercise encourages students to practice planning and making actual phone calls that could be helpful to them. Students should leave a simple, clear message that explains the request for the delayed move that includes the student’s contact number during the weekend.

2.7 Students will discuss how nonverbal messages need not be human gestures as nonverbal cues also include the appearance of written messages. Students will consider how quality of letters and memos are often judged first by overall appearance. You may want to refer students to Appendix A for a discussion of the importance of formatting business documents.

2.8 Many of these movements can be interpreted several ways, but the exercise leads students to think more clearly about how nonverbal cues influence their communication attempts. Particularly, the list should give students more insight into how they can learn from watching their audience while speaking. They might interpret the movements as follows: a. May indicate nervousness, discomfort with what’s being said, or boredom b. Usually a nervous reaction c. Conveys a lack of respect—for the speaker and for oneself d. Skepticism, doubt, disbelief, or in some cases, an exaggerated e. negative commentary on a speaker’s message, perhaps as a f. display for the benefit of others g. Lack of confidence, shyness, weakness Students may also elaborate with a general discussion of the ways in which such nonverbal cues sometimes reinforce a speaker’s words and meaning and how they sometimes offer conflicting and therefore confusing signals. Students might also mention that our response to nonverbal cues is often unconscious; that is, we interpret them almost as automatically as we express them. Thus differing cultural norms of nonverbal behavior can easily cloud communication.

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2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication 95 2.9 This assessment provides students with information about their listening skills.

If you choose to discuss the results of the self-assessments in class, be sure to ask students to identify instances of selective listening, prejudgment, and selective perception.

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 44) 1. When packing for a business trip to Mexico, follow these guidelines: • Dark, conservative, suits and ties are the norm for most men in Mexican business culture. Junior execs in some industries, notably technology, may dress more casually or less expensively. But visitors will seldom err if they adopt conservative ways. Ensure that your shirts are well-pressed and that your shoes are polished to a high gloss.

• Standard office attire for women includes dresses, skirted suits, or skirts and blouses. In Mexico, femininity is strongly encouraged in women's dress. Women business travelers will want to bring hosiery and high heels. They will also appreciate a light coat for evening wear.

• The rainy season in Mexico City is typically from May to November.

Mexican men do not favor raincoats, but umbrellas are popular.

Personal security is a problem in Mexico today, and both women and men should leave valuable jewelry and watches at home.

• Generally speaking, Mexicans, regardless of their social class, dress • as meticulously as they can afford.

Suitable casual wear for men includes pants and a light shirt with a sweater for the sometimes chilly evenings. Women can wear a skirt or a pair of stylish pants.

• Jeans are acceptable casual wear if they are clean and in good • condition.

• Shorts are never acceptable in Mexico City, except for children.

• Tennis shoes are never appropriate for business meetings.

• The guayabera is formal resort wear for men. It is not worn in public in Mexico City except by waiters and other servants.

Revealing clothing may be worn only within the confines of a resort.

2. No, this is not positive as “lavish hospitality often serves to soften the letdown of an unsuccessful venture.”

3. There are many items to consider before deciding whether or not to give the president the clock, these include: • Knowing that lavish gift giving was an important part of Chinese culture in the past. Today, official policy in Chinese business culture forbids giving gifts; this gesture is considered bribery, an illegal act in this country. Consequently, your gift may be declined. In many organizations, however, attitudes surrounding gifts are beginning to relax. In any case, you will have to approach giving gifts with discretion, as outlined in the following points. .

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•

Giving the gift to an individual in private and in the context of friendship, not business.

Knowing that the Chinese will decline a gift three times before finally accepting, so as not to appear greedy. You will have to continue to insist.

Once the gift is accepted, express gratitude to the person for accepting it.

You will be expected to go through the same routine if you are offered a gift.

Knowing not to present the gift in the presence of other people. This gesture will cause only embarrassment, and possibly even problems for the recipient, given the strict rules against bribery in Chinese business culture. Do not take any photograph of any gift giving unless it is a symbolic gift presented to the organization as a whole.

Knowing that giving a gift to the entire company, rather than an individual, can be acceptable in Chinese business culture as long as you adhere to the following rules: Being sure that all business negotiations are concluded before gifts are exchanged.

Specifying that the gift is from the company you represent. If you can, explain the meaning of the gift to the receiver.

Not getting anything that is obviously expensive (this may leave out the antique clock), so that the company will not feel obliged to reciprocate.

Knowing that valuable gifts should be given to an individual only in private and strictly as a gesture of friendship.

•

•

• • • • •

IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 44) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Pronouns (p. 45) 1. whom merchandise?

To which retailer will you send your

2. parts?

3.

Have you given John and Nancy a list of

them

It / them December 5.

The main office sent the invoice to Mr. and Mrs. Litvak on

4. its of the year.

The company settled the company’s accounts before the end

5.

Which person’s umbrella is this?

whose

6. The sales staff is preparing guidelines for

its

(their, its) clients.

7. Few of the sales representatives turn in

their

(their, its) reports on time.

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2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication 97 8. The board of directors has chosen its

(their, its) officers.

9. Gomez and Archer have told their (his, their) clients about the new program.

10. Each manager plans to expand his or her (his, their, his or her) sphere of control next year.

11. Has everyone supplied his or her (his, their, his or her) Social Security number?

12. After giving every employee a (his, their, a) raise, George told (them, they, all) about the increased workload.

them

13. Bob and Tim have opposite ideas about how to achieve company goals.

Who (Who, Whom) do you think will win the debate?

14. City Securities has just announced whom (who, whom) it will hire as CEO. 15. Either of the new products would readily find the marketplace.

its

(their, its) niche in

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 45) 1. Anita Doig from Data Providers will outline the company’s data interpretations as they relate to industry trends; additionally, Ms. Doig will comment on how the data should be used.

2. We have received your order for 2,000 Mylar bags; please note that orders of fewer than 5,000 bags get only a 20 percent discount.

3. Just between you and me, the new “customer centric” philosophy seems confusing.

4.

Podcasting effectively distributes messages to a widespread audience, but pay close attention to the demands of an audio medium.

5.

Among the specialties of Product Marketers International are promotional efforts for clients, including presence on the Internet, radio, and television.

6.

The introduction to this report includes an overview of a typical marketing plan, to give you an idea of what such a plan contains.

7.

Subsidiary rights sales can be a discrete source of income and complement your overall sales.

8.

Special events ranging from author breakfasts and luncheons to awards programs and receptions offer a great way to make industry contacts. .

98 2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication

9.

We will show you how to meet not only the challenges of information-rich material but also the challenges of electronic distance learning. [Or: We will show you how to meet the challenges of not only information-rich material but also electronic distance learning.]

10.

To cite just one problem, the reason that the market is in such a state of confusion is the appalling lack of standards, whether for hardware, software, or metadata.

11.

Two leading business consultants, Doug Smith and Carla McNeil, will share their insights on how specialty stores can effectively compete in a world of corporate superstores.

12.

One of the big questions we need to address is “How does buying affect inventory levels”?

13.

The closing of many industry digital entities has greatly affected the perception of e-books as a viable platform.

14.

A competent, motivated, enthusiastic staff can be a manager’s most important asset in a competitive marketplace.

15.

Come by the Technology Lounge, where you can log on to computers, plug into laptops, and check out demos of sponsors’ websites.

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2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication 99 Level 3: Document Critique—Well-written solution (p. 46)

Date: 14 November 2009 11:07:33 -0800 From: rick glissmeyer <rickg@aol.com> To: richard herman <rcherman@ddc.com> Subject: Please supply shipping costs Dear Richard, As you requested, here’s the complete order for seed mixes required by Roberta McDonald in Vancouver: * 50 lbs. 80/20 canary seed mix @ $15.45 * 50 lbs. soak seed @ $20.25 * Total order: $35.70 The seeds are to be shipped to: Roberta C. McDonald 1725 W. 3rd Avenue Vancouver, BC, V5M-5R6 As soon as you send the shipping costs, we will mail our check. Ms. McDonald indicated that she requires the seed by the end of the month.

Thanks for your quick service, Rick Glissmeyer *See Transparency 10 for a copy of this well-written solution.

CHAPTER 2 POP QUIZ True-False 1. Groupthink is a positive force found in team projects. (False) 2. Before you call a meeting, you should determine the purpose of the meeting and plan to invite only those people whose presence is essential. (True) 3. Meeting agendas should be distributed at the beginning of a meeting, not prior to the meeting. (False) To speed up a meeting and enhance productivity, let one or two key members 4. dominate the meeting to eliminate the need for parliamentary procedure. (False)

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100 2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication

5. Effective listening is blocked when you jump to conclusions and close your mind to additional information. (True) Strategies for effective listening include tuning out dry subjects and taking 6. extensive notes. (False) 7. When answering a phone at work, you should answer promptly, identify yourself, ask for the caller’s identity, and establish the needs of your caller. (True) 8. When using voice mail effectively, you should always plan to return all necessary calls within 72 hours. (False) Your facial expression reveals both the type and the intensity of your feelings.

9.

(True) 10. When others stand too close or too far away, we are likely to feel ill at ease.

(True)

Multiple choice 11. Which of the following best describes groupthink? a. Some team members have private motives that affect the group’s interaction. b. Individuals willingly set aside personal opinions and go along with everyone else, even though everyone else is wrong. c. Some team members don’t contribute their fair share, and others notice. d. None of the above 12. When conducting and attending meetings, the leader should do which of the following to help ensure a successful meeting? a. Keep the meeting on track. b. Follow parliamentary procedure. c. Encourage participation. d. All of the above 13. Which of the following correctly describes the sequence of the listening process? a. Receiving, remembering, decoding, responding, and evaluating b. Responding, evaluating, remembering, receiving, and decoding c. Receiving, decoding, remembering, evaluating, and responding d. None of the above 14. Prejudgment involves a. Listening selectively b. Taking control of the conversation c. Jumping to conclusions and closing your mind to additional information d. Thinking negatively

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2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication 1 01 15. Which of the following is a habit of a bad or poor listener? a. Tuning out if delivery is poor b. Judging content c. Taking limited notes d. Avoiding distractions 16. Which of the following would not be a good habit to develop when receiving telephone calls? a. Answer promptly and with a smile. b. Identify yourself. c. Schedule the call. d. Take complete, accurate messages.

17. Which of the following would not be a good habit to develop when leaving voice-mail messages? a. Keep the message simple. b. Don’t leave multiple, repetitious messages. c. Hide behind voice mail. d. Sound professional.

18. Which of the following is the primary site for expressing your emotions? a. Face b. Voice characteristics c. Gestures d. Eyes 19. Which of the following could be used to assert authority? a. Touching behavior b. Use of time c. Use of space d.All of the above 20. Which of the following is not a good tip for improving your nonverbal skills? a. Smile genuinely. b. Adopt a handshake that matches your personality and intention. c. Be aware that people may give false nonverbal cues. d.Fake a smile when necessary to avoid the appearance of being negative.

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CHAPTER 3: PLANNING BUSINESS MESSAGES CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 3 introduces students to the first step in the three-step writing process: Planning business messages. Students are guided through important planning stages including analyzing their situation and developing an audience profile. Other planning stages addressed include gathering necessary information and adapting the message to the audience and purpose. The discussion of message adaptation includes detailed coverage of how to choose the best channel and medium for various message situations. The chapter helps students understand that all media are not equally effective in all situations. The chapter guides readers through the activities involved in organizing a message: defining the main idea, limiting the scope of the main idea, choosing between direct and indirect organizational approaches, and outlining content.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 3 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet: Number Content Transparency What is the Three-Step Process?

11 Defining Your Purpose Transparency Group Your Points in an Outline 12 Activity 3.1 (improved version) Transparency Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution) 13 Transparency 14 CHAPTER OUTLINE Transparency 15 Understanding the Three-Step Writing Process Analyzing Your Situation Defining Your Purpose Developing an Audience Profile Gathering Information Uncovering Audience Needs Providing Required Information Selecting the Right Medium Oral Media Written Media Visual Media Electronic Media Factors to Consider When Choosing Media

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3: Planning Business Messages 103 Organizing Your Message Defining Your Main Idea Limiting Your Scope Choosing Between Direct and Indirect Approaches Outlining Your Content Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Understanding the Three-Step Writing Process Whether your writing task is routine or more complex, your goal is to create messages that Have a Clear Purpose Meet the Needs of Your Audience Communicate Efficiently The three-step writing process includes the following steps: Planning business messages Analyze the situation Gather information Select the right medium Organize the information Writing business messages Adapt to your audience Compose the message Completing business messages Revise the message Produce the message Proofread the message Distribute the message To schedule your time over the three-step process, Use roughly half your available time for planning.

Use a quarter of your time for actual writing.

Use the remaining quarter of your time for completing the project.

Analyzing Your Situation Successful messages start with a clear purpose that connects sender’s needs with the audience’s needs.

All business messages have a general purpose and a specific purpose.

General purposes of business messages are To inform To persuade To collaborate with your audience Specific purposes of business messages include What you hope to accomplish with the message. .

104 3: Planning Business Messages How your audience should respond after receiving your message.

Ask yourself these questions before proceeding to ensure that the purpose merits your time and effort required for you to prepare the message: Will anything change as a result of your message?

Is your purpose realistic?

Is the time right?

Is your purpose acceptable to your organization?

Audiences must know what’s in it for them—which of their needs will be met or problems will be solved by listening to your advice or doing what you ask. Develop an audience profile by completing the following steps: Identify your primary audience Determine audience size and geographic distribution Determine audience composition Gauge audience members’ level of understanding Understand audience expectations and preferences Forecast probable audience reaction

Gathering Information After you’ve generated a clear picture of your audience, the next step is to assemble the information that you will include in your message.

Formal techniques for finding, evaluating, and processing information are discussed in Chapter 10.

A variety of informal techniques enable you to gather insights and focus your research efforts: Consider other viewpoints.

Read reports and other company documents.

Talk with supervisors, colleagues, or customers.

Ask your audience for input.

Once you’ve identified your audience’s information needs, your next step is to satisfy those needs completely; be sure to deliver the right quantity of required information as well as verify the quality of that information. Before including information in your document, be sure your information is Accurate Ethical Pertinent

Selecting the Right Medium A communication medium is the form through which you choose to communicate your message.

Oral media include the following: Face-to-face conversations Interviews Speeches .

3: Planning Business Messages 105 In-person presentations and meetings Oral media have many advantages, including: Encouraging people to ask questions Encouraging people to offer comments Encouraging people to work together to reach a consensus or decision If you don’t want a lot of questions or interaction, oral media can be an unwise choice.

Written media take many forms, including traditional memos to glossy reports.

Written media have many advantages, including: They increase your control They help you reach dispersed audiences They minimize distortion Disadvantages of written media include: The difficulty of receiving feedback The lack of nonverbal cues The extra time and skill sometimes required to prepare written messages Other forms of written media include memos (used for day-to-day exchange of information within an organization) and letters (brief written messages sent to recipients outside the organization). Chapters 11 and 12 discuss reports and proposals in detail.

Visual elements usually support the text; however, in some instances the message can be presented more effectively by basing the message on a dominant visual and using small amounts of text to support the image.

Visual media are any formats in which one or more visual elements play a central role in conveying the message content.

Advantages of visual media include: They are able to communicate quickly.

They are effective at describing complex ideas and processes because they reduce the audience’s work.

They can lower communication barriers in the multilingual business world through their use of diagrams, symbols, and other images.

They can be easier to remember than purely textual descriptions or explanations.

Electronic media are broad and continue to grow even broader. Examples of electronic media include: Telephone calls Podcasts Blogs Wikis E-mail and text messaging

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106 3: Planning Business Messages Electronic versions of oral media include telephone calls, teleconferencing, voicemail messages, audio recording, and animated customer service avators on websites.

Electronic versions of written media range from e-mail and instant messages to blogs, websites, and wikis.

Electronic versions of visual media include electronic presentations (e.g., PowerPoint), computer animation, and video.

To select the best medium for your message, consider the following six factors: Media richness Message formality Media limitations Sender intentions Urgency and cost Audience preferences

Organizing Your Message Organizing your message well saves time for both you and your audiences.

Developing an organizational plan allows you to avoid putting ideas in the wrong places or composing material you don’t need to; get advance input from your audience to make sure you’re on the right track; and, in the case of larger projects, divide the writing job among co-workers.

Good organization helps your audience: Understand your message Accept your message Save time The topic of your message is the overall subject. Your main idea is a specific statement about the topic of your message.

When you are having difficulties determining your main idea, try the following strategies: Brainstorming Journalistic approach Question-and-answer chain Storyteller’s tour Mind mapping The scope of the message is the range of information presented, the overall length, and the level of detail. It is important for the scope of the project to correspond with the main idea.

After you’ve defined your main ideas, you are now ready to decide between two sequences used to present your information: direct or indirect approaches.

Direct approaches are best used when you know that your audience will be receptive to your message; start with your main idea and follow that with supporting evidence.

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3: Planning Business Messages 107 Indirect approaches are best used when your audience will be skeptical about or even resistant to your message; begin with the evidence first and build your case before presenting the main idea.

After you’ve decided on your approach, use one of the two outline forms to sketch out your ideas (alphanumeric or decimal outlines).

Whichever outline form is used, the following three steps should be followed: Start with the main idea State the major points Illustrate with evidence

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Many of your students will have difficulty planning, composing, and completing effective business messages because of their lack of business experience and lack of understanding regarding business processes and procedures.

Students often have trouble distinguishing between a topic and the main idea. Provide numerous examples of both topics and main ideas and ask students to identify the main idea in each one. This practice should help them include the main idea in the first paragraph of good news, routine, and goodwill messages.

Students rarely have an immediate appreciation for the three-step writing process.

They want to dive right in, often before they have completed any type of planning, and perhaps before they fully understand the communication situation. Take time to explore Figure 3.1, the Three-Step Writing Process, to set the stage for the importance of planning. Also, instruct students to complete the message planning skills self-assessment at the end of the chapter.

Encourage students to outline their message. Emphasize that although it isn’t important to have fully developed outline labels or even a typed outline, outlining helps them identify what to include in their message and how to order their message.

New employees are often criticized for their lack of audience understanding and the resulting insufficient information they include in their messages. To provide perspective on the need for audience analysis, discuss the communication needs of organizations recently in the news. Share good and bad examples of messages to various audiences. Stress the importance of assessing what audience members already know and understand, what they need to know, and how much information is necessary to eliminate time-consuming follow-ups (those calls, e-mails, and letters that people must initiate to obtain missing information).

Although students may be experienced in using the “direct” approach, they may not be familiar with the term. They may also be unfamiliar with the indirect approach. Be sure to explain that the direct approach is also known as the deductive approach, since many students will also be unfamiliar with the terms deductive and inductive.

Refer students to Figure 4.3.

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108 3: Planning Business Messages When assigned a case at the end of a writing chapter, students often have difficulty identifying information to include beyond what is presented in the case. Discuss gathering the necessary information through company records, informal interviews with colleagues, and so on. Encourage students to provide sufficient information about logical specifics such as dates, amounts, product names, model numbers, and so forth.

Due to their limited business experience, students may not quickly select the most effective medium for a communication situation. They will likely be experienced email users and may routinely tend to pick an electronic means of communication.

Because of this, try to provide examples of situations that require some other means of communication. Have students complete exercises in which they must select effective channels for situations and defend their choices.

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES 1.

2.

3.

4.

Application Exercises. This chapter provides a great opportunity for getting students to work with shorter components of a document. Students enjoy working on the various end-of-chapter exercises in class. You may ask them to work on the exercises independently or in teams of two. Sometimes partners can develop an effective solution more quickly than individuals working alone, and team members can learn from each other. To ensure efficiency, announce a time limitation for completing a specific number of items.

Planning Effective Messages. Lead a discussion about sample messages that are unclear, incomplete, and full of errors (it is especially effective when faculty provide examples of these messages that come from your own files). Then ask students to plan a memo to members of an organization. Use this activity to help students understand the planning stage of the three-step process. Students will need to define the situation as well as identify both the general purpose and the specific purpose of the message. Ask students to complete an audience profile by jotting down answers to the profile questions presented in the chapter. Before students can write the memo, they also need to identify the information to include in their message. A related exercise can be found in the Practice Your Knowledge section at the end of the chapter (numbers 7-12).

Analyzing Your Audience. Assign students to work in teams. Provide a list of situations and ask the teams to complete an audience profile for each situation.

Conduct a discussion to help students recognize the value of knowing this information before beginning to write. You may wish to use the Audience Profile exercise in the Practice Your Knowledge materials at the end of the chapter.

Selecting Effective Channel and Media. Compile a list of communication situations and ask students to identify two effective communication media and one ineffective medium for each. Students could also work in teams on this exercise. Students should explain their choices during class discussion. This can be an effective way to address the chapter discussion of selecting effective media. Be sure to stress all the advantages and disadvantages of the various

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3: Planning Business Messages 109 options. A related exercise can be found in the Practice Your Knowledge section at the end of the chapter.

5. Critiquing Poorly Organized Messages. Ask students to critique poorly written documents that you distribute. You may use a document from your files, or you could provide a disorganized outline of contents from a report. Ask students to work in teams of two to identify as many problems as possible. Project a sample solution on a large screen. You may also assign the outlining activity in the Practice Your Knowledge activities at the end of the chapter.

6. Choosing Between Direct and Indirect Approaches. Provide students with a list of situations. Refer them to Figure 4.3, and ask them to determine which organizational approach would be more effective for each situation. To emphasize channel and media selection, you may also want students to select an effective medium for each situation. Related exercise are available in the Practice Your Knowledge materials at the end of the chapter.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 62) 1. The three steps in the writing process are 1) planning, 2) writing, and 3) completing business messages.

All business messages have both a general purpose (to inform, to persuade, or to 2. collaborate) and a specific purpose (such as placing an order).

To develop an audience profile one needs to identify the primary audience, determine the size of the audience and its geographic distribution, determine the 3. composition of the audience, gauge audience members’ level of understanding, understand audience expectations and preferences, and forecast probable audience reaction.

4. When including information in your message, make sure the information is accurate, ethical, and pertinent.

5. The main advantages of oral communication include the opportunity for immediate feedback, a certain ease of interaction, the involvement of nonverbal cues, and the opportunity to express the emotion behind your message. The benefits of written media allow you to plan and control your message, reach geographically dispersed audiences, offer a permanent, verifiable record; minimize the distortion that can accompany oral messages, can be sued to avoid immediate interactions, and can deemphasize any inappropriate emotion components. The advantages of visual media are that they can convey complex ideas and relationships quickly, are often less intimidating than long blocks of text, and can reduce the burden on the audience to figure out how the pieces fit.

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110 3: Planning Business Messages

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 62) 1. Regardless of how many times you change your mind as you write a business message, planning enables you to make consistent, rational decisions about that message. If you begin with a general idea of what you are trying to accomplish and what basic strategy you will use, you can change the details of the message in a directed way—you know why changes are necessary and whether one change is better than another. Without a plan, the changes are arbitrary.

2.

A DVD would meet several requirements: immediacy; reaching a large, disperse community; and conveying sincerity, commitment, and accomplishment. The message could take the form of a video news release sent to local television news departments. Perhaps the company president could narrate views of the cleanedup waste sites; however, to accommodate print and television reporters, a written news release (similar to a one-page letter, memo, or report) should be prepared to accompany the videotape. The written material provides facts that both TV and newspaper reporters can refer to easily and repeatedly, without the need for a VCR.

An indirect approach is best suited for this message: The audience is likely to be resistant to the message; thus beginning with an explanation of the important deadline and then making the overtime request would enable the audience to understand why the request is being made.

Electronic media are fast, easy, and inexpensive; however, meetings and other 4. face-to-face communication allow immediate feedback through both verbal and nonverbal communication. Moreover, electronic media lack the richness of faceto-face communication. Electronic media should be used in a company, but they should not completely replace meetings and other face-to-face communication.

3.

This question should initiate a discussion of how much information one needs to 5. include to be ethical. It is perfectly fine to share just the good news in the memo; however, it might be more ethical to make a comment such as: “Sales of this new line of jams have far exceeded our expectations, and it looks like this trend will continue for quite some time. Although we expect that some of our customers may be switching from existing products to this new one, we are actively promoting all brands to maximize our total sales.” This comment will likely generate a question or two from the board of directors; however, at least it informs them that some sales of the new product are coming from customers who are no longer purchasing the old product.

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3: Planning Business Messages 111

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 62) Exercises for Perfecting Your Writing Specific Purpose. Possible statements of purpose might include the following: 1. I want to inform the manager about the type and number of outdated items in the warehouse. Or: I want to persuade the manager to get rid of outdated items in the warehouse. Or: I want to work with the manager to solve the problem of outdated items in the warehouse.

2. I want to inform the customers and the news media about my company’s plans.

3. I want to convince the customer to make a payment.

4. I want to encourage employees to save water.

5. I want to find out what happened to the shipment.

6. I want to explain how the computer program works.

Audience Profile. The precise answers here are less important than thinking about the audience. Students should consider both informational and motivational needs and should put themselves in the audience’s position. Here are some possibilities: 7. The reader is a dealer in financial trouble who is likely to be embarrassed and hostile when your letter is received. The dealer needs to know what can be done to satisfy the manufacturer and what will happen if nothing is done about the bill.

8. The readers are all subscribers to computer magazines and presumably own computers. They will be interested in learning about this opportunity to save money on computer disks but may have questions about product quality. They need to be convinced that the vendor’s disks are well made. They also need to know the ordering procedures.

9. The readers of the ad are people who read the food section of the local newspaper. They are either indifferent to or moderately interested in the product.

They need to know why this peanut butter is better than other brands: price, flavor, purity, and packaging.

10. The reader is the manager of the property management company who will most likely be displeased to receive this letter since the writer has been experiencing “persistent problems” and he or she will have to take action to resolve the situation. The reader needs to know what specific problems with the heating and air conditioning have been occurring and for how long.

11. The reader will be a recruiter who receives hundreds of similar résumés and who will be basically indifferent, unless the company is actively recruiting large numbers of new employees. The reader needs to know what makes this particular .

112 3: Planning Business Messages job candidate different from all the rest. The reader also needs to know about the candidate’s career objectives, background, and experience.

12. The reader is a customer service representative who is likely to be detached about the letter, having dealt with many similar problems. If satisfied that the customer has a justifiable claim, the reader will probably approve the adjustment. The letter should explain how the damage occurred and justify the $150 estimated for repairs.

Media and Purpose. For each example that students cite, they should identify the general purpose (to inform, to persuade, to collaborate) and a specific purpose (to get a job, to make a purchase, to obtain a refund, and so on). They should comment on the appropriate timing (such as phone solicitations at dinner time), the appropriate medium (such as a form letter for a personal message), the credibility of the sender (such as Marie Osmond as spokesperson for NutriSystem or Jessica Simpson for ProActiv), and the practicality of purpose (such as a sales message for a high-ticket item sent to a college student).

13.–27. Answers will vary, based on the examples that students cite.

Message Organization: Choosing the Approach. Indicate whether the direct or the indirect approach would be best in each of the following situations. Write direct or indirect in the space provided: 28.

Direct

An e-mail message to a car dealer asking about the availability of a specific make and model of car Direct approach. This is a routine request.

29.

A letter from a recent college graduate requesting a letter of recommendation from a former instructor Direct approach. Assume that the professor has a good opinion of the student and will be happy to write the letter of recommendation.

30.

Indirect A letter turning down a job applicant Indirect approach. To soften the bad news, the letter should begin with a neutral buffer.

31.

Direct

Indirect

A blog posting explaining that because of high airconditioning costs, the plant temperature will be held at 78 degrees during the summer Indirect approach. Again, a neutral buffer would make the audience more receptive.

Presenting the reason first will help the audience understand why the uncomfortable temperature is necessary.

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3: Planning Business Messages 113 32.

Indirect

A final request to settle a delinquent debt

Indirect approach. To persuade the reader to pay the debt, the writer should begin by pointing out how the reader will benefit from this course of action. However, if the indirect approach repeatedly fails, a more direct approach might be necessary, which is inappropriate for e-mail messages.

Message Organization: Drafting Persuasive Messages. If you were trying to persuade people to take the following actions, how would you organize your argument? Write direct or indirect in the space provided.

33.

You want your boss to approve your plan for hiring two new people.

The reader will be motivated mainly by “bottom-line” considerations.

Demonstrate that the cost of hiring two more people will lead to increased sales or profits.

34.

Direct You want to be hired for a job.

The company recruiter will be looking for a qualified person to fill existing openings. Begin with the type of job you’re seeking; then explain your qualifications for that job.

35.

Direct You want to be granted a business loan.

The bank will be motivated by financial considerations. You need to demonstrate that the loan is justified and that you will be able to pay it back. Explain why you need the money; then offer evidence that you are a good credit risk.

36.

37.

Indirect

Direct

You want to collect a small amount from a regular customer whose account is slightly past due.

The person will probably be willing to pay, given a history of prompt payment.

Begin the message by pointing out the benefits of paying; then make a direct appeal for payment.

Indirect

You want to collect a large amount from a customer whose account is seriously past due.

The person is either unable or unwilling to pay. You need to provide a real incentive to settle the debt. Point out the consequences of failing to pay. You might also offer to arrange a repayment schedule that is practical, given the person’s financial position.

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114 3: Planning Business Messages

ACTIVITIES (p. 64) 3.1 Students should organize the list into a few main categories, group related ideas into those categories, and order all items logically. Here is one revision: Accident Protection Insurance Plan I. Benefits A. Accidental death on common carrier 1. Benefit is $100,000 2. Paid in event of accidental death while riding as a fare-paying passenger on public transportation, including buses, trains, jets, ships, trolleys, subways, or any other common carrier B. Accidental death in motor vehicle accident 1. Benefit is $20,000 2. Paid in event of accidental death while driving or riding in or on an automobile, truck, camper, motor home, or nonmotorized bicycle C. Hospitalization 1. Benefit is $100 a day 2. Paid when hospitalization results from motor-vehicle or commoncarrier accident D. Cash paid in addition to any other insurance carried II. Costs A. B. C. D. E. F.

Individual coverage is $17.85 per quarter Family coverage is $26.85 per quarter Amounts to just pennies a day Free no-obligation examination period Convenient payment—billed quarterly No individual rate increases

III. Qualifications A. No physical examination or health questions B. Guaranteed acceptance for all applicants * See Transparency 14 for a copy of this improved outline.

3.2 An ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that aren’t clear-cut.

An ethical lapse is a clearly unethical (and frequently illegal) choice. This situation clearly falls within the definition of an ethical lapse; however, it is good for students to consider how they’d deal with such a situation. Some students might refuse to include the information to remain in good standing with their supervisor while others may include the information because they feel a larger obligation to their personal code of ethics.

3.3 This self-assessment exercise helps students analyze their strengths and weaknesses with regard to planning business messages. Encourage them to follow up on areas for improvement by rereading relevant parts of the chapter and looking for opportunities to practice their skills.

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3: Planning Business Messages 115

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 65) 1 and 2. The following are Forbes’ assessments of the blogs featured in the Career, Marketing, and Small Business blogging sections: Career Section Monster Blog BEST: Besides the well-known Monster brand name, Monster.com writers who actually love their jobs write the posts in a personal tone.

WORST: Can’t search archives by topic or category; few “comments” postings.

BostonWork’s Jobs BEST: Wide range of links to articles for job seekers, job search databases and jobs by field.

No viewable comments or feedback section and no section for links to WORST: recent posts.

Employment Digest Blog BEST: Daily posts as well as links to other great senior related blogs and Web sites such as Jobseeker’s Revenge and the AARP. WORST: No original content by or about bloggers; little interactivity on “comments” postings.

Occupational Adventure Blog BEST: Refreshing alternative to other career blogs; focus here is on personal fulfillment rather than salary or advancement opportunities.

WORST: Some entries border on new-agey; plugs for Rosengren’s products and services.

Today’s Workplace Blog BEST: The Your Rights section where you learn whether the questions you were asked at the job interview were legal and what your rights are if your employer fires you.

No section for posting comments or feedback; archives aren’t searchable; WORST: no easy-to-access links to recent posts Career and Job Hunting Blog BEST: Specific, relevant information for current job-seekers.

WORST: Fewer updates than other blogs; no categories, topics or recent posts listings.

IWorkWithFools Blog BEST: A place to vent without worry about getting fired. Because posts are in the first-person, they are often entertaining and easy to relate to.

WORST: Many entries ramble on; some entries’ comments section are annoyingly used as a message board; no listings of recent posts.

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116 3: Planning Business Messages Work-Related Blogs and News BEST: Its massive, comprehensive list of career-specific blogs.

WORST: Listing of work related blogs are listed alphabetically. Sorting by category or profession would make finding information easier.

Marketing Blogs Marketing Vox Blog BEST: Each story lists related topics by category for further study.

WORST: Strictly a news site. Lacks “how-to” articles.

Adrants Blog BEST: The site doesn’t pull punches. It recently accused TBS of pandering to idiots with its current marketing campaign for Pauly Shore’s new show.

WORST: Get ready to scroll, navigation is challenged.

Chris Baggott’s Blog BEST: Baggott’s choice of educational and inspiring posts.

WORST: Posts don’t generate many reader replies.

Church of the Customer Blog BEST: Compelling evangelist profiles, such as Southwest Airlines founder Herb Kelleher’s keen advice: make your business a cause, not a career.

WORST: Aggressively self-promoting.

Duct Tape Marketing BEST: Incisive marketing information hits all bases.

WORST: Small business centric, so big brand marketers will be left wanting.

Seth Godin’s Blog BEST: Hit the track back button to find Weblogs posted elsewhere.

WORST: Miniscule type at times.

Wonder Branding Blog BEST: The wisdom here isn’t just beneficial for women or those marketing to women.

Small photos and very large type.

WORST: Ypulse Blog BEST: Pulse essentials, snippets and links to information on teens that are marketers should check weekly. Did you know that teen coffee consumption is at record levels?

WORST: Lacks new media inclusions like video and Podcasts.

Small Business Blogs All Business Blog Center BEST: Covers a vast swath of territory. Content updated daily, even on weekends.

WORST: Some of the archived posts turn up dead links.

Fresh Inc. Blog BEST: Great writing, compelling articles and lots of reader dialogue.

WORST: Does Fresh Inc. really need its own reviews of “The Apprentice”?

Small Business Trends Blog .

3: Planning Business Messages 117 BEST: Pinpoints the latest trends in small business, from overseas franchising to specialty ice cream to senior care.

WORST: Reviews of PowerBlogs are not categorized. You’ll have to click through each to find out what kind of blog it is. Example: A review for The Security Mentor, about efficient researching methods, is followed by a review of Ask Crabby, a seafood blog.

BusinessWorks Blog BEST: A thorough look at the entrepreneurial process. Keshwani just finished the financial plan. On deck: securing backers and building the business.

WORST: Big gaps between posts. (Hey, he’s been busy!) And while Keshwani is exceedingly detailed about the nuances of starting a business, where’s the heart? You don’t get a sense of the blood, sweat, and tears involved in the start-up process.

Entrepreneurial Mind Blog BEST:Cornwell’s daily postings reference a refreshingly broad range of media outlets, from national publications like Red Herring to national talk show hosts.

WORST: Surprisingly few comments to Cornwall’s posts.

Small Business Brief Blog BEST: Tightly edited, the Small Business Brief is like reading a thick business magazine, loaded with the kind of articles you’d ordinarily earmark and highlight.

WORST: Misdirected links. When we clicked on the headline “Eliminate Troubling Back Pain and Eye Strain Associated With Heavy Computer Use,” for example, we were sent to a page about “Tracking and Troubleshooting for Increased Sales.”

3. Student responses might include the following important lessons learned from Forbes’ review of the blogs: providing customers up-to-date information/postings, using effective writing techniques, making sure links are correct/current, having a clearly organized site, and using font/type that assists— not hinders—the reader.

IMPROV E YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 66) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Verbs (p. 66) 1. have become 2. knew 3. has moved 4. will do 5. will have returned 6. Leslie Cartwright will write the report.

7. I failed to record the transaction.

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118 3: Planning Business Messages 8. Has the claims department notified you of your rights?

9. We depend on their services for our operation.

10. The customer returned the damaged equipment before we even located a repair facility.

11. Everyone upstairs (receive/receives) mail before we do.

12. Neither the main office nor the branches (is/are) blameless.

13. C&B Sales (is/are) listed in the directory.

14. When measuring shelves, 7 inches (is/are) significant.

15. About 90 percent of the employees (plan/plans) to come to the company picnic.

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 66) 1. Cut two inches off the tree’s trunk, place the tree in a water stand, and fill the stand with water.

2. The newly elected officers of the board are John Rogers, president; Robin Doig, vice-president; and Mary Sturhann, secretary.

3. Employees were stunned when they were notified that the trainee was promoted to manager after only her fourth week with the company.

4. If you are seeking reliable data on U.S. publishers, Literary Marketplace is by far the best source. [Or Literary Marketplace is by far the best source for reliable data on U.S. publishers.]

5. To whom did you wish to speak?

6. The keynote address will be delivered by Seth Goodwin, the writer of six popular books on marketing, two novels, and a column for Fortune magazine. [Or any other rewrite that makes the items parallel.]

7. Often the reputation of an entire company depends on one employee who officially represents that company to the public.

8. The executive director, along with his staff, are working quickly to determine whom should receive the award.

9. He and his co-workers, the top bowling team in the tournament, will represent our company in the league finals on Saturday.

10. Listening on the extension, the security chief overheard details of the embezzlement plot.

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3: Planning Business Messages 119 11. The acceptance of Visa cards is in response to our customers’ demand for a more efficient and convenient way of paying for parking here at San Diego International Airport.

12. The human resources department interviewed dozens of people, seeking the best candidate for the opening. [Or The human resources department interviewed dozens of people to find the best candidate for the opening.]

13. Libraries can be a challenging yet lucrative market if you learn how to work the “system” to gain maximum visibility for your products and services.

14. Either a supermarket or a discount art gallery is scheduled to open in the mall.

15. I have told my supervisor that whoever shares my office with me cannot wear perfume, use spray deodorant, or use other scented products.

Level 3: Document Critique—Well-written solution (p. 67) Date: To: From: RE:

May 8, 2009 Blockbuster Managers Tom Dooley, Deputy Chairperson, Viacom, Inc. TD Recent Cash Flow and Consumer Response—Survey

Thanks go to you and your staff for your hard work and cooperation during the reorganization of your stores. We believe revenues will rise to new heights if we reemphasize video rentals as Blockbuster’s core business and reduce the visibility of our sideline retail products; however, we want to be certain that these changes are having the positive effect on your cash flow that we all expect and look forward to.

To help us make that determination in a timely manner, please respond to the following survey questions and fax them back by the end of next week. Please answer concisely, but use extra paper if necessary for details and explanations.

Your input is valuable not only to help headquarters improve service to you but also to help us all improve service to our customers. Blockbuster must choose wisely and serve its customers well, but I firmly believe that the video-rental business is healthy, growing, and profitable.

By faxing the completed survey to my attention before May 15, you will help Blockbuster thrive in a marketplace that critics say we cannot conquer. Please fax your surveys to the following number: (725) 555-1980.

Thank you for your cooperation and support. You make Blockbuster North America’s premiere “place to go to rent videos!”

Enc. *See Transparency 15 for a copy of this well written solution. .

120 3: Planning Business Messages

CHAPTER 3 POP QUIZ True-False 1.

Writers can make their messages more effective by making them purposeful, concise, and audience centered. (True)

2. For a message to be effective, its purpose must connect the sender’s needs with the audience’s needs. (True) An audience profile should be conducted during the writing step of the three-step 3. process. (False) It is not necessary to know an audience’s reading level to prepare an effective 4. message. (False)

5. Face-to-face communication is the leanest medium identified in the chapter, because it offers the most feedback. (False) 6. Use the direct order if the audience’s reaction to the message is likely to be negative. (False) 7. Draft your document and edit at the same time to generate a perfect document in just one draft. (False) 8. People are more likely to react positively to your message when they have confidence in you. (True) 9. A well-organized message requires extensive outlining in a traditional format.

(False) 10. Written communication, in general, requires less tact than oral communication.

(False)

Multiple Choice 11. Which step of the three-step process should take the most time? a. Planning messages should take the most time. b. Writing messages should take the most time. c. Completing messages should take the most time. d. All steps should take equal time.

12. Developing an audience profile involves which of the following? a. Identifying key decision makers b. Estimating audience understanding c. Predicting audience reactions d. All of the above

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3: Planning Business Messages 121 13. In general, a written channel will help you do which of the following? a. Collaborate with the audience b. Increase your control over your message c. Eliminate all possible feedback d. None of the above 14. For an urgent message to a customer in another city, which of the following would be the least desirable medium to use? a. Postal mail is the least desirable medium to use. b. A phone call is the least desirable medium to use. c. A Fax is the least desirable medium to use. d. None of the choices above is less desirable than the others.

15. No matter how long your message, the scope should be a. limited to no more than two major points. b. limited to no more than six major points. c. limited to no more than one major point. d. unlimited.

16. Which of the following best emphasizes the positive? a. “The YMCA will not be conducting any classes in April.” b. “The date of the next YMCA swimming class is May 2.” c. “No swimming classes will be offered until May.” d. All of the above are negative.

17. Which of the following should be organized using an indirect approach? a. Memo informing budget committee members of next Tuesday’s meeting b. Letter congratulating a college friend on a recent promotion c. Memo telling sales representatives that new travel regulations will begin next month to save expenses d. Press release announcing the new product your company is manufacturing 18. What benefit does outlining provide a writer? a. It helps a writer make sure a document is correctly formatted. b. It helps a writer master the outline feature of the word processor. c. It helps a writer visualize the relationship among parts of a message. d. Outlining provides no benefits to a writer.

19. Which of the following techniques help develop effective paragraphs? a. Indirect Approach b. Direct Approach c. Cause and Effect d. Both A and B 20. Use electronic media when you a. need immediate feedback. b. want no permanent record. c. can assemble your audience conveniently. d. need speed. .

CHAPTER 4: WRITING BUSINESS MESSAGES CHAPTER SUMMARY This chapter addresses writing business messages, the second step of the three-step writing process. In addition, to help writers adapt messages to their audience, the chapter discusses and gives examples of writing techniques, such as using the “you” attitude, maintaining standards of etiquette, emphasizing the positive, and using biasfree language. Building a strong relationship with an audience is also addressed, including instruction in establishing credibility and projecting the company’s image.

Effective composition techniques are addressed, including using a conversational tone, using plain English, selecting active or passive voice, choosing strong words, creating effective sentences, and crafting coherent paragraphs. The chapter closes with information about using technology to compose and shape messages.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 4 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet: Number Transparency 16 Transparency 17 Transparency 18

Content Adapting to Your Audience Activity 4.1 (improved version) Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution)

CHAPTER OUTLINE Adapting to Your Audience Being Sensitive to Your Audience’s Needs Using the “You” Attitude Maintaining Standards of Etiquette Emphasizing the Positive Using Bias-Free Language Building Strong Relationships with Your Audience Establishing Your Credibility Projecting the Company’s Image Controlling Your Style and Tone Creating a Conversational Tone Using Plain English Selecting Active or Passive Voice Composing Your Message Choosing Strong Words Balancing Abstract and Concrete Words Finding Words that Communicate Well .

4: Writing Business Messages 123 Creating Effective Sentences Choosing from the Four Types of Sentences Using Sentence Style to Emphasize Key Thoughts Crafting Coherent Paragraphs Understanding the Elements of the Paragraph Topic Sentence Support Sentences Transitionas Developing Paragraphs Using Technology to Compose and Shape Your Messages Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Adapting to Your Audience In any communication situation, audiences are more likely to notice, pay attention to, and respond to messages that promise to address their concerns.

To demonstrate true audience sensitivity, adopt the “you” attitude, maintain good standards of etiquette, emphasize the positive, and use bias-free language.

Effective communicators adopt the “you” attitude—speaking and writing in terms of your audience’s wishes, interests, hopes, and preferences.

One way to use the “you” attitude is to replace words such as I, me, mine, we, us, and ours with words such as you and yours.

Avoid overdoing the “you” attitude; otherwise, you run the risk of creating awkward sentences and sounding overly enthusiastic and artificial.

The “you” attitude is not meant to be manipulative or insincere.

In some situations, especially when trying to avoid sounding overly authoritative or accusing, it’s best to avoid using you.

Good etiquette not only indicates respect for your audience but also helps foster a more successful environment for communication by minimizing negative emotional reaction. Written communication and most forms of electronic media generally require more tact than oral communication since nonverbal communication softens the message.

Emphasizing the Positive Never try to hide negative news, but look for positive points that will foster a good relationship with your audience.

Point out how particular actions will benefit your audience Try to state your message without using words that might offend your audience and use euphemisms rather than words with unpleasant connotations.

Using Bias-free Language Avoid using words and phrases that unfairly and even unethically categorize or stigmatize people in ways related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, or disability.

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124 4: Writing Business Messages Gender bias: avoid by using the same label for everyone; in business refer to women as Ms. unless invited to do otherwise.

Racial and ethnic bias: avoid identifying people by race or ethnic origin unless such identification is relevant to the situation at hand.

Age bias: avoid mentioning the age of a person unless it’s relevant.

Disability bias: avoid mentioning a disability unless it’s pertinent; put the person first and the disability second.

To build a strong relationship with your audience, establish your credibility and project the company’s image.

Establish your credibility by emphasizing the following: Honesty Objectivity Awareness of audience needs Credentials, knowledge, and expertise Endorsements Performance Confidence Sincerity Performance Project your company’s image by following these steps: Subordinate your own views and personality, at least to some extent, to the interests and style of your company.

Follow your organization’s specific communication guidelines.

Observe more experienced colleagues to see how they communicate, and never hesitate to ask for editorial help.

Vary your style (the way you use words to achieve a certain tone or the overall feel of your writing) to match the nature of your message and your relationship with the reader.

You can create a conversational tone by following these guidelines: Avoid obsolete and pompous language—use phrases you would when talking face-to-face.

Avoid preaching and bragging—don’t sound like you know everything.

Be careful with intimacy—don’t be too familiar.

Be careful with humor—humor can backfire if the audience interprets it differently.

Use plain English—a way of presenting information in a simple, unadorned style so that your audience can easily grasp your meaning. Using plain English, while mostly advantageous, does have some limitations: it sometimes lacks the precision or subtlety necessary for scientific research, legal documents, engineering plans, intense feeling, and personal insight.

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4: Writing Business Messages 125 Selecting active or passive voice.

Use active voice (when the subject performs the action and the object receives the action) in general as it is usually easier for reader to figure out who performed an action.

Avoid passive voice ( when the subject receives the action) in general as it deemphasizes the subject and implies action done by something or someone.

Use passive voice to soften bad news or to create an impersonal tone.

Composing Your Message As you compose your first draft, let your creativity flow. Don’t try to draft and edit at the same time or try to make everything perfect. Realize that you’ll revise and edit later.

As you create and refine your messages, learn to view your writing at three levels: strong words, effective sentences, and coherent paragraphs.

Follow these steps when choosing strong words: Pay attention to grammatical correctness.

Select the most suitable word.

Balance abstract and concrete words.

Abstract words express concepts, qualities, or characteristics.

Concrete words stand for something we can touch, see, or visualize.

When trying to find words that communicate well, do the following: Choose powerful words Choose familiar words Avoid clichés and use buzzwords carefully Use jargon carefully To create an effective sentence, begin by selecting the optimum type of sentence, then arrange words to emphasize the most important point in each sentence.

Four basic varieties of sentences: Simple sentences: one main clause (a single subject and a single predicate) Compound sentences: two main clauses that express two or more independent but related thoughts of equal importance Complex sentences: expresses one main thought (the independent clause) and one or more subordinate clauses (dependent clauses) Compound-complex sentences: two main clauses, at least one of which contains a subordinate clause Emphasize key ideas through your sentence style.

Include full descriptions of important people and events Add a separate, short sentence to augment the first sentence Make important ideas the subject of the sentence Place important ideas at the beginning or end of a sentence Develop unified and coherent (logically connected) paragraphs by ensuring that all the sentences in the paragraph pertain to a single thought. .

126 4: Writing Business Messages Include a topic sentence.

Provide support sentences that develop the topic.

Provide transitions.

Transition words and phrases tie ideas together and show how one thought is related to another.

Use connecting words Echo a word or phrase from a previous paragraph or sentence Use a pronoun that refers to a noun used previously Use words that are frequently paired The best way to achieve coherence and unity is to use paragraph structures that are familiar to your readers, appropriate to the ideas you’re trying to portray, and usited to your purpose. Five of the most common paragraph development techniques include the following: Illustration Comparison or contrast Cause and effect Classification Problem and solution Using Technology to Compose and Shape Your Messages Style sheets and templates assist writers in formatting documents.

Autocompletion software inserts ready-made blocks of text when you type the first few characters.

Autocorrection corrects spelling and typing errors.

File merge and mail merge allows you to merge documents and quickly produce Mailings.

Endnotes, footnotes, indexes, and table of contents can be generated by the Computer.

Wizards guide you through the process of creating common documents.

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Although students have just completed Chapter 3 (planning business messages), they may not be able to apply the steps in the planning stage consistently. Project or post the three-step process where students can see it throughout the class. Such a visual message serves as a constant reminder that all three steps are necessary to achieve an effective message.

Emphasizing the positive is also something many students will difficulty doing.

They will in a tend to write negative phrases instead of thinking about how to rework them positive way. Once again, try to provide numerous examples and assign exercises in rewriting sentences for positive emphasis.

Help students determine how to establish their credibility in a message. Skipping . this discussion may result in unfortunate opening paragraphs that begin, “My name is Josh Peterson, and I am the customer service representative for XYZ company.”

4: Writing Business Messages 127 Encourage students to be polite by including words such as please and thank you where appropriate. Remind them of how they personally react when someone treats them with courtesy.

Some students may find it difficult to avoid biased language, especially in regard to gender. Provide numerous examples of ways to handle sexist language so that students won’t fill their messages with excessive use of he/she or him/her. The most simple way to deal with this is to have multiple, rather than individual, subjects (e.g., “Good workers realize they must arrive at work on time” instead of “A good worker realizes that he or she must arrive at work on time.”).

Because of their limited business experience, students may not appreciate that they must project the company image. Emphasize that readers and listeners perceive them as spokespeople for their company. You could also link this topic to an earlier discussion of posting information on social networking websites.

Beginning writers frequently think they need to use complex language to impress people. Stress the importance of using conversational language, and provide numerous opportunities for students to rewrite materials to achieve this tone. Also caution them about excessive use of jargon that readers will not understand. Mention accounting terms (such as accruals, deferrals, and retained earnings) or information systems terms (such as corporate reengineering, B2C, and peer-to-peer network) to help students understand that every field has its own jargon.

Discuss the plain English movement. Students may have some questions about this topic since many of them have insurance policies and credit cards whose materials can be difficult to read. Share examples such as privacy policies from the websites of Fortune 100 companies. Statements from retail companies are generally easier to read than statements from some companies in the financial industry.

Although students often have limited business experience, it is surprising what oldfashioned, obsolete language they manage to include in their early written messages.

Review the list of obsolete terms in the text and encourage students to contribute others during class discussion.

Students love to use abstract words. Emphasize that you want them to use concrete words. Clarify that case solutions require some assumptions. Students need to provide actual amounts, dates, product numbers, and so forth.

Many students will not readily recognize compound, complex, and compoundcomplex sentences, so they will not punctuate them correctly. Take time to review these sentence types, and discuss the need to use a variety of sentence structures in any business message. Extra emphasis will help improve students’ first efforts in writing letters and memos. During this review, also discuss the average sentence length in business documents—generally between 16 and 20 words.

Typically, a few students will confuse active and passive voice with present and past tense. Include an in-class exercise in which students rewrite some sentences to help correct this misunderstanding. For additional clarification, review the correct answers

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128 4: Writing Business Messages as a class and explain why each sentence should be written in either passive or active voice.

For some students, dividing their messages into effective paragraphs will be a challenge. Watch for students who write an entire 250-word memo in one paragraph.

As a drill, provide students with a document that is all one paragraph and ask them to divide the message into effective paragraphs. During class discussion, introduce the idea of developing paragraphs that average between 8 and 12 lines of text.

Beginning writers sometimes have a tendency to write too many separate sentences without providing any transitions to tie their ideas together. An example of the sentences in a first-grade reading book may help emphasize that without transitions, writing may be disjointed. Have students develop a list of transition words, and encourage them to keep the list handy when rewriting and editing documents.

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES 1. Application Exercises. This chapter lends itself to many short exercises that require rewriting individual sentences. Students typically remain enthusiastic about working through them since they realize the direct application of course concepts will improve their writing. If the exercises are completed during class, let students work in teams of two to enhance learning from each other.

2.

Using the “You” Attitude. Share some sample letters that do and do not contain the “you” attitude with your students. Lead a discussion of how each sample affects the reader’s reaction to the message, the writer, and the writer’s

company.

3. Also have students rewrite some sentences to practice focusing on reader’s interests.

4.

Projecting the Company Image. Lead a discussion of how quickly customer goodwill can be lost. Incorporate examples, such as a sales associate communicating with a customer about a purchase or a return, an account representative discussing an account with a customer or writing a letter to a customer, and an unclear letter that leads to a customer misunderstanding.

For the situations requiring written communication, be sure to discuss the importance of using courtesy and correct format, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Illustrating Before and After. Describe a communication situation (e.g., an argument between romantic partners over doing the dishes). Provide both a poor

5.

solution and a good solution, side by side. Discuss the weaknesses of the poor example negative and the strengths of the good one to help students understand tone, the “you” attitude, and other effective writing techniques. Students should apply what they learn from this exercise by completing the Analyze this .

Document activity at the end of the chapter.

Folder of Horror. Ask students to bring in unprofessional samples of correspondence throughout the quarter or semester. Be sure to delete the sender’s name and address to avoid embarrassment. Transfer these messages to an

4: Writing Business Messages 129 overhead transparency or scan them into a computer and ask students to critique them. When students are involved in the process of providing material, they begin to notice communication more vividly in their own worlds.

6. Controlling Style and Tone. Provide students with numerous opportunities to rewrite sentences to provide a conversational tone. Although you may assign additional drills for homework, be sure to go through at least a few rewrites related to each issue of style and tone before sending students home to complete related exercises.

7. Selecting the Best Words. Assign items 11—45 in the Practice Your Knowledge section at the end of the chapter. These exercises address concrete versus abstract terms; strong versus weak words; elimination of clichés; shorter, simpler words; and up-to-date phrasing. If computers are available, have students key their rewrites. Show sample solutions on a screen as you review them.

8. Creating Effective Sentences. Provide a list of sentences. Ask students to identify each type of sentence and punctuate it correctly. Project solutions as you review them.

9. Writing Effective Paragraphs. Ask students to rework entire paragraphs that are ineffectively organized. If computers are available, have students rewrite at the keyboard. Tie in a discussion of development techniques (illustration, comparison or contrast, cause and effect, classification, and problem and solution). Encourage students to use transitions effectively. Assign items 51—53 in the Practice Your Knowledge section at the end of the chapter.

10. Self-Assessment. Ask students to write a memo describing the most difficult part of the writing process for them, and why it is so difficult. Give them the following categories from Chapter 4: organizing the message, controlling the style and tone, selecting the best words, creating effective sentences, or developing coherent paragraphs. It may help for students to review the comments you have made on their papers so far.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 85) 1. Avoid obsolete and pompous language, intimacy, humor, and preaching or bragging. To achieve a conversational tone, use plain language that sounds businesslike without being stuffy, stiff, wordy, or full of jargon. An abstract word expresses a concept, quality, or characteristic (such as love or progress) 2. and is generally broad. A concrete word stands for something tangible, something that can be touched or seen (such as car or book) and that is direct, clear, and exact.

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130 4: Writing Business Messages 3. Passive voice is best used in the following situations: 1) when you’re diplomatically mentioning a problem or error, 2) when you don’t want to assign credit or blame, and 3) when you want to avoid personal pronouns to create an objective tone.

Use sentence style to emphasize key ideas by doing the following: you can place keys ideas at the end of the sentence or make it the subject of the sentence.

Transitions connect ideas by showing how one thought is related to another, they 5. help alert the reader to what lies ahead, and give your writing a smooth, even flow.

4.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 85) 1. If students do not know their audiences personally, they can still use the “you” attitude by trying to think like or empathize with the role of the audience. For example, if they’re talking to a retailer, they should try to think like a retailer. If they’re writing to a dissatisfied customer, they should try to imagine how they would feel at the other end of the transaction.

2. Most of us have a professional side to ourselves. We have a range of facades that are all “us,” but we emphasize various aspects of ourselves in various situations.

In most cases our own personality and the company-approved personality that must be projected to the outside world overlap to some extent. We can be professional and businesslike without being insincere or phony. In some cases, however, an individual’s style is totally out of keeping with the organization’s style.

3. The best ways to make the word opportunity more concrete include blending abstract terms with more concrete ones and stating the concept then pinning it down with details expressed in more concrete terms. More specifically, students using the word opportunity should be sure to explain the specific details that make the situation beneficial for the reader.

4. Yes, transitional elements should be used even if the logical sequence of the message is obvious. Writers need to realize that although their organization may make logical sense to them, it may not necessarily make sense to their readers; thus transitional elements are always necessary to demonstrate the relationship between paragraphs and among sentences within paragraphs.

5. To successfully answer this question, students should focus on and separate the three parts of this question. 1) There is no way for food manufacturers to ensure that all consumers read the warnings on food products. 2) The second part of the question, food manufacturers’ responsibility for making sure readers understand the warnings, is within their control. By using concrete, rather than abstract, wording as well as plain English, food manufacturers will increase the likelihood of individuals understanding the food allergy warning. 3) Similar to the first question, there is no way for food manufacturers to ensure that consumers follow .

4: Writing Business Messages 131 warnings on food products. In essence, if food manufacturers put forth a good faith effort to alert consumers to warnings using plain English, then they have upheld their obligations.

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 86) Exercises for Perfecting Your Writing The “You Attitude . These revisions reflect the reader’s viewpoint: ” 1. For your convenience, an order form has been supplied in the back of our catalog.

So that you can be served quickly, please bring your credit card to the store 2. with you.

3. For the next week, you can receive a 25 percent discount on all our 15-inch monitors.

4. Do you need a bright, capable person to handle the bookkeeping in your office? If so, please consider me for the job. I recently earned a business degree with honors from Mira Costa College and am eager to put my skills to work for you.

5. Enclosed is the $25 refund you requested.

Emphasizing the Positive.

These revisions have a more positive slant: 6. So that your credit rating can be preserved, please remit your payment within 10 days.

7. We offer refunds for merchandise that is returned in like-new condition.

8. We will ship your Baby Cry doll in 10 days.

9. Please indicate the blouse color you prefer on the enclosed order form and return it to us so that we can mail your order.

10. The damage to your waterbed was caused by unusual conditions not covered by the guarantee; however, we will be happy to send you a replacement valve for $9.95, plus postage.

Emphasizing the Positive.

These euphemisms are milder: 11. The new boss is persistent, resolute, unflinching when it comes to doing things by the book.

12. When you say we’ve doubled our profit level, you are mistaken. .

132 4: Writing Business Messages 13. Just be careful not to make any uninformed choices this week.

14. Jim Riley is unsuited for that kind of promotion.

15. Glen monopolizes every meeting by being highly vocal, expressive.

Courteous Communication. These phrases have a softer tone: 16. We understand that your check was mailed last Thursday; however, our offices have not yet received it.

17. When customers purchase merchandise at our end-of-season sales, all sales are final.

18. Please sign the last page of the enclosed contract and return it to us.

19. After receiving your letter telling us about our last shipment to you, we investigated both the shipping and delivery dates.

20. Thank you for mailing your new will to our offices; so that we may be sure to follow your instructions, please mail them to us as soon as possible.

Bias-Free Language. Point out that eliminating bias may eliminate information as well. Unless a personal reference is really important, it is more polite to eliminate it: 21. Maggie certainly is outgoing.

22. His job performance isn’t affected by his wheelchair.

23. Pilots must have the ability to stay calm under pressure and they must be trained to cope with any problem that arises.

24. Candidate Renata Parsons will attend the debate.

25. Sam Nugent is still an active sales representative.

Message Composition: Selecting Words. The following versions are more concrete: 26. April 21 27. 20 percent off retail 28. 44 people attended 29. 19 minutes faster 30. add 12 square feet to the shop

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4: Writing Business Messages 133 Message Composition: Selecting Words. The following terms are stronger than those listed: 31. pursued 32. cycles 33. blinding 34. soar 35. surged Message Composition: Selecting Words. Here are the sentences, purged of clichés: 36. Being adaptable, Dave worked well in his new selling job.

37. Moving Leslie into the accounting department forced her to attempt work that she didn’t know how to do.

38. I knew she was seriously ill, but I thought the doctor would cure her.

39. Movies don’t appeal to me; I prefer a good book.

40. It’s difficult to survive the pressures of teaching in a tough urban neighborhood.

Message Composition: Selecting Words: The following words are shorter and simpler: 41. began 42. using 43. try 44. find out 45. changes 46. makes 47. but Message Composition: Selecting Words. These phrases replace the obsolete versions: 48. as you suggested replaces as per your suggestions .

134 4: Writing Business Messages

49. Enclosed replaces Attached herewith 50. instead replaces in lieu 51. in response to (your inquiry) replaces in reply I wish to state 52. Please note replaces Please be advised Message Composition: Creating Sentences. Here are the sentences, rewritten in the active voice: 53. The sales representative submits the raw data to the data-processing division each Friday.

54. Management publicizes for high profits.

55. The staff implemented the policies announced in the directive.

56. The Santee Company services our computers.

57. Janet Hogan represented the employees.

Message Organization: Transitional Elements. Students can improve these three paragraphs in a variety of ways. The following are three possible solutions demonstrating the benefits of transitions (italicized). You might want to discuss how difficult it is to understand these paragraphs before they were clarified with appropriate transitions.

58. Steve Case saw infinite possibilities in cyberspace. He was determined to turn his vision into reality. The techies scoffed at his strategy of building a simple Internet service for ordinary people, but Case doggedly pursued his dream. He analyzed other online services, and he assessed the needs of his customers. As a result, he responded to their desires for an easier way to access information over the Internet. In 1992, Case named his company America Online (AOL). Although critics predicted the company’s demise, by the end of the century, AOL was a profitable powerhouse.

59. Facing some of the toughest competitors in the world, Harley-Davidson had to make some changes. First, the company introduced new products. Then Harley’s management team set out to rebuild the company’s production process. Soon, new products were coming to market and the company was turning a profit. But Harley’s quality standards were not on a par with those of its foreign competitors, so its costs were still among the highest in the industry. Eventually, Harley made a u-turn and restructured the company.

These efforts have paid off.

60. Whether you’re indulging in a doughnut in New York or California, Krispy Kreme wants you to enjoy the same delicious taste with every bite, so the .

4: Writing Business Messages 135 company maintains consistent product quality by carefully controlling every step of the production process. First, it tests all raw ingredients against established quality standards. For example, every delivery of wheat flour is sampled and measured for its moisture content and protein levels. Then Krispy Kreme blends the ingredients and tests the doughnut mix for quality before it delivers the mix to its stores. But the company knows that it takes more than a quality mix to produce perfect doughnuts all the time. That’s why Krispy Kreme supplies its stores with everything they need to produce premium doughnuts—mix, icings, filing, equipment—you name it.

ACTIVITIES (p. 88) 4.1

Students should note that this letter lacks professionalism. It’s too informal and uses the “I” attitude rather than the “you” attitude. The writer shows appears to be overconfident. Here’s a revision: RICHARD WOODRUFF 11717 Monte Vista Road, San Diego, CA 92128 (619) 715-3492 woodruff@cts.net

Stefano Campagnolo, General Manager INGLESINA, USA INC. 363 route 46 West - Suite 260 Fairfield, NJ 07004 April 18, 2009 Dear Mr. Campagnolo: Could you please send me information about becoming a retail outlet for your fine products. Our e-tailing company, Best Baby Gear, specializes in offering only the very best products to parents of newborns, infants, and toddlers and we would like to partner with you.

Like your employees, our workers are parents too and our company’s mission is similar to yours: To provide customers with real value. Given the stellar reputation of your brand and our commitment to our customers, we believe that adding your products to our site would be a natural fit.

I look forward to hearing from you and working with you to add your fine product line to our website.

Sincerely, Richard Woodruff Richard Woodruff General Manager * See Transparency 17 for a fully formatted version of this improved letter .

136 4: Writing Business Messages 4.2

Remind students of the importance of unity, flow, and variety in composing paragraphs. Possible pairings of topic and method are numerous: a. classification b. comparison or contrast c. cause and effect or problem and solution d. illustration e. problem and solution or cause and effect

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 89) 1. Your letters will be more successful if you focus on positive wording rather than negative, simply because most people respond more favorably to positive ideas than negative ones. Words that affect your reader positively produce the response you desire. A positive emphasis will persuade the reader and create goodwill. In contrast, negative words may generate resistance and other unfavorable reactions. You should be careful to avoid words with negative connotations. These words either deny (e.g., NO, DO NOT, REFUSE, and STOP) or convey unhappy or unpleasant associations (e.g., UNFORTUNATELY, UNABLE TO, CANNOT, MISTAKE, PROBLEM, ERROR, DAMAGE, LOSS, and FAILURE). A buffer in a bad news message will help the reader to accept the bad news more readily. Good news is positive and can be presented at the beginning of the message for expedient communication.

2. The six factors of tone are: • Avoid obsolete and pompous language • Avoid preaching and bragging • Be careful with intimacy • Be careful with humor • Use plain English • Choose active or passive voice 3. Clearly state what action you wish the reader to take Make that action easy through facilitating devices and careful wording Date the action—If possible and appropriate Provide a reader benefit as stimulus for action

IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 90) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Adjectives (p. 90) 1. greater 2. most perfect

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4: Writing Business Messages 137 3. most interesting 4. better 5. hardest 6. A highly placed source revealed Dotson’s last-ditch efforts to cover up the mistake.

7. Please send an extra-large dust cover for my photocopier.

8. A top-secret document was taken from the president’s office last night.

9. A 30-year-old person should know better.

10. If I write a large-scale report, I want to know that it will be read by upper-level management.

11. The two companies are engaged in an all-out, no-holds-barred struggle for dominance.

12. A tiny metal shaving is responsible for the problem.

13. She came to the office with a bruised, swollen knee.

14. A chipped, cracked sheet of glass is useless to us.

15. You’ll receive our usual cheerful, prompt service.

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 90) 1. It’s time that you learned the skills required to get what you want from suppliers and vendors.

2. Easy, flexible wireless calling plans start for as little as $19 a month.

3. Several criteria are used to select customers to receive this offer.

4. When PetFood Warehouse officially became PETsMART, Jim left the company for health reasons. [Or PetFood Warehouse officially became PETsMART; Jim left the company for health reasons.]

5. First-quarter sales gains are evident in both the grocery store sector (up 1.03%) and the restaurant sector (up 3.17%), according to Food Institute estimates. [Or spell out percent in both places] 6. Whatever your challenge, learning stronger negotiating tactics and strategies will improve the way you work and the results that come from your efforts. [Or Whatever the challenge, learning stronger negotiating tactics and strategies will improve the way people work and the results that come from their efforts.]

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138 4: Writing Business Messages 7. To meet the increasing demand for Penta bottled drinking water, Bio-Hydration Research Lab is expanding production capacity by 80 percent.

8. Seminars begin at 9 a.m. and wrap up at 4 p.m. [Or 9:00 a.m. /4:00 p.m.]

9. Temple, Texas-based McLane Co., a subsidiary of Wal-Mart, has bought a facility in Northfield, Minnesota, that it will use to distribute products to customers such as convenience stores, discount stores, and mass merchants.

10. The British Retail Consortium is releasing the third edition of its Technical Standards on April 22, reported The New York Times.

11. SkillPath is the fastest-growing training company in the world because of our commitment to providing clients with the highest-quality learning experiences possible.

12. According to Professor Charles Noussair of the Economics Department of Purdue University, opinion surveys “capture the respondent in the role of a voter, not in the role of a consumer.”

13. The study found that people exposed to Purina banner ads were almost 50 percent more likely to volunteer Purina as the first dog food brand that came to mind.

14. In a consent decree with the Food and Drug Administration, E’Ola International, a dietary supplement maker, agreed not to sell any more products containing the drug ephedrine.

15. Dennis Dickson is looking for a company to both make and distribute plaidberries under an exclusive license. Plaidberries are blackberries that are mixed with extracts and are used as a filling.

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4: Writing Business Messages 139

Level 3: Document Critique—Well-written solution (p. 91) Date: 24 October 2009 To: All Employees From: Mona Sullivan MS RE: Using Your Health Savings Account Welcome! You will be happy to find your new card for your Health Savings Account (HAS) attached to this memo. This memo includes instructions for activating and using your card. We know you will enjoy using these prepaid cards since they make accessing your health care fast, easy, and automatic. For your convenience, we have included separate cards for each person included in your HSA, we have included separate cared To begin taking advantage of your HSA, please follow these steps: 1. Go to the website listed on the sticker on the front of your card.

2. Enter your member number (this will be your Social Security number or your Health Plan ID number) and complete the rest of the requested information.

3. Sign the back of the card and have any others included on your account sign the cards as well.

You may begin using your card immediately after you’ve activated it. You and your dependents can use your card for many purposes, including: • Medical Expenses • Prescriptions • Dental • Vision (including eyewear) • Over the Counter medications This card will undoubtedly improve your health plan experiences; to take full advantage of this card it is important for you to review your health plan to make sure that you understand fully the types of qualified expenses covered by the card. To ensure that you receive a tax deduction for expenses not covered by your health plan, be sure to save all your receipts.

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding activating or using the HSA cards. *See Transparency 18 for a copy of this well-written solution

CHAPTER 4 POP QUIZ True-False 1. “Jason is chairman of the budget committee, and Deborah is chairperson of the planning committee,” is a good example of bias-free language. (False)

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140 4: Writing Business Messages 2. The “you” attitude requires you to focus on your product or service as the primary emphasis of your message. (False) 3. “We cannot deliver your sofa until March 1,” is an example of using positive tone in a message. (False) 4. Using humor in your message is guaranteed to get your audience on your side.

(False) 5. By using plain English, you help your audience understand the message. (True) 6. “The report was completed by Friday afternoon” is an example of a sentence written in active voice. (False) 7. To communicate effectively, avoid pompous language that includes overly complicated phrases. (True) 8. Using all four types of sentences in the same business document is not a good writing plan. (False) 9. Jargon helps the reader visualize your message. (False) 10. Transition words and phrases are wasted words that simply clutter a message.

(False)

Multiple Choice 11. Gina’s GI tract contained a large, invasive obstruction. The language in the preceding sentence represents: a. jargon b. clichés c. obsolete order d. concrete words 12. Which of the following best exhibits a polite writer? a. “Your check for $72.50 arrived yesterday.” b. “We received your check for $72.50.” c. “Thank you for your check for $72.50.” d. “Thank you for the check we finally received.”

13. Which of the following best exhibits the “you” attitude? a. “The information you requested about the Kleen Sweep lawn tractor is enclosed.” b. “The Kleen Sweep lawn tractor is very popular.” c. “Our factories cannot keep up with the demand for the Kleen Sweep lawn tractor.” d.

None of the above

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4: Writing Business Messages 141 14. Which of the following is not considered an obsolete phrase? a. Permit me to say b. Pursuant to c. We have received d. Please be advised that 15. Which of the following sentences is the most concrete? a. Sales increased dramatically last quarter. b. Management will make a decision about our health insurance provider soon. c. The contract was sent under separate cover. d.Susan congratulated the staff for increasing sales $150,000 in the last two months.

16. Which sentence best avoids the use of long words? a. The committee wanted to ascertain the reason for the reduction in sales. b. They were anxious to consummate the deal. c. My manager studied the report carefully. d. The board of directors perused the annual report prior to culmination of the meeting.

17. Which of the following describes a complex sentence? a. A sentence that contains a single subject and a single predicate. b. A sentence that contains one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. c. A sentence that contains two or more independent but related clauses. d. None of the above 18. Which of the following sentences is phrased the most positively? a. Completing this form will ensure proper credit to your bank account. b. Unless you complete this form, your account will not be credited. c. Our bank would like to credit your account, but we are unable to do so until you complete this form. d. You want your account credited, right? Well, complete this form.

19. Which of the following would not be a technique of an effective communicator? a. Using the “you” attitude b. Complimenting the reader c. Establishing credibility d. Emphasizing the positive 20. Which of the following exhibits bias-free language? a. “The wives of the engineers will take a tour of the city Thursday afternoon.” b. “Melissa Pellegrin is a new female doctor on staff at the local hospital. “ c. “Mary, who is crippled, is the office manager.” d. “Karen Foust is the chairperson of the student services committee.”

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CHAPTER 5: COMPLETING BUSINESS MESSAGES CHAPTER SUMMARY This chapter addresses completing business messages, the third step of the three-step writing process. This last step includes the tasks of revising, producing, and proofreading business messages. To be effective, a message must be both clear and concise. Students will learn how to apply nine techniques for improving clarity. This chapter highlights readability issues such as varying sentence length, keeping paragraphs short, using lists and bullets, and adding appropriate headings. Students also receive suggestions for using technology to revise messages. For the task of message production, students are introduced to several design elements that can affect a document’s appearance. To improve their proofreading, students learn what to look for and how to adapt the proofreading process. Finally, students learn how to best distribute their message.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 5 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet: Number Transparency 19 Transparency 20 Transparency 21

Content Proofreading Your Message Activity 5.1 (improved version) Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution)

CHAPTER OUTLINE Revising Your Message Evaluating Your Content, Organization, Style, and Tone Reviewing for Readability Varying Your Sentence Length Keeping Your Paragraphs Short Using Lists and Bullets to Clarify and Emphasize Adding Headings and Subheadings Editing for Clarity Breaking Up Overly Long Sentences Rewriting Hedging Sentences Imposing Parallelism Correcting Dangling Modifiers Rewording Long Noun Sequences Replacing Camouflaged Verbs Clarifying Sentence Structure Clarifying Awkward References Moderating Your Enthusiasm .

5: Completing Business Messages 143 Editing for Conciseness Deleting Unnecessary Words and Phrases Shortening Long Words and Phrases Eliminating Redundancies Recasting “It Is/There Are” Starters Evaluating, Editing, and Revising the Work of Others Using Technology to Revise Your Message Producing Your Message Adding Graphics, Sound, Video, and Hypertext Designing for Readability White Space Margins and Line Justification Typefaces Type Styles Using Technology to Produce Your Message Proofreading Your Message Distributing Your Message Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Revising Your Message Careful revision can mean the difference between a rambling, unfocused message and a lively, direct message that gets results. It also sends a strong signal to your readers that you respect their time and care about their opinions.

To evaluate content, ask Is the information accurate?

Is the information relevant to your audience’s needs?

Is the information complete?

To review organization, ask the following: Are all your points covered in the most logical order?

Do the most important ideas occupy the most space and greatest emphasis?

Are any points repeated unnecessarily?

Are details grouped together logically rather than scattered through the document?

Ask whether you have achieved the right style and tone for your audience.

Is your writing formal enough to meet the audience’s expectations without being too formal or academic?

Is it too casual for a serious subject?

Give the beginning and ending of your message extra attention because they have the greatest impact on your audience.

The opening must be relevant, interesting, geared to the reader’s probable reaction, and should convey the subject and purpose of the message The ending must conclude with a summary of the main idea and leave the audience with a positive impression .

144 5: Completing Business Messages Rewrite and edit to improve readability.

Varying sentence length is an effective way to assist readers; short sentences (up to 15 words) are quickly processed, medium sentences (15−25 words) are useful for showing the relationship among ideas, and long sentences (more than 25 words) are the best way to convey complex ideas, list multiple related points, or summarize or preview information. Too many short sentences in a row can make your writing choppy and disconnected. Medium sentences lack the punch of short sentences and the informative power of long sentences. Long sentence are usually harder to understand.

Keeping paragraphs short is another way to assist readers. The optimum paragraph length is short to medium in most cases.

Using lists and bullets allows writers to show their sequence of ideas, heighten their impact visually, and increase the likelihood that reader will find their key points. Lists also simplify complex subjects, highlight main points, ease the skimming process for busy readers, and gives readers a breather.

Adding headings and subheadings also assist readers by telling them the content of the upcoming section. Headings and subheadings help in three important ways: they show readers at a glance how the material is organized, they call attention to important points, and they highlight connections and transitions between ideas.

Descriptive headings identify a topic.

Informative headings offer the reader the context of the message.

The chapter illustrates nine ways to edit for clarity: Break up overly long sentences Rewrite hedging sentences Impose parallelism Correct dangling modifiers Reword long noun sequences Replace camouflaged verbs Clarify sentence structure Clarify awkward references Moderate your enthusiasm Break up overly long sentences.

Review your work for overly long sentences—they could be a sign that you’re trying to make a sentence do too much work.

Sometimes you have to hedge or qualify a statement when you aren’t entirely sure of something, when you can’t predict an outcome, or when you don’t want to sound arrogant.

Impose parallelism by using the same grammatical structure to indicate to your audience that the ideas are related, are of similar importance, and are on the same level of generality.

Correct dangling modifiers by making sure that modifier phrases are really connected to the subject of the sentence.

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5: Completing Business Messages 145 Watch for endings that camouflage a verb by changing it into a noun or adjective— which requires you to add another verb to complete your sentence.

To help readers follow your meaning more easily, clarify sentence structure: that is, keep the subject and predicate of a sentence as close together as possible so that readers don’t have to read the sentence twice to figure out who did what. Similarly, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases usually make the most sense when they’re placed as close as possible to the words they modify.

Clarify awkward references by avoiding expressions such as the former, the latter, and respectively. Readers tend to become confused when they have to jump from point to point.

Moderate your enthusiasm to avoid sounding insincere.

Editing for conciseness: Delete unnecessary words and phrases.

Examine every word you put on paper and eliminate words that aren’t essential.

Shorten long words and phrases as shorter words are more vivid and easier to read.

Eliminate redundancies (“visible to the eye” is redundant because visible is enough to convey your meaning).

Recast “It is/There are” starters.

Evaluating, Editing, and Revising the Work of Others Before proofreading another’s work remember that your job is to help the other writer succeed and not to impose your writing style or pursue your own agenda (unless, of course, you have been evaluating someone’s work, recognize the dual responsibility that doing asked to do so). Second, make sure you understand the writer’s intent before you begin suggesting or making changes.

Ask yourself the following questions: What is the purpose of this document or message?

Who is the target audience?

What information do they need?

Does the document provide this information in a well-organized way?

Does the writing demonstrate the “you” attitude toward the audience?

Is the tone of the writing appropriate for the audience?

Can the readability be improved?

Is the writing clear? If not, how can it be improved?

Is the writing as concise as it could be?

Does the design support the intended message?

Using technology to revise your message.

Computer functions such as cut and paste and search and replace can assist writers.

Software correction tools such as revision marks and commenting offer a convenient way for groups to edit work. .

146 5: Completing Business Messages Four software functions can help bring out the best in students’ documents: Spell checker Thesaurus Grammar checker Style checker Effective writers will not rely on technological tools for all their revision work since spell and grammar checkers cannot find all errors and cannot know the content, organization, and tone needed in the message.

Producing Your Message Once a message is revised and refined, you are ready to deal with the production quality of your message—the total effect of page design, graphical elements, typography, and screen presence.

Adding graphics, sounds, video, and hypertext is an effective way to get one’s message across.

To design for readability, consider the following elements: White space: any space free of text of visuals is considered white space; provide adequate white space to provide visual contrast for the reader.

Use margins and justification to effectively frame your text: Justified type (flush left and flush right) is frequently used in magazines and newspapers.

Flush left, ragged-right margin is the best choice for most business messages because it creates an informal, open, and contemporary feel.

Centered type is rarely used for paragraphs, but is commonly used for headings and subheadings.

Flush right, ragged-left type is rarely used in business documents.

Serif typefaces Letters have small crosslines (called serifs) Serif is commonly used for text, as in this Instructor’s Manual Sans serif typefaces Letters have no crosslines Sans serif is commonly used for headings, as in this Instructor’s Manual Sans serif is not easy to read in long blocks of text Limit the number of typefaces within a document.

Type style refers to any modification that lends contrast or emphasis to type and includes boldface (most emphatic), italics, and underlining. Use any type style in moderation as they can interfere with readers’ abilitiesto torecognize the shapes of words, improperly placed boldface or italicized type can slow down your reader, and shadowed.

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5: Completing Business Messages 147 For most business messages, use a type size of 10 to 12 points for regular text and 12 to 18 points for headings and subheadings.

To greatly improve the production quality of documents, be familiar with technological advances that will help you produce your message. Such features include the following: Templates and style sheets Page setup Column formatting Paragraph formatting Numbered and bulleted lists Tables Pictures, illustrations, text boxes, and objects

Proofreading Your Message Proofreading is an essential step in completing your message because it is your last chance to ensure the quality of your documents—and to protect or enhance your reputation as a thinker and writer.

Look for two types of problems when proofreading: 1. Undetected mistakes from the writing, design, and layout stages 2. Mistakes that crept in during production Professionals recommend the following steps for proofreading: Make multiple passes over the document focusing on something different each time.

Use perceptual tricks such as reading backwards to catch things you might miss.

Focus on high-priority items such as the spelling of names, accuracy of dates, and any number that could cause grief if incorrect.

Get some distance from the document then come back and review it again.

Stay focused and vigilant by blocking out distractions while you are proofreading.

Take your time when proofreading.

Distributing Your Message When distributing your message consider the following factors: Cost to reproduce the document Convenience of the reader to access the document Time it will take for the message to reach the audience Security and privacy issues surrounding the distribution of your message

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Many students will resist the final rewriting and editing tasks. They usually understand that they need to proofread for grammar, punctuation, and spelling, but this effort may be the extent of their editing attempts. Remind students of the three- step process and the planning and writing steps. Discuss the edited letter in Figure 5.3 and emphasize the importance of this third step. Review the original letter with the .

148 5: Completing Business Messages class, and point out all the improvements that will be made as a result of effective editing.

Since most students have done little or no business writing, they will need to focus on the issues of clarity addressed in the chapter. Review the illustrations in the text, add other examples, and provide opportunities for students to practice each of these techniques to improve a message’s clarity. In each illustration, ask students to explain how the clarity of the message could be improved. Encourage students to assess this improvement using the audience’s perspective.

Students often write hedging sentences partly because of their limited business experience and partly because of their hesitance to take a stand. Stress how hedging clutters information and confuses the reader. Give an example by using hedging sentences in an assignment you distribute to the class. Students should readily see the problems that can result from the use of hedging sentences.

Dangling modifiers, camouflaged verbs, and lack of parallelism will also present challenges for many writers in the class. Provide plenty of “before and after” sentences to illustrate how clarity can be improved. Ask students to complete exercises that allow them to apply what they have learned.

Some writers in the class will repeatedly fall back on favorite openings, such as This letter is to inform you that or I am writing this letter to inform you that. These unnecessary phrases are good examples to use during your discussion of eliminating wordiness. In addition to the phrases listed in the text, students should be able to contribute other wordy phrases to the class discussion.

When you notice students overusing a particular word, encourage them to use the thesaurus feature of their word processor. Illustrate how to use the thesaurus feature, and emphasize the importance of checking the part of speech to ensure finding reasonable synonyms.

Some class members will rely heavily on sentences that begin with It is or There is.

Emphasize the benefits of rewriting to get shorter, clearer sentences. Provide drills to help students eliminate these unclear openings.

If you have not yet discussed the formats for memos and letters, engage students in a discussion of Appendix A, emphasizing key format issues. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the document templates available in word-processing software.

Students may have many bad habits related to formatting. Emphasize audience expectations and the need to project a professional, competent image of their company.

Students may have difficulty positioning letters and memos effectively on the page.

Review how white space actually assists the reader in understanding a message.

Discuss the options for justification and the reasons that most writers use flush-left, ragged-right type for business documents. Be sure to caution students about overusing capitals, boldface, underlining, and italics.

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5: Completing Business Messages 149 For many students, proofreading involves reviewing only the grammar, punctuation, and spelling of a document, plus a quick check of format. Most will approach this task quickly and from top to bottom. In your discussion, expand the list of items that should be checked during proofreading. Encourage students to proofread using hard copies, since that approach is usually more effective than working on screen.

Illustrate how a variety of proofreading techniques such as multiple passes, perceptual tricks, distancing, and focus can result in more effective written messages.

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES 1. Application Exercises. This chapter lends itself to many short exercises that require rewriting individual sentences. The exercises at the end of the chapter (Practice Your Knowledge) will help students perfect their writing. Rewriting exercises are available for both clarity and conciseness issues. For exercises completed during class, consider letting students work in teams of two to enhance peer learning. If computers are available, have students key in their answers at the computer. Project suggested revisions during class discussion.

2. Critiquing Written Messages. Collect some memos and letters before covering this chapter. Prepare overheads or scan documents for computer projection.

Project these samples and have students identify unclear writing, wordy text, mechanical errors, format errors, and so forth. Emphasize that these problems could have been eliminated through effective revision.

3. Revision Strategies. Invite other faculty members or administrators to discuss with the class how they apply revision techniques on the job. Someone who prepares materials for the school catalog or bulletin, for prospective students, for accrediting agencies, or for the general public will typically work with documents that go through careful rewriting and editing stages. This exposure will give students some perspective on how this third stage of the writing process is actually conducted on the job. An alternative would be to invite someone who writes website materials to come and address the class.

4. Proofreading Marks. Provide students with a sample document and ask them to edit it using standard proofreading marks. When checking the exercise, project a correctly marked version for comparison. This exercise helps students get used to notations that they will see in the work that you return to them. Encourage students to use these marks as they edit printed copies of their own work.

5. Proofreading Skills. Select a message that is missing materials and that contains many errors in format, grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, and type appearance. Provide the message only on a monitor screen to half the class.

Provide the other half of the class with the same message in hard copy. Ask students to proofread and identify all the errors they find. Students proofreading from hard copy will typically find more errors.

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150 5: Completing Business Messages 6. Revising and Editing. Provide students the opportunity to revise and edit complete messages. Exercises such as those found at the end of the chapter will allow them to focus on a complete message and apply all the rewriting pointers from the chapter.

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Team Writing. Discuss the strengths of team writing. Be sure to include the additional challenges that team writing presents during rewriting and editing, producing, and proofreading stages. Be sure students can identify the challenges of different writing styles, various tones, awkward sentence structures, and so forth.

8.

Collaborative Writing Using the Internet. Ask students to revise and improve a piece of writing you provide by e-mailing it to each other. Group students in class and provide the leader of each group with the copy. Have them set a schedule of deadlines so that each student will get a chance to read and improve the document. (You might give students at least a week to complete this project.)

The leader should make the final editing decisions and bring the completed piece to class. Discuss the process in class.

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Online Exercise. A supplemental exercise in formatting a Word document is available for your students. They can access it by visiting http://realtimeupdates.com/bce, clicking on Student Assignments, and then selecting "Chapter 5. Message for Analysis. Formatting Exercise." Students can download this Microsoft Word document and using the various page, paragraph, and font formatting options available in their word processors, modify the formatting of the document so that its visual tone matches the tone of the message.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 108) 1. The four main tasks in completing a business message are to revise your message to achieve optimum quality, then producing, proofreading, and distributing it.

2.

Before proofreading another’s work remember that your job is to help the other writer agendasucceed and not to impose your writing style or pursue your own (unless, of course, you have been evaluating someone’s work, recognize the 3. Parallel construction involves using the same grammatical pattern for two or dual more similar ideas. The writer makes the message more readable by repeating the responsibility that doing asked so). discussed Second, make sure you understand pattern to (1) signal readers thatto thedoideas are comparable and (2) make the your writing to you read.begin Writers can achieve parallel construction by repeating writer’s intenteasier before suggesting or making changes. the pattern in words, phrases, clauses, or entire sentences.

4. White space provides contrast with the text, giving readers a resting point as they scan the document and also makes the document feel less intimidating and easier to read.

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5: Completing Business Messages 151 5. Proofreading is an essential step in completing your message because it is your last chance to ensure the quality of your documents—and to protect or enhance your reputation as a thinker and writer.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 108) 1. Letting a document age lets you approach the revision process with a fresh eye.

During the break, you may think of something you should include or exclude. With a fresh perspective, you’re more apt to catch errors or recognize unclear language. And, if you’re feeling angry or emotional, time away allows you to think more logically and remove any emotion from your message.

2. Business messages must be clear so that readers don’t have to work hard to unravel cluttered sentences, won’t be able to interpret a message in more than one way, and won’t lose track of who is talking or when an event took place. It’s also important that business messages flow logically and that all words are used correctly.

3. Business messages must be concise to avoid wasting readers’ time, to keep readers’ attention, and to get their point across. Words that do no new work are wasteful. To weed out unnecessary material, concentrate on how each word contributes to an effective sentence and how that sentence develops a coherent paragraph. Eliminate every word that serves no function, replace every long word that could be a short word, and remove every adverb that adds nothing to the meaning already carried in the verb.

4. If you try to edit or revise without knowing what the writer hoped to accomplish, you run the risk of making the piece less effective, not more.

5. As discussed in the previous chapter, companies have an obligation to use plain English when communicating with their clientele. Using murky, complex writing is an inappropriate choice for documents that deal with legal rights and obligations. A company that knowingly uses such devices to discourage customers from appealing a decision is acting unethically.

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 109) Exercises for Perfecting Your Writing Revising Messages: Clarity.

The shortened versions: 1. Next time you write something, check your average sentence length in a 100word passage. If your sentences average more than 16 to 20 words, try to break up some of them.

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152 5: Completing Business Messages 2. Don’t do what the village blacksmith did. He instructed his apprentice as follows: “When I take the shoe out of the fire, I’ll lay it on the anvil. When I nod my head, hit it with the hammer.” The apprentice did as he was told. Now he’s the village blacksmith.

3. Unfortunately, no gadget will produce excellent writing. But using spell checkers and grammar checkers can help catch common spelling and grammatical errors, such as suspect sentence structure and problems with noun-verb agreement.

4. Know the flexibility of the written word and its power to convey an idea. Know how to make your words behave so that your readers will understand.

Revising Messages: Conciseness. All unnecessary words have been deleted, leaving the following: 5. The board cannot act with a consensus.

6. To surpass our competitors, we need innovations both in products and in company operations.

7. George McClannahan has wanted to be head of engineering a long time.

8. Don’t pay more than you have to. You can get our new fragrance at $50.

Revising Messages: Conciseness. The revised versions: 9. The old calculator isn’t good for solving hard problems.

10. The pay increases must be stopped before an unusually large debt mounts.

11. The executives all agreed that Ms. Jackson’s strange ways were cause for a required meeting with the company’s personnel director.

12. The upcoming sale of the company’s assets delighted the company’s competitors.

Revising Messages: Conciseness. These infinitive substitutes shorten the sentences: 13. I need money to live.

14. They saw no reason to believe in the future.

15. To destroy a dream is tragic.

Revising Messages: Conciseness. Here are the pared-down versions: 16. Writing is important.

17. Prices will probably go up.

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5: Completing Business Messages 153 18. We’ll make a decision soon.

19. I will summarize this experiment when it’s over.

Revising Messages: Modifiers. With the unnecessary modifiers removed, the sentences read as follows: 20. High pay increases were given to the skilled and conscientious employees.

21. The union’s proposals were inflationary, demanding, and bold.

Revising Messages: Hedging. The following versions contain no hedging: 22. Someone has entered illegally.

23. Things will get better soon.

24. Your report shows we are losing money.

25. Nancy has more influence over employees in the typing pool.

Revising Messages: Indefinite Starters. With the indefinite starters removed, the sentences might read as follows: 26. Several examples here show that Elaine can’t hold a position very long.

27. A generous contribution to Mildred Cook’s retirement party would be appreciated.

28. Generally reliable sources in Washington report today that the White House will soon make an important announcement.

29. According to the rule, we cannot work overtime without permission.

Revising Messages: Parallelism. Rewritten with parallel construction, the sentences might read as follows: 30. Mr. Hill is expected to lecture three days a week, counsel two days a week, and write for publication in his spare time.

31. She not only knows accounting but also reads Latin.

32. Both applicants were in their thirties, had families, were college graduates, and had considerable experience; but they lacked social connections.

33. This book was exciting, well written, and interesting.

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154 5: Completing Business Messages Revising Messages: Awkward Pointers. Here are the sentences with the awkward pointers removed: 34. The vice president in charge of sales is responsible for the key to 34A; the production manager is responsible for the key to 35A. 35. The key to 34A belongs to the vice president in charge of sales, and the key to 35A belongs to the production manager.

36. The gold-embossed keys to 34A and 35A have been given to the production manager.

37. John received his laser printer, and Megan got her inkjet printer.

Revising Messages: Dangling Modifiers. These versions have the modifiers in the right place: 38. We watched the countryside glide by as the train ran down the railroad tracks in a cloud of smoke.

39. Ruby saw the seashell lying on the shelf.

40. Judging by the information, I think we should buy the property.

41. Sandy took the whole afternoon to clean up her desk, which was cluttered and filthy.

Revising Messages: Noun Sequences. The long strings of nouns may be broken up as follows: 42. The focus of the meeting was a discussion of deregulation of bank interest rates.

43. Following the recommendations of the government task force, we are revising our evaluation procedures for job applicants.

44. The components of the production department’s program for quality assurance include employee training, supplier cooperation, and computerized detection equipment.

45. The plan for reducing inventory in the supermarket warehouse will be implemented next month.

Revising Messages: Sentence Structure. Here the subjects are closer to the verbs: 46. Trudy ran when she saw the bull pawing the ground.

47. According to Ted, who is probably the worst gossip in the office (Tom excepted), it was Terri who mailed the wrong order. .

5: Completing Business Messages 155 48. In his book Investment Capital Reconsidered, William Oberstreet writes of the mistakes made by bankers through the decades.

49. After passing up several sensible investment opportunities, Judy Schimmel invested her inheritance in a jojoba plantation, despite the warnings of her friends and family.

Revising Messages: Camouflaged Verbs. The following versions no longer have camouflaged verbs: 50. The employees adapted easily to the new rules.

51. The assessor determines the tax due.

52. The employees’ identity must be verified daily.

53. The board of directors recommended that Mr. Ronson be assigned to a new division.

ACTIVITIES (p. 111) 5.1 The improved version could look like this: As a potential franchisee, I am investigating Subway operations. If you could answer some of these questions, I would appreciate your expertise.

Start-up: • How much did Subway help you fit into the franchise mold?

• How much choice did you have in determining the location and size of your store?

• How much choice did you have in choosing suppliers?

Costs: • Do you have any costs that are not covered by the franchise fee?

• How long did it take to start making a profit?

• How many hours a week do you work?

Advertising: • How do you calculate royalty and advertising fees?

• Do Subway’s advertising programs satisfy your needs?

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you. I can be reached at (919) 555-9983 day or evening. My cell phone is (919) 555-8838. *See Transparency 20 for a copy of this improved version

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156 5: Completing Business Messages 5.2 Students should comment on the use of typefaces, white space, headings, and other design elements on the Bloomberg website. They may offer various suggestions for improving readability, including larger type size, more white space, and other ideas.

5.3 The corrected version of the e-mail might look like this: Our final company orientation of the year will be held on December 20. In preparation for this session, please order 20 copies each of the policy handbook, the confidentiality agreement, and the employee benefits manual. Please let me know if you anticipate any delays in obtaining these materials.

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 112) 1. If you write something inappropriate, you can change it, or even tear it up and throw it away. With writing you get a second chance, or a third or a fourth. And each time you revise, you find new potential in the evolving text.

• Is the style authentic and engaging?

• Does the writing have a clear sense of purpose?

• Could the major divisions and subpoints be presented in a • better order?

• Are sentences fluent, tight, and well constructed?

Is the language precise and appropriate to the writing context?

2. The better you understand the circumstances that prompt you to write, the better you can respond, adjusting your style to suit the specific context. The four elements of the writing context are: Reader Content Writer Purpose 3. Tightening means cutting extra words, all those that don’t contribute to your message. Inexperienced writers often use far more words than necessary. They don't attach enough value to the individual word. As a result, the writing appears cluttered. The central ideas are hard to focus on because unimportant words get in the way.

Suggested answers to tightening include: 1. Look for words that don't do their share of work.

2. Use strong verbs.

3. Don’t pile up modifiers in front of nouns.

4. Make the agent the subject.

5. Keep it clear and simple.

6. Try combining several short sentences into a longer one.

THESE ITEMS AREN’T DISCUSSED IN THE TEXT.

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IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 112) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Adverbs (p. 112) 1. good 2. surely 3. sick 4. well 5. good 6. faster 7. most recently 8. more happily 9. better 10. most logically 11. He doesn’t seem to have any. Or: He seems to have none.

12. That machine is scarcely ever used. Or: That machine is never used.

13. They can’t get any replacement parts until Thursday. Or: They can get no replacement parts until Thursday.

14. It wasn’t any different from the first event we promoted. Or: It was no different from . . .

15. We’ve looked for it, and it doesn’t seem to be anywhere. Or: It seems to be nowhere

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 113) 1. All too often, whoever leaves the most out of his or her cost estimate is the one who wins the bid—if you can call that winning.

2. For the last 14 years, CEO Carol Bartz has guided Autodesk from a small company to its preeminent position in the computer aided design (CAD) software market.

3. Shoppers were initially uninterested in the web because many hyped services offered no real cost or convenience advantages over offline stores. .

158 5: Completing Business Messages

4. C 5. Get to know your customers and their expectations; get customers to talk about their primary use for your product.

6. Price will not matter nearly as much to homeowners who feel they have found a competent contractor who has their best interests at heart.

7. If I were you, I would have avoided investing in large conglomerates, in light of the collapse of energy trader Enron Corp. over accounting irregularities.

8. Outdoor goods retailer REI has had significant sales success with in-store kiosks that let customers choose among several types of merchandise.

9. To people in some areas of cyberspace, “advertising” is a four-letter word, but “marketing” is perfectly acceptable.

10. In any business effort, making money requires planning, strategic marketing, a good product, good customer service, considerable shrewdness—and much hard work.

11. Investors must decide whether to put their capital into bonds or CDs. 12. Running at full capacity, manufacturing plants produce millions of Nike shoes every day.

13. Metropolis’s stationery has a picture of the Empire State Building on it.

14. Starbucks is planning to add fruit drinks to its menu in states throughout the South.

15. Credit ratings aren’t what they used to be.

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Level 3: Document Critique—Well-written solution (p. 113) DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT:

22 September 2009 Metro Power Employees Susannah Beech, HR Administrator SB Ways to improve response to technology failures

We all know the stress of racing toward a deadline and suddenly having equipment fail. Here are a few suggestions to help you stave off—and cope with—technical equipment and system failures: •

• • •

Practice preventive maintenance. Use cleaning cloths and sprays regularly to clean the equipment, keep liquids and foods away from keyboards and printers, and make sure systems are shut down when you leave at night.

Report failures promptly. Get the fastest repair assistance by reporting computer failures to Bart Stone, assistant director of information services (ext. 2238).

Call before problems occur. If you suspect that a problem may be developing, don’t wait until the crucial last moment to call for assistance.

Remain calm. Tech failures are commonplace in business; your bosses and co-workers will understand. When a last-minute failure threatens to disrupt your composure, take a moment to calm down.

The last suggestion is perhaps the most important to keep your career on track. Lost tempers, violent outbursts, and rude language are threatening to co-workers and could result in a reprimand or other disciplinary action. So remain calm. Help is always available.

Ask your supervisor for a list of support numbers to keep handy. The next time you experience a technology glitch, you’ll handle it as just another aspect of your business routine.

* See Transparency 21 for a copy of this well-written solution

CHAPTER 5 POP QUIZ True-False 1. Revision takes place during and after preparing the first draft. (True) 2. The following sentence is an example of hedging: “Sam’s record as vice president of the information systems club shows that he is capable of handling the position.” (False) 3. The following sentence imposes parallelism: “Adam’s responsibilities each Friday afternoon include running the system-usage program, printing three copies, and to take the copies to appropriate managers.” (False)

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160 5: Completing Business Messages 4. Enthusiastic messages are always viewed positively. (False) 5. Rewriting and editing for conciseness means examining every word you put on paper. (True) 6. Longer words are generally more vivid than short ones. (False) 7. By rewriting sentences that begin with There are or It is, the writer should be able to shorten the sentence. (True) 8. The uniformity of line length in justified type is usually considered easier to read than flush-left, ragged-right type. (False) 9. Sans serif typefaces are commonly used for long blocks of text because they are easier to read than serif typefaces. (False) 10. One key strength of today’s word-processing software is that its spell checkers and grammar checkers take the place of a writer’s good editing skills. (False)

Multiple Choice 11. In the first phase of revising your message, a. revise for conciseness. b. adjust design elements such as margins, white space, and line justification. c. proofread for mechanics errors. d.revise for content and good organization.

12. Which part(s) of your document affect your audience the most? a. Beginning b. Middle c.

Ending d.Beginning and ending

13. Which of the following is not a way to increase clarity in your document? a. Break up overly long sentences. b. Reword long noun sequences. c. Recast It is and There are openings. d. Replace camouflaged verbs.

14. Which of the following is not a function of a heading? a. Verification b. Connection c. Organization d. Attention

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5: Completing Business Messages 161 15. In the following sentence, which word is the camouflaged verb? “The students voiced complaints about the increase in parking fees during the SGA meeting.” a. Voiced b. Complaints c. Parking d. During 16. Excess use of type style modifications such as boldface, italics, and underlining a. can slow a reader’s speed or make text harder to read. b. is an excellent way to get the reader’s attention. c. makes a one-page document very attractive. d. Does none of the above 17. Of the following word-processor features, which one allows writers to re-use standard blocks of text in various documents? a. Search and replace b. Auto Correct c. Revision marks d.Boilerplates 18. Which of the following can help a writer proofread effectively? a. Perceptual tricks b. Distance c. Multiple passes d.All of the above 19. Which of the following does not improve conciseness? a. Deleting unnecessary words and phrases b. Eliminating redundancies c. Recasting It is/There are starters d.Imposing parallelism 20. Which of the following is not an example of redundancy? a.Modern equipment b. Midway between c. Reduce down d. Baby kitten

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CHAPTER 6: CRAFTING MESSAGES FOR ELECTRONIC MEDIA CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 6 focuses on the forms of written communication that businesspeople prepare most frequently: Memos, e-mail messages, and letters. Writers must determine which form to use, based on whether the audience is internal or external and what level of formality that audience expects. Once the best form is selected, writers must focus on the readability of their written messages. E-mail is used more and more for both internal and external communication, so when preparing e-mail messages, business writers must not only write clear messages but also provide effective subject lines, make their messages easy to follow, observe e-mail etiquette and their company’s e-mail policy, and exercise courtesy and care when sending these messages. Since most students have preconceived ideas of what is acceptable in the e-mail messages they send to friends and family, this chapter’s e-mail section is important to discuss from a business perspective. E-mail readability issues should generate much student interest and discussion. Instant Messages may soon surpass email as the favorite tool for communication with business associates and customers.

Businesses use IM to replace in-person meetings and phone calls, to supplement online meetings, and to interact with customers.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 6 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet: Number Transparency 22 Transparency 23 Transparency 24 Transparency 25 Transparency 26 Transparency 27 Transparency 28 Transparency 29 Transparency 30 .

Transparency 31 Transparency 32 Transparency 33 Transparency 34

Content Standard Letter Parts (page 1) Standard Letter Parts (page 2) Block Letter Format Modified Block Letter Format Simplified Letter Format Activity 6.1 (improved version) Activity 6.2 (improved version) Activity 6.3 (improved version) Activity 6.4 (improved version) Activity 6.5 (improved version) Case 2: Above-average solution Case 2: Below-average solution Case 5: Above-average solution Case 5: Below average solution Case 8: Above-average solution Case 8: Below-average solution

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 6 3 Transparency Case 11: Above-average solution Case 11: Below38 average solution Case 13: Above-average solution Transparency Case 13: Below-average solution Case 15: Above39 average solution Case 15: Below-average solution Transparency Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written 40 solution) Transparency 41 Transparency 42 CHAPTER OUTLINE Transparency 43 Choosing Electronic Media for Brief Messages Transparency Creating Effective E-Mail Messages 44 Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful E-Mail Planning E-Mail Messages Writing E-Mail Messages Writing Effective Subject Lines Keeping Your Emotions Under Control Completing E-Mail Messages Creating Effective Instant Messages and Text Messages Understanding the Benefits and Risks of IM Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful IM Creating Effective Business Blogs Understanding the Business Applications of Blogging Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful Blogging Creating Effective Podcasts Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful Podcasting Assembling a Podcasting System Collaborating on Wikis Understanding the Wiki Philosophy Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful Wiki Writing Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Choosing Electronic Media for Brief Messages Today’s business communicators have a broad range of options for sending short messages.

E-mail is now a primary medium for most companies thanks to its high speed and low cost.

Instant messaging (IM) now rivals e-mail in many companies. It offers a faster and simpler alternative to e-mail with fewer problems related to unwanted messages or security and privacy concerns.

Text messaging is just beginning to make inroads into business communication; marketing messages were one of the first applications. .

164 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media Blogs are now a common feature in business communication with the ability to update content quickly and publish information to vast audiences with relatively little effort.

Podcasts, the online equivalent of recorded audio or video broadcasts, are starting to supplant many conference calls, training coruses, and other communication activities.

Wikis present the opportunity for rapid collaboration among geographically dispersed groups, making them ideal for today’s flexible organizational structure.

Electronic tools such as wikis, blogs, and the like are considered social media since all participants can contribute to the conversation. Social media are also revolutionizing internal communication, breaking down traditional barriers in the organizational hierarchy, promoting the flow of information and ideas, and enabling “value networks” of companies to collaborate on a global scale.

While most of your business communication is likely to be via electronic means, don’t overlook several situations when you should use a printed message over electronic alternatives: • When you want to make a formal impression.

• When you are legally required to provide information in printed form • When you want to stand out from the flood of electronic messages

Creating Effective E-Mail Messages Be sure to recognize the differences between business e-mail and personal e-mail.

Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful E-Mail Business e-mail is much more formal and the consequences of bad writing or poor judgment can be much more serious.

E-mail messages have the same legal weight as printed documents.

Other concerns include the possibility of disclosing confidential information and exposing company networks to security problems.

Follow Company E-mail Policies Many companies now have formal e-mail policies that specify how employees can use e-mail, including restrictions against using company e-mail service for personal messages and sending material that might be deemed objectionable.

Many employers also monitor e-mail All e-mail users have a responsibility to avoid actions that could cause trouble. Email hygiene refers to all the efforts that companies are making to keep e-mail clean and safe

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6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 6 5 Planning E-Mail Messages Since sending an e-mail is so easy, it is often overused and misused. Make sure every e-mail you send is absolutely necessary.

Think twice before sending messages to multiple recipients with the “cc” (courtesy copy) Be sure to respect the chain of command and give each person the chance to address the situation you’re writing about Writing E-Mail Messages The casual style used for personal e-mail is inappropriate for most business communication.

A careless approach to sending e-mails can harm you in two ways: 1) Haphazard planning and sloppy e-mail requires less time for writers, but it requires more time for readers who are forced to interpret the message 2) Managers and executives often judge the quality of your work by your quality of writing.

Writing Effective Subject Lines Subject lines are actually one of the most important parts of e-mail messages Make sure your subject line is informative and compelling Do more than just describe or classify your message—build interest with key words, quotations, directions, or questions Modify the subject line of your message if you’re replying back and forth with Someone—the new subject line should reflect the revised message content Keeping Your Emotions Under Control Given the spontaneous nature of e-mail (and other electronic media), you will need to keep your emotions from getting the best of you when you’re writing.

A message that contains insensitive, insulting, or critical comments is called a flame.

When you’re angry, and before you respond electronically, ask yourself two questions: Would I say this to my audience face to face?

Am I comfortable with this message becoming a permanent part of the company’s communication history?

Take a few moments to revise and proofread your message before you send it.

Also, lean in favor of simplicity when it comes to producing your e-mail messages (a clean, easily readable font, in black on a white background is sufficient for nearly all e-mail messages).

Take advantage of your e-mail system’s ability to include an e-mail signature that is placed at the end of your message.

Before you send your message, pause and verify what you’re doing.

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166 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media

Creating Effective Instant Messages and Text Messages IM is now widely used throughout the business world Business-grade IM systems feature the basic chat, presence awareness (ability to see which people are available to IM), presence awareness (the ability to see quickly which people are at their desk and available to IM), remote display of documents, video capabilities, remote control of other computers, automated newsfeeds from blogs and websites, and automated bot capability.

Text messaging is beginning to find applications in business as well. Text messaging has long been popular in other parts of the world where it is referred to as short messaging service.

Benefits to businesses using IM include the following: • Rapid response to urgent messages • Lower cost than phone calls and e-mail • Ability to mimic conversation more closely than e-mail • Availability on a wide range of devices, from PCs to mobile phones to PDAs • Less misuse as a broadcast mechanism than e-mail Potential drawbacks of using IM: • Security problems • Need for user authentication • Challenge of logging messages for later review and archiving • Incompatibility between competing IM systems Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful IM Planning instant messages: plan conversations as you would an actual conversation Writing instant messages: the appropriate writing style for business IM is more formal Competing instant messages: quickly scan your message before sending it To use IM effectively, pay attention to some important behavioral issues: • • • • •

Potential for constant interruptions Ease of accidentally mixing personal and business messages Risk of being out of the loop Vast potential for wasted time Being at the mercy of others’ typing ability (if someone is a slow typist, then you have to wait for his or her reply)

Make IM more efficient and effective by following these tips: • Make sure you have a purpose before you IM anyone • Make yourself unavailable when you need to focus on other work • Don’t send confidential information if you’re not on a secure system • Be extremely careful about sending personal messages •• Don’t use IM for lengthy, complex messages unless your system is set up for it—e-mail is better for that Avoid carrying on multiple IM conversations at once

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6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 6 7 •

Make sure your IM system filters for spim (IM version of e-mail spam) is active and up to date.

Creating Effective Business Blogs Blogs (short for web logs) are online journals that are much easier to personalize and update than a conventional website. Blogs combine the global reach and reference value of a conventional website with the conversational exchanges of IM or e-mail Good business blogs pay close attention to several important elements: • • • •

Communicating with personal style and an authentic voice.

Delivering new information quickly.

Choosing topics of peak interest to audiences Encouraging audiences to join the conversation

Businesses are now using blogs to accomplish the following: •• Project management and team communication: keeping project teams up to • date •• Company news: informing employees about general business matters •• Customer support: answering questions and offering tips and advice • Public and media relations: sharing company news with the general public • • •

and journalists Recruiting: telling potential employees about the benefits of working at a firm Policy and issue discussions: offering a public forum for discussing issues of interest to an organization Crisis communication: providing up-to-the-minute information during emergencies, correcting misinformation, or responding to rumors Market research: soliciting feedback from consumers and experts Brainstorming: giving people a forum to toss ideas around and build on others’ contributions Viral marketing: spreading the word about your company and your products E-mail replacement: many companies have turned to blogs as a more convenient way to distribute information to customers and other audiences

Adapting the Three-Step Process for Successful Blogging • Pay attention to your audience, your purpose, and your scope • Carefully consider the information you are including (others could link to it months or years from now) • Evaluate the content and readability of your message—write in a comfortable, personal style • Successful blog content also needs to be interesting, valuable to readers, and as brief as possible • Completing messages for blogs is quite easy: Evaluate the content and readability of your message, proofread to correct any errors, and post using your blogging system’s tools for doing so

Creating Effective Podcasts Podcasting can be used to replace existing audio and video messages as well as for one-way teleconferences and training. .

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While not as easy as blogging, podcasting is fairly simple process for any business with basic computer systems.

Adapting the Three-Step Writing Process for Podcasting: •• Focus on the planning step of the writing process: analyze the situation, • gather the information, and organize your material Be sure to include previews, transitions, and reviews • Speak from an outline or notes rather than a prepared script to sound more • conversational Be sure your podcast has a beginning, middle, and end Consider integrating your podcasting efforts with a related blog Assembling a Podcasting System For basic podcasts, most contemporary personal computers have the equipment you need: a low-cost microphone, a sound card to convert the microphone signal to digital format, and some recording software If you need higher production quality, you’ll need additional pieces of hardware and software

Collaborating on Wikis Wikis are a great way for teams and other groups to collaborate on writing projects.

Wikis provide the opportunity to post new or revised material without prior approval.

To be a valuable wiki contributor, keep these points in mind: • Writers need to let go of traditional expectations of authorship • Team members sometimes need to be encouraged to edit and improve others’ work • Use page templates and other formatting options to make sure your content • fits the same style as the rest of the wiki • Participants should use appropriate editing and commenting capabilities New users should take advantage of the sandbox (this is a “safe” non-published section of the wiki where team members can practice editing and writing Adapting the Three-Step Writing Process for Successful Wiki Writing •• If you are creating a new wiki, think through your long-term purpose carefully: Will the wiki be a one-time event or an ongoing effort?

You also need to consider who will be allowed to add or modify content, who will serve as editor, what rules and guidelines you’ll establish to guide the growth of the wiki, and what security measures might be required.

• If you are adding to an existing wiki, figure out how this new material fits in with the existing structure of the wiki, find out if similar material already exists, and learn the wikis preferred style for handling incomplete articles.

• If you are revising or updating an existing wiki article, use the checklist in Chapter 5 to evaluate the content before you change it.

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6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 6 9

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Some students have work experience or life skills that help them understand when to use memos and when to use letters; however, others do not. To help those students tempted to use a memo format for everything, provide numerous illustrations of instances when memos are and are not appropriate. When conducting writing activities in class, make sure that everyone is using the proper form for the situation assigned.

Most students will already be frequent e-mail users with preconceived ideas of what is acceptable communication. However, habits developed when writing chatty, lengthy e-mail messages for friends or family are unacceptable when writing business e-mail. Overcoming existing habits will require focused discussion of e-mail messages that present the writer as a competent employee of a competent company.

Discuss all readability issues in the chapter’s e-mail section, and address student questions about each point. By searching a library database for “e-mail etiquette,” you can find numerous articles that address e-mail do’s and don’ts and thus provide extra credibility. You may wish to ask each student to find a related article to bring to class for class discussion.

Students often don’t take the time to correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation in e-mail messages. In addition, many other business e-mail issues will be new to them.

They may not know how to set up electronic signature files to be attached to outgoing messages. Plus, they may not be familiar with providing personalization through salutations and closing lines. Stress issues such as keeping paragraphs short, limiting e-mail to one topic and one screen, and organizing the message pyramid style—with the main idea followed by details in descending order. Also discuss key courtesy issues, such as using appropriate language, not including jokes, not flaming, not including very long attachments, and so forth.

Many students will not know about the cc or bcc fields in an e-mail template. Be sure to explain when each is used. Students often think that they should put their own name in the cc field because they will be keeping an electronic copy.

Not all homes have Internet access; therefore, some students may not be experienced in sending attachments with e-mail messages. Discuss this skill if necessary.

Students may have learned different formats for business letters in other classes or even in elementary or secondary school. You may hear comments such as, “You mean that what I learned in the fifth grade isn’t right?” or “I’ve been doing letters like this ever since high school.” Be sure to discuss all the parts of correctly formatted business letters. One way to emphasize the importance of using a proper format is to compare the format of a letter to the appearance of a speaker on stage.

You will need to emphasize and review format several times.

Before students write any messages related to this chapter, hold a brief class discussion. Ask students to identify who their audience is and the form the communication should take (letter, memo, e-mail). Require students to analyze the purpose of the letter and probable reader reaction. With practice, such planning and

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170 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media analysis will become routine in the letter- and memo-writing process. Also ask students to make a brief outline that identifies the main idea and necessary supporting details in a descending order. This activity will help them develop a short message that gets to the point.

When composing short messages such as memos and letters, some students will tend to willuse too many short sentences or too many long, complex ones. Other students tend to write a business letter by putting the entire message into one long paragraph.

Writing and critiquing practice documents in class will allow you to identify some of these weaknesses and give extra attention to those students who need it.

Emphasize how to introduce a list in business messages. Some students will simply create the numbered or bulleted list without including the additional explanation needed for reader understanding.

Writing effective subject lines for hard-copy memos or e-mail messages is often a challenge for students. Review text examples and add examples of your own that demonstrate short, clear, to-the-point subject lines. For e-mail messages, encourage students to write subject lines of no more than 30 to 40 characters. You will also need to emphasize that subject lines for bad-news messages should contain neutral wording.

Most students should be familiar with IM, blogging, and podcasting; however, 1. Selecting the Best Channel. Present a list of business communication you situations, such as notifying colleagues of a committee meeting, sending your might want to show samples of effective and ineffective blogs and podcasts. As you supervisor a progress report, informing a patient of a change in office did with the discussion vs.situation, professional to emphasize procedures, and so of on.personal For each ask e-mail, studentsbetosure identify whether the writer should send a memo, an e-mail message, or a business letter. the Students typically offer differing opinions, and this can make a discussion of difference between professional and personal IM. internal and external communication more interesting. Format differences SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES can also be incorporated into the discussion.

2. Analyzing e-mail messages. Have students send an e-mail message to a classmate. The e-mail could discuss an upcoming writing project, a recent sporting event, a business topic of current interest to students, or a topic that students suggest. Instruct students to bring to class printed copies of the messages they compose and send. Have students exchange e-mail printouts and then guide a discussion in which students critique the e-mails: Is the subject line informative?

Is the message easy to follow?

Is the message personalized with salutation, complimentary closing, and signature line?

Has the message been proofread accurately? .

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 7 1 Is the writing concise?

Is the content limited in scope?

Are the sentences short?

Is the overall message length reasonable?

Alternatively, the instructor can provide students with a poorly written e-mail and have them critique it for the above points.

• Analyzing Letter Formats. Distribute an example of a correctly formatted business letter. Ask students to label each part using proper terminology, such as date, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary close, and signature block. Discuss the value of properly formatted business letters for both the writer and the reader. Also discuss attractive placement on the printed page.

3. Finding Errors in a Letter. Distribute a letter filled with errors in format, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Ask students to work either individually or in teams of two to identify as many errors as possible. In addition to discussing errors found, have students discuss the impact the letter would have on readers, on the writer of the letter, and on the writer’s organization.

4. Improving Readability. Distribute a medium-length letter whose entire body is contained within a single paragraph. Have students work in teams of two to determine where to place paragraph breaks. Discuss the readability challenges such a letter presents and how the writer could improve readability.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 131) 1. The four electronic media choices replacing traditional memos and letters include e-mail, instant messaging, blogs, and podcasting.

2. Subject lines in e-mail messages are important because they help the reader decide whether or not to open the message. Use the subject line in e-mail (and in memos) to capture your audience’s attention. Make the subject line informative by making it do more than just describe or classify message content. Build interest with key words, quotations, directions, or questions. Also, when exchanging multiple e-mails with someone on the same topic, modify the subject line to reflect the revised message content.

3. Common IM slang terms should never be used in business IM. Although IM allows for more flexibility and ease of use, you are still expected to use your professional persona.

4. Audiences relate to a more personal style of blogging because it is a fresher approach compared to the carefully scripted “corporate voice.”

It would not be advisable to place the printed employee handbook in a wiki since 5. this document is not open to review and editing. It might be wise for the company to allow employee’s to offer electronic feedback regarding the policy; however, since this policy is not to be edited by everyone in the company, a wiki .

172 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media is not the best medium to use to post this information.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 131) 1. Instant messaging and blogging are replacing some instances of e-mail for the same reasons that e-mail replaced many instances of printed memos and letters. IM and blogs are less costly to maintain and offer a simultaneous communication situation; however, e-mail should still be used for complex messages.

2.

A writer is able to use a personal, intimate style of writing and still adhere to the conventional rules of grammar, spelling, and mechanics. Readers have only a blogger’s writing to determine his or her credibility, and one way to 3. demonstrate you’re an expert is by showing that you have a firm command of the English language.

Eliminating blogging entirely to make sure bloggers don’t accidently share too much idea. pre-release information about upcoming games would not be a wise Currently, the blogs have thousands of readers and the prerelease information piques consumers’ interests which likely results in more sales. Essentially, these blogs foster positive relationships with customers. One solution to ensure that 4. no sensitive information is released is for the company to appoint an individual who would view all blogging content before it is posted. This way, the company can still foster its relationship with its customers and the president could be assured that the information being posted has been vetted.

Podcasting may be considered as a potential replacement for your company’s employee newsletter newsletter if everyone has access to the podcasts (since this

5.

is sent electronically, one could assume that all employees have access to computers). An advantage of using a podcasting would be the addition of the nonverbal cues that are missing in written communication (of course, the person recording the podcast would have to be a skilled communicator). A disadvantage of using the podcast would be that employees would no longer be able to scan the letter; instead, they would have to listen to the entire podcast for all announcements. Additionally, most individuals learn visually; thus by eliminating the newsletter and asking employees to retain information they hear may be difficult for some Given previous discussions surrounding ethical issues, your loyalty should lie . to the truth: present a balanced article about the technology. You should discuss your reluctance to follow up on your boss’ suggestion—you’ll never earn the trust your and confidence that could lead to a raise or a promotion if you do as

told. Moreover, if you write an unbalanced article, your name will be associated with it and that could harm you in the long run.

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 7 3

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 132) Exercises for Perfecting Your Writing 1. The cruise line must address two audiences: the disgruntled passenger and the other readers of the newspaper, who may be potential cruise customers. A secondary audience would be the cruise line’s management, who would be monitoring your handling of the situation.

2.

E-mail messages would be too informal. Because the message is being sent to those outside the organization, memos should not be used. You should consider sending a personal letter to the passenger and a diplomatically worded letter to the editor of the newspaper.

Students might revise the blog posting in the following manner:

3.

It appears that we aren’t going to meet the June 1 commitment to ship 100 operating tables to Southeast Surgical Supply since we’ve been unable to get our hands on enough high-grade chromium steel to meet our production schedule.

This morning we learned that we’ll only be able to make 30 tables. We’re very embarrassed that we won’t be able to keep our promise to our customer and upset this happened since we were warned about the chromium steel shortage in advance. Six months ago purchasing told us about the shrinking supplies and suggested that we advance-buy the chromium steel we would need for the next 12 months. Unfortunately, we were not able to do so given our corporate policy that restricts advance purchasing to three months in advance. Since our division is responsible for completing this order, we’re going to be blamed for the inability to fill the order and for possibly losing a customer to our competition, Crighton Manuf. Hopefully, the corporate office will reexamine the advance purchasing policy so that we are to be more financially flexible and able to compete.

4. For the people trying to use their digital music players, a podcast might work best since users could get updated information while they are trying to use their players.

5. An e-mail, IM, or text message might be acceptable media to send a message of condolence depending on the relationship you have with the receiver. A podcast and a blog would not be appropriate for conveying this message.

6. Since the receivers of this message would presumably be those in the company, an e-mail message might be best suited to deliver the news that she is accepting a position with a competitor. The e-mail would allow her to explain her reasons and would reach all employees. Text messaging and IM would be too informal.

A blog would be the ideal medium to present a series of observations about the 7. state of the industry. These observations could be archived and easily updated.

.

174 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media 8. A wiki or a blog would be the best media for posting a series of messages, questions, and answers surrounding the work of a project team. Both forms of media are interactive and allow for collaboration, unlike e-mail, IM, or text messaging.

9. Students may think up various ways of making this subject more informative; for example, “Send new figures for March budget” or “New 2009 budget figures” or “New March staffing budget figures.” However, students should be careful that the line doesn’t grow too long.

10. Students may think up various ways of making this subject more informative; for example, “Does our marketing brochure still work?” Or “Do we need a new marketing brochure?” However, students should be careful that the line doesn’t grow too long.

11. Students may think up various ways of making this subject more informative; for example, “Speeding up April’s production schedule” or “Steps for meeting our production schedule.” However, students should be careful that the line doesn’t grow too long.

ACTIVITIES (p. 133) 6.1 The post is written in a tone that is unprofessional and excessively negative.

The author loses additional credibility by admitting that he or she has based the entire post on a very limited amount of information.

1. The informal language might be appropriate for a personal blog, but not for a corporate one (“WE’RE DOOMED!!!!!,” “it ain’t pretty,” etc.).

2. The purpose of the post is unclear. It sounds like the only purpose is to allow the author to vent, but some comments (particularly in the paragraph that begins, “I’ve been saying for years”) indicate that the author has some valid suggestions on how the company could improve.

3. The author’s drastic claims are not supported with adequate evidence. A “10second glimpse” of the prototype would have provided only a limited understanding of the prototype’s quality and functionality. Also, the author’s interpretation of the “grin” is highly subjective. It may have meant that the robot’s price was low, but could just have easily suggested that the price was incredibly high.

4. The final paragraph establishes an adversarial relationship with the audience, casting the entire post as tirade based on their failure to take the author’s warnings seriously.

Here is one possible revision: Impressive Prototype from Motoman I visited the Sikorsky plant in Stratford yesterday to check the status of the assembly line retrofit we performed for them last year. While there, I saw part of a demonstration of a prototype robot from Motoman. It was, to say .

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 7 5 the least, impressive. I witnessed only a small part of the demo, but from what I saw the robot was compact, fast, and incredibly maneuverable.

Motoman may be onto something with its emphasis on size, speed, and maneuverability. Our products are strong in terms of accuracy and payload capacity, but to remain competitive we may need to pay more attention to factors that have become our rival’s trademarks. * See Transparency 27 for a copy of this improved version.

6.2

The customer service agent’s tone is too informal and unprofessional.

1. Responses to the customer’s comments contain an IM acronym (LOL) that is inappropriate for a business context.

2. The agent’s remarks suggest a lack of knowledge on his or her part.

3. The agent also suggests that the problem is the customer’s fault, even though 4. there is no evidence to show that the customer has done anything wrong.

It would be more effective to adopt a more formal (but still conversational) tone, to gather more information from the customer, and to avoid speculation about what caused the problem.

5. The focus throughout should be on helping the customer resolve the issue.

Here is one possible revision: Agent: Customer: Agent: Customer: Agent: Customer: Agent: Customer: Agent:

Customer: Agent:

Thanks for contacting Home Exercise Equipment.

How may I help you?

I’m having trouble assembling my home gym.

Okay, let me get some information about your gym so I can help you with that. Do you still have the box?

Yes. Great—the model number is located on the front near the UPC code.

Please read that number to me.

It’s model number HG-8975.

Thank you. What problem have you encountered?

The cross bar that connects the pillars isn’t long enough to reach across the pillars.

I understand. There’s a spacer in the box that can help with that. It’s a cylinder about 6 inches long with internal threads on one end and a connector on the other. Do you see that part?

Yes. What should I do with it?

Just insert one end of the cross bar into the threaded end of the spacer and tighten it, and that will make the cross bar long enough to reach both pillars …

*See Transparency 28 for a copy of this improved version.

.

176 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media 6.3

As written, the e-mail is too dictatorial and implies that employees are not pulling their weight in the office. The e-mail will offend the most conscientious employees. Even those guilty of taking a little extra time now and then will still resent the tone of the memo. The writer can treat this as a routine memo, with a straightforward change in routine procedures. The first paragraph can contain the main idea of the change in break procedures, with logical, justifiable details in the following paragraphs. The tone of the message should not reflect talking down to employees or lecturing. A courteous close that offers assistance completes the direct approach.

Here is a possible solution, based on what students have learned in Chapters 3–6.

To: Billing Personnel CC: Subject: Changes in Break Procedures Starting Monday, January 1, scheduled break times will be used for morning breaks, lunch breaks, and afternoon breaks. Your supervisor will assign your specific break times. Both the morning and afternoon breaks will be 15 minutes, as has been customary in the past. The lunch break will be a regular 30-minute break.

The use of scheduled break times will allow us to achieve our productivity goals and ensure that a certain number of employees are always available.

Once your new scheduled break and lunch times are assigned, please adhere to them. Should you need to leave your work assignment at any other time, please talk with your supervisor first.

Please stop by my office (room 243) or call me at extension 3454 to discuss our new changes.

* See Transparency 29 for a copy of this improved version.

6.4

Here is a revised version of the blog post: [headline] Get Ready! [post] We will move to our new offices during the coming weekend. So that everything runs smoothly, please clean out your desks and pack the contents in the boxes provided. Please take all items off the walls and pack them in boxes also. You will need to take your personal belongings home with you to ensure their safety during the move.

On Monday, we will unpack, arrange our new offices, and get back to work.

Even with the move, we should still be able to meet all production schedules .

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 7 7 and current deadlines. * See Transparency 30 for a copy of this improved version.

6.5

In addition to being excessively chatty, this podcast exhibits two significant organizational problems. First, the lack of an introduction deprives listeners of the opportunity to prepare for the information they are about to receive. Second, it has no organization structure to speak of, with major, minor, and irrelevant bits mixed together.

Here is one possibility for a clear introduction: Hello everyone; we have lots of important news this week. I want to cover four topics. First, Thomas will join us at the quarterly sales meeting next week and wants an update from all district managers. Second, we’ve changed the commission reporting structure, which will naturally interest all of you.

Third, we’ve just entered into a co-branding agreement with Uni-Plex, which creates sales opportunities for everyone. And fourth, I want to make sure everyone take a moment to meet Selma Gill, who just joined and took over the Northeast sales region from Jackson Stroud.

Starting with the quarterly sales meeting next week, Thomas wants an

update on how petroleum prices are affecting customer behavior. Each district manager should be ready with a two or three report on conditions in your geographic area. If you have any questions on what to cover, please give me * See Transparency 31 for a copy of this improved version. a call.

6.6

Four fairly obvious weaknesses in each this podcast are as follows: [The podcast continues by discussing of the remaining three topics] 1. The introduction is abrupt and could offend a professional audience.

2. The speaker insults listeners by saying that anyone who isn’t familiar with social media has been living under a rock.

3. The podcast exhibits a poorly planned sequence, forcing the speaker to backtrack and define social media halfway through the recording.

4. After listing the various types of social media, the speaker says “notice the common threads,” then introduces the first thread by saying “One,” thereby implying that at least a “two” and perhaps a “three” are to follow. However, only the first item is discussed, leaving listeners to wonder what happened to the rest of the “common threads.”

.

178 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media

Here is one possibility for the e-mail students could send to the podcaster:

To: bill_jones@aol.com Cc: Subject: Social Media Podcast Feedback Hi Bill, I enjoyed listening to your podcast about social media. I learned a lot and since I know other listeners will too, I wanted to provide you with some tips that will make your message even stronger.

1. Provide an introduction. It would be helpful if you could provide more of an introduction to your podcast. You did an excellent job telling listeners why social media are important (there is a revolution going on) and if you provided a sentence stating the topic of your podcast you would help your listeners much more.

2. Define terms. After you provide your introduction, define your topic for listeners right away. You correctly defined “social media,” but not until you were halfway through your podcast.

3. Use transitional elements. The podcast contained helpful markers such as “One,” but you didn’t always follow up with “Two,” and so on. You obviously understand that listeners don’t have the advantage to see your script, so you might want to mark the transitional elements on your script so that you’re sure to include them.

4. Consider your tone. Your voice has great resonance and it’s very easy to listen to you speak. I was, however, taken aback when you said something to the effect that if someone doesn’t know what social media are, then s/he must be living under a rock. I’m sure you meant that as a joke, but you might want to consider how listeners (especially those who didn’t know what social media were) could be offended.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful. As I noted above, I really enjoyed listening to your podcast and know that these tips will only improve your future products.

Sincerely,

.

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 7 9 6.7. This wiki article is a good example of material that suffers from a lack of the “you” attitude. Here is one possible revision:

Section 2. Establishing a productive learning relationship Experience tells us that adult language leaders are most likely to succeed when three conditions are met. First, learning must take place within a safe, mutually respectful relationship. Our clients have learned to survive in today’s complex environment without the benefit of strong reading and writing skills, so they clearly possess intelligence and creativity that we must respect. Second, when the subject matter is relevant to their everyday concerns and interests, learners are more likely to grasp and retain the language. Third, clients’ needs and interests evolve as their language skills improve, so tutors must continuously improvise and adapt.

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 136) 1.

Here are some ways you can become a well-read and influential blogger.

1. Write with the reader in mind. Remember WIIFM? It’s marketing jargon for What’s In It For Me? That’s what you should be keeping in mind. Your reader will read your post looking for what’s in it for them.

2. Make it valuable and worthwhile. Don’t waste people’s time. If you don’t have anything to say, no problem, plenty other people do. So share their articles, do an interview, review a book.

3. Proof-read for typos and glaring grammatical errors. You wouldn’t go out of the house with dirty hair or missing a sock, so why would you publish spelling mistakes? Respect your readers by polishing up your stuff.

4. Keep it short and simple, sweetie. (KISS). Most people are scanners. You may have a lot to say and think it interesting, and it may be. But people are reading online and out of time. Get to the point quickly. Publishing short posts more frequently is a better format than publishing lengthy articles every few weeks.

5. Keep it lively, make it snappy and snazzy. Even if you aren’t a natural born writer, you can write for your blog. Just write like you’re speaking to your friend or to yourself! Remember though, get to the point quickly. Keep in mind the journalist’s rule of 5 W’s in the first paragraph: who, what, why, when and where.

6. Link often. This builds credibility and positions you as an expert in your field. People don’t have time to know what others are doing, you should tell them. Linking to other blogs and websites also helps you build a network of associates who will in turn link to your blog.

7. Use keywords often. This will help you stay on purpose, and the search engines will love your blog. Your rankings will go up. This is one of the reasons we have you write out your purpose statements before beginning your blog. The clearer you are about your purpose, the more consistently you will deliver messages that are on target. And the more often your keywords show up, the better your search engine results.

8. Write clearly (short sentences, only one concept per sentence). No double speak or jargon; include no more than one idea in one sentence—don’t make .

180 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media your readers have to think about your meaning. Spoon feed them. Use commas and dashes liberally.

9. Write like you talk. It’s okay to use common expressions from speech.

Examples: Go figure. Don’t even go there. Now, I ask you. Gotta love it.

(And, remember the age group of your readers.)

10. Use a clear headline, and don’t be afraid to make bold statements (but don’t mislead people either). Make it snazzy and use key words. Example: ExTechno-Weenie Masters HTML Code 2. Six reasons marketers should blog: 1- Fast Search Engine Spidering and Indexing of Your Site: Did you know that Google owns the most popular blogging platform on the planet? Blogger at http://www.blogger.com is used to produce thousands of blogs.

2-Blogs can Build Your Backlinks Quickly: If you’ve spent time trying to get reciprocal links to your site, you know how frustrating, boring, and time-consuming it can be. I’ve long considered reciprocal link building to be one of the worst ways to develop link popularity. Many SEO experts consider one-way links to be far more effective.

3-A Frequently Updated Blog will Keep the Spiders Visiting Your Site Often: Most of us are aware that the search engines like sites that are updated frequently. If you have your blog set up correctly, every post will update several pages of your site. Then pinging Yahoo! and the blog and feed directories at Pingomatic can bring out the spiders in just a few hours. This is a great way to get new pages of your site indexed quickly and frequently.

4-Your Site is Stickier and More Appealing to Visitors: A blog on your site is an easy way to keep your site updated on a regular basis. The upside is that visitors will come by more often. If they find your blog interesting and informative, they may bookmark your site. That means you have a much greater chance of making sales. And you have a readymade audience for any new products you launch.

A blog can also add a human face to your website that potential customers will trust and respond to. Most marketers know that people buy from people they like and respect. A well-written blog is a great way to build a relationship with your visitors.

5-A Blog Is The Fastest And Easiest Way To Build A Brand-New Website Without Training: Even a 10-year-old could set up a blog at Blogger.com and be blogging almost immediately. No HTML knowledge is necessary. You don’t need to know how to FTP. You don’t need to know how to link the pages in your site together. All you have to do is type in your post and click on the “publish” button. And yet you can still set up an attractive, spiderable site in record time.

6-Keyword competition in RSS feed sites is much less than in the SE’s: Google, Yahoo!, and MSN each have many millions of webpages in their indexes. It can be almost impossible to get top rankings for competitive keywords if you don’t have a high PR site with lots of backlinks.

.

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 8 1 3.

Newsfeed is a subscription from one news server to another for one or more newsgroups. Once a news server downloads newsgroup articles from its feeds, clients of the news server can read and respond to those articles. This is important to blogging so that readers can have access to multiple links and stories.

CASE SOLUTIONS (p. 136) On the following pages are suggested solutions for this chapter’s cases. They are complete and fully formatted so that you can copy them onto acetate transparencies. *Ready-made transparencies are available for the following cases. Each case provides two solutions—one above-average and one below-average (which match the solutions in this manual): Case 2, Keeping the Fans Happy: Analyzing Advertising on ESPN.com (Transparencies 32 and 33) Case 5, Legitimate and Legal: Defending Technology Sales to Chinese Police Agencies (Transparencies 34 and 35) Case 8, Look Sharp: Travel Safety Tips for New Employees (Transparencies 36 and 37) Case 11, We’re the One: Explaining Why a Company Should Hire Your Firm (Transparencies 38 and 39) Case 13, Time to Think: E-Mail Requesting a Change in Your Workload (Transparencies 40 and 41) Case 15, “Hi, My Name Is . . .”: Introducing Yourself on a Business Network (Transparencies 42 and 43)

1. COME ON TO COMIC-CON: EXPLAINING THE BENEFITS OF ATTENDING Students should write this post in a way that accommodates the audience’s need for concise information and a recommendation. Some audience members might be skeptical about the magnitude of the convention, so it will be important to include statistics to illustrate its magnitude and popularity. The journalistic approach will work well, since it will help keep the post focused on the basics (if readers want more details, they can visit Comic-Con’s website, which should be listed in the post).

What’s Up with Comic-Con? I’ve received lots of e-mail recently about whether or not I recommend Comic-Con, the international pop culture convention of massive proportions coming up this July in San Diego, California. In a word: YES! If you’re a pop culture fan (and if you’re reading this, you are), it’s an understatement to say you’ll enjoy this event. From comics to film to gaming, Comic-Con has it all .

182 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media

packed into a four-day extravaganza featuring costumed participants and bigname special guests including the likes of Ray Bradbury.

We’re not talking about some glorified comic book sale here. Comic-Con is in its thirty-eighth year, and organizers expect more than 100,000 participants (which, according to the Comic-Con site, is “the largest number of attendees of any convention in the country”). Everything pop culture--from classics to the latest titles--will be on display in a 460,000 sq. ft. exhibit hall. Participants can attend seminars on production and screenwriting, how to get noticed by well-known publishers like DC Comics, and a Battlestar Galactica Forum hosted by Richard Hatch (a.k.a. Captain Apollo).

The dates for this year’s Comic-Con are July 26-29 (with a “Preview Night” on July 25). Registrations and hotel rooms are limited, so if you plan on going don’t wait to make your arrangements. You can find out more at www.comiccon.org or by e-mailing cci-info@comic-con.org.

2. KEEPING THE FANS HAPPY: ANALYZING ADVERTISING ON ESPN.COM (Above-average solution) Since this message is internal and traveling upward, get to the point quickly and be as specific as possible in describing the issue. Keep the subject line upbeat by focusing on the goal of improving satisfaction with the site, and carefully explain the review you’d like to conduct and the valuable information it would yield.

To: joe_payne@espn.com Cc: Subject: Improving Satisfaction with ESPN.com Joe, At the last two staff meetings, we’ve discussed our flat site-traffic numbers and what we can do to attract more visitors to ESPN.com. I have an idea, and it won’t involve adding any new features.

I’ve heard and read a number of complaints (probably 20 or so within the past week) about the amount of advertising we’re running on site. We both know that without the ads there would be no ESPN.com, but there seems to be an increasing feeling that articles and stats are hidden behind an excessive number of sales pitches.

Frankly, I’m not sure how much is too much when it comes to advertising and our site’s visitors. The best way to find out is to compare the advertising presence on ESPN.com with that of other sports websites, and I’d like to conduct a comprehensive review to do that. It’s vital that we find ways to keep advertisers and site visitors happy. May I stop by your office tomorrow morning at 9:00 to discuss the comparative review I’ve suggested?

.

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 8 3

Sincerely, Tracy 2. KEEPING THE FANS HAPPY: ANALYZING ADVERTISING ON ESPN.COM (Below-average solution) To: joe_payne@espn.com Cc: Subject: We have to STOP the Ads!!!

Joe, You know as well as I do that our site visits haven’t grown. This is a HUGE problem for us and we need to address it.

From my extensive research (well, ok, I’ve talked to about 20 of my closest friends), I know that our viewers are sick and tired of all the advertising they have to sit through. Quite frankly, I’m sick of them myself—I mean, I know they’re our bread and butter, but they’re annoying and seem to be taking over our content! Plus, my friends say they’re not accessing ESPN as much as they used to.

I know how busy you are and I’d like to help you out—I’m going to offer to lead comprehensive review effort to compare ESPN.com’s advertising to toher sports websites. After I’ve conducted this comparision, I’d like to search for ways to maintain strong advertising sales without making our audience hate us. Just let me know when you want me to get going on this.

Sincerely, Tracy 3. MUST BE AN OPPORTUNITY IN HERE SOMEWHERE: THE GROWING MARKET OF WOMEN LIVING WITHOUT HUSBANDS Students will provide a wide variety of responses to this exercise. Their lists of products should, however, be consistent in explaining how each one would benefit and meet the needs of women in the target market. One example of a possible response is below.

To: j_franks@seymourpowell.com; e_thomas@seymourpowell.com; p_williams@seymourpowell.com Cc: Subject: Tapping into a Growing Market Jen, Eduardo, and Pam, My research shows that one of the fastest-growing markets in the U.S. is made up of women without spouses. For the first time ever, more than half of all

.

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American women are now in that category, and the trend shows no signs of slowing.

The demands of women in this market are unique, and we should capitalize on the opportunity to meet those needs. Here are some examples of products and product upgrades we could help our clients to pursue: 1. Upscale, easy-to-prepare meal kits: Everyone’s jumped on the Lean

Cuisine and ‘family meal kit’ bandwagon, but what’s missing is a line of meal kits for one that moves far beyond the microwave boxed dinner.

2. Exercise equipment line designed exclusively for women: Most athome exercise machines have a universal “one-size-fits-all” design that often falls short when it comes to enabling women to exercise safely and comfortably.

3. Hand tools designed by women for women: (My thinking on this is similar to that in item 2.) What if a group of women designed a line of hand tools to fit their everyday needs?

4. Electronics product line emphasizing quality and convenience: When it comes to electronics, men tend to equate complexity with quality.

Women expect the same high quality, but often do not have time to spend hours setting everything up.

These are just a few of my ideas on how we can meet the needs of this growing segment of the American market. Could we meet next week to talk them over?

Jelena

4. HELP IS ON THE WAY: ENCOURAGING FORD DEALERS As the instructions indicate, the dealers who will receive this message need some encouragement. Use the direct approach for positive messages and explain why the dealers should look forward to the new model.

To: Dealers <dealernetwork@ford.com> Cc: Subject: Groundbreaking New Model Available Soon Dear Authorized Ford Dealer, You’ve told us for some time now that your customers are bored with traditional SUVs and family sedans. We’ve listened, and in the summer of 2008 we’ll release a new model that you helped design. The 2009 Ford Flex combines the comfort and safety of a family sedan with the power, space, and versatility of an SUV—all with unprecedented levels of style and technology.

Here are just a few of the standard and available features you can expect in the

.

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2009 Ford Flex: Two-Tone Roof Grooved Door Panels Seating for up to Seven Award-Winning 3.5L Duratec V6 Engine Interior Flexibility Interior HID Headlamps Room Interior Comfort 19” Aluminum Wheels Multi-Panel Vista Roof™ Rearview Camera Family Entertainment Intelligent All-Wheel Drive System Sync In-Car Three-Bar Chrome Grille Communications VoicePower Liftgate Activated Navigation Safety LED Taillamps Canopy™ System AdvanceTrac® with RSC® For more information and a first look at this new model, visit http://www.fordvehicles.com/flex/, where your customers can also customdesign a Flex to suit their needs.

Your feedback is one of our most valuable assets, and the 2009 Ford Flex reflects our commitment to helping you meet your goals.

Sincerely, Chad Gonzales, Marketing Team Lead Ford Motor Company 5. LEGITIMATE AND LEGAL: DEFENDING TECHNOLOGY SALES TO

CHINESE POLICE AGENCIES (Above-average solution) It would be impossible to post comments on this controversial subject without opening yourself up to some negative feedback. However, it would be far worse to remain silent on an issue so vital to your company’s credibility. Students should recognize the opportunity here to promote Cisco’s ongoing commitment to full legal compliance and high ethical standards. Here is one example of the post:

Recent Feedback on Cisco’s Sales in China Over the past several weeks, our company has been criticized for having sold networking devices to police agencies in China. As a result of this criticism, many false rumors have begun circulating about Cisco and its vending practices. I’d like to provide some accurate information to clear up these misconceptions: 1. Cisco complies with all U.S. export regulations: Our company is committed to following all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

The sale of networking equipment to Chinese police agencies was no exception. Cisco conducted these sales legally and in compliance with all .

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relevant regulations.

2. Cisco markets its products globally: Our company’s client list is international. We are proud to serve numerous customers in the U.S. and abroad, and our marketing efforts in China were no different than those we use to market our solutions to other police organizations throughout the world.

3. Cisco cannot control how its products are used: We provide reliable, convenient technological tools to our clients. No company—including Cisco—can control how products are used once they are purchased.

4. Cisco is not the exclusive vendor of networking products: Although our products are unique in terms of functionality and quality, we are obviously not the only company that sells networking equipment. Had we refused to provide the equipment the Chinese government officials requested, they would easily have acquired the equipment from another vendor.

Cisco will continue to lead the way in providing high-quality technology while maintaining our commitment to the highest level of corporate responsibility.

5. LEGITIMATE AND LEGAL: DEFENDING TECHNOLOGY SALES TO CHINESE POLICE AGENCIES (Below-average solution) Selling our Products to China I’m sure all of you have been reading about our company’s decision to sell our networking devices to police agencies in China. Hopefully, you aren’t one of the groups of people criticizing this choice. In today’s post, I’d like to defend our company’s decision so that you’ll understand why we decided to sell our products to China.

We follow all U.S. export regulations. According to the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security: On April 24, 2006, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amended the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement the Wassenaar Arrangement’s December 2005 agreement to revised the formula for calculating computer performance from Composite Theoretical Performance (CTP), measured in Millions of Theoretical Operations Per Second (MTOPS) to Adjusted Peak Performance (APP), measured in Weighted TeraFLOPS (Trillion Floating point Operations Per Second)(WT). This amendment also established new control levels in Category 4 of the Commerce Control List (CCL) expressed in WT. In addition, this amendment renamed License Exception CTP to License Exception APP (Adjusted Peak Performance) to correspond to the new formula. Pursuant to the Wassenaar Arrangement agreement, the control level for computers controlled for national security reasons is 0.75 WT. The amendment .

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 8 7 also moved Bulgaria from Computer Tier 3 to Computer Tier 1 effective June 3, 2006, removed High Performance Computer (XP) and Missile Technology (MT) controls from certain Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs) in Category 4 of the CCL, and removed the section of the EAR (section 742.12) dedicated to various requirements for high performance computers.

Clearly, you can see that we are in direct compliance with all U.S. codes. We also market our products globally and are proud to do so. We make a lot of money this way and keep our stockholders happy. Our company also realizes that we aren’t responsible for how others use our products—once we’ve sold them, whatever happens will happen. Plus, if we hadn’t sold our products to China, you know another company would have. We’re in business to keep our stockholders happy and with the large order from the Chinese, we made lots of folks happy. Hopefully now people will realize we didn’t violate any codes, we aren’t responsible for our products once their sold, and that we are happy to interact with other cultures so that we may be a profitable business.

6. THE VERY DEFINITION OF CONFUSION: HELPING CUSTOMERS SORT OUT HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION The greatest challenge here will be conveying sufficient information without overwhelming customers who may be unfamiliar with (and perhaps confused by) the details of high-definition television. Students should respond with simple definitions written in plain English.

Resolution: The sharpness or clarity of an electronic image. Resolution is measured in number combinations such as “1024 x 768,” which denote the number of pixels the display contains.

HDTV: This means “High-Definition Television,” but is used to describe different things by different people. It technically refers to only the highestresolution digital TV format of the 18 currently available. This means a real HDTV must have a resolution of 1,080-line interlaced (1080i) or 720-line progressive (720p).

1080p: “1080 progressive,” a high-definition format with resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. “Pixels” are picture elements, the building blocks of the picture on your screen. The smaller the picture elements, the more realistic the picture will appear. The “progressive” designation is important because it means a 1080p television can display any digital format without sacrificing picture quality.

HDMI: “High-Definition Multimedia Interface.” This is an interface (a type of “jack” or “outlet”) that enables you to connect any audio or video device to a monitor and transfer uncompressed digital content via a single cable.

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7. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE: RECOMMENDING YOUR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY Students are likely to provide a wide range of responses, which could lead to a discussion of how and why different characteristics of the college or university are important to different individuals. Encourage students to avoid vague, unsupported generalizations (overall, the classes are pretty good; there are lots of majors to choose from, and so on). Instead, they should back their assessments with statistics and other specific information. Here is one example:

Hi, my name is Yvonne Norris and I’m a junior Accounting major at Moorefield University. I’d like to share with you some good reasons to consider enrolling at Moorefield, wherever your interests may lie. [pause]

For me and many others, college is a stepping stone to a rewarding career. [pause] With that in mind, one of the most important things to consider in choosing a college or university is reputation. Does the school have a name that employers are likely to recognize and respect? [pause] For Moorefield, the answer is yes. [pause] As our state’s oldest institute of higher learning, Moorefield has produced some of the nation’s most successful alumni. [pause] They have gone on to become physicians, outstanding business professionals, even astronauts and Nobel Laureates. [pause] In addition, a recent survey revealed that over 95% of Moorefield’s alumni from 1995 to 2005 had found employment in what they called their “chosen career field.” [pause] Of course, a school’s reputation doesn’t matter if it doesn’t offer the major you want. [pause] At Moorefield, you can choose from over 200 majors in a variety of fields, and are sure to find the courses and curriculum you need to achieve your professional goals. [pause] With such a wide variety of majors, Moorefield is also a great choice for students who are still undecided about the major they will select. [pause] For these and many other reasons, Moorefield can help you to excel as you further your academic career and prepare to become a successful professional.

8. LOOK SHARP: TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS FOR NEW EMPLOYEES (Above-average solution)

With the multitude of information available online regarding safe travel, students should have no problem finding and identifying at least six tips to include in the posting. One example of a site that offers hundreds of tips is http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html, which is maintained by the U.S. Department of State.

SAFE TRAVEL TIPS For many of us, travel is an important part of our jobs. Unfortunately, workrelated matters can distract you from your surroundings and make you .

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vulnerable to theft and other crime. Here are some tips to help you travel safely, along with some helpful websites with more information staying safe while you’re away from home: 1. Pack light. The less you take with you, the less likely you are to leave your luggage on the ground or unattended. If it’s not absolutely necessary for your trip, leave it at home. (“A Safe Trip Abroad” <http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html>) 2. Keep valuables close by. Don’t leave cash or other valuables (including your passport) in your hotel room or anywhere else. The safest place to store them is in a money pouch you can hide beneath your clothes. (“Keep Your Valuables Safe” <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17009456/>) 3. Take the elevator. Avoid staying on the ground floor of your hotel since it’s most vulnerable to intruders. However, don’t stay in a room higher than the seventh floor since higher floors are more difficult to escape during fires. (“In Pictures: Safe Travel Tips for Road Warriors http://www.forbes.com/2006/08/14/cx_tvr_0815safetravelslide.html?thisS peed=24000) 4. Blend in. Do your best to avoid looking like an outsider. Avoid “flashy” jewelry and clothes, and be discreet about carrying tourist items like cameras and maps. (“Safety Tips for Business Travelers” http://www.allbusiness.com/operations/business-travel/3871188-1.htm) 5. Lock the door. When you’re in your hotel room, always lock the door.

This includes using the “swinging metal security lock” that makes it even more difficult for would-be thieves and other intruders to get in. (“Hotel Room Safety Tips” http://businesstravel.suite101.com/article.cfm/hotel_room_safety_tips).

6. Call before opening the door. Just because someone knocks on your hotel room door and claims to be “room service” or “maintenance” doesn’t mean you should immediately open up. Call the front desk first to verify that they’re really who they say they are.

With a little common sense, you can greatly reduce the chances of becoming a victim of crime while you’re traveling on business.

8. LOOK SHARP: TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS FOR NEW EMPLOYEES (Below-average solution) MAKE SURE YOU DON’T GET ATTACKED ON YOUR NEXT BUSINESS TRIP

You know the feeling: You’ve been working for the past eight hours and have been traveling for the past two days. You get into the elevator of the hotel where you’re staying and you push the number of the floor where you’re staying. You get out of the elevator on the right floor and you’re walking to your room—out of no where a man runs you over and makes off with your belongings. Don’t let this happen to you—follow these tips:

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190 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media Don’t pack anything that you would miss immensely if it got stolen. (See “A Safe Trip Abroad” for more information).

Go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17009456/ for advice about valuables.

Make sure you don’t look like that “idiot traveler” (come on—you know we’ve all seen them. The dorks who walk around wearing their name tags, snapping pics every five seconds, and looking at the map to see where they are). These people are just asking to be robbed—don’t do this.

There are lots of good tips about staying safe in a hotel. Log onto your favorite search engine and check them out.

If you just stop and think about your behavior and make sure that you are able to blend in, you should be fine when you travel. Stay safe!

9. YOUR WORK DOES MATTER: ENCOURAGING AN UNHAPPY COLLEAGUE Students should keep this message brief and upbeat, while recognizing that Grogan’s complaints are not entirely unfounded. Simply having his concerns recognized may go a long way toward encouraging him to persevere.

To: steve_grogan@webmagic.com Cc: Subject: Keep Up the Good Work Steve, I’d like to thank you for your continued design efforts on the FitGear web development project.

As you know, this project has been tough for everyone on our team. The client’s expectations have changed periodically, and that has led to delays and extra work that none of us anticipated. Things have been particularly challenging on your end: almost every design has had to be re-worked through no fault of your own.

All of us appreciate your hard work and look forward to getting together to celebrate once we bring this project to a close (and--believe it or not--we will!).

Sincerely, Mitch

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6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 9 1 10. SHE’S ONE OF US: PROMOTING A NEW LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE The e-mail message should promote the fact that Logan is a different kind of lifestyle magazine, aimed at an audience with specific information needs. The message needs to cover the basics as well, such as how much it costs to subscribe and how to subscribe.

To: <Mailing List> Cc: Subject: Finally—a Lifestyle Magazine That Matters Friends, If you’re like me, you’ve noticed that it’s hard to find lifestyle magazines that offer more than glossy photos of models and loads of advertisements for products I don’t use. That’s why I’m happy to tell you about Logan, a magazine specifically for young people with disabilities.

Logan is different. It was founded by Logan Olson, a remarkable young woman who (at 16) suffered a severe brain injury that left her unable to perform everyday tasks. She had to learn to do everything again—from brushing her teeth to sitting up and chewing. During her recovery, Logan longed to wear makeup and designer clothes again but found little she could use in available fashion magazines. That’s when she decided to start her own magazine, Logan, and to make a difference in the lives of other young women with disabilities.

Logan is filled with stories, advice, and other features that matter to young women with disabilities. In addition to practical advice on everyday issues, it offers hope and encouragement by reminding readers that there are thousands of other women dealing with similar challenges.

Consider a subscription to Logan for yourself or someone you care about. At only $14 per year, it’s a simple step that could make more of a difference than you ever imagined. Log on to www.loganmagazine.com/subscribe.html today.

Best regards, Pam Irvin Subscription Manager Logan Magazine

11.

WE’RE THE ONE: EXPLAINING WHY A COMPANY SHOULD HIRE YOUR FIRM (Above-average solution) Since this message will go to a potential client, students should highlight the convenience and quality of Brainbench products and services. The e-mail should also request a specific action such as visiting the Brainbench website and/or calling for more information. Pricing is likely to be an important factor in Williamson’s decision, so it would also be helpful to include information on how she can get information on .

192 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media how much these products and services cost.

To: Sonja_Williamson@macys.com Cc: Subject: Your Question on Brainbench Pre-Hire Testing Attachment: Brainbench_Assessment_Catalog.pdf Dear Ms. Williamson, Thank you for your e-mail regarding Brainbench and our Pre-Hire Testing. I’m pleased services to provide information on our company and the candidate screening we provide. Since Macy’s retail employees interact extensively with the public, I can certainly understand your interest in carefully screening candidates for job skills, personality, and employment history red flags.

First, some background information on our company: Brainbench is a PreVisor company that began doing business in 1998. Since then, we’ve served more than 5,000 corporate and 6 million individual customers. Our mission is still the same as it was ourBrainbench first day: Delivering products predict success is the onlyeasy-to-use assessmentassessment company with a richthat offering across on the job.

We are located in Chantilly, Virginia near Washington, D.C. personality, knowledge, skills, abilities, and past work behavior. Other companies offer strengths in we onesay or two of these areas, but only Brainbench What separates us from the rest? As on our website (www.brainbench.com) offers world class tools in each category.

Our online Pre-Employment Screening Tests are convenient, easy to administer, and cover a wide variety of key employee traits such as Skills, Knowledge, Personality, Speaking, Writing and Listening. We also offer testing that is tailor-made for jobs in the retail industry. I’ve attached a .pdf copy of our Assessment Catalog, which describes the wide range of testing services we provide.

For more information on our products and services (including FAQs and pricing), please visit www.brainbench.com. Or if you prefer, just give me a call at 703-4374800 x124.

Sincerely, Paul Torres, Marketing Specialist Brainbench 14100 Parke Long Ct. Suite K Chantilly, VA 20151 703-437-4800 x124

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6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 9 3 11. WE’RE THE ONE: EXPLAINING WHY A COMPANY SHOULD HIRE

YOUR FIRM (Below-average solution) To: Sonja_Williamson@macys.com Cc: Subject: Your Question on Brainbench Pre-Hire Testing Attachment: Brainbench_Assessment_Catalog.pdf Hello Sonja, It’s great to see other companies, especially one like Macy’s, realizing how skilled our need.company is in vetting employees. This e-mail contains the information you We’ve been around since 1988 and have worked for 5,000 companies and millions of individuals. Basically, our goals haven’t changed: We just want you to be able to assess your potential employees. Given that we’re located in Washington, D. C. near all the politicians you probably understand our desire to examine everyone’s background as you can never be too sure about who you can trust!

I would tell you about our mission and everything, but I’m sure you’ve already visited offer our website and have read all that stuff. All you need to know if that we online Pre-Employment Screening Tests that are convenient, easy to administer, and cover made a wide variety of key employee traits. We also offer testing that is tailorfor jobs in the retail industry.

For more information, just log onto our website: www.brainbench.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely, Paul Torres, Marketing Specialist Brainbench 14100 Parke Long Ct. Suite K Chantilly, VA 20151 PODCASTING 703-437-4800 x124 PITCH: TRAINING PEOPLE TO SELL YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCT Since students can choose any product for this sales pitch, their responses will vary.

The exercise offers a good opportunity to review important differences between 12. features and benefits, and can help students practice creating a single message for two audiences (in this case, the sales staff and the customers).

The Pioneer Inno is a versatile, easy-to-use product that lets you enjoy XM Satellite Radio at home or on the go. [pause] You can even record your favorite songs, add them to the Inno’s MP3 library and listen to them again and again. The Inno’s bright, colorful screen makes it easy to keep track of your music and utilize the unit’s many convenient .

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functions.

Perhaps the Inno’s most important feature is its internal antenna. [pause] Unlike other satellite radio receivers, the Inno doesn’t require that you always connect it to an external antenna before listening. As long as reception is available, you can simply switch the Inno on and gain immediate access to XM programming. [pause] If you happen to be in a location that doesn’t allow the portable antenna to receive programming, you can simply plug the Inno into the included Home cradle (or the available car kit) and access the added power of an external antenna.

The Home cradle is another convenient feature. [pause] It enables you to easily connect the Inno to your home audio system and it even charges the internal battery. Taking the Inno on a trip and don’t have room for the cradle? You can take the included Travel Adapter instead.

It’s even more compact, and lets you charge the Inno’s battery by simply plugging it into any wall outlet. [pause] The Pioneer Inno adds unique portability to the crystal clear programming of XM Satellite Radio. All you need to get started is an XM subscription and some places to go.

13. TIME TO THINK: E-MAIL REQUESTING A CHANGE IN YOUR WORKLOAD (Above-average solution) To: paul_heffernan@newbalance.com Cc: Subject: Creating more opportunities for strategic thinking Hi Paul, As I complete my first year as global marketing manager, I celebrated this milestone by assessing how well I’ve done in my job and how much I’ve contributed to New Balance. I know I’ve been working hard and have accomplished quite a bit, but I’m just not sure that I’m accomplishing the right things—the things that will really make a difference for the company.

To get a better idea of just how I spend my work days, I’ve been tracking my time for the past month. The totals are quite revealing: Activity Planning and participating in meetings Traveling (time spent in transit, unable to work) Preparing reports Coaching my staff and other “people” activities Reading reports Engaging in creative and strategic thinking TOTAL

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Hours 88 65 43 22 18 4 242

%_ 36 28 18 9 7 2 100

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 9 5 You’ll probably be as shocked as I was to discover that I spent only four hours engaged in creative and strategic thinking. Although this activity is a core element in my job description, meetings, travel, and reports take up so much of my time that I literally don’t have time to think. Moreover, I’m sure that many managers at New Balance suffer from this same problem.

I don’t think that more of the same is going to make things any better, so I’d like to propose a fairly radical reshuffling of my responsibilities. Can we meet for lunch next week to discuss this idea? I’m available Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. If you could let me know by tomorrow, I’ll make sure Pat puts me on your calendar for next week.

Thanks,

13. TIME TO THINK: E-MAIL REQUESTING A CHANGE IN YOUR WORKLOAD (Below-average solution) To: paul_heffernan@newbalance.com Cc: Subject: My impossible job Hi Paul, I took my one-year anniversary at New Balance as an opportunity to review my job description. Guess what is listed as one of my primary responsibilities? “Engaging in creative and strategic thinking to identify, assess, and capitalize on global market opportunities.”

Now guess how much time I have to spend on such thinking? I actually measured it last month. Four hours. Out of the 242 hours I worked, I spent four hours on creative and strategic thinking. I waste so much time in meeting after meetings, and preparing one report after another, that I literally don’t have time to think.

This has to change, or I’ll never be able to fulfill my job responsibilities. I have some ideas. Can we meet for lunch next week to discuss them?

Thanks,

14. WHY ME? INTRODUCING YOURSELF TO A POTENTIAL EMPLOYER

This assignment allows students to research a particular company in which they are interested. In their Podcasts, students should begin by introducing themselves and mentioning the position they are applying for, describe their background, and explain why the are the ideal candidate for the job. Students should take care to use concrete, colorful language.

Sample of Podcast:

Hello, I am Chelsey Vandenberg. [pause] I am applying for the Public Relations Specialist position within your company. [pause] I am currently attending Arizona State University and will be graduating this May with a BA in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations. In addition to my extensive public relations coursework, I am currently serving as president of our university’s Public Relations Student Society of America. In this role, I am responsible for overseeing work with an actual client. This year, our organization partnered with the Phoenix Bloodbank Project. Using my .

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leadership and interpersonal skills, our group was able to develop and implement a marketing campaign encouraging high school students to donate blood. Our campaign received Honorable Mention at the Public Relations Student Society of America’s annual conference. My experience working with the Phoenix Bloodbank Project overlaps with your company’s focus on health care. This project introduced me to the rigorous HIPA standards and, having already worked within this realm, I know that I will be able to apply my skills to your company. I would welcome the opportunity to continue promoting the stellar work your company is doing within our company.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to elaborate on my interest in securing a position with your company. I know that my experience both inside and outside of the college classroom would serve me well as a Public Relations specialist with your company.

15. HI, MY NAME IS: INTRODUCING YOURSELF ON A BUSINESS NETWORK (Above-average solution) My name is Randy Buckner, and I received an B.A. in economics from the University of North Carolina in 2004 and an MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School in 2006. From 2007 to 2009, I worked as a business systems analyst for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina, and I plan to pursue managerial opportunities in this field now that I have my MBA. 15. HI, MY NAME IS: INTRODUCING YOURSELF ON A BUSINESS NETWORK (Below-average solution)

Hey everybody! I’m Randy Buckner, a proud Tarheel from the University of North Carolina (B.S. econ, 2004; MBA, 2006). I’m looking for a top managerial job in the exciting (well, I find it exciting, anyway!) field of business systems analysis within the health care industry.

IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 140) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Prepositions and Conjunctions (p.

140)

1. Where was your argument leading to?

2. I wish he would get off of the phone.

3. This is a project into which you can sink your teeth into.

4. U.S. Mercantile must become aware of and sensitive to its customers’ concerns. .

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 9 7 5. We are responsible for aircraft safety in the air, in the hangars, and on the runways.

6.

to

7. among 8. for 9. to 10. from 11. She is active in not only in a civic group but also in an athletic organization. Or: She is active in not only a civic group but also in an athletic organization.

12. That is either a mistake or was an intentional omission.

13. The question is whether to set up a booth at the convention or be to hosting a hospitality suite.

14. We are doing better in both in overall sales and in profits. Or: in both overall sales and in profits.

15. She had neither the preferred educational background, nor did she have the suitable experience.

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 140) 1. Peabody Energy’s commitment to environmental excellence is driven by the company’s mission statement, which states that when mining is complete, the company will leave the land in a condition equal to or better than it was before mining.

2. In 1998 Blockbuster opened a state-of-the-art distribution center in McKinney, Texas, just north of the company’s Dallas headquarters.

3. Ms. Tucci was responsible for developing Terraspring’s business plan, establishing the brand, and launching the company.

4. The principal goals of the new venture will be to offer tailored financial products and to meet the needs of the community.

5. Nestle Waters North America is the number-one bottled water company in the United States and Canada. [It would also be correct to hyphenate bottled-water] 6. A post-Easter reduction in demand led to a sharp drop in egg prices. Or: Egg prices dropped sharply because of a post-Easter reduction in demand.

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198 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media 7. Joining bank officials during the announcement of the program were Luis V. Guitierrez, U.S. Congressman; Carlos Manuel Sada Solana, General Consul of Mexico in the Midwest; and “Don Francisco,” the leading Hispanic entertainment figure in the United States and Latin America.

8. The summer advertising campaign is unique in 7-Eleven’s history. Or: The summer advertising campaign is the most unusual in 7-Eleven’s history.

9. Upon introducing its new Quadruple Fudge flavor, Baskin-Robbins expects consumers to flock to its ice cream parlors.

10. The signing of a trade pact between the European Union and Chile is being delayed by European negotiators who insist the deal include an agreement requiring Chile to stop using the names Cognac, Champagne, and Burgundy.

11. Federal Trade Commissioner Sheila F. Anthony called on the dietary supplement industry to institute better self-regulation and called on the media to refuse ads containing claims that are obviously false.

12. Founded in 1971, GSD&M has grown to become a nationally acclaimed advertising agency with more than 500 employees and billings of over $1 billion.

13. Although marketing may seem to be the easiest place to cut costs during a downturn, it’s actually the last place you should look to make strategic cuts.

14. After closing its plant in Mecosta County, Green Mountain will have fewer than 200 employees.

15. The purchasing needs of professionals differ from those of blue-collar workers.

Level 3: Document Critique—Well-written solution (p. 141)

TO: George Kimball <g.kimball@sprenco.com> CC: SUBJECT: Review of Headquarters’ Data-Processing Capabilities and Potential Usage My visit to New York on March 15 to examine Headquarters’ data-processing operation was informative. Vern Grouper, manager of the data-processing operation, invited our division to use his division’s capabilities and services in any way we can.

However, although they have a tremendous amount of computing capability, their data-processing needs and activities are very different from ours. Nevertheless, they might be able to help us in several ways. For example, we could invite Vern to give our data-processing advisory group an overview.

Let me know what you think. If you agree, then I will go ahead and set things in .

6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 1 9 9 motion with Vern.

Sincerely, John *See Transparency 44 for a copy of this improved solution

CHAPTER 6 POP QUIZ True-False 1. Instant messaging may soon surpass e-mail as a more commonly used tool to communicate with business associates and customers. (True) 2. Generally accepted characteristics of letters include the use of To, From, Date, and Subject headings. (False) 3. To increase interest in your writing, use a variety of short and long sentences in your business documents. (True) 4. A numbered or bulleted list should always be written clearly enough so that no introduction or extra text explanation is necessary. (False) 5. Informative headings identify a topic but do little more. (False) 6. E-mail subject lines add extra wording that readers seldom take time to read.

(False) 7. Using a signature line in an e-mail program is advisable. (True) 8. Instant messaging can mimic conversation more closely than e-mail. (True).

9. The bcc field of an e-mail message should be used when the writer wishes to send copies to persons in addition to the main reader but wants the names of those additional persons to be hidden from the main reader. (True) 10. If your audience will be disappointed with the message you must convey, it may best to use the indirect approach, which puts the main idea first and then provides evidence in following paragraphs. (False)

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Multiple Choice 11. Which of the following messages would most logically be sent as a letter? a. A message to your work colleagues about the next budget meeting b. A 23-page catalog of your product listings for established customers c. A message telling customers that you will change the billing cycle beginning July 1 d. A message to your boss that provides an update of your weekly progress on a key project 12. Which of the following is not a generally accepted component of a business letter? a. date b. inside address c. closing d. a “From” line in the heading 13. To improve readability in short business messages, a writer should do all the following except which one? a. Keep paragraphs short. b. Use average sentence lengths of 25 to 30 words. c. Use bullets and lists where possible. d. Add headings and subheadings.

14. Which of the following is an example of an informative heading? a. Registration b. Findings c. A New Way to Register Students d. Both a and c 15. Which of the following is the best example of an informative subject line? a. Schedules b. Tomorrow’s meeting c. Review 2002 Annual Report before next meeting d. Necessary information 16. Sending only necessary messages, respecting your audience’s schedule, and using the priority feature with care are all examples of a. e-mail courtesy. b. e-mail subject line selection. c. e-mail personalization of messages. d. None of the above 17. One of the most helpful pieces of advice about writing brief e-mail messages would be to a. narrow your scope. b. use the priority feature with care. c. provide clear, descriptive subject lines. d. slow down.

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6: Crafting Message for Electronic Media 2 0 1 18. For which of the following categories of messages would you most likely use the direct approach? a. Bad news messages b. Persuasive messages c. Routine, good-news, and goodwill messages d. None of the above 19. The element of a letter that contains the company name and address of the writer is a. the inside address. b. the letterhead. c. the salutation. d. None of the above 20. Which of the following is the most important aspect of an instant message? a. Appearance b. Organization c. Style d. All of the above

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CHAPTER 7: WRITING ROUTINE AND POSITIVE MESSAGES CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 7 focuses on writing effective routine messages by applying the threestep writing process that was introduced in Chapters 3, 4, and 5. For a typical business employee, most communication is about routine matters: direct requests, routine replies, positive messages, and so forth. The direct approach is usually appropriate for these routine and positive messages. Although most routine messages share common attributes, some differences exist, depending on purpose. This chapter provides illustrations and suggestions for writing effective messages, whether they are requests, replies, or goodwill messages.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 7 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet: Content Number Transparency 45 Transparency What 46is Transparency the Three-Step 47 Transparency Process? Activity 48 7.1 Transparency 49 Transparency (improved 50 Transparency letter) Activity 51 Transparency 7.2 (improved 52 letter) Transparency 53 Transparency Activity 54 Transparency 7.3 (improved55 e-mail Transparency message) 56 Activity Transparency 57 Transparency 7.4 (improved 58 Transparency letter) 59 Case Transparency 2: Above-average 60 Transparency 61 Transparency solution 62 Transparency Case 2: Below-average 63 Transparency solution 64 Case 3: Above-average solution Case 3: Below-average solution Case 4: Above-average solution Case 4: CHAPTER OUTLINE Below-average solution Case 8: Above-average solution Case 8: Below-average solution Case 9: Using the Three-Step Writing Process for Routine Positive Above-average solution Caseand 9: Below-average Messages solution Case 10: Above-average solution Case 10: Below-average solution Case 11: Aboveaverage solution Case 11: Below-average solution Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution)

Making Routine Requests Strategy for Routine Requests Stating Your Request Up Front Explaining and Justify Your Request Requesting Specific Action in a Courteous Close

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7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 0 3 Common Examples of Routine Requests Asking for Information and Action Asking for Recommendations Making Claims and Requesting Adjustments Sending Routine Replies and Positive Messages Strategy for Routine Replies and Positive Messages Starting with the Main Idea Providing Necessary Details and Explanation Ending with a Courteous Close Common Examples of Routine Replies and Positive Messages Answering Requests for Information and Action Granting Claims and Requests for Adjustment Responding When Your Company Is at Fault Responding When the Customer Is at Fault Responding When a Third Party Is at Fault Providing Recommendations Creating Informative Messages Fostering Goodwill Sending Congratulations Sending Messages of Appreciation Offering Condolences Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Using the Three-Step Writing Process for Routine Messages Apply the three-step writing process to produce effective routine messages: Step 1: Plan your message.

Step 2: Write your message.

Step 3: Complete your message.

Making Routine Requests Organize routine messages by including an opening, a body, and a close.

Begin by stating the request up front (first paragraph).

Pay attention to tone so that the request is not too abrupt or tactless.

Assume that your audience will comply.

Be specific and state precisely what you want.

Use the body of your message to explain and justify your request.

Ask the most important questions upfront.

Ask only relevant questions.

Deal with only one topic per question.

Close your request by requesting a specific action in a courteous close.

Include any relevant deadlines.

Provide contact information so that you may be reached.

End with an expression of appreciation or goodwill.

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204 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages Many common examples of routine requests fit into one of the following categories: Asking for information and action Asking for recommendations Making claims and requesting adjustments When asking for information and action: What you want to know of what you want readers to know.

Why you’re making the request.

Why it may be in your readers’ interest to help you (if applicable).

When asking for recommendations: Open with a straightforward request for a recommendation.

Provide any information about yourself that the reader might use to support a recommendation.

Close by expressing appreciation and including the name and contact information for the person who will receive the recommendation.

When making claims (a formal complaint) and requesting adjustments (the settlement of a claim): Open with a straightforward statement of the problem.

Provide a complete explanation of the details of the situation to help the reader verify your claim.

Close with a polite request for specific action or state your desire to resolve the problem.

Sending Routine Replies and Positive Messages Routine replies and positive messages have four specific goals: To communicate the information or good news To answer all questions To provide all required details To leave readers with a good impression of the writer and the firm Strategy for routine replies and positive messages Follow the direct organizational plan for routine replies and positive messages: Start with the main idea.

Provide necessary details and explanation in middle section.

End with a courteous close.

Common examples of routine replies and positive messages include: Answering requests for information and action.

Granting claims and requests for adjustments.

Recommendations.

Informative messages.

Good-news announcements.

Goodwill messages.

When answering requests for information or action Use a direct approach is the request is simple or straightforward.

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7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 0 5 Answer the request promptly, graciously, and thoroughly.

Mail merge features may help personalize repetitive queries.

When granting claims and requests for adjustment, a writer must assume the information provided by the customer is correct.

When your company is at fault: Acknowledge receipt of the customer’s claim or complaint.

Sympathize with the customer’s inconvenience or frustration.

Take (or assign) personal responsibility for setting matters straight.

Explain precisely how you have resolved, or plan to resolve, the situation.

Take steps to repair the relationship.

Follow up to verify your response was correct.

Maintain professional demeanor by avoiding the following: Don’t blame anyone in your organization by name.

Don’t make exaggerated apologies that sound insincere.

Don’t imply that the customer is at fault.

Don’t promise more than you can deliver.

When the customer is at fault and you grant the claim Open with the good news.

Use a respectful and positive tone to explain what went wrong so that the customer understands and will not repeat the mistake.

Close in a courteous manner that expresses your appreciation for the customer’s business.

When a third party is at fault, evaluate the situation carefully and know your company’s policies before responding.

When you are asked to provide a recommendation, be sure to list: The candidate’s full name.

The position or other objective the candidate is seeking.

The nature of your relationship with the candidate.

Whether you’re writing the letter on your own or have been asked to write it by the candidate.

Facts and evidence relevant to the candidate and opportunity.

Your overall evaluation of the candidate’s suitability for the opportunity.

In addition, include appropriate praise (with specific examples to justify that praise) and consider listing the candidate’s shortcomings as areas for improvement.

Companies can effectively send informative messages by Using the opening to state the purpose and briefly mention the nature of the information you’re providing Providing necessary details in the body Ending your message with a courteous close

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206 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages Business employees can enhance their relationships with customers, colleagues, and other businesspeople by sending unexpected notes containing goodwill messages.

Make sure goodwill messages are sincere and honest.

Send congratulations for promotions or attaining a new civic position.

Immediately refer to the good news and give reasons for expecting success.

Send messages of appreciation to document someone’s contributions (A sincere thank-you encourages further excellence).

Moreover, in today’s electronic media environment, a handwritten thank-you note can be a particularly welcome acknowledgment.

Send condolence messages in times of serious trouble and deep sadness (Although these messages are difficult to write, they often mean a great deal to the reader.). Open condolences with a brief statement of sympathy, state what the person or business meant to you, close by offering your condolences and your best wishes. Keep these guidelines in mind when writing letters of condolence.

Keep reminiscences brief Write in your own words Be tactful Take special care Write about special qualities of the deceased Write about the special qualities of the bereaved person

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Most students will not yet be completely comfortable with the three-step writing process, so the process won’t be automatic for them. Using electronic media for rapid communication will tempt students to skip planning tasks. Stress the importance of completing all three steps, especially the planning step. Post the steps in a prominent place in the room to serve as a constant reminder of how to generate effective messages. However, remind students that the process is not always linear.

Some class members will oppose following a pattern for organization. Remind students that the pattern provides a starting point. The writer still has ample opportunity for including a personalized tone, the specifics of a specific situation, and so forth. Also emphasize that following a pattern may save both the writer and the audience time and energy. Demonstrate how much more effective a message can be when organized using the most appropriate organizational pattern.

Although studying good examples will help many students, studying bad examples can also be a teaching tool. If only good examples are reviewed,

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7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 0 7 students may not be able to appreciate just what constitutes an ineffective message. For any example discussed in class, be sure to identify both the strengths and the weaknesses.

Students often have a difficult time getting to the main point in the first paragraph. Although most will identify the topic in the first paragraph, they may not get to the actual main idea until later in the message. Stress the importance of distinguishing between general topic and main idea. Conduct an exercise in which students write just the opening sentences of several messages.

Although instructors may not think of order letters as difficult to write, students often present the information in a disorganized format. This tendency may be a result of their limited business experience. Stress the use of tables and columns to present necessary information in a readable format. When a writer prepares a written request for information, a numbered list of questions is often helpful for the reader. Students will not automatically think of using this format. They will also struggle with how to organize the questions they need to ask. Encourage them to use the number feature and to plan a logical order for the questions.

Students tend to provide insufficient details for the reader. For any writing task you assign, stress the importance of analyzing the audience during the planning step. Business writers need to identify what audience members already know and what they need to know. Then stress that writers must often find the specific information that they need to include in the details of the message.

Because of limited business experience, students will often use abstract words and phrases instead of specifics in their closing paragraphs. Make it clear that they will need to make assumptions and provide specific information when they write solutions to the cases you assign.

During an in-class writing assignment, some students will spend most of their time looking at sample letters in the chapter to “borrow” appropriate wording.

Stress the importance of following the planning process and composing the message quickly, based on their own analysis of the particular situation.

Claim letters and requests for adjustment also pose challenges for students.

Explain that these requests should be treated as routine business activities and thus should use the direct organizational pattern. Stress the need to open with a courteous, specific request for what they want done. Students’ first attempts often will include an opening that simply fails to get to the point quickly enough. Also remind students to include sufficient details in the middle section to allow the reader to research and verify the claim.

Share with the class some personal examples of what happens when former students contact you for a reference. Explain how having insufficient information about the person requesting the reference presents a problem for you. This insight will help students remember to include some useful information that readers can use in their recommendation.

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208 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages

The next chapter focuses on applying the three-step writing process to negative messages.

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES Analyzing messages. Provide students with examples of routine, good-news, and goodwill messages that are not organized using a direct approach. Have students critique the examples and then rewrite them as concise messages that follow a direct pattern. Provide your own examples or use Analyze This Document messages in the Activities section at the end of the chapter.

Preparing letter openings. Getting to the point is sometimes a challenge for writers. Assign an exercise in which students write just the opening sentence for various messages. Provide your own scenarios or assign work in the Exercises for Perfecting Your Writing section at the end of the chapter. This exercise can be effective for class discussion, or you can assign students to write on their own for a few minutes and then discuss their answers. Project suggested rewrites for student comparison.

Preparing letter closings. Assign an exercise in which students write just the last paragraph for various routine, good-news, and goodwill messages. This practice allows students to focus on writing specific, courteous, and concise closings.

Allow students to compose these closings at the computer, if possible, to allow rewriting and editing of their paragraphs. Project suggested rewrites during class discussion. Remind students to avoid out-of-date phrases.

Preparing routine, good-news, and goodwill messages. As class exercises, assign case scenarios in which students plan, write, and complete a routine request, a routine response, a routine claim letter, a routine response granting a claim, and a goodwill message. Students should work at computers, if available, to facilitate writing and revising. Require students to go through the planning tasks before composing. These exercises can often be done as a class activity: you pose questions that require students to identify the purpose, build an audience profile, identify an organizational pattern, and identify information to be included. While students are working, move around the room and provide constructive comments about organizational pattern, completeness of information, tone, and so forth.

When students finish, project both a below-average and an above-average solution for the case. Lead a discussion that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Providing constructive feedback to classmates. Lead a class discussion in which you generate a list of evaluation points that can be used to give a writer feedback about a routine, good-news, or goodwill message. (This list will be very similar to the evaluation points you are using when grading student writing.) Ask students to exchange printed documents of messages they have written. Each student then critiques the message for all the evaluation points on the list, uses proofreading marks as appropriate, and provides feedback to the writer. (This

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7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 0 9 activity is sometimes less than 100% successful the first time you try it. Your students will need a specific list of evaluation points, and they may hesitate to tell another student that something could be improved. Many will want to evaluate only grammar, punctuation, and spelling. But don’t give up. Writers can benefit from seeing someone else’s approach to the same message and from questioning their own skills related to identifying the purpose, choosing the correct organizational approach, setting an effective message tone, and so forth.)

“Reality Writing”—Goodwill message.

Ask students to write a goodwill message to a company regarding a quality product they manufacture/sell, or write to an individual expressing thanks for great customer service. Many companies will respond with a thank you message and sample products or coupons. Students can share these responses with each other throughout the semester or quarter.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 158) 1. When asking a series of questions in a request, the writer should (1) ask the most important questions first, (2) ask only relevant questions, and (3) deal with no more than one topic per question.

2. Because your readers will be interested or neutral, you can use the direct approach for most routine messages.

3. A letter of recommendation includes the candidate’s full name, the job or benefit being sought, the nature of your relationship with the candidate, whether you’re answering a request or taking the initiative, any facts relevant to the position or benefit sought, and your overall evaluation of the candidate’s suitability for the job or benefit.

4. When writing a goodwill message, you sound more sincere if you avoid exaggeration and back up any compliments with specific evidence, rather than simply offering unrestrained praise.

5. When writing a condolence message, keep reminiscences brief, write in your own words, be tactful, take special care, write about special qualities of the deceased, and write about special qualities of the bereaved person.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 158) 1. If readers are aware of how they will benefit, then they will be more likely to respond to the writer’s request.

2.

It’s usually best to avoid an outright apology such as “Wow, we really blew it that time, didn’t we?” Yet you can’t avoid taking responsibility for a mistake that has been made. Word your response carefully, emphasizing the good news about what you are doing to provide compensation and to improve circumstances. Be sure to balance your humility over the mistake with your responsible handling of

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210 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages the claim and your fairness in making the adjustment.

3. Since your opinion is that the employee did an admirable job you should write the letter, but ask the individual to provide you with a synopsis of the projects he or she completed while working for your company. By doing so, you avoid looking bad and once the employee provides you with the information, you will be able to list specific examples in your letter.

4. Before risking your own job status by making a public or even a private fuss over this problem, review the memos you’ve been sending Jackson. Do they begin with a direct statement of the request or main idea? Do they justify, explain, and give sufficient detail about your request? Are they worded courteously, closing with a simple explanation of the action you want Jackson to take and making it easy for him to comply? (For instance, have you provided your phone extension number and the time he can reach you if he has questions?) If you’ve followed these guidelines, then you’ll want to take another look at the body of your memos. Could you make the information more clear by numbering points? By eliminating unnecessary details, opinions, or observations? Do you send too many requests too often? You might also include a time frame in which you expect Jackson to respond, such as, “I’ll look for your report early next week” (and give him your phone number so that he can contact you if there’s any delay). Blaming Jackson for the problem should be your last resort. First be sure that you’ve done all you can to make his compliance easy.

5. A well-thought-out and well-written request for adjustment serves both your needs and the needs of your supplier, whose job it is to satisfy you, a valued customer. So even if you don’t have the proper documentation, make your request in a courteous, comprehensive fashion. You might be surprised by how easily your well-presented case is accepted by the supplier and how quickly you receive a favorable response. On the other hand, even if your request is refused because you lack documentation, your letter will alert the supplier to a potential problem that could cost the company your business in the future.

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 158) Exercises for Perfecting Your Writing 1. Thanks for ordering a High Country backpack. I’ve enclosed a brochure listing the various styles, colors, sizes, and prices of our backpacks. To be sure the backpack will fit properly, please follow the instructions for measuring the person who will use it. On the order form, please specify style, color, and size of the backpack you wish to purchase. (Subject line: Order specifications for your High Country backpack) 2. We are sorry for the inconvenience you experienced with your lost luggage.

Please e-mail us a detailed list of the lost items and complete the following survey so that we may compensate you as quickly as possible. (Subject line: Response to your lost luggage claim)

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7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 1 1

3. We’ve had the opportunity to review your résumé and would like to invite you to interview with our company. Would you be available on June 15 at 3:00 p.m.? If so, please let us know by the end of this work week. If you are unable to meet at this time, please supply other dates and times you would be able to meet. (Subject line: Company X interview request) 4. Please attend our special, by-invitation-only 40% off sale on November 9.

5. You’ll receive a tote bag and a free MP3 player with every $100 donation to our radio station.

6. The director plans on arriving at Monday’s 11:00 A.M. meeting a bit early.

7. Paul Eccelson reviewed newer types of order forms at today’s meeting. If you have questions regarding these forms, please call Paul at his office.

8. This message is a routine request. It is part of the normal course of business.

The message informs employees that the company wants them to participate in recycling activities and has made it easy for the employees to do so.

9. Because you will be communicating this informational message to all employees, e-mail would be an efficient and effective medium to use. You might also want to post a notice on all company bulletin boards.

10. Many employees will want to comply with this request, treating the recycling activities as a normal part of the company’s business.

11. Because most employees will be either interested or neutral, the direct approach should be effective. This approach allows you to open with your main idea, give necessary details and justification in the body, and close with the specific action you want the readers to take.

12. Please call to schedule an appointment by May 15. This date will allow enough time for ordering the parts needed to get your air conditioning system ready for the summer season.

13. Please send your catalog by December 1 so that I can plan my Christmas purchases. I look forward to learning more about your products.

14. To schedule an appointment with one of our knowledgeable local mortgage specialists, please call our hotline at 1-800-555-8765. Our specialists can answer your questions about mortgage rates, closing procedures, or any other aspect of the mortgage process. We want to make your home-buying experience a pleasant one.

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Activities (p. 160) 7.1 The letter fails to communicate well for the following reasons: The message tells readers more information than they need (the dining hall is closing for financial reasons, and college students can be hard on equipment).

The tone of the message is too chatty and familiar.

The type of microwave is not specified.

The number of microwaves to be ordered is specified only as “big.”

The electrical requirements of the dorm rooms should be included.

Here is an improved version of this letter: May 17, 2009 Andrews Electrical 44756 Brookhurst Center Drive Anaheim, CA 92804 Dear Andrews Electrical: We are investigating the possibility of ordering approximately 200 smallcapacity microwave ovens, which were advertised in the fall issue Collegiate of Magazine. Please send us the following information: Electrical requirements A copy of the warranty Instructions for use Complete description of size and price of units you offer Shipping requirements Turnaround time for orders If you have any questions or need additional information about intended use, please contact Miriam Whitebird at (602) 998-7633.

Sincerely, Helen Lowry Student Services *See Transparency 46 for an improved version.

7.2 The letter does not communicate effectively for the following reasons: The local business-supply store is not specified.

Proof of purchase is not included.

The letter offers unnecessary information in the second sentence.

Information on computer specifications is not included.

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7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 1 3 The writer doesn’t specify which action is being requested.

Because of a lack of information, resolving the problem will take much longer than necessary.

Here is an improved version of this letter: September 4, 2009 Customer Service DataLife, Inc. 1993 Raleigh-Durham Highway Raleigh, NC 27602 Dear DataLife Customer Service: On September 1, 2003, I purchased “Negotiator Pro” at CompUSA. My hardware includes a system 7 Macintosh with a 3.7 gb hard drive, 8 mb ram, and a 300 mhz processor. Installation of “Negotiator Pro” went fine, but when I boot the system, “Negotiator Pro” gives me an error message that reads: “File Protected.”

I am unable to open the program, even though I’ve tried several different ways.

Because I was concerned that the problem might be a virus, I’ve deleted the program from my hard drive.

I purchased the “Negotiator Pro” disk at CompUSA in Seattle. As you know, that store refers problems with opened software back to the vendor. I’ve enclosed the disk and all paperwork, including a copy of my credit card receipt. Could you please (1) test and repair or replace the software, or (2) refund $79.95 to my Visa credit card number 4493 2283 3678 3369, expiration date 2/05. Please provide me with any special instructions I may need.

Your software has helped me build my consulting business, and I look forward to ordering from you in the future.

Sincerely, Elyse Grammercy * See Transparency 47 for an improved version.

7.3 The organization is poor and the request is not clear. One strength of the message is that the writer uses the “you” view.

Here’s an improved version of this message: Thank you for your recent e-mail request for technical support related to your cable Internet service.

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214 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages To help us address your questions quickly and thoroughly, please visit www.rapidnet.com/techsupport/ticketID88903 and take a few moments to provide some additional information.

We look forward to hearing from you. * See Transparency 48 for an improved version.

7.4 This letter has many weaknesses, including the following:

This letter of recommendation takes too long to get to the point.

It provides very little useful information and lacks objectivity.

The message begins with a lengthy and unnecessary explanation of why the letter was forwarded.

The me-oriented opening fails to state the purpose of the letter.

The name of the job candidate isn’t even mentioned until the end of the paragraph. Furthermore, the writer’s stand-offish, self-important tone is likely to annoy the reader.

The tone is offensive and egotistical, implying that the reader should have written to the human resources director in the first place, not to the president of the company.

Nothing is said about the reader’s right to receive the information.

The letter reveals discretionary information from Nick Oshinski’s personnel file. Because of laws governing confidential information, the writer should withhold details about performance reviews or vacation days taken.

The writer’s opinion is irrelevant and potentially libelous.

The writer obviously does not know Oshinski and should not comment on his performance, except to report the starting and ending dates of employment.

The tone of the rewritten letter should be professional and not chatty.

The rewritten letter should end on a positive, helpful note. (Offering an alternative is a good idea.)

Here is an improved version of this letter: April 18, 2009 Ms. Jennifer Hales E & M Computer Systems, Inc. 1010 Clear Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0B1 Canada Dear Ms. Hales: Thank you for your letter requesting employment information for Mr. Nick Oshinski. We can confirm that Mr. Oshinski was employed by us from January 5, 1994, until March 1, 2006.

We will be able to provide further information with a written request from Mr.

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7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 1 5 Oshinski. Enclosed is a disclosure agreement for your convenience. Mr. Oshinski must complete the form requesting that his personnel file be opened, and his signature must be notarized and dated.

If you have additional questions about this procedure, please contact me at the numbers above or via e-mail: atnikko@eandm.ca.

Sincerely, Abe Nikko Director, Human Resources PR:rc Enclosures * See Transparency 49 for an improved version.

7.5 Student responses will vary, depending on the greeting they choose. If greetings offer praise for a job well done or the completion of a difficult task, they should mention something specific about the job or the person. If sending this to a business colleague, students should use a cordial but not overly familiar close.

7.6 The customer should be informed about the company’s standard refund procedures or, even better, the employee might suggest an exchange. If the customer wishes to receive a refund, then the employee has no obligation to inform the customer about the competitor’s supercharger; however, if the employee did inform the customer about the supercharger the customer’s impression of the company may change to a more positive view.

7.7 Use the direct approach, stating the request up front. Follow with explanation, beginning with the most specific details (name, flight number, reason for the request). Express confidence that the refund is assured. Finally, offer further incentive for compliance by mentioning the possibility of future business. Because British Airways is an international company, use a formal tone throughout.

Here is a possible solution: March 19, 2009 British Airways Ticket Refunds USA 75-20 Astoria Blvd.

Jackson Heights, NY 11370 Dear British Airways: Please refund Samantha Alberts’ one-way, business-class airfare in the amount of $2,221.19. Ms. Alberts was a passenger on your Flight #5472, from London to

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216 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages New York, on Friday, March 16, 2003. This flight was disrupted by a dangerously unruly passenger, who was arrested when the plane landed (two hours behind schedule). A copy of Ms. Alberts’ ticket stub is enclosed for your reference.

Ground personnel in New York suggested that by writing to you, Ms. Alberts would receive a full refund. The eruption of mid-flight violence and the following struggle was terrifying. But worse, the delay caused Ms. Alberts to miss an important business presentation.

Thank you for your offer of compensation. Please make the check out to Richter Office Solutions and mail it to the address in the letterhead.

Ms. Alberts has expressed high praise for your in-flight crew’s poise, professionalism, and quick-witted response to the dangerous incident. Because our employees frequently travel overseas on business, safety and trust are of great concern to Richter Office Solutions. We trust British Airways will continue to impress us with its concern for passenger safety and satisfaction.

Sincerely,

Milea Maxwell Milea Maxwell Administrative Assistant to Samantha Alberts, Vice President of Sales 7.8 Here is one version of an intercultural condolence (which should be handwritten): Dear Chana, I was sorry to hear the news about your husband.

Although I met him only once, Surin had such a warm smile and sense of humor.

He will surely be missed by many people. From your stories, I know that he has been a wonderful husband and father.

Chana, I’ve seen your strength in the years we’ve known each other, and I know that strength will serve you and your children well. If there’s anything I can do here at the office to help lighten your workload during this time, please just slip me a note or an e-mail. Don’t hesitate—you’d do the same for me.

My sincere condolences, Tad Kelson 7.9 As written, the letter begins with a gender-biased salutation. Although the purpose is to request some information, no direct statement of the request is included. To assist the reader in responding to the request, questions should be better organized and placed in a bulleted list.

Here’s an improved version of this letter:

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7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 1 7

5493 Beechwood Drive Trenton, NJ 08608 April 12, 2009 Florida Resort Bureau 1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.

West Palm Beach, FL 33401 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ABOUT RESORTS Your advertisement about Florida resorts in the April 2003 issue of Smithsonian magazine caught my eye. Please send the brochure your ad mentions, and also tell me the following: Which of the resorts are located near large cities?

Which of the resorts are accessible by public transportation?

Which of the resorts have attractions for teenagers?

What amenities do the off-season rates include?

My wife and I are planning a late September vacation with our two teenage children. We enjoy the beach and the golf course, but we also want to be near night entertainment suitable for the whole family. I am particularly interested in resort areas that have public transportation available; some family members may want to participate in activities away from the resort.

Please let me hear from you within the next two weeks so that I can complete my vacation plans and schedule my time off from work.

Sincerely,

Frank C. Atlas Frank C. Atlas

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 164) 1. Always ask a person whose recommendation will be respected—teachers from whom you have taken classes, immediate supervisors with whom you have worked, or other persons whose judgments the reader will value. The letter must be courteous, since asking for such a letter is an imposition on another's time. Since some letter writers would write a weak letter before declining, be confident that the writer will write you a good letter of recommendation.

2. Academic Info • schools • colleges • GPA .

218 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages • majors • extracurricular activities • awards • scholarships • publications • honor societies Work Experience • internships, coops • full time work experience • all other work experience • duties and responsibilities • employers Personal • career goals • strengths • weaknesses Other • hobbies • volunteer work • memberships Specific to Writing Recommendation Letters • which institution is this being written for • specific instructions if any • address to mail this to (if applicable) • deadline • word count and other editorial requirements • any specific matter that the candidate wants to include

3. Spell-check and proof read the letter of recommendation A letter of recommendation is more than mere flowery tributes A letter of recommendation must explain the evaluation Your letter of recommendation must follow the directions A letter of recommendation must provide examples to support the evaluation

CASE SOLUTIONS (p. 164) On the following pages are suggested solutions for this chapter’s cases. They are complete and fully formatted so that you can copy them onto acetate transparencies. *Ready-made transparencies are available for the following cases. Each case provides two solutions—one above-average and one below-average (which match the solutions in this manual):

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7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 1 9 Case 2, Trans-Global Exchange: Instant Message Request for Information from Chinese Manufacturer (Transparencies 50 and 51) Case 3, Tracking the New Product Buzz: Text Message to Colleagues at a Trade Show (Transparencies 52 and 53) Case 4, That’s Not the Way Things Really Are: Correcting Economic Misinformation (Transparencies 54 and 55) Case 8, Lighten up: E-Mail Reply to a Website Designer at Organizers Unlimited (Transparencies 56 and 57) Case 9, Leveraging the Good News: Blog Announcement of a Prestigious Professional Award (Transparencies 58 and 59) Case 10, Our Sympathy: Condolence Letter to an Aetna Underwriter (Transparencies 60 and 61) Case 11, Unhappy Customer: Claim Letter from You Requesting an Adjustment (Transparencies 62 and 63) 1. BREATHING LIFE BACK INTO YOUR BIOTECH CAREER: E-MAIL

REQUESTING A RECOMMENDATION Because you are reversing a major career decision made only three years ago, a brief explanation will help your reader understand your thought process and your purpose in asking for the letter. Remind Morris of several key accomplishments that would be helpful to include in the letter, and be sure to specify a date by which you’d like to receive it.

Date: 3/20/09 5:43 PM From: Rosario Gilette <gilette2112@hotmail.com> To: Calvin Morris <c.morris@cellgen.com> Subject: Request for letter of recommendation

Hello Calvin, I hope you’ve been well since we spoke last year. I continue to keep up with news regarding the biotech industry and Cell Genesis in particular—I can hardly believe it’s been three years since I left! The reason I’m writing today is to announce a career change and ask if you would be able to provide me with a letter of recommendation.

As you may recall, I left Cell Genesis in order to find employment in a more stable industry. It was a tough decision, but at the time I felt that financial stability had to take precedence over my passion for working in biotech. I’m happy to say that I’ve done well in the grocery industry, but these three years have taught me that biotech is my true calling. I am therefore planning to move back into the industry, even with its occasional ups and downs.

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220 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages Of the many successful projects I worked on during my seven years at Cell Genesis, three in particular come to mind as possible points to mention in the letter: Supervising the automation of the recruiting process, allowing us to handle 20 times the number of applicants with the same number of HR staffers Selecting and implementing the online training system that allowed the company to reduce training downtime by 40 percent Coordinating the transfer and orientation of the 65 employees who joined us when we acquired BioLink in 2002 I’ve attached a current copy of my résumé as well. Naturally, any other points you would like to include would be more than welcome.

I plan to begin applying around April 15 if you would be able to provide the letter by then. For your convenience, I’ve enclosed a stamped envelope with my new address. I appreciate your time and effort in writing this letter. Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely, Rosario 2. TRANS-GLOBAL EXCHANGE: INSTANT MESSAGE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FROM CHINESE MANUFACTURER (Above-average solution)

Hello Kuei-chen, I was hoping you could help me with a problem I’ve encountered with Product #3347XM. Production stopped last month quite suddenly and I have orders waiting to be filled. Would you let me know what the problem is if possible?

I may have the resources to help. Also, since this is a popular product, I would appreciate a target date for our next shipment. Thanks for your help.

2. TRANS-GLOBAL EXCHANGE: INSTANT MESSAGE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FROM CHINESE MANUFACTURER (Below-average solution)

Hello Kuei-chen, I was hoping you could help me with a problem I’ve encountered with Product #3347XM. Production stopped last month quite suddenly and I have orders waiting to be filled. No one at your company seems to be able to respond to my requests for information regarding my next shipment. Since my vendors are trying to stock for Christmas, I really can’t wait much longer for this shipment to arrive. Would you let me know what the problem is? Also, I would appreciate a target date for our next shipment.

Thanks for your help.

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7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 2 1 3. TRACKING THE NEW PRODUCT BUZZ: TEXT MESSAGE TO COLLEAGUES AT A TRADE SHOW (Above-average solution) Short messages can be among the most difficult to write because every word—even every character—must count. For this message, be sure to specify exactly what you would like the audience to do, including what the new product is, where it can be found, and what sort of information you hope to learn.

Have you seen Trickster’s new controller-cam in Booth 1064? Looks hot!

Please listen for buzz at the show, in hotel lobbies, etc. Are people talking about it?

3. TRACKING THE NEW PRODUCT BUZZ: TEXT MESSAGE TO COLLEAGUES AT A TRADE SHOW (Below-average solution)

Have you seen Trickster’s new controller-cam? Web-ready vid cam, 4 megapixel stills, USB 2.0. Could hurt us -- need to know ASAP if it’s as hot as it looks.

4. THAT’S NOT THE WAY THINGS REALLY ARE: CORRECTING ECONOMIC MISINFORMATION (Above-average solution) Students should refer to the article early in the letter and move quickly to explain which part of the story they’re calling into question. It would also be vital to establish credibility by explaining that the writer is the CEO of a local small business. The letter should end with a statement that sums up why the writer does not agree with the politician’s view of the economy.

August 12, 2009 Mr. Joe Stinnett Managing Editor The News & Advance 101 Wyndale Dr. Lynchburg, VA 24501 Dear Mr. Stinnett: Newsadvance.com featured an article today entitled, “Growth is Good: Government Scores Big on Economy.” In that story, Congressman Kenneth Otis was quoted as saying, “The latest job growth figures clearly show that the administration’s economic policies are working.” He went on to explain that more people have jobs, more money from their paychecks fuels business, and business is empowered to hire even more employees.

As a small business owner, I believe it’s important to recognize the limitations .

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of this viewpoint. The economy is in relatively good shape, but still has a long way to go in terms of adapting to increased regulation, NAFTA, and skyrocketing health care costs.

Congressman Otis was correct when he said the U.S. economy has added nearly 2 million jobs in the past five years. However, he did not acknowledge that nearly all those jobs were in the health care sector alone (as BusinessWeek recently reported). Job growth in one segment of the economy does not translate into more jobs across the board. I can’t hire more employees nor give my current workers raises because my company can barely afford health insurance for those we already have.

Local business leaders have flooded your editorial page with similar concerns (“Barely Staying Afloat” published on July 12 is just one example). As more jobs move across the border and more imports take the place of American products on store shelves, it’s hard for me to share the congressman’s positive outlook on the economy.

Sincerely, Irv Gupton Irv Gupton Owner and CEO, Gupton Industrial 4. THAT’S NOT THE WAY THINGS REALLY ARE: CORRECTING ECONOMIC MISINFORMATION (Below-average solution)

August 12, 2009 Mr. Joe Stinnett Managing Editor The News & Advance 101 Wyndale Dr. Lynchburg, VA 24501 Dear Mr. Stinnett: I’d like to point out several errors in Congressman Kenneth Otis’ comments that you published today.

Otis believes that the economy is good because more people have jobs, that more money from their paychecks fuels business, and that business is empowered to hire even more employees. He’s wrong. I know firsthand that most of the jobs that have been added have been in the health care sector. It’s great that the health care sector is expanding, but I can sure tell you that my sector isn’t expanding. .

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Now is probably the time to tell you that I’m a small business owner and am worried about all the jobs going south. NAFTA was the worst thing to happen to this country. Plus, even if my sector was growing, I couldn’t hire new employees because I can’t afford to pay for their health care. You know that I’m right—if you doubt my opinion, all you have to do is re-read your editorial page where other small business folks have written in detailing the hard times they’re dealing with too.

I can’t believe Otis’ perspective—he needs to be more informed. I invite him to come and visit my company so that we can discuss these items firsthand.

Sincerely,

IrvGupton Irv Gupton Owner and CEO, Gupton Industrial 5. LISTENING TO BUSINESS: USING THE IPOD TO TRAIN EMPLOYEES Audio-only instructions present two major challenges. First, without the benefit of visuals, you’ll need to take extra care to describe parts and procedures. (In many cases, a podcast would be accompanied by some manner of graphical support.)

Second, because listeners can’t skip back and forth as easily as they can with printed instructions, every instruction needs to be clear, and the instructions need to follow each other in logical order. The brief excerpted example here describes the steps necessary to assemble a home weather station. (Adapted from “Assembly Instructions for the 1-Wire® Weather Station V2.0/V3.0,” AAG Electronica website [accessed 21 March 2000] www.aagelectronica.com.)

Before you begin assembling your weather station, verify the operation of the pause button on your music player. Whenever you hear the word “pause” after an instruction, press the pause button, complete the step, then press the pause button again to resume the audio. Press pause now to test.

Begin by carefully removing the weather station housing from the protective plastic bag. Pause.

Next, locate the weather vane, the part that looks like a large arrow. Pause. You will attach it to the shaft that runs vertically through the weather vane housing.

Locate the bottom of the housing by looking for the serial number label. Remove the outer nut from the shaft. Be sure to leave the inner nut in place. Pause. Slide the vane onto the shaft, then secure it by replacing the nut that you just removed.

Pause.

Now locate the wind cup assembly. It has three small cups arranged in a circle around a central hub. You will attach this piece to the opposite end of the shaft in the same manner in which you just attached the weather vane. Pause. Remove the outer nut, slip the wind cup assembly onto the shaft, and replace the nut. Pause.

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224 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages Your weather station is now ready for testing. Locate the eight-foot test cord and plug one end into the weather station and the other into the serial port on your computer. The cord is shipped from the factory with an adapter plug that will be required with some computers. If you don’t need this adapter, simply remove it and plug the cable directly to your serial port. Pause.

Start the 1-Wire Weather® software that you installed earlier. Pause. When the software starts for the first time, you will be given instructions on screen for teaching the software the eight directional points of the compass. This process is easy and takes only a few minutes. Pause.

After you’ve trained the software, disconnect the test cable at both ends. You are now ready to install the weather station outdoors. [continues] AUTO-TALK: E-MAIL MESSAGE FOR HIGHTWAY BYTES COMPUTERS TO BE SENT AUTOMATICALLY Make sure to identify key words, as well as their variants. For cover messages, use the standard opening, body, and close for positive messages. Be sure to focus on audience needs and feelings, and be brief.

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1. Installing Your Cycle Computer a. Key words: install, first time, set up, setup, add, attach b. Cover message Dear [name inserted from customer e-mail] Thank you for writing us regarding the installation of your new Cycle Computer. I’m sure you’re looking forward to getting the computer installed and running as quickly as possible, and the attached document, Installing Your Cycle Computer, covers all the necessary steps.

In most cases, installation takes only a few minutes. If your particular bike requires additional steps, or if you would like additional information of any kind, please contact us at support2@highwaybytes.com. A support technician will be in touch with you within 24 hours.

Have fun on the highway!

2. Troubleshooting Your Cycle Computer [name of Highway Bytes support manager] a. Key words: troubleshoot, trouble, diagnose, repair, fix, glitch, bug, broken, frozen, crashed, restore, problem b. Cover message Dear [name inserted from customer e-mail] Your message has reached me here at Highway Bytes, and I'm sorry to read that you're having trouble with your Cycle Computer. Fortunately, most problems can be fixed quickly, since they involve simple issues such as loose wires or a dead battery. The attached document, Troubleshooting .

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Your Cycle Computer, will help you identify the source of the problem and will explain how to fix it.

If the steps in the attached document don't resolve your problem, please contact us at support2@highwaybytes.com, and a support technician will be in touch with you within 24 hours.

Best of luck to you—and please don't hesitate to write back if you need additional help. [name of Highway Bytes support manager] 3. Upgrading the Software in Your Cycle Computer a. Key words: upgrade, latest, version, revision, new software b. Cover message Dear [name inserted from customer e-mail] Thank you for inquiring about the latest version of software for the Cycle Computer. The new features add some interesting capabilities, and the upgrade takes only a few minutes.

The attached document, Upgrading the Software in Your Cycle Computer, shows you exactly what to do. If you need additional assistance, please contact us at support2@highwaybytes.com, and a support technician will be in touch with you within 24 hours.

Have fun with the new features! [name of Highway Bytes support manager] 4. Responding When the System Can’t Identify the Specific Issue Note: this e-mail doesn't need to mention that the system couldn't identify the specific issue the customer was writing about. It should take a fairly generic and even-toned approach, since it will be sent in response to a wide range of customer queries.

Dear [name inserted from customer e-mail] Thank you for contacting Highway Bytes. Your message is now in the support queue, and one of our technicians will be in touch with you as quickly as possible. In the meantime, you might want to browse the support section on our website to learn more about your computer and its capabilities.

Thank you for purchasing a Cycle Computer. We look forward to helping you. [name of Highway Bytes support manager] 7. THE SPECIAL COURIER: LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR AN OLD FRIEND Since you are making your recommendation as a friend and not as a result of your position at Airborne Express, use personal letterhead. However, mentioning your title and company in the close lends credibility to your message. The .

226 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages challenge is to praise an outstanding and talented individual without seeming overly effusive. Use specific examples whenever possible to convey your sincerity. Your praise should appear heartfelt. Answer the reader’s questions in a numbered list, in the order they were asked. Use a friendly, but business-like tone.

WILLIAM MASON 626 Bainbridge Ave., Seattle, WA 98110 (206) 982-3599 bill.mason@airborne.com August 3, 2009 Roscoe de la Penda Non-Stop Messenger Service 899 Sparks St. Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G9 Canada Subject: Kathryn Norquist Dear Mr. De la Penda: I am delighted to give Kathryn Norquist my unqualified recommendation for a position as courier with Non-Stop Messenger Service. Kathryn would be an excellent choice to handle the position’s responsibilities and demands, as you describe them in your letter. Let me answer your questions in order: How long and in what circumstances have you have known the applicant? I met Kathryn in 1994, when we were both sophomores at San Diego State University. We were roommates for nearly three years (sharing a house with two other students until graduation and sharing a two-bedroom condo for nearly a year afterward). Since early 1999 our careers have kept us in different cities— sometimes different countries—but we have remained close friends, keeping in touch and visiting each other whenever we get the chance.

What qualities does she possess that would qualify her for the position of special courier? Kathryn possesses the concentration, stamina, and integrity that would serve her well as a courier. The first year after graduation, I witnessed firsthand her ability to focus on important assignments while putting meals, sleep, and personal concerns on hold. Just two years ago, she left civilized comforts behind for a six-week trudge through the jungles of Borneo to help write a National Geographic article on the shrinking habitat of Orangutans. Her integrity is unquestionable. I remember one case in which a member of her local city council tried both threat and bribe to convince Kathryn to quit a story. Even her peers were hounding her to back off, but she withstood incredible pressure to uncover longstanding corruption. Her efforts were directly responsible for the mayor’s push for ethics standards. Her energy and enthusiasm are matched only by her style. Whether digging into political corruption or braving life in the Bornean jungle, her manner appears unshakable—honorable, flexible, and .

7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 2 7 organized.

What qualities might be improved before she is put on permanent assignment in this job? Kathryn has always worked hard to stay mentally and physically sharp. However, only she can tell you whether she would need additional training to handle the “threatening situations” you mention in your letter.

As vice president of human resources at Airborne Express, I know how difficult it can be to find just the right person for any given position. I believe Kathryn Norquist would make a fine courier. Her enthusiasm for hard work, long hours, and challenging goals should serve your company well.

Sincerely,

William Mason

8. LIGHTEN UP: E-MAIL REPLY TO A WEBSITE DESIGNER AT ORGANIZERS UNLIMITED (Above-average solution) This e-mail warms up the reader with the subject line, and the message starts with a note of appreciation for the designer’s promptness. Then the writer gets right to the problem, as befits the brief and less formal style of e-mail and this type of working relationship. The tone is light. Instead of complaining about or criticizing the design, the writer uses the middle section to provide useful information about why the design won’t work. The message closes with encouragement and a compliment, and it suggests a time frame for a second proposal.

Date: 13 February 2009 9:15:17 –0600 From: Margita Kim <MK@organizersUL> To: Pete Womack <pwomack@designsite.com> CC: BCC: Attached: Subject: A good beginning

Dear Pete: Thanks for getting your proposal to us so quickly. Both my boss and I have looked it over, and it has some nice features. But we’d like to suggest a new tack for the homepage.

My research tells me that our site visitors will want that page to load within 8 to 10 seconds, or they’ll quickly ditch us and go to .

228 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages another site with no waiting. So we’ll need to keep the homepage around 40-50 KB. Your proposed animations are cute, but it looks like they’ll burn up about 500 KB. We would rather not risk a high bailout rate. We believe most of our customers will be using a dial-up modem with 56 kbps, so they’ll appreciate us more if we can provide them with the fastest possible access to the information they’re looking for.

Please address the following: Reduce the graphics and animation Reduce homepage content so that visitors do not have to page down Provide site links and an introductory paragraph on the homepage Your proposal is a good beginning, though. This change shouldn’t take too long to accomplish. Can you give us another look in, say, three days?

Sincerely, Margita

8. LIGHTEN UP: E-MAIL REPLY TO A WEBSITE DESIGNER AT ORGANIZERS UNLIMITED (Below-average solution) The writer forgot to avoid negative words in the subject line. This message has no note of appreciation for the designer’s quick work; it simply begins with the negatives. The bulk of the message is filled with complaints and criticism of the design. The reader may even interpret some of the text as a lecture. However, he may still not understand what he should do to change the design. More specific information about what is wanted from him will help him complete an acceptable design more quickly. The message contains no notes of encouragement to the reader, and it leaves an ambiguous deadline for the revised design.

Date: 13 February 2009 9:15:17 –0600 From: Margita Kim <MK@organizersUL> To: Pete Womack <pwomack@designsite.com> CC: BCC: Attached: Subject: Website design problems

Dear Pete: The website design you forwarded to us for review has some major problems that must be fixed.

As designed, the website is too cluttered. It has way too many graphics and animations and too much “dancing baloney,” according to my boss.

The product we sell is designed to reduce clutter, so we can’t have a

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7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 2 9 cluttered website. We simply don’t want bouncing cotton balls and dancing shampoo bottles! Because of all the graphics it will take too long to load. We can’t assume that all of our customers will be accessing our site using cable modems or DSL lines. If the site takes too long to load, we will never get them as customers. Even if the homepage loads rapidly, we don’t want a cluttered site for them to view.

Since we need to get this site up and running as quickly as possible, please get us a revised design proposal as soon as possible.

Margita

9. LEVERAGING THE GOOD NEWS: BLOG ANNOUNCEMENT OF A PRESTIGIOUS PROFESSIONAL AWARD (Above-average solution)

JULY 20, 2009 EPSON COMMUNICATION EFFORTS RECOGNIZED WITH PRESTIGIOUS AWARD The new PictureMate Personal Photo Lab has received quite a few industry honors for its innovative design, and I’m pleased to report that the PR program for the PictureMate has just garnered a prestigious award, too. The Public Relations Society of America has given Epson the Silver Anvil, recognizing the PictureMate PR campaign as one of the best in the country this year. I have the opportunity to observe our talented PR team in action every day, so I am especially satisfied to see that their peers now recognize the quality of these efforts, too. Please join me in congratulating our top-notch PR professionals!

9. LEVERAGING THE GOOD NEWS: BLOG ANNOUNCEMENT OF A PRESTIGIOUS PROFESSIONAL AWARD (Below-average solution)

JULY 20, 2009 PR DEPARTMENT SCORES BIG I hate to brag, but what the heck! My team was recently awarded the Silver Anvil award by the Public Relations Society of America. Most of you probably don’t recognize this award, but believe me, it’s one of the .

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highest honors that anyone in our profession can receive. Hats off to my team, and you can look forward to more creative and, dare I say, awardwinning work from us in the future!

10. OUR SYMPATHY: CONDOLENCE LETTER TO AN AETNA UNDERWRITER (Above-average solution)

AETNA HEALTH PLANS 201 No. Civic Dr. Suite 300 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 510-977-3232 Fax 510-977-0793 www.aetna.com November 17, 2009 Mr. Hector Almeida 47 West Ave. #10 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Dear Hector: We were all shocked and sorry to hear the news of your wife’s death. We know Rosalia was a fine woman and will be deeply missed by many people, especially her family.

Hector, we also know that you, above all, have the strength and tenacity to pull through this trying time. Our thoughts are with you—and if you need to talk to a friend, you know where to find us.

Also, if you’d like to shift your schedule up an hour when you return to work (so you’ll have more time to spend with Lisa after school), just let me know.

Best wishes from your friends at Aetna, Georgina Shanley Chief Administrator (Names and signatures of underwriting department members)

10. OUR SYMPATHY: CONDOLENCE LETTER TO AN AETNA UNDERWRITER (Below-average solution)

AETNA HEALTH PLANS 201 No. Civic Dr. Suite 300 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 510-977-3232 Fax 510-977-0793 www.aetna.com November 17, 2009 .

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Mr. Hector Almeida 47 West Ave. #10 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 “The hand of time lightly lays, softly soothing sorrow’s wound.”

Dear Hector: When I heard the news about the terrible tragedy of your wife’s death, I was reminded of the quote above, which I’d read many years ago. I know you’re upset now, but time will surely heal this sorrow that you and your children must be feeling.

This was such a senseless accident, and seems so unfair. I don’t know exactly what your beliefs are, but I am sure that a woman like the one I met last year at our company banquet has gone on to a better world. No doubt she will be missed by those who loved her.

With heartfelt sympathy, Georgina Shanley Chief Administrator

11. UNHAPPY CUSTOMER: CLAIM LETTER FROM YOU REQUESTING AN ADJUSTMENT (Above-average solution) Assuming that a fair adjustment will be made, the writer uses the organization plan for a direct request. The first paragraph requests a replacement product.

The middle paragraph explains all the details: why Frye is writing the manufacturer, what Frye has already done to attempt to solve the problem, and when the watch was actually purchased. The first sentence in the closing paragraph provides an incentive for the company to honor the claim. Frye also makes it easy for the customer service representative to contact her and has enclosed a copy of the relevant document.

533 St. Charles Street Thibodaux, LA 70301 September 8, 2010 Customer Service Department Calvin Klein, Inc. 205 West 39th Street New York, NY 10018 Dear Customer Service Representative:

The CK Ladies’ Gold Plated watch that I purchased three months ago has .

232 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages stopped. I need your assistance in obtaining a replacement.

I purchased the watch at Wilson’s Jewelry in Thibodaux, Louisiana. However, Wilson’s Jewelry went out of business last month, and I am unable to return the watch to the store to obtain a replacement. To make sure the problem was not simply a dead battery, I did have the battery checked at another jewelry store; the battery tested fine. The watch has not been dropped or placed under water. A copy of my sales receipt for $159.94 is enclosed to verify my purchase on June 4, 2010.

This is my first Calvin Klein watch, and I am anxious to resume wearing it.

Please let me know how I can return the watch in exchange for a working replacement. You can reach me at the above address, by phone at (985) 4481234, or by e-mail at lfrye123@aol.com.

Sincerely, Linda Frye Enclosure: Copy of sales receipt

11. UNHAPPY CUSTOMER: CLAIM LETTER FROM YOU REQUESTING AN ADJUSTMENT (Below-average solution) Although this letter should be treated as a routine claim and written in the direct organizational pattern, the writer does not make the actual request for a replacement until the last paragraph. The reader does not need to know that the watch was purchased with money received as a birthday gift or that the writer was late for an appointment. More details, such as exact place of purchase and mention of an enclosed copy of the sales receipt, would provide the reader with enough information to verify the claim. Although a mailing address is included, the reader may need to contact the writer via phone, but no number has been provided.

533 St. Charles Street Thibodaux, LA 70301 September 8, 2010 Customer Service Department Calvin Klein, Inc. 205 West 39th Street New York, NY 10018 Dear Customer Service Representative: A few months ago I bought a beautiful Calvin Klein watch with money I received for my birthday. I was very excited to finally own a high-fashion ladies’ watch from my favorite clothing and accessory manufacturer. Imagine my disappointment when it simply stopped running one day. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this until I arrived late for an appointment.

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The store where I purchased the watch has been closed, so I can’t take it back for repair or refund. Although I inquired at another store that sells Calvin Klein watches, that store won’t exchange it for a new one because I didn’t buy it there.

The store employees suggested that I write directly to the manufacturer.

I would like a replacement for the watch. Do you want me to send in the watch I currently have? When can I expect a replacement? A copy of my warranty card is enclosed.

Sincerely,

Linda Frye 12. HERE’S HOW IT WILL WORK: EXPLAINING THE BRAINSTORMING PROCESS Begin by envisioning readers’ interests and needs. Since this is part of a message that will be posted on a product blog, it needs to be compelling, easy to understand, and specific. Pay attention to formatting, since making the text easy to skim may increase the audience’s willingness to read it. Here is one possible revision:

Be yourself. Don’t try to “think like an advertising specialist.” Your responses to each challenge should reflect your own unique perspective, so tell us what you really think.

Be spontaneous. This is not the time to worry about issues like spelling, punctuation, and word choice. The important thing is to record your ideas as quickly as possible.

Be creative. You’ll submit your responses anonymously, so don’t be afraid to take some risks. No one will say, “I can’t believe you said that!”

Be “impractical.” Some of the best ideas are those that sound impractical at first.

If yours would require a great deal of time, effort, and/or resources to enact, we still want to hear about them!

13. WINDOW SHOPPING AT WAL-MART: OFFERING ADVICE TO THE WEBMASTER Student responses to this exercise will vary widely. The important question is whether or not students discuss specific aspects of the website or limits his/ broad, unsubstantiated assessments. Students should address some the elements listed in the prompt (language, layout, graphics, and overall ease of use), and may include comments on other characteristics of the site such as pop-ups, load time, browser compatibility, and so on. An e-mail to the webmaster could look something like this:

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Date: 22 September 2009 1:07:33 –0800 From: Pete Taylor <pete_taylor@walmart.com> To: webmaster@walmart.com CC: BCC: Attached: Subject: Feedback on walmart.com Thank you for requesting my feedback on walmart.com.

Overall, I find the site appealing and easy to use. The graphics are attractive and well-produced, and I had no problems finding the items I searched for. Prices, product information, and details on Wal-Mart’s shipping policies were accessible and easy to find. The text throughout is clear and concise, and contributes to the generally inviting feel of the website.

I did, however, sometimes have trouble reading fonts on the website because of their small size. For example, the text in the top right corner of the homepage (“Cart,” “My Account,” “Track Order,” etc.) was very difficult to make out unless I increased the text size through my web browser. This was also true of the text at the bottom of the homepage and elsewhere throughout the site. The small font would not be so annoying that I would leave the site, but it was a noticeable inconvenience.

The Flash slideshows on the homepage and on the “department” pages were also somewhat of an inconvenience. I found myself wishing I could turn off the slideshows because they were distracting me from other areas of the site. I’ve noticed that other retailers also include animation like this on their pages, but it might be worth giving visitors the option of viewing the site without them.

Aside from these two areas, I am very pleased with walmart.com. Please let me know if you’d like more details on any of my comments.

Sincerely, Pete

14. GREEN IS THE NEW GREEN: BLOG UPDATE ON ENERGY SAVINGS Since this message will be posted on an internal blog, it needs to be concise, specific, and compelling. Start with an overall statement about Adobe Systems’ success in reducing energy usage, thank employees for their efforts in this area, and move immediately to details about the Platinum Certification.

National Recognition of Adobe Systems’ Environmentalism Adobe Systems continues to lead the way in becoming a more environment- friendly corporation. Thanks to the cooperative efforts of our employees, our company has saved more than $1 million in energy costs and was honored as

.

7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 3 5

the first recipient of three Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council. As our CEO Bruce Chizen explained, the awards “are a validation of Adobe’s ongoing efforts to promote environmental stewardship and create healthy work environments for our employees.”1 USGBC President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi noted that, “With the certification of Adobe’s Almaden and East Towers, Adobe has again raised the bar for other companies seeking to introduce sustainable, environmentally-friendly practices into their facilities.”

15. CONGRATS ON THAT: COMPLIMENTING A FORMER BUSINESS ACQUAINTANCE FOR NATIONAL RECOGNITION Organize the message using the direct approach, and adopt a personal tone as you offer sincere congratulations on the recipient’s recent honors. Since it’s been several years since the two of you have been in contact, briefly mention a detail or two to help her remember who you are.

October 5, 2009 Indra Nooyi, CEO PepsiCo, Inc. 700 Anderson Hill Road Purchase, NY 10577 Dear Indra, Congratulations on your recent promotion to CEO of PepsiCo and on being named Fortune magazine’s most powerful woman in American business.

I enjoyed working with you during your company’s merger with Quaker Oats (my former employer) back in 2001, and I’ve followed your progress since then with much interest. You and I spoke often about how growth and change are inseparable, and I admire your ongoing achievements in helping PepsiCo adapt to meet consumers’ needs.

These are both well-deserved honors, and I wish you continued success in your new role at PepsiCo. Sincerely, Morgan Crane 1

Adobe press release [accessed 3 August, 2007] www.adobe.com. .

236 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages

IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 169) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Periods, Question Marks, and Exclamation Points (p. 169)

1.

Dr. Eleanor H. Hutton has requested information on TaskMasters, Inc.

2.

That qualifies us as a rapidly growing new company, don’t you think?

3.

Our president, Daniel Gruber, is a CPA. On your behalf, I asked him why he started the company.

In the past three years, we have experienced phenomenal growth of 800 percent. Or: !

Contact me at 1358 N. Parsons Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74204.

4.

5.

6.

Jack asked, “Why does he want to know? Maybe he plans to become a competitor.” Or: !

The debt load fluctuates with the movement of the U.S. prime rate.

7.

I can’t believe we could have missed such a promising opportunity!

8.

Is consumer loyalty extinct? Yes and No.

9.

Johnson and Kane, Inc., has gone out of business. What a surprise. Or: !

10.

Will you please send us a check today so that we can settle your account.

11.

Mr. James R. Capp will be our new CEO, beginning January 20, 2003.

12.

The rag doll originally sold for $1,098, but we have lowered the price to a mere $599.

Will you be able to make the presentation at the conference, or should we find someone else?

So I ask you, “When will we admit defeat?” Never!

13.

14.

15.

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 169) 1. Since the convention center is attached to both the train station and the Marriott .

7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 3 7 Hotel, one doesn’t even need to step outside to go from train to meeting room.

2. According to federal statistics, 61 percent of the nation’s employers have fewer than five workers.

3. “The problem,” said business owner Mike Millorn, “was getting vendors of raw materials to take my endeavor seriously.”

4. After poring over trade journals, quizzing industry experts, and talking to other snack makers, the Harpers decided to go into the pita chip business.

5. A Mac with half as much RAM and a slower processor is as fast as or faster than a PC. 6. The couple has done relatively little advertising; instead, they give away samples in person at trade shows, cooking demonstrations, and grocery stores.

7. CME Information Services started by videotaping doctors’ conventions and selling the recorded presentations to non-attending physicians who wanted to keep track of the latest developments.

8. For many companies, the two biggest challenges to using intranets are getting people to use them and keeping content fresh.

9. Company meetings, including “lunch and learn” sessions, are often held online.

10. Most Children’s Orchard franchisees are women between the ages of 30 and 50 who are first-time business owners lacking even basic computer skills.

11. Having joined the company in 1993, she had watched it grow from a single small office to an entire floor of a skyscraper.

12. One issue that affected practically everyone was the problem of training interns.

13. The website includes information on subjects as mundane as filling out a Federal Express form and as complex as researching a policy issue.

14. “Some management theories are good, but how many people actually implement them the right way?” says Jack Hartnett, president of D. L. Rogers Corp.

15. Taking orders through car windows, roller-skating carhops serve customers at Sonic Restaurants. [Or At Sonic Restaurants, roller-skating carhops serve customers by taking orders through car windows.]

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238 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages

Level 3: Document Critique—Well-written solution (p. 170) Risa Zenaili 883 Middleton Ave., Bartlesville, OK 74005 918-555-9983 rzenaili@ppri.com March 13, 2009 Tharita Jones, Owner Subway Restaurant 120 W Greenfield St. Tulsa, OK 74133 Dear Ms. Jones: Subway gave me your name as a franchise owner who might be willing to answer some questions about management careers with the company. I am investigating careers in various fast-food environments. I expect to complete my degree in business administration within the next three years, and you may have the kind of information that I could never get from corporate brochures.

For example, how long can I expect to work at an entry-level position before promotions are considered? How many levels must I rise before reaching assistant manager? And how many before I would be considered for manager, assuming I’ve performed well?

I’d also like to ask the following questions: • How many hours a week can I expect to work to be on this career track?

• Once I reach management level, will those hours increase?

• What qualifications do you look for in your managers and assistant managers?

• What benefits does the company offer?

• Is any special training available? How can I qualify?

• What can I do to improve my chances for promotion if I choose Subway?

I’m looking for the company that will offer me the best future in the most promising environment. I’d be grateful if you could take a moment to share any advice you might have. If you’d prefer to call rather than write, you can reach me at (918) 5559983, day or evening. My cell phone number is (918) 555-8838. Or you can send a reply to me at the address above or to my e-mail address, rzenaili@earthlink.net.

Please let me hear from you before the end of the month; I hope to choose a company by the middle of next month.

Sincerely,

Risa Zeinali Risa Zeinali .

7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 3 9

CHAPTER 7 POP QUIZ True-False 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Routine messages should be organized according to the indirect approach.

(False) An effective request letter begins with a personal introduction. (False) The body of a routine request can contain a list of questions to help the reader sort through multiple requests. (True) In a routine letter, the writer should never mention a deadline, since it is considered rude. (False) When you are dissatisfied with a company’s product and need to write a claim letter, you should write it in the indirect pattern. (False) When writing a letter requesting a recommendation or a letter of reference, thank the reader a minimum of three times to encourage him or her to agree.

(False) When you are giving good news in your reply message, you should leave your reader with a good impression of you and your firm. (True) To grant a claim when the customer is at fault, make sure to include a specific reprimand so that the customer understands he or she is clearly to blame. (False) Goodwill messages, although considered appropriate in the past, are today considered a waste of the writer’s time. (False) A letter placing an order and a letter making a claim should both use the direct organizational pattern. (True)

10.

Multiple Choice 11.

When writing a routine request, which of the following is an appropriate action? a. Soften your request with words such as please. b. State precisely what you want. c. Assume your audience will comply. d.Do all of the above.

12.

If you list a series of questions in a routine request letter .

240 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages

13.

14.

a. ask the least important questions first. b. ask the most important questions first. c. include two or three topics in one question to keep your message short. d. use no question marks, since this is a business message.

When writing a routine letter requesting information and action a. close with a justification of your request. b. close with a clear statement of your reason for writing. c. close with a specific account of what you expect and a deadline. d. Do none of the above A claim letter should open with a. an emotional statement demanding a settlement. b. c. d.

a straightforward statement of the problem. an explanation of details of the situation.

None of the above

15.

Which of the following does not describe an effective presentation of facts in a claim letter? a. Clarity b. Politeness c. Honesty d.Abusiveness

16.

When sending routine replies, how should you handle slightly negative information? a. Leave it out so that the letter contains only good news. b. Embed it in a positive context. c. State the negative directly, but only in the first paragraph. d. State the negative directly, but only in the last paragraph.

17.

Which of the following is true about form letters? a. They should never be used because they are cold and impersonal. b. They can be effective if writers use computers to personalize them and mix paragraphs. c. They should always be used to greatly enhance productivity in the office. d. They are too informal for most applications.

18. When your company is at fault and you must write a letter granting the customer’s claim, a. open with a friendly statement such as, “Mistakes will happen.” b. identify the person or department at fault to show your reader you have dutifully researched the issue. c. promise the customer that the problem will never happen again. d.open with the good news that you’re granting the claim.

19.

To avoid being libelous when writing a recommendation letter, a.avoid value judgments. b.include only relevant, factual information. c.balance criticisms with favorable points. .

7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 2 4 1 d. do all the above.

20.

When writing condolence letters, a. type on company letterhead to show that the company knows what b. happened. c. copy a standard condolence message to avoid being too personal. d. keep reminiscences brief. do all the above.

.

CHAPTER 8: WRITING NEGATIVE MESSAGES CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 8 focuses on writing effective negative messages by applying the three-step writing process introduced in Chapters 3, 4, and 5. Although communicating negative messages is not always easy, using the proper tone and approach can help create an effective message that people will accept and understand. The chapter provides guidance in assessing the use of direct or indirect approaches and an examination of the ethical risks of using the indirect approach. Students learn about composing effective buffers, providing reasons, wording refusals, and building goodwill.

Examples and suggestions are provided for sending negative messages on routine business matters, sending negative employment messages, and sending negative organizational news.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 8 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet: Number Transparency 65 Transparency 66 Transparency 67 Transparency 68 Transparency 69 Transparency 70 Transparency 71 Transparency 72 Transparency 73 Transparency 74 Transparency 75 Transparency 76 Transparency 77 Transparency 78 Transparency 79: Transparency 80

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Content Writing Bad News Messages Activity 8.1 (improved version) Activity 8.2 (improved version) Case 4: Above-average solution Case 4: Below-average solution Case 5: Above-average solution Case 5: Below-average solution Case 7: Above-average solution Case 7: Below-average solution Case 8: Above-average solution Case 8: Below-average solution Case 10: Above-average solution Case 10: Below-average solution Case 11: Above-average solution Case 11: Below-average solution Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution)

8: Writing Negative Messages 243

CHAPTER OUTLINE Using the Three-Step Writing Process for Negative Messages Step 1: Planning Negative Messages Step 2: Writing Negative Messages Step 3: Completing Negative Messages Developing Negative Messages Using the Direct Approach Effectively Opening with a Clear Statement of the Bad News Providing Reasons and Additional Information Closing on a Positive Note Using the Indirect Approach Effectively Opening with a Buffer Providing Reasons and Additional Information Continuing with a Clear Statement of the Bad News Closing on a Positive Note Exploring Common Examples of Negative Messages Sending Negative Messages on Routine Business Matters Refusing Routine Requests Handling Bad News About Transactions Refusing Claims and Requests for Adjustment Sending Negative Employment Messages Refusing Requests for Recommendation Letters Rejecting Job Applications Giving Negative Performance Reviews Terminating Employment Sending Negative Organizational News Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Using the Three-Step Process for Negative Messages When delivering negative messages, you have five main goals: 1. To convey the bad news 2. To gain acceptance for it 3. To maintain as much goodwill as possible with your audience 4. To maintain a good image for your organization 5. To reduce or eliminate the need for future correspondence on the matter (if appropriate) Apply the three-step writing process to produce effective negative messages.

Step 1: Planning Negative Messages When planning negative messages, you can’t avoid the fact that your audience doesn’t want to hear what you have to say.

With a clear purpose and your audience’s needs in mind, identify and gather the information your audience will need in order to understand and accept your message.

.

2448: Writing Negative Messages Selecting the right medium is critical.

Bad news for employees should always be delivered in person.

Step 2: Writing Negative Messages By writing clear and sensitive messages, you can take some of the sting out of bad news and help your reader accept the decision and move on.

Establish your credibility and lay out your qualifications for making the decision.

Use language that conveys respect and avoids an accusing tone.

Use positive words to ease your audience’s sense of disappointment.

Step 3: Completing Negative Messages Be sure to revise your message so that everything is clear, complete, and concise.

Developing Negative Messages Writers need to decide whether to use the direct or indirect approach when writing the message.

Use the direct approach in negative messages When the negative news will be disappointing, but not necessarily a shock.

When you know your audience prefers the bad news first.

When the scenario is minor or routine.

When you need to get the reader’s attention.

Use the indirect approach in negative messages When the negative news may come as a shock.

When the reader has an emotional investment in the situation or the consequences to the reader are considerable.

When you need to maintain a close working relationship with the reader.

When using the direct approach, a negative message Opens with a clear statement of the bad news.

Proceeds to the reasons and additional information for the negative decision.

Closes with a positive statement aimed at maintaining a good relationship.

Two advantages of stating the bad news at the beginning: it makes a shorter message possible and it require less time for the audience to reach the main idea of the message.

Even when using the direct approach in negative messages, you need to Use a tactful tone.

Focus on reasons.

The indirect approach eases your audience into your message by explaining your reasons before delivering the bad news.

When using the indirect approach, a negative message Opens with a buffer.

A buffer is a neutral, non-controversial statement that is closely related to the point of the message. Buffers establish common ground with your reader. .

8: Writing Negative Messages 245 Although some critics believe that buffers are manipulative and unethical, the fact is that Buffers are unethical only if they’re insincere or dishonest.

Showing consideration for the feelings of others is never dishonest.

Provide reasons and additional information When giving your reasons for the bad news, Provide enough detail for your audience to understand your reasons.

Cover the more positive points first before moving to the less positive ones.

Avoid hiding behind company policy.

By presenting your reasons effectively, you should convince your audience that your negative decision is justified, fair, and logical.

Continuing with a clear statement of the bad news De-emphasize bad news by Minimizing the space or time devoted to it.

Subordinating it in a complex or compound sentence.

Embedding it in the middle of a paragraph or using parenthetical expressions.

To state bad news clearly and kindly, use three techniques: De-emphasize the bad news.

Use a conditional (if or when) statement to imply that readers might someday receive a favorable answer.

Say what you did, can, or will do (not what you didn’t, can’t, or won’t do).

Closing with a positive, forward-looking statement that is helpful and friendly.

Suggest alternative solutions, if they are available.

In a message to a customer or potential customer, the ending can include resale information (favorable comments about a product or service the customer has already purchased) or sales promotion (favorable comments that encourage interest in goods or services the reader has not yet committed to purchase).

Avoid the following in your conclusion: • Referring to, repeating, or apologizing for the bad news • Encouraging additional communication if you’re not willing to discuss the situation further • Anticipating problems • Using clichés that appear insincere in view of the bad news

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2468: Writing Negative Messages

Exploring Common Examples of Negative Messages Many of the negative messages that you’ll be writing fall into three categories: Sending negative messages on routine business matters Sending negative employment messages Sending negative organizational news When refusing requests for information, the direct or the indirect approach, depending on your audience.

The direct approach will work best for most routine negative messages. The indirect approach works best when the stakes are high for you or the receiver, when you or your company has an established relationship with the person making the request, or when you’re forced to decline a request that you might have said yes to in the past.

Consider the following points as you develop your routine negative messages: • • • •

Manage your time carefully.

If the matter is closed, don’t imply that it’s still open.

Offer alternative ideas if you can.

Don’t imply that other assistance or information is available if it isn’t.

Bad news messages about transactions have three goals: • To modify the customer’s expectations regarding the transaction • To explain how you plan to resolve the situation • To repair whatever damage might have been done to the business relationship When refusing claims and requests for adjustment, the indirect approach is often best.

When refusing claims, you should Avoid accepting responsibility for the situation but do not blame the customer.

Pay special attention to the tone of your letter.

Demonstrate that you understand and have considered the complaint.

Rationally explain why you’re refusing the request.

End the letter on a respectful and action-oriented note.

Defamation is a false statement that damages someone’s character or reputation: Written defamation is called libel.

Spoken defamation is called slander.

Someone suing for defamation must prove that The statement is false.

The language is injurious to the person’s reputation.

The statement has been published.

To avoid being accused of defamation, follow these guidelines: Avoid abusive language.

If you must express your own personal opinions, avoid involving your company, use your own stationery and don’t include your job title or position.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 247 Never let anger or malice motivate your messages.

Consult the legal department on any message that could have legal consequences.

Communicate honestly, saying what you believe to be true.

Emphasize a desire for a good relationship in the future.

To send effective negative employment messages Use the direct approach when writing to job applicants or when communicating with other companies.

Use the indirect approach when giving negative performance reviews to employees; they will most certainly be emotionally involved.

When refusing requests for recommendation letters, Be brief and direct when communicating with a prospective employer.

Be diplomatic and tactful when communicating with a job applicant.

When delivering bad news to job applicants, Choose your approach carefully.

Clearly state why the applicant was not selected.

Close by suggesting alternatives.

The main goals of a performance review are to improve employee performance by Emphasizing and clarifying job requirements.

Giving employees feedback on their efforts toward fulfilling requirements.

Developing a plan of action for continued efforts (carefully including both rewards and opportunities).

When giving a negative performance review, remember these guidelines: Confront the problem right away.

Plan your message.

Deliver the message in private.

Focus on the problem.

Ask for a commitment from the employee.

When writing a termination message, you have three goals: (1) Present the reasons for this difficult action, (2) avoid statements that might expose the company to a wrongful termination lawsuit, and (3) leave the relationship between the terminated employee and the firm as favorable as possible. Present specific justification for the employee to leave for both legal and personal reasons.

Bad news about company operations may be required in at least three situations: Changes that negatively affect one or more groups Announcements of workforce reductions Crisis communication When communicating negative announcements about company operations, do the following: Match your approach to the situation.

Consider the unique needs of each group.

Minimize the element of surprise whenever possible.

If possible, give yourself enough time to plan and manage a response. .

2488: Writing Negative Messages Look for positive angles, but don’t exude false optimism.

Seek expert advice.

Social media have made it easier for disappointed consumers to speak out and potentially influence corporate behavior. Negative situation will test your skills as a communicator and as a leader.

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Post the three-step process in a prominent position to remind students that they should complete all three steps for effective negative messages.

Students often have difficulty saying no. Many will lack real business experience in conveying bad news. Thus, they may not want to take a stand and may skirt an issue rather than give official bad news. Emphasize that giving bad news on the job will be necessary from time to time. Business writers need to present specific bad news in a manner that reflects a firm decision while maintaining the reader’s goodwill.

Students may question the ethics of using an indirect approach for negative messages.

During class, emphasize that using the indirect approach is ethical, as long as the bad news is not hidden. Remind students that the indirect approach allows the writer to gently lead the audience into the bad news only after a logical explanation of the situation has been given.

Buffers are often challenging even to experienced writers. Many students will struggle with both the concept and the application of buffers in negative message.

First attempts will often generate a short phrase of explanation followed by the bad news, resulting in no buffer at all. Provide plenty of exercises in which students write buffers for various situations. During in-class writing, suggest that students leave some space for a buffer if they can’t think of a logical one right away. Encourage them to compose some of the details or explanation and then go back to add an effective buffer.

Once a buffer is presented, some students will immediately proceed to the bad news at the beginning of the next paragraph. Encourage them to provide sufficient reasons.

Explain that the reader needs enough information to perceive the writer (and the company) as fair and reasonable. The reader must see that the writer is aware (and considerate) of the reader’s needs, concerns, and feelings. Encourage students to walk in the reader’s shoes to assess what details and explanation should be included.

Hiding behind company policy will be a big temptation for some writers. Conduct a class discussion about the problems of doing so. Ask students to think about how they personally react when someone cites policy as a reason for saying no. Point out that most readers react to blanket statements about company policy in the same way.

Beginning writers often include more negative words than are necessary in a negative letter. Remind students to state things in a positive way. Be sure to call attention to Table 8.1 to review positive and negative tone.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 249 Once the reasons are explained, students face the challenge of presenting the actual bad news. Discuss handling the bad news by de-emphasizing it visually and grammatically, using a conditional statement (if appropriate), and saying what you did or can do rather than what you didn’t or can’t do. Again remind students to use as few negative words as possible. Refer them to the numerous examples in the chapter.

Also caution them against using a rude or condescending tone, and provide various examples of each.

Closing paragraphs also present challenges to writers. First efforts often repeat the bad news. Some writers simply save the bad news for the last paragraph. Remind students of the most emphatic portions of a message. Explain that if a writer wants to maintain the reader’s goodwill, the closing must be positive, optimistic about the future, and sincere. Provide examples of situations in which including resale information in the closing paragraph would and would not be appropriate.

In an effort to be courteous, students will often include a statement inviting the reader to call or write with additional questions. Discourage this type of phrasing. Remind students that the writer wants to limit future correspondence and wants the audience to view the decision as final.

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES 1. Learning how businesspersons convey negative messages. Invite someone from the business community (or a school administrator) to visit the class and share how he or she handles negative messages to customers, vendors, the general public, and employees. This person will provide numerous real-world examples for the students, and the talk should encourage some lively discussion of negative messages, including whether to use a direct or an indirect approach and how to achieve an audience-centered tone.

2.

Comparing the direct versus indirect plan. Lead a discussion of how people react to forbad news. Build one list of examples of bad news situations that would call the direct plan. Then build another list of examples of situations that would

3.

4.

call for the indirect plan.

Analyzing messages. Provide students with examples of negative messages that should be but are not organized using the indirect approach. Have students critique the examples and then rewrite these messages so that they follow an indirect approach. Provide your own examples from letters you have collected or use the Analyze This Document messages in the Activities section at the end of the chapter.

Writing effective buffers. Conduct a discussion related to writing effective buffers. Assign an exercise in which students write just the buffer for various Negative messages. Provide your own scenarios or assign exercises in the Exercises answers for Perfecting Your Writing at the end of the chapter. Project in class, providing two or more reasonable buffers for each situation. .

2508: Writing Negative Messages 5. Writing effective closing paragraphs. Conduct a discussion related to writing effective ending paragraphs in Negative messages. Assign an exercise in which students write just the last paragraphs for various negative messages. This allows students to focus on writing closings that are positive, final, optimistic, sincere, and confident.

6.

7.

Writing Negative message. As class exercises, assign case scenarios in which students plan, write, and complete a variety of negative messages. Students should work at computers (if available) to facilitate writing, rewriting, and editing. Direct students to complete the planning tasks before composing. This can be a whole-class activity or an individual one. Students should analyze, investigate, and adapt before writing. While students are organizing and composing, move around the room and provide individual constructive comments about organizational pattern, buffers, depth of explanation, tone, and so forth. When students are finished, project both a below-average solution and an above-average solution for the case. Lead a discussion that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Providing constructive feedback to classmates. During a class discussion, generate a list of evaluation points that can be used to provide a writer feedback about negative messages. Ask students to exchange printed documents of messages they have written. Each student should critique the message for all evaluation points on the list and give the writer feedback. Encourage students to provide constructive feedback where improvements can be made and to make positive comments about the strengths of the message. Here is a list of “Do’s and Don’ts” that may help.

DO’S ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Make sure it is clear that your bad news message represents a firm decision.

Be confident that your decision is fair and reasonable.

Try to keep the customer well disposed toward your business.

Use the “YOU” attitude Choose the indirect plan a majority of the time Minimize space and time devoted to the bad news.

Tell the client what you can do rather than what you can’t do.

Provide accurate information.

Consult your company’s legal department if you think a message might have legal consequences.

Communicate honestly.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 251

DON’T’S ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Don’t say “NO” directly.

Don’t use a know-it-all tone.

Don’t Apologize.

Don’t write a buffer that is too long or over explain.

Don’t use company policy as the sole excuse for refusal.

Don’t keep repeating the bad news.

Don’t urge additional communication unless you want it.

Don’t anticipate that the customer will have problems with your decision.

Don’t include clichés that are insincere.

Don’t reveal any doubt that you will keep the person as a customer.

Don’t ever use abusive language.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 188) 1. The five main goals in delivering bad news are to (1) convey the bad news, (2) gain acceptance for it, (3) maintain as much goodwill as possible, (4) maintain a good image for your organization, and (5) reduce or eliminate the need for future correspondence.

2.

The following are questions writers should ask when trying to determine whether to use the direct or indirect approach: • Will the bad news come as a shock? In some instances, negative news is

•

•

•

•

expected from time to time, so the direct approach is usually acceptable.

However, if the bad news might come as a shock, use the indirect approach to help your reader prepare.

Does the reader prefer short messages that get right to the point? For example, if you know that your boss always wants messages that get right to the point, even when they deliver bad news, use the direct approach.

How important is this news to the reader? For minor or routine scenarios, the direct approach is nearly always best. However, if the reader has an emotional investment in the situation or the consequences to the reader are considerable, the indirect approach is often better.

Do you need to maintain a close working relationship with the reader?

The indirect approach lets you soften the blow of bad news and preserve a close relationship.

Do you need to get the reader’s attention? If someone has ignored repeated messages, the direct approach can help you get his or her attention.

• What is your organization’s preferred style? Some companies have a distinct communication style, ranging from blunt and direct to gentle and indirect.

.

2528: Writing Negative Messages 3. When organizing a negative message using the indirect approach, open with a buffer and then continue with a logical and neutral explanation of the reasons behind the bad news. Next, offer a clear but diplomatic statement of the bad news. Finally, close with a positive, forward-looking statement that is helpful and friendly.

4. A buffer is a neutral, non-controversial statement that is closely related to the point of the message. Some critics believe that buffers are unethical and see them as being manipulative and dishonest; however, buffers that are sincere are neither manipulative nor dishonest and are perfectly ethical.

5. When using an indirect approach to announce a negative decision, presenting your reasons before explaining the decision is one way to convince the audience that your decision is justified, fair, and logical.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 188) 1. The last thing your audience will remember is the close of your letter. A positive close can help create an upswing from a potentially damaging situation. No one likes bad news, and your upbeat close can overcome lingering feelings that could interfere in future business relationships.

Social media have made it easier for disappointed consumers to speak out and potentially influence corporate behavior.

Suggesting an alternative to readers is often a good idea if the suggestion is 3. genuinely useful. Offering constructive advice encourages readers to think of you in a positive way.

2.

Failing to respond to all job applicants may build ill will toward your company 4. and can harm your company’s reputation.

The two are not the same. When you deemphasize the bad news your 5. intentions are kind, not manipulative. You still present the facts and deliver the bad news. But you try to get readers to focus on the positive, or you help them become more willing to understand the reasons for the bad news. On the other hand, distorting graphs and charts is an attempt to hide the bad news altogether or manipulate the audience’s perception of reality. Rather than trying to be kind, you’re being evasive or deceptive.

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 189) Exercises for Perfecting Your Writing 1. Even though unused tickets are nonrefundable, your ticket is still valid and may be used to travel to the same destination within one year from the original ticket date.

.

8: Writing Negative Messages 253 2. After a thorough search, we were able to find a supplier that can provide you with a decorative package similar to your request. Although this packaging does not meet all of your specifications, we can have it to you in time for your event.

3.

Since the MP3 player was immersed in water, it cannot be replaced. We

will 4. be happy to repair it for you.

Yes, you should use a buffer because this loss of business is significant to the 5. restaurant. Perhaps you have a good reason for canceling the banquet; the buffer will guide the reader to your reasons before announcing the bad 6. news.

Your invitation to speak at this year’s annual fund-raising event is a 7.

personal honor, so a short buffer is appropriate: “Thank you for thinking of me . . .”

8 “In today’s global marketplace, extensive foreign language skills like yours . are in considerable demand.”

Direct. Although, if you have anything to do with the reason the client is 9 leaving, Activities (p.then 190) you may want to use a buffer.

If it’s not a special order, then direct is fine.

8.1.

Among the barriers to communication contained in this letter are the following: Indirect. Give reasons first.

1. Although the letter starts and ends on a positive note, the charges are introduced in a negative manner (“Unfortunately . . .”).

2. The pertinent information is scattered throughout the letter rather than appearing in a list.

3. The third paragraph starts with a vague sentence (“all the arrangements will be the same”), which leaves room for disagreement.

4. The “charge” for the tubs of ice with soft drinks is not specified in the letter.

5. The “small charge” for clean-up could quickly amount to $300 or more, but the writer does not specify what is and is not included in the clean-up.

6. The letter includes neither specific information about dates nor a call-back number.

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2548: Writing Negative Messages Here’s one version of the revised letter: CAREFREE CATERING 1449 Webster Blvd., Athens, GA 30601 Voice: 706-288-3022 Fax: 706-288-2222 April 20, 2009 Tom Landon, Social Chairman Zeta Tau Omega Fraternity 220 Gaines Commons Athens, GA 30601 Dear Mr. Landon: Thanks for asking us to cater your spring party. By working together, we can make it a great success. Some of the services and estimated charges are listed below so that you can review them with your committee.

• Table and chair rental/delivery (approximately 10/100) • Food (approximately 100 @ $7.50 for Texas BBQ) • Table and chair set-up • Tablecloths, no-host bar setup, table skirts, paperware • Soft drinks (200 @ $.50) • Cleanup (approximately 100 @ $3) • Servers (3 @ $10 per hour for 4 hours)

$200 $750 $100 $250 $100 $300 $120

We provide recycling barrels, big trash barrels, serving utensils, and one onsite employee free of charge. Also, as a service provider registered with the university, we abide by all rules about serving alcohol to minors and having one security person present. We can recommend several security companies.

After you’ve met with your committee and formed an idea of your budget, please give me a call at 706-288-3022. And remember, you can trim costs by providing some of the labor and helping with the cleanup. I’ll look forward to discussing all your party needs. *See Transparency 66 for an improved version.

8.2 This letter is “we” oriented and negative. It suffers from these additional problems: 1. The letter fails to thank the reader for writing. The writer sounds irritated that the reader asked for an adjustment, but then the writer proceeds to invite the reader to come look at new models for purchase.

2. The writer implies that damage was caused by the reader or by someone in the reader’s office.

3. The letter delivers information about the warranty in a negative way.

4. Although the letter states, “you are a valued customer,” this statement seems insincere. .

8: Writing Negative Messages 255 5. Instructions for the reader are scattered throughout the letter, rather than appearing in a list.

6. The tone is presumptuous.

Here’s one version of the revised letter: ESSEX ELECTRONICS 1711 Chicago St., Omaha, Nebraska 68101 (800) 644-8333 / (402) 592-3388 Fax: (402) 592-3388 / www.essexel.com January 7, 2010

Mr. Satoshi Kim Kim Consulting, Inc. 305 West Military Avenue, #3 Fremont, NE 68025 Dear Mr. Kim: We will be happy to repair your WM39Z fax/modem under the terms of the warranty. Please deliver or send the damaged equipment to us at the letterhead address via UPS. If you prefer to use the U.S. Postal Service, please send the equipment via certified mail. Any necessary parts will be fully covered by your warranty. Our minimum charge for labor is $50.

With your shipment, please include a check for that amount or include the enclosed form complete with your credit card number and signature.

Our turnaround time for repairs is about ten days, unless parts have to be ordered.

If you would like an estimate of cost and time, please include a note, and one of our service representatives will call you with that information.

You might like to attend the Electronics Tomorrow trade show being held in Dallas next month. We’ll be featuring all the latest models of electronic equipment. Please call our 800 number above, and we’ll send you a brochure about the show. In addition, I’ve enclosed our latest catalog. *See Transparency 67 for isanhappy improved version.

Essex Electronics to give customers the best in sales and service.

Sincerely,

.

2568: Writing Negative Messages 8.3 This letter is tactless, “we” oriented, and negative. It suffers from these additional problems: 1. The letter sets a negative tone in the first sentence (“regret”).

2. The writer fails to thank the student for applying.

3. The “we” orientation focuses on the problems faced by the company, not those faced by the student.

4. The notification of rejection is undiplomatic and tactless.

5. The close is dismissive and misleading (“We’re sure”).

6. Closing with an apology is unnecessary and negative.

Here’s one version of the revised letter: EQUIFAX Credit Information Services, Inc. P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374 February 9, 2008 Ms. Chelsea Winter 228 Ravenswood Ct., #2B Chicago, IL 60625 Dear Ms. Winter: Thank you for applying for the position of summer intern. We were pleased by the overall high quality of applicants. This year we had an extremely high number of applicants for very few positions.

Although we have already filled the 25 intern positions, we will keep your résumé on file for future openings. Thank you for thinking of Fox Media. We wish you the best of luck in finding a summer position.

Sincerely,

Yvonne Ward Yvonne Ward Human Resources 8.4 Although the company will want to buffer the bad news, readers should learn of the higher rates in the body of the message, not the close. Students may suggest using a single paragraph as a buffer and embedding the rate announcement in the second paragraph (not in parentheses, but as part of a complex yet understandable sentence). This exercise presents an opportunity to discuss how communicators must be aware of the legal guidelines that apply to negative announcements about pricing regulated services such as health-care insurance.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 257 8.5 This message is going to top executives who need fast, concise information, so use the direct approach. Open with a statement of mutual agreement. Get right to the bad news, but let it lead smoothly into your positive focus on cost saving.

Appeal to your reader’s company loyalty, leaving job preservation as an unspoken benefit. Use bulleted lists, and close with a positive look to the future.

Here’s one version of the revised e-mail message: Date: Wed, 28 May 2009, 4:20:15 -0800 From: M. Juhasz, Travel & Meeting Services <mjuhasz@blackanddecker.com> To: [mailing list] CC: BCC: Attached: Subject: Creative Cost-Cutting

Dear Traveling Executives: As you know, we’re keeping a lid on operations costs throughout Black & Decker. The recent 50 percent cut in our travel budget has spurred some creative thinking in the Travel & Meeting Services department.

We’d like to pass on some suggestions we’ve brainstormed to help you curb travel expenses without cutting into your meeting productivity—and thus help Black & Decker weather the current economic storm.

BEFORE YOUR TRIP: •• Consider using B&D’s videoconferencing equipment instead of booking a flight.

Give us plenty of lead-time, and we’ll use our influence to negotiate lower rates at your favorite hotels or to find less expensive but equally appealing alternatives.

• Arrange flight times so that you can take advantage of lower weekend fares, or choose coach class to help shave costs. Flights out of suburban airports may also be cheaper, as are nonrefundable tickets.

Ask us for more information on airline savings.

• Let us know if you frequently visit the same location, which will give us a negotiating edge with hotels, based on your repeat business.

DURING YOUR TRIP: • Choose less expensive dining options when not entertaining.

• Gas up rental cars before returning them (to avoid inflated agency prices).

• Compose e-mail offline during hotel stays (to avoid phone • surcharges).

Use your imagination to save, save, save.

Please share any other ideas you have for travel savings. We’ll pass them along. By working together, we should be able to accomplish our .

2588: Writing Negative Messages travel and meeting objectives this year without undue hardship, while helping Black & Decker meet its profit goals.

Sincerely, M. Juhasz, Travel & Meeting Services 8.6 The letter opens by stating the bad news. Reasons for the rejection could soften the bad news, but they don’t appear until later in the letter. The reasons presented in the second paragraph are minimal and lack sufficient information for the reader’s company to succeed if it applies again next year. The tone of the letter provides no encouragement, and the writer fails to give the name or phone number of a person to call for more specifics.

To improve the letter, use the indirect approach. Open with a thank-you that reintroduces the subject. Follow with positive resale about Home Depot as a potential business partner, which begins to explain the reason for the rejection.

Imply the rejection by describing needed “improvements,” and emphasize the benefits to Sterling (a better chance at success). Close with encouragement and a helpful phone number.

HOME DEPOT 2455 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30339-4024 (770) 743-8211 July 15, 2009 Pamela Wilson, Operations Manager Sterling Manufacturing 133 Industrial Avenue Gary, IN 46403 Dear Ms. Wilson: Thank you for presenting Sterling faucets at Home Depot’s recent productreview session in St. Petersburg. We are always looking for new products that meet our customers’ high standards. Our expert panelists pride themselves on knowing what customers are buying at any given time. This commitment to product excellence, customer knowledge, and price competitiveness has helped make Home Depot a Fortune 500 company.

Your faucets show promise, but before we put them on our shelves in more than realizea thousand stores (and growing), we want to ensure that you’ll the success you expect. The panel believes that your product’s current design is of too ornate and that the material used would not appeal to the majority our customers. Slight modification of the handle’s design and a highergrade . material faucets. could increase the interest of Home Depot shoppers in your Such modifications might also allow a lower price per faucet, which would

8: Writing Negative Messages 259 further enhance their appeal to our customers.

We are always willing to take a second look. By attending our next productreview session you’ll have an opportunity to showcase any improvements you’ve made during the previous twelve months. Our buyers appreciate a company’s attention to feedback, as well as its flexibility and willingness to work with us to produce a superior product.

If you have questions or wish to apply for next year’s event, you can reach a merchandising liaison at (770) 555-0988.

Sincerely,

Hilary Buchman

Hilary Buchman Assistant to the Vice President, Sales HB:kl

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 192) 1. When an employee is fired, the following tips should be considered.

1. Give an adequate reason for the discharge.

2. Seek out the employee’s explanation or interpretation of events.

3. Make it clear that the decision is final.

4. Briefly run through the benefits.

5. Explain your job reference policy.

6. Collect what’s yours from the employee.

2. Documentation provides a case of facts against an employee and is useful in the termination process. Don’t get caught trying to reconstruct documentation (such as warnings or poor performance reviews) after the fact, when you should have been creating them all along. Also, the documentation process should not be used to “build a case” against one worker when other workers in similar situations did not have their actions documented. Selective documentation may be proof that a person was the victim of discrimination.

3. These steps include documenting the problem, using fair rules and procedures, and investigating the “last straw” incident thoroughly. The safest way to fire someone, from a legal standpoint, is to be sure that you have a valid, nondiscriminatory business reason for the action, and that you have enough documentation to prove it. Your documentation must be created in the normal course of business, before you fire the person (except, of course, for a record of the actual termination discussion).

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2608: Writing Negative Messages

CASE SOLUTIONS (p. 193) On the following pages are suggested solutions for this chapter’s cases. They are complete and fully formatted so that you can copy them onto acetate transparencies. * Ready-made transparencies are available for the following cases. Each case has two solutions—one below average and one above average (which match the solutions in this manual): Case 4, When a Recall Isn’t Really a Recall: Voice Recording Informing Customers That an Unsafe Product Won’t Be Replaced (Transparencies 68 and 69) Case 5, Sorry, but We Don’t Have a Choice: E-Mail About Monitoring Employee Blogs (Transparencies 70 and 71) Case 7, Midair Letdown: Instant Message About Flight Cancellations at United Airlines (Transparencies 72 and 73) Case 8, Career Moves: E-Mail Refusing to Write a Recommendation (Transparencies 74 and 75) Case 10, Quick Answer: Instant Message Turning Down an Employee Request at Hewlett-Packard (Transparencies 76 and 77) Case 11, Safe selling: Memo about dangerous scooters at The Sports Authority (Transparencies 78 OBSTACLES and 79) 1.

REMOVING THE ON THE ON-RAMP: BLOG POSTING TO ERNST & YOUNG EMPLOYEES The challenge in this message is addressing the negative perceptions about the “offramp” program in a productive way. The program is going to happen, so it’s not a matter for discussion; however, if current employees don’t believe the program is necessary or fair, it’s going to generate friction that will damage morale and productivity. Either a direct or an indirect approach could be used, depending on the tone the writer wishes to establish with the audience. In either case, acknowledge the anxiety expressed by some employees, explain why management believes the program is the right choice for the company, and invite continued discussion on the matter—not so people can argue for or against the program, but to make sure that any lingering concerns are addressed as much as possible.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 261 September 19, 2009 KEEPING E&Y COMPETITIVE: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEW “OFF-RAMP” PROGRAM As some of you have heard by now, we will soon be implementing a program to rehire and reintegrate employees who have left the company for personal reasons over the years but now wish to return. I understand the anxiety that you may be feeling, particularly regarding salaries, promotions, and other important questions.

The management team is planning a formal announcement of the program for next month, but for now I’d like to address your concerns and encourage a productive conversation about this important change.

First, the management team is unanimous in recognizing the need to institute this program. The competitive strength of any service firm lies in the quality of its professional talent. If we don’t open our doors to our former associates when they want to return to the workforce, they will simply go to work for our competitors. While some employees may welcome this in the short term because it removes some internal competition for salaries and promotions, in the long term it will hurt the firm and therefore hurt everyone in the firm.

Second, E&Y has always fostered a fair and supportive workplace for all employees, and every employee is given equal opportunity to succeed. This new program does nothing to change that philosophy. No one will receive preferential treatment, and everyone will continue to be compensated based on his or her contribution to the firm’s success.

Third, I have heard some resentment expressed toward employees who left for personal reasons and now want to return. I would like to remind everyone that one of the factors that makes E&Y such a great place to work is the value the company places on the whole person, not just the 9-to-5 employee. Helping people balance their personal and professional lives gives us a competitive advantage, and it is a management philosophy to be viewed with appreciation, not suspicion.

However, as strong as these reasons are in favor of the program, I don’t wish to downplay the particular concerns any of you might have about your own careers as we begin this new phase in the history of the firm. I invite you to discuss these concerns with your immediate supervisor. If you have comments or questions of a more general nature, please post them here on the blog. Doing so will help all of us work through these issues and ensure that the new program will be a success for everyone here at E&Y.

2. LISTEN TO THE MUSIC, PARTNER: DELIVERING AN ULTIMATUM TO A BUSINESS ASSOCIATE This message will be unwelcome at the very least and probably unexpected, so an indirect approach is called for. The ultimatum needs to be clear and unequivocal, but it can be expressed in calm, professional language. Don’t apologize for “spying” on the retailer even though the reader is likely to be angry because of it; you did nothing illegal or unethical and were only protecting your large investment in the product.

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2628: Writing Negative Messages November 9, 2007 Jackson Fletcher Music99 14014 Preston Pike Dover, Delaware 19901 Dear Mr. Fletcher: On behalf of everyone at Stanton, I would like to convey our thanks for your continued efforts to sell our products. Stanton continues to grow with exciting new products, and we owe much of our success to our professional partners in the retail channel.

Our new FinalScratch DJ system has been a huge hit with amateur and professional DJs alike, thanks to the unique benefits offered by its breakthrough technology. While this technology has huge advantages, it does require some expertise on the part of retailers in order to present it accurately and effectively to potential buyers. We recognized this need before we introduced the product and responded by creating a special training seminar that we offered for free to all our retailing partners. I’m pleased to report that those retailers who attended the training are selling FinalScratch efficiently and profitably.

At the time, Music99 opted not to take advantage of the free training. While we certainly respect your right to make whatever decisions you deem appropriate for your business, the evidence is clear that the lack of training is hurting FinalScratch sales in your stores. To understand why the product was selling so poorly at Music99, we recently conducted some observational research to see firsthand how your sales consultants were presenting the product. The results of this investigation where extremely discouraging. Not only did most Music99 consultants present FinalScratch ineffectively, but many actually misrepresented the product and its capabilities. On numerous occasions, we observed buyers settling for a lesser product from our competitors simply because they were misinformed about FinalScratch.

I’m sure you can appreciate our concern and the urgent need to rectify this situation.

We value our relationship with Music99, but any relationship requires commitment from both parties. To protect our brand, Stanton management has decided that all retailers who wish to carry our products must commit to the training necessary to present those products accurately and effectively. Our factory specialists are available to train your employees at the earliest possible date. In order to schedule this training or to enable us to start recruiting other retailers in your market areas, please respond with your decision by November 20.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope that we will continue to count Music99 among our successful retail partners for many years to come.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 263 3. MESSAGE TO THE BOSS: REFUSING A PROJECT ON ETHICAL GROUNDS This ethical dilemma is easier than some because the resolution that satisfies your own ethical standards can also be presented as a wise strategy for the company.

Consequently, don’t focus exclusively on your own ethical qualms about the proposed training program, and don’t preach. An indirect approach is clearly called for, since your message is both unanticipated and unwelcome. Also, bear in mind that the subject line of the e-mail message will set the tone for the message that follows, so consider it carefully.

Date: Wednesday, August 2, 2007, 2:33 PM To: Jen Wilson <jkwilson@electrosales.com> From: Kell Darooge <kmdarooge@electrosales.com> Subject: A fresh perspective on the warranty sales training challenge Hi Jen, The extended warranty sales training program involves a major revenue stream, so I want to thank you for placing your trust in me for a project that is so important to the company. I’ve had the opportunity to analyze the data and think through the project since we spoke, and I wanted to share some new ideas regarding both the training and the warranties themselves.

In a market as competitive as consumer electronics, our reputation is obviously a vital asset. As more and more consumers become aware of the financial parameters of many extended warranties and possibly begin to question their value, I am concerned that our reputation will suffer. Moreover, by relying so heavily on revenue from a service that is perceived by many to be of dubious value, I believe we are jeopardizing the very future of the company.

In light of this risk, I propose that we proceed in a radically different direction. Rather than aggressive new sales tactics for the warranties, I believe we would be better served in the long term by restructuring our business model in a way that reduces our financial dependence on sales of extended warranties. At the very least, we should modify these warranties to increase the real value they offer our customers.

Jen, I realize the position I’m taking on this issue is both unexpected and practically heretical in the industry today. However, I believe it is the right position to take, both strategically and ethically.

Thank you for considering my thoughts on this, and I look forward to speaking with you when we both return to the office next week.

Kell

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2648: Writing Negative Messages 4. WHEN A RECALL ISN’T REALLY A RECALL: VOICE RECORDING INFORMING CUSTOMERS THAT AN UNSAFE PRODUCT WON’T BE REPLACE (Above-average solution)

[75-word recorded message] Working in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Adminsitration, we are ending production of Model 500, Model 1000, and Model 2000 enclosed beds. We have issued a revised manual and warning labels for these models, and we urge you to move patients to other beds if possible. If your facility uses any of these beds and you have not received the revised manual and warning labels, please press zero to speak with an operator.

4. WHEN A RECALL ISN’T REALLY A RECALL: VOICE RECORDING INFORMING CUSTOMERS THAT AN UNSAFE PRODUCT WON’T BE REPLACED (Below-average solution)

[56-word recorded message] Please be advised that Vail Products has ceased the manufacture of Model 500, Model 1000, and Model 2000 enclosed beds. We will not be accepting any returns, issuing any refunds, or replacing any of the beds affected by this recall. We have already taken necessary and appropriate actions regarding all registered owners of these bed models.

5. SORRY, BUT WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE: E-MAIL ABOUT MONITORING EMPLOYEE BLOGS (Above–average e-mail) An indirect approach would be helpful in this situation because the message is probably unexpected, and some employees may have a high emotional stake in it as well. You can certainly sympathize with their concerns over freedom of expression, but make it clear that protecting the company—for the good of all employees—is the overriding concern. A good strategy is to start with a buffer that reminds the audience of the importance of protecting the company. In addition, some background information about e-mail and IM monitoring will remind employees that much of their communication is already being monitored and help diffuse any criticism that blogs are being unfairly singled out for scrutiny.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 265

5. SORRY, BUT WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE: E-MAIL ABOUT MONITORING EMPLOYEE BLOGS (Below–average e-mail)

To: <all employees> Cc: Subject: Blog monitoring policy Hello everyone, Effective April 1, Webcor will begin monitoring employee blogs for confidential information, public criticism of the company, and any other information that management deems inappropriate. This new policy is necessitated by the same concerns that led to earlier decisions to monitor employee e-mail messages and instant messages.

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2668: Writing Negative Messages To protect the integrity of the monitoring effort, we will be unable to provide any information about the monitoring process itself, other than to say this new technology will be able to monitor blog postings across the web, even if you don’t use your real name or Webcor company e-mail address.

As you have no doubt heard many times in the past from myself or other senior managements, if you have complaints or criticisms, do not air the company’s “dirty laundry” in public. We have well-established internal communication channels and we expect all employees to use them.

Best regards, Julia Wannamaker REACTING TO A LOST CONTRACT: PHONE CALL RESCINDING A JOB OFFER 6.

This is going to be an extremely difficult conversation, and recognizing that up front is the best way to approach it. In addition to disrupting the candidate’s life and livelihood (even if he can get his old job back, it will be awkward and embarrassing for him), you are losing a top-notch employee and probably damaging the company’s reputation as well (experts in many industries tend to be well connected, so chances are quite a few people will hear Gunnstein’s story). There is simply no way you can feel good about the content of the message you must deliver, but you can deliver the message with compassion and professionalism. Recognize that even though this is a phone call, it needs to be planned as carefully as a written message. Anticipate Gunnstein’s state of mind and his reactions to the news so that you can think through your responses ahead of time. An indirect approach is called for, but out of respect for him, you must get to the bad news quickly. Delaying it with general chit-chat or extended explanations of the company’s financial situation is disrespectful to him. A sincere apology is appropriate in this situation (assuming you’ll consult with your company’s legal staff ahead of time).

[Notes to yourself are shown in regular font; talking points are in bold italics] 1.

Identify myself and my company affiliation (Gunnstein will remember who I 2. am because we’ve spoken recently).

He will likely have one of two possible reactions: 2a. If he has already heard the news about Alion losing the contract, he will probably mention that he has heard and will ask if this affects his employment status. This scenario is somewhat easier: he will already have a key piece of information and will be in a guarded frame of mind.

The news is true, unfortunately, and the loss of the contract is a major and unexpected blow to the company.

2b. If he hasn’t heard about the contract, his mood is likely to be upbeat, and he’ll probably assume that I’m calling with information regarding his move or something else related to his new job. I need to transition him away from the positive frame of mind to the unfortunate reality of the news I need to deliver:I don’t know if you’ve heard the unfortunate news regarding our Pentagon contract, but we suffered a major financial blow yesterday, and I wanted to get in touch with you as soon as possible.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 267 3.

4.

5.

6.

Get right to the bad news so you don’t keep him hanging. The loss of so much revenue without warning immediately changes the company’s financial picture. To stay afloat, the company is being forced to reduce its workforce. In addition to laying off several dozen current employees, we will be unable to add new employees and I regret that I must rescind your job offer.

His reaction is going to one of shock, understandably. He’s likely to be angry as well, particularly if he has already given notice to his current employer.

Claus, I understand how upset you must be, and please accept my apologies, both on a personal level and on behalf of Alion. I hope that by informing you as quickly as possible that we may have spared you at least some degree of disruption.

Depending on how he responds, I may need to discuss legal issues. [This information will depend on what you’ve been instructed to do by the company’s legal staff. For instance, if he signed an employment contract with a termination clause, the company may owe him a financial settlement.]

Once I’ve delivered the news, extended our sincere apology, and handled any legal issues that may arise, my next objective is to conclude the call as positively and professionally as possible.

Everyone here at Alion was excited about the prospect of you joining the team, and we all regret that this will no longer be possible. I truly enjoyed our conversations during the interview process and will miss the opportunity to work with you. I wish you the best of luck.

7.

MIDAIR LETDOWN: INSTANT MESSAGE ABOUT FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS AT UNITED AIRLINES (Above-average solution) Use a brief title to gain attention, then state the bad news using the direct approach. In a similar title/information sequence, explain the reason for the cancellation. Close on an upbeat note by directing passengers to complimentary lodging service. Keep the message under 65 words to accommodate any word limits among the variety of instant messaging software used by passengers.

EasyUpdate Flight Status Alert: All United Airlines flights from Chicago/O’Hare to Boston/Logan have been cancelled until further notice.

Reason: Heavy snow on the ground in Boston and freezing rain in tonight’s forecast. All travelers relying on Boston connections to complete a journey in progress should check in at United service desks for overnight lodging in Chicago, courtesy of United Airlines.

7. MIDAIR LETDOWN: INSTANT MESSAGE ABOUT FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS

AT UNITED AIRLINES (Below-average solution)

United Airlines is committed to providing excellent information service to our customers. We have an excellent track record of providing up-to-date weather information that affects all of our flights. As a result, we have been notified that all flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Boston Logan Airport have been cancelled because of a severe snowstorm that threatens to keep the airport closed for at least 24 hours .

2688: Writing Negative Messages or more. United will be lodging Boston-bound connecting passengers in Chicago-area hotels tonight. Check with airline personnel for more information. We will keep all passengers updated as soon as flight status changes. Don’t expect any changes for at least 24 hours.

8. CAREER MOVES: E-MAIL REFUSING TO WRITE A RECOMMENDATION (Above-average solution) Begin with a buffer. Tell Tom Weiss that his best interests would be served by asking for references from people who can address his sales abilities. Wish him well. Adopt a tone of helpfulness and goodwill. Avoid making negative personal comments.

Date: Wednesday, 30 March 2009 12:01:10 –0800 From: Felicita Myers <fmyers@linknt.net> To: Tom Weiss <tomweiss@aol.com> CC: Subject: Recommendation letter

Dear Mr. Weiss: You are to be commended for looking for a job where you can better use your talents. Because your work with us was in word processing, bookkeeping, and customer service, you will be better served if you ask someone who knows your sales abilities to give you a recommendation.

Best wishes for a successful career in sales.

Sincerely, Felicita Myers Office Manager <fmyers@linknt.net> Opal Pools and Patios 919 Overland Rd., Pineville SC 29468 Voice: 803-322-8687

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Fax: 803-322-8688

8: Writing Negative Messages 269 8. CAREER MOVES: E-MAIL REFUSING TO WRITE A RECOMMENDATION (Below-average solution)

Date: Wednesday, 30 March 2009 12:01:10 –0800 From: Felicita Myers <fmyers@linknt.net> To: Tom Weiss <tomweiss@aol.com> CC: Subject: Recommendation letter Tom, I received your request for a recommendation and, to be honest, am quite surprised. You hardly left our company on the best of terms. Given the organizational, accounting, and interpersonal skills you exhibited during your employment here, I am certain that there are others out there who could be of greater assistance to you.

Sincerely, Felicita Myers Office Manager <fmyers@linknt.net> Opal Pools and Patios 919 Overland Rd., Pineville SC 29468

Voice: 803-322-8687

Fax: 803-322-8688

9. JUGGLING DIVERSITY AND PERFORMANCE: MEMO GIVING A NEGATIVE PERFORMANCE REVIEW AT AT&T First, compliment Jorge’s job performance. Soften the bad news by saying that you know he’s been trying. Use a helpful, supportive tone, and focus on the action to be taken. Make yourself his “partner” in solving the problem, and offer helpful suggestions.

Set a deadline for resolution, and encourage interim checks to keep communication open and express your support. To foster Jorge’s commitment, close with another reference to his positive qualities on the job.

DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT:

July 13, 2009 Jorge Guiterrez, Customer Accounts Associate Margaret de la Rosa, Billing Adjustments Supervisor Performance review

When you first came to work in our department, we were impressed by how quickly you learned this difficult job. Your math skills are outstanding, and you have an excellent understanding of the important nuances of the job.

You and I have already discussed the one issue that is holding you back, and I know you have made some effort to correct the situation. But you must make a stronger .

2708: Writing Negative Messages commitment to reducing the number of your personal phone calls and absences.

Everyone has unavoidable emergencies from time to time, but you need to do more to eliminate those calls and absences that are excessive.

You might discuss this issue with your relatives and friends, impress upon them how important your job is to you, and explain that your work environment does not allow you to carry on the casual communications that they’ve been accustomed to. When family and friends do call, you might politely explain that, except in a true emergency, you cannot speak to them while your employer is paying you for your time and talent. If these explanations don’t convince them, please let me know. We can sit down together and map out other strategies that might help. Above all, I want you to succeed in your position here at SBC Pacific Bell.

You are a valuable asset to this department and to AT&T. We would hate to lose you over an issue that I believe you can solve, once you focus on the challenge. Let’s give it until mid-September, and then look at the situation again.

I’ll be discussing some of these strategies with you in our meeting today; please let me know in two weeks if you feel you still need help to show improvement by September. We’ll do what we can together to make sure this issue is resolved before your next performance review. We’d rather focus on your other fine qualities!

10. QUICK ANSWER: INSTANT MESSAGE TURNING DOWN AN EMPLOYEE REQUEST AT HEWLETT-PACKARD (Above-average solution) Use the direct approach, but work an explanation into your refusal (short notice).

Don’t blame and don’t apologize. Explain further, then close with encouragement for a future opportunity.

Lewinda, with such short notice, your request cannot be accommodated. We need budget approval from higher up for any conference longer than a day or farther away than Denver. Also, you would need to write a business justification for your attendance. Next time you find a conference you think will help you serve the company, let me know sooner. If it’s right, we’ll work together to make it happen.

10. QUICK ANSWER: INSTANT MESSAGE TURNING DOWN AN EMPLOYEE REQUEST AT HEWLETT-PACKARD (BELOW-AVERAGE SOLUTION) Lewinda, when you make these types of requests in the future, try giving me more time to help you. Review company policy and you’ll see you need budget approval to attend conferences and have to justify your absence. Be sure to follow these rules, or you won’t be able to attend any conferences.

11. COFFEE OFFER OVERFLOW: UNDOING A MARKETING MISTAKE AT STARBUCKS (Above-average solution) In this exercise it will be important to convey the negative news quickly, without a great deal of explanation. Students may benefit from discussing Starbucks’ actual attempt to justify rescinding the offer. The company explained in a press release that the coupons had been “redistributed beyond the original intent and modified beyond .

8: Writing Negative Messages 271 Starbucks control” (“Starbucks Yanks Free Coffee Deal,” [Accessed 3 Aug. 2007] http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/News/StarbucksYanksFreeCoffeeDeal.aspx).

The direct approach would likely be most effective in this situation. The audience will be disappointed or angry (one customer, for example, sued the company for $114 million), and the message should assure them that Starbucks regrets being unable to honor the coupons.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS: We regret to announce that due to unforeseen circumstances, the “Friends and Family” free iced drink promotion has been suspended indefinitely. Starbucks can no longer honor the online coupons and vouchers associated with this promotion. These coupons were distributed electronically throughout the month of August.

We apologize for this inconvenience, and appreciate your business.

August 23, 2009 11. COFFEE OFFER OVERFLOW: UNDOING A MARKETING MISTAKE AT STARBUCKS (Below-average solution)

CUSTOMERS: If you have not yet redeemed your “Friends and Family” free iced drink ticket that were sent out online during August, you are no longer able to do so.

We know our product is so great, that you won’t mind paying for it! We do apologize for this inconvenience.

August 23, 2009

12. WE’RE GOING TO CATCH SOME FLAK FOR THIS: ALERTING EMPLOYEES TO THE REMOVAL OF A POPULAR PRODUCT Although this message will be distributed internally, it will still be important to avoid including any comments you would not want the public to see. The primary goals are to prepare employees for the negative reaction that will follow removing the Looney Launch from production, and to help them understand the reasons behind your decision.

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2728: Writing Negative Messages LOONEY LAUNCH TO BE DISCONTINUED September 3, 2009 As you know, the Looney Launch bicycle ramp has turned out to be one of our company’s most popular products. However, we have recently learned of a lawsuit initiated by the parents of a child who was injured while using the product. Xtremity Plus is committed to ensuring the safety of our customers. For this reason the Looney Launch will no longer be produced, and open orders for the product will be canceled.

The popularity of the Looney Launch does not outweigh the potential risks (to our customers and to our company) associated with its continued distribution.

We will shortly notify retailers of this decision, and you are likely to receive questions about why we have ceased to offer such a popular product. Please emphasize our commitment to safety and our continued efforts to offer exciting and innovative products for extreme sports enthusiasts.

13. COMMUNICATING IN A CRISIS: INFORMING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ABOUT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT The fire at the EQ Industrial Systems site in Apex, North Carolina was a large-scale incident that strained the company’s relationship with the surrounding community. A wealth of information about the fire circulated quickly, and (not surprisingly) some of it turned out to be inaccurate. This posting should have a “just-the-facts” feel, and should illustrate the company’s commitment to keep the public well-informed, respond promptly to the disaster and restore the community’s trust.

Fire Breaks Out at EQIS’ Apex Facility October 6, 2009 As the news media has reported, a fire occurred last night (Thursday) around 10:00 p.m. at the EQ Industrial Systems facility in Apex, North Carolina. No one was in the facility at the time of the fire, and at this point the cause of the blaze is unknown. A variety of materials are stored at the Apex facility, and we are currently working to determine which one was the source of the fire.

Two inaccurate rumors about the fire are circulating. First, it has been reported that our Apex location housed chlorine gas (which is extremely hazardous). In fact, no chlorine gas was stored there. It is also rumored that the fire has spread to nearby businesses. As soon as EQ Industrial Systems learned of the fire, the company hired specially trained industrial firefighters who have already succeeded in bringing the fire under control.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 273 Whenever an industrial fire occurs, there are concerns about its potential effects on air quality. Residents in the areas surrounding our Apex facility were evacuated as a precaution, but should be able to return to their homes tomorrow pending permission from local authorities. As of Friday afternoon, tests conducted by the North Carolina State Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources “had not detected anything out of the ordinary in the air.” EQ Industrial Systems would like to thank local law enforcement and fire departments for their assistance in alerting the public to our toll-free hotline (1800- 555-1212), which provides updates and other information on this incident.

14. SAY GOOD-BYE TO THE CONCIERGE: PODCAST ANNOUNCING THE END OF A POPULAR EMPLOYEE BENEFIT Because the concierge service is so popular, this announcement is sure to disappoint the employees who’ve taken advantage of it. The indirect approach will probably be best, and it will be important to assure the audience that the company will do all it can to restore the benefit in the future.

Since it was implemented last year, the employee concierge service has turned out to be one of our most popular employee benefits. The service is a time-saving convenience, allowing all of us to direct more of our energy and time to important matters at work and at home.

Unfortunately, lower-than-expected profits this year have forced us to look for ways to trim the budget. The recent widespread recall on more than a million of our dishwashers has made it even more urgent that we cut back on our expenditures.

Nonessential expenses are always the first to go in situations like this, and the concierge service falls into that category.

After Friday of this week, concierge services will be suspended until further notice.

We hope this will be only a temporary interruption of the services, and when the company’s financial situation improves we will certainly revisit this decision. We value your talents and appreciate your efforts to maintain our company’s status as a leading producer of consumer appliances.

15. WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE: WRITING A NEGATIVE PERFORMANCE REVIEW You have several goals in this message. First, it’s important to document your concerns about Bridgewater’s performance. This may help her improve, but if she fails to do that you’ll have something in writing to fall back on later. Second, she’s a well-respected and highly qualified company representative, so you want to make it clear that you value her contributions and are ready to help her improve her performance in the areas you describe. (This sample response calls for a meeting, but students should understand that it would be important to follow up with another document detailing the results of that conversation.)

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2748: Writing Negative Messages DATE: TO: FROM: RE:

April 5, 2009 Elaine Bridgewater Karen Sykes KS Intermediate Performance Review

One of my most important responsibilities is helping our employees succeed and excel at StraightDrive.com. With that goal in mind, I have some information to share with you regarding your performance as our retail liaison.

First, I want to let you know how much I appreciate the remarkable credibility and knowledge you’ve brought to our company. Your experience as a former touring pro has earned immediate respect from our retailers and customers, and has undoubtedly enhanced our sales. Your energy level is incredible, and you’ve worked hard to build a strong rapport with the resellers you assist day in and day out. No one here knows the game as well as you do.

All of this shows that you are well-qualified for the key role you play in maintaining positive relationships with our retailers. That’s why I was surprised to learn that we’ve recently received a number of complaints regarding your communication with this important group. More specifically, retailers have expressed dissatisfaction based on: • • •

voice-mail messages that have gone unanswered for days confusing e-mail messages that require two or three rounds of clarification reports that are poorly organized and difficult to understand

I am confident that we can work together to eliminate future complaints such as these. The retail channel is vital to our company’s continued success, and I’m sure you’ll agree that we must do all we can to communicate with our retailers in ways that help them promote and market our products. Prompt responses to phone calls and clearly written correspondence not only show our retailers that we value their business, but reflect our professionalism and commitment to excellence.

Let’s meet early next week to talk over some strategies for addressing these concerns.

I am ready to help in whatever ways I can. Would Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. work for you? Please call me at 5136 to let me know. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS AND USAGE (p. 197) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Semicolons and Colons (p. 225) 1. This letter looks good; that one doesn’t.

2. I want to make one thing perfectly clear: neither of you will be promoted if sales figures don’t improve.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 275 3. The Zurich airport has been snowed in; therefore, I won’t be able to meet with you before January 4.

4. His motivation was obvious: to get Meg fired.

5. Only two firms have responded to our survey: J. J. Perkins and Tucker & Tucker.

6. Send a copy to Mary Kent, Marketing Director; Robert Bache, Comptroller; and Dennis Mann, Sales Director.

7. Please be sure to interview these employees next week: Henry Gold, Doris Hatch, and George Iosupovich.

8. We have observed your hard work; because of it, we are promoting you to manager of your department.

9. You shipped three items on June 7; however, we received only one of them.

10. The convention kit includes the following response cards: giveaways, brochures, and a display rack.

11. The workers wanted an immediate wage increase; they had not had a raise in nearly two years.

12. This, then, is our goal for 2003: to increase sales 35 percent.

13. His writing skills are excellent; however, he still needs to polish his management style.

14. We would like to address three issues: efficiency, profitability, and market penetration.

15. Remember this rule: When in doubt, leave it out.

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 198) 1. Hector, Julie, and Tim’s report was well received by the committee.

2. Everyone who is interested in signing up for the training seminar must do so by 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Or delete “who is”: Everyone interested . . .]

3. David Stern is a management and training expert who has spent a major part of his career coaching, counseling, and advising both managers and workers.

4. Be aware of and comply with local zoning ordinances and building codes.

5. Garrett didn’t seem fazed when her supervisor didn’t accept her excuse for being late: she had forgotten to set her alarm. [Or . . . being late, which was that she forgot to set her alarm.] .

2768: Writing Negative Messages 6. Copyright laws on the Internet are not always clearly defined. Be sure your research doesn’t extend to “borrowing” a competitor’s keywords or copy. [Or Copyright law . . . is . . .]

7. Sauder Woodworking, in Archibald, Ohio, sells a line of ready-to-assemble computer carts, desks, file cabinets, and modular furniture that can be mixed and matched to meet each business owner’s personal taste.

8. Spamming is the most certain way to lose your e-mail account, your website, and your reputation.

9. We programmers, especially Roger and I, have always tried to help others learn the tricks of the trade.

10. The person who was handling Ms. Martinez’s account told her that the bank had made an error in her favor. [Or delete who was: The person handling . . .]

11. “The trouble with focus groups,” says marketing expert Frances Knight, “is that consumers rarely act in real life the way they do in a ‘laboratory’ setting.”

12. In an industry in which design firms tend to come and go, Skyline has licensed 70 products and grown to eight employees.

13. If you’ve ever wondered why fast-food restaurants are on the left and gift shops are on the right as you walk toward the gate into a newly constructed airport, you should read Malcolm Gladwell’s article “The Science of Shopping” in The New Yorker.

14. Anyone who’s starting a business should consider using his or her life story as a way to generate customer [or customers’] interest.

15. Having been in business since 1993, Mr. Jurzang has made thousands of sales calls on potential customers for his minority-owned company.

Level 3: Document Critique—Well-written solution (p. 199) TO: <all.employees> SUBJECT: Health Insurance Changes Unlike many companies, Bright Manufacturing has always paid 100 percent of medical care insurance for its employees, absorbing the recent 10–20 percent annual cost increases in order to provide this important benefit. Last year, we worked diligently with our provider, Blue Cross of California, to juggle rising costs so that we could continue this tradition.

Blue Cross has recently informed us that next year’s cost increase for our employees’ medical coverage will be a staggering 40 percent per month. We are told that this record-high amount is the result of increased claims from our employees and skyrocketing medical costs nationwide.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 277 To manage the increase and continue to offer you and your family high-quality medical coverage, we have again negotiated a solution with Blue Cross. The following changes include a cost-saving alternative that we have never offered before: 1. If you choose to stay with the existing Blue Cross Plus plan, your co-payments will be $10 for office visits; $50 for emergency room visits.

2. If you choose to stay with the existing Blue Cross Plus plan, Bright will pay 80 percent of your insurance coverage (including 10 percent of the cost increase) and 100 percent of your prescription drug costs (including a 23 percent cost increase). The remaining 20 percent of medical coverage will be deducted monthly from your salary, if you choose to remain on a Blue Cross Plus plan.

This share is still less than many companies charge their employees.

3. If you choose to switch coverage, Bright will provide a fully paid alternative health plan at no cost to employees: Blue Cross HMO. If you opt to switch to this new plan, you must do so during our Open Enrollment period, November 20 to December 1, 2007.

For anyone choosing to change coverage, forms are available in the Human Resources office and must be returned during the Open Enrollment period (11/20 to 12/01). If you wish to remain on the Blue Cross Plus policy, you need not notify us; payroll deductions will begin automatically on January 1, 2008.

Accompanying this memorandum is a brochure describing the details of these new medical insurance options, including cost and benefit comparisons. If you have questions, please call our new Medical Benefits Information line at ext. 3392. You will also find information about health-care coverage on our Intranet site; just click the “Medical Benefits” icon.

Since our founding in 1946, we have provided our employees with the best medical coverage available. Despite rising costs, we are working to keep this benefit available to you.

Sincerely, Lucinda Goodman, Benefits Manager, HR * See Transparency 80 for a revised version.

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2788: Writing Negative Messages

CHAPTER 8 POP QUIZ True-False 1. When writing negative messages, analysis, investigation, and adaptation help you avoid alienating your readers. (True) 2. Negative messages should always be written using the indirect organizational pattern. (False) 3. When writing negative messages, assume your audience is interested in being fair, even when they are at fault. (True) 4. To ensure that the audience understands that the answer is “no,” repeat the decision in the last paragraph of the message. (False) 5. A buffer is useless when writing a message using the indirect approach. (False) 6. Offering an apology in the first paragraph is a good way to help your reader understand why you are saying “no.” (False) Provide enough detail for the audience to understand your reasons, but be 7. concise. (True) 8. Stating that company policy prohibits the action the reader requested is typically sufficient explanation of bad news. (False) 9. Tell the audience what you cannot do in a one-sentence paragraph, using a simple-sentence structure. (False) 10. Even though the message contains bad news, the ending paragraph should end on an upbeat note. (True)

Multiple Choice 11. Which of the following is not a goal of negative messages? a. To give the bad news b. To maintain the reader’s goodwill c. To reduce future correspondence on the matter d. To hold the bad news until the very end of the message 12. When composing negative messages, you should always a. create an audience-centered tone. b. include a lecture of why the reader was at fault. c. hide the bad news. d. do all of the above.

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8: Writing Negative Messages 279 13. In which of the following should you use the direct approach? a. In a message telling employees there will be no annual bonus this year b.In a message containing minor bad news that will cause little disappointment c. In a message that contains a bad performance review d. In a message containing bad news that does not affect your company 14. Which of the following would be an effective buffer in a letter turning down a reader’s request to use some of your company’s copyrighted material? a. I am sorry, but we cannot allow you to use the material you requested. b. Your writing project sounds interesting and worthwhile. c. I am writing to inform you that we received your request. d. None of the above are effective buffers.

15. To write an effective buffer, make it a. lengthy to get your reader’s attention. b. misleading. c. relevant. d. controversial.

16. Follow a buffer with reasons that are a. detailed. b. unapologetic. c. positive. d.all of the above.

17. Which of the following can be used to effectively handle bad news? a.Tell what you did instead of what you didn’t do. b. Put the bad news in the last paragraph to provide clarity for the reader. c. Use several negative words to help readers understand that it is a negative letter. d. Do none of the above.

18. Which of the following would be an effective ending sentence for a letter to an unsuccessful job applicant? a. We apologize for taking so much of your time in the past weeks. b. We assume you can find work elsewhere. c. We believe that you will be successful in your chosen career. d. In future letters, be sure to correct spelling and grammar mistakes.

19. When refusing a claim, be sure to a. demonstrate your understanding of the complaint. b. explain your refusal. c. suggest alternative action. d.do all of the above.

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2808: Writing Negative Messages 20. When informing customers about back orders, try to a. use resale information to clinch the sale. b. apologize three times. c. use the direct approach. d. do none of the above.

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING PERSUASIVE MESSAGES CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 9 focuses on writing effective persuasive messages by applying the threestep writing process introduced in earlier chapters. The messages addressed in this chapter are often more suitable for the indirect approach, but most persuasive messages go beyond the indirect approach used for negative messages. This chapter introduces the AIDA model, a more intense plan for persuasive messages.

A writer grabs the audience’s attention and proceeds to develop interest and desire before the action close motivates the audience to take action. Readers also learn how to distinguish between emotional and logical appeals and how to balance them in their writing. Four common mistakes in persuasive writing are also discussed. Whether the employee needs to write a persuasive request for action or a persuasive claim for adjustment, this chapter provides guidance for writing messages effectively. The subtleties of conversation marketing are also addressed.

Studying and applying the suggestions in this chapter will assist writers in putting together an effective persuasive message.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 9 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet.

Number Transparency 81 Transparency 82 Transparency 83 Transparency 84 Transparency 85 Transparency 86 Transparency 87 Transparency 88 Transparency 89 Transparency 90 Transparency 91 Transparency 92 Transparency 93 Transparency 94 Transparency 95 Transparency 96 Transparency 97 Transparency 98 Transparency 99 Transparency 100

Content What is the Three-Step Process?

Ethics Activity: Writing Sales Letters Activity 9.1 (improved letter) Activity 9.2 (improved letter) Activity 9.3 (improved letter) Case 1: Above-average solution Case 1: Below-average solution Case 5: Above-average solution Case 5: Below-average solution Case 7: Above-average solution (page 1 of 2) Case 7: Above-average solution (page 2 of 2) Case 7: Below-average solution Case 8: Above-average solution (page 1 of 2) Case 8: Above-average solution (page 2 of 2) Case 8: Below-average solution Case 9: Above-average solution Case 9: Below-average solution Case 10: Above-average solution Case 10: Below-average solution Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution) .

2829: Writing Persuasive Messages

CHAPTER OUTLINE Using the Three-Step Writing Process for Persuasive Messages Step 1: Planning Persuasive Messages Analyzing Your Situation Gathering Information Selecting the Right Medium Organizing Your Information Step 2: Writing Persuasive Messages Step 3: Completing Persuasive Messages Developing Persuasive Business Messages Strategies for Persuasive Business Messages Framing Your Arguments Balancing Emotional and Logical Appeals Reinforcing Your Position Anticipating Objections Common Examples of Persuasive Business Messages Persuasive Requests for Action Persuasive Presentation of Ideas Persuasive Claims and Requests for Adjustments Developing Marketing and Sales Messages Strategies for Marketing and Sales Messages Assessing Audience Needs Analyzing Your Competition Determining Key Selling Points and Benefits Anticipating Purchase Objections Applying the AIDA Model Getting Attention Building Interest Increasing Desire Motivating Action Writing Persuasive Messages for Social Media Maintaining High Standards of Ethics, Legal Compliance, and Etiquette Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Using the Three-Step Writing Process for Persuasive Messages Persuasion is the attempt to change your audience’s attitudes, beliefs, or actions. Because persuasive messages ask audiences to give something of value (money in exchange changing afor a product, for example) or take substantial action (such as corporate policy), they are more challenging to write than routine messages.

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 283 Analyzing Your Situation The best persuasive messages are closely connected to your audience’s desires and interests. Consider these important questions when planning your message: • Who is my audience?

• What are my audience members’ needs?

• What do I want them to do? How might they resist?

• Are there alternative positions I need to examine?

• What does the decision maker consider to be the most important issue?

• How might the organization’s culture influence my strategy?

To understand and categorize audience needs, you can refer to specific information, such as demographics (the age, gender, occupation, income, education, and other quantifiable characteristics of the people you’re trying to persuade), psychographics (personality, attitudes, lifestyle, and other psychological characteristics), and your audience’s cultural expectations and practices.

If you aim to change someone’s attitudes, beliefs, or actions, it is vital to understand his or her motivation—the combination of forces that drive people to satisfy their needs.

Gathering Information When you’ve finished analyzing your situation, the next step is to gather the necessary information that will close the gap between what your audience knows, believes, or feels right now and what you want them to know, believe, or feel as a result of receiving your message (Chapter 10 instructs you how to find this information).

Selecting the Right Medium Media choices are always important, of course, but these decisions are particularly sensitive with persuasive messages because such messages are often unexpected or even unwelcome.

Another important area of development in media for persuasive messages is combining personal attention with technological reach and efficiency.

Organizing your information The most effective main ideas for persuasive messages have one thing in common: they are about the receiver, not the sender.

Be sure to limit your scope.

Most persuasive messages use an indirect approach.

Explain your reasons and build interest before asking for a decision or action.

When writing your message (Step 2) you should: Use positive and polite language.

Understand and respect cultural differences.

Be sensitive to organizational cultures. .

2849: Writing Persuasive Messages Take steps to establish your credibility.

Positive language usually happens naturally with persuasive messages since writers are promoting an idea or product in which they believe.

Some of the best ways to gain credibility include Use simple language.

Provide objective evidence for the claims and promises you make.

Identifying your sources.

Establishing common ground with your audience.

Being objective and present fair and logical arguments.

Displaying your willingness to keep your audience’s best interests at heart.

Avoiding the “hard-sell.”

When completing persuasive messages, you must make sure that you Judge your argument objectively and try not to overestimate your credibility.

Carefully match the purpose and organization to audience needs.

Design your message to complement your argument.

Proofread for any mechanical or spelling errors that would weaken your argument.

Choose a delivery method that fits your audience’s expectations.

Developing Persuasive Business Messages One’s success in business is related to an ability to convince others to accept new ideas, change old habits, or act on your recommendations.

Persuasive business messages are designed to elicit a preferred response in a nonsales situation.

Effective persuasion involves four strategies: Framing your arguments Balancing emotional and logical appeals Reinforcing your position Anticipating objections When framing a persuasive argument, effective businesspeople use the AIDA model: • Attention. Your first objective is to encourage your audience to want to hear about your problem, idea, or new product—whatever your main idea is. Be sure to find some common ground on which to build your case.

• Interest. Provide additional details that prompt audience members to imagine how the solution might benefit them.

• Desire. Help audience members embrace your idea by explaining how the • change will benefit them and answering potential objections.

Action. Suggest the specific action you want your audience to take. Include a deadline, when applicable.

When using the AIDA model, you can Use either the indirect or the direct approach (though it is tailor-made for the indirect approach).

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 285 Make subject lines interesting without revealing your proposal.

There are two limitations to the AIDA model: First, AIDA is a unidirectional method that essentially talks at audiences, not with them.

Second, AIDA is built around a single event, such as asking an audience for a decision, rather than on building a mutually beneficial, long-term relationship.

An emotional appeal calls on feelings or audience sympathies.

Remember that people need to find rational support for an attitude they’ve already embraced emotionally; therefore, to be truly effective, emotional appeals should be accompanied by logical appeals.

A logical appeal uses one of three types of reasoning: Analogy: Reasoning from specific evidence to specific evidence Induction: Reasoning from specific evidence to a general conclusion Deduction: Reasoning from a generalization to a specific conclusion Be sure to avoid faulty logic, especially the following: Hasty generalizations: have plenty of evidence before drawing conclusions.

Circular reasoning: supporting claims by restating them using different words.

Attacking opponents: focus on the argument, not the person.

Oversimplifying complex issues: don’t reduce situations to “either/or” statements.

Mistaken assumptions of cause and effect: don’t assume you know the cause of something when other factors could be at play.

Faulty analogies: be sure that two objects or situations being compared are similar enough for the analogy to hold.

After the basic elements are complete, consider how you can reinforce your position.

If you choose to use vivid language and abstractions, do so carefully and honestly.

You also should consider using metaphors and other figures of speech.

Writers of powerful persuasive messages have anticipated many objections and addressed them before audiences see their message. Anticipating objectives allows you to get the issues out of the way sooner and demonstrate a broad appreciation of the issue and imply confidence in your message.

If you’re addressing a hostile audience, be sure to present all sides of the situation and present other options before your own. Try to involve your audience in the design of your solution.

When developing your persuasive message, avoid these common mistakes: Using a hard sell.

Resisting compromise.

Relying solely on great arguments.

Assuming that persuasion is a one-shot effort.

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2869: Writing Persuasive Messages When writing persuasive requests for action, you want to Begin with an attention-getting device (showing readers you know something of their concerns) Give facts, explain benefits, and enhance your appeal in the interest and desire sections.

Gain credibility for you and your request Convince your readers that helping you will help solve a significant problem Close with a request for some specific action Some persuasive messages aren’t action-oriented; you might need to change attitudes of beliefs about particular topics.

When writing persuasive requests for action, your goals are to gain credibility (for yourself and your request) and make your readers believe that helping you will indeed help solve a significant problem.

To craft persuasive requests for action, you’ll want to Open with an attention-getting device and show readers that you understand their concerns.

Use the interest and desire sections of your message to demonstrate that you have good reason for making such a request and to cover what you know about the situation: the facts and figures, the benefits of helping, and any history or experience that will enhance your appeal.

Close with a request for some specific action once you’ve demonstrated that your message is relevant to your reader.

At times, you may not want to change attitudes or beliefs immediately. When this is the case, begin by asking your audience to reexamine long-held opinions or admit the possibility of new ways of thinking.

When writing persuasive claims and requests for adjustment, you want to Begin by stating the basic problem.

Give your reader a good reason for granting your claim.

Tell your audience how you feel about the problem without getting carried away.

Developing Marketing and Sales Messages Marketing messages usher potential buyers through the purchasing process without asking them to make an immediate decision; that’s when sales messages take over.

Marketing messages focus on Introducing new brands to the public Providing competitive comparisons Encouraging customers to visit websites for more information Reminding buyers that a particular product or service is available Sales messages make a specific request for people to place an order for a particular product or service.

Basic strategies to consider when writing marketing and sales messages: Assessing customer needs .

9: Writing Persuasive Messages 287 Analyzing your competition Determining key selling points and benefits Anticipating purchase objections Applying the AIDA model Maintaining high standards of ethics, legal compliance, and etiquette As with every other business message, successful marketing and sales messages start with an understanding of audience needs.

Be knowledgeable about competitor’s campaigns; you might want to avoid themes, writing styles, or creative approaches that are too similar to those of competitive messages.

Be sure you control the focus of your message: Selling points are the most attractive features of an idea or product (focusing on the product).

Benefits are the particular advantages readers will realize from features (focusing on the user).

As with persuasive messages, anticipate audience objections when developing your message.

To highlight the price of your product, you can Prepare your readers for it, using words such as luxurious.

Place the price in a prominent position, such as in the headline or at the end of the paragraph.

To downplay the price of your product, you can Leave the price out altogether.

De-emphasize price by placing figures mid-paragraph near the end of your message.

Break a quantity into units.

Compare your product’s price with the cost of some other product or activity.

When using the AIDA model in sales messages, you grab attention by opening with Your product’s strongest feature or benefit A piece of genuine news A point of common ground with the audience A personal appeal to the reader’s emotions and values The promise of insider information The promise of savings A sample or demonstration of the product A solution to a problem Strong, evocative images are also common attention-getters.

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2889: Writing Persuasive Messages In the interest section, build interest by highlighting your product’s central selling point, the single point around which you will build your sales message.

This section should also offer support for whatever claims or promises you made in the attention section.

In the desire section, intensify your readers’ desire by Focusing on the readers, not the product Highlighting important benefits Using action terms Using colorful verbs and adjectives (but don’t overdo it) Support for your claims may take several forms; your message may Include samples and brochures (often with photographs).

Include testimonials from satisfied customers.

Cite statistics from scientific studies of the product’s performance.

Include guarantees of exchange or return privileges.

In the last section of your sales message, you need to Explain clearly how to take the next step.

Try to persuade readers to act right away—maintain a professional tone.

Boost audience response by adding a P.S. that Reiterates your primary benefit Makes an additional offer Compels the reader to act quickly by emphasizing a deadline Conversation marketing occurs when companies initiate and facilitate conversations in a networked community of customers, journalists, bloggers, and other interested parties.

To write persuasive messages for social media, follow these guidelines: Facilitate community building.

Initiate and respond to conversations within the community.

Identify and support your champions.

Don’t rely on the news media to distribute your message.

Use the AIDA model at the right time and in the right places.

Because the concept of persuasion is often associated with dishonesty and unethical practices, you must strive for high ethical standards to overcome this stigma.

The best businesspeople make persuasion a positive activity, influencing the members of their audience by Providing information and aiding understanding Allowing the audience the freedom to choose Persuading without manipulating Adopting the “you” attitude by showing honest concern for their audience’s needs and interests Pay close attention to the following legal aspects of marketing and sales communication: .

9: Writing Persuasive Messages 289 Marketing and sales messages must be truthful and nondeceptive.

You must back up your claims with evidence.

Marketing and sales messages are considered binding contracts in many states.

In most cases, you can’t use a person’s name, photograph, or other identifying without permission.

Following all legal aspects of marketing and sales communication won’t guarantee that your message won’t be offensive. An audience-centered approach, involving respect for your audience and their values should help avoid etiquette mishaps.

Successful persuasive communication always centers around the basics: Understanding audience needs Out-communicating competitors Providing clear, compelling information that encourages customers to make decisions in your favor Many companies demonstrate their sensitivity to audiences through permission-based marketing, in which messages are sent only to recipients who have given the marketer permission to contact them.

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE The limited business experience of many students will increase the challenge of writing effective persuasive messages. Conducting a careful audience analysis will be essential as students prepare to write the messages that this chapter focuses on.

Remind students again of the importance of all the components of the three-step writing process.

Engage students in a discussion of using the direct or the indirect pattern for persuasive letters. Students may have questions about when the direct pattern should be used. Provide plenty of examples to enhance their understanding.

Gauging audience needs must go beyond what the students themselves assess as important. Some students may approach sales letters by writing about what would “sell” them on a product or service. During class discussions, help students analyze an audience and gauge its needs. This activity will help students appreciate that they must go beyond their own views of what would be desirable or interesting about a product.

The messages students have previously written for this class did not necessarily require that they establish their own credibility. Discuss with students why credibility becomes important in persuasive messages, and refer them to some of the ways the chapter suggests to do this.

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2909: Writing Persuasive Messages Most students will have experience with persuasive arguments that focus almost entirely on emotional appeals. However, they will need to modify this approach when writing persuasive messages. Emphasize that most persuasive messages need a balance between emotional and logical appeals.

When challenged to appeal to an audience’s logic, using analogy, induction, and deduction will challenge some members of the class. Discuss these types of reasoning with the class and provide plenty of examples.

Students often face challenges when applying the AIDA model. For some, composing an effective attention-getting opening will be as challenging as writing an effective buffer. Some students also have difficulty providing sufficient, wellorganized information to build interest and desire. Students typically want to write very short persuasive messages that lack a strong appeal. Students will struggle with how and where to include price information in sales messages. Even the action paragraph may prove challenging for some. Emphasize that the closing paragraph should motivate the audience to action. Provide plenty of examples of ineffective and effective persuasive messages to illustrate your points.

Assist students in differentiating between selling points (product or service features) and benefits (advantages the audience will realize). Point out the differences in sample chapter documents or in documents you pull from your files.

Students will often question how persuasive claims and requests for adjustment differ from the claim letters they prepared as routine letters (Chapter 7). When discussing these letters, point out differences in the examples.

Legality and ethics issues always present challenges in the study of persuasive writing. Involve students in a discussion of how consumers can be deceived and what legal and ethical responsibilities the advertiser has. Emphasize the fact that sales letters are considered legally binding documents in many states.

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES 1. Examining persuasive sales messages. A week before you present this chapter, ask students to bring in samples of persuasive advertising materials they receive in the mail. Also be sure to pull additional examples from your files. Discuss the examples students bring to class. They should generate a good deal of enthusiasm for the chapter. They also provide an effective way to examine both the similarities in various persuasive documents and the differences between sales and fundraising messages. You can also bring in and compare persuasive messages that do not involve selling a product or fundraising.

2.

Learning how business writers prepare successful persuasive messages. Invite someone from an advertising firm to visit the class and share insights on the art of persuasion in written documents. Be sure to ask the speaker to address such topics as how to select an effective appeal, how to discuss price, and how to handle the legal and ethical issues that must be considered.

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 291 3. Writing an ineffective persuasive message. Invite students to come up with a product or service they can write about. Instruct them to write the worst persuasive message they can about that product or service. Students will have a good time doing this. Critique student letters in class, involving everyone in the discussion. By helping students identify the bad practices, you will help them increase their mastery of the good ones presented in the chapter.

4. Critiquing persuasive requests for action and persuasive claims. Provide students with examples of persuasive messages that are not well organized. Guide students through a critique of each message and then instruct them to rewrite effective messages that follow the AIDA model. Provide your own examples from letters you have collected or use the Analyze This Document messages in the Activities section at the end of the chapter.

5. Writing effective message components. Students often benefit from exercises requiring them to write only a portion of a complete message. Provide a variety of scenarios: Instruct students to write just the subject line for various persuasive memos to be sent within the organization, just the attention-grabbing opening for a sales or fundraising message, just the portion of the message that deals with the price of a product or service. or just the action section.

6. Writing persuasive messages. Assign students to write persuasive requests, persuasive claims, and sales letters. Provide your own scenarios or select from the cases at the end of the chapter. Students should work at computers (if available) to facilitate writing, rewriting, and editing. Direct students through the planning steps before they begin composing. While students are writing, move around the room and provide individual constructive comments about use of the AIDA model, balancing emotional and logical appeals, overall tone, legal and ethical issues, and so forth. Project both below-average and above-average solutions for each case you assign as in-class writing. Involve students in the critiquing to strengthen their understanding of good and bad practices for persuasive messages.

7. Some quick research on SPAM. Ask students to check the laws in the state they reside in regarding the use of spam and the penalties involved. Discussions could include the type of spam they receive and controls to prevent it.

8. Online exercise. A supplemental exercise in evaluating a podcast is available for your students. They can access it by visiting http://real-timeupdates.com/bce, clicking on Student Assignments, and then selecting "Chapter 9. Message for Analysis." Students can download this podcast and identify at least three ways in which the message could be more persuasive

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 216) 1. To gauge the audience’s needs when planning a persuasive message ask questions such as, Who is the audience? What are their needs? What do I want them to do? How might they resist? Are there alternative positions I must examine? What is the important issue, in the decision maker’s view? How might .

2929: Writing Persuasive Messages the organization’s culture influence my strategy?

2. Demographics are quantifiable characteristics such as the age, gender, occupation, income, and education of the people in an audience. Psychographics are psychological characteristics, such as the personality, attitudes, and lifestyle of individuals in an audience. Both types of characteristics influence the needs of an audience, which is why communicators need to consider both when planning a persuasive message.

Emotional appeals address human feelings by basing the argument on audience 3. needs or sympathies. Logical appeals address human reason and are supported by reasons or evidence.

Three types of reasoning that work in logical appeals are analogy (reasoning from specific evidence to specific evidence), induction (reasoning from specific evidence to general conclusion), and deduction (reasoning from generalization to specific conclusion).

The AIDA model stands for (1) attention, (2) interest, (3) desire, and (4) action. It 5. is suitable for persuasive messages because the main idea—what you want the audience to do—is presented at the end, after all the reasons and attention-getting material. By the time the readers reach the action stage of the message, they are not only paying attention but are also more interested in the information and motivated to follow through. The limitations of the model include (1) the unidirectional method that essentially talks at audiences, not with them; and (2) it’s built around a single event, such as asking an audience for a decision, rather than on building a mutually beneficial, long-term relationship.

4.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 216) 1. Persuasive messages are sent to people who are displeased, uninterested, unwilling, and even hostile; therefore, identifying audience needs and having a specific purpose are crucial to being able to convince the audience not only to accept the message but also to take action as a result of reading it.

2.

3.

Unlike routine messages, persuasive messages require you to motivate others to act. These messages are not about ordinary, day-to-day matters. You wouldn’t expect to send five persuasive requests daily. Because persuasive messages are supposed to convince or motivate readers, they often include more detail than routine requests. They also require more strategic planning to achieve credibility, choose the right appeal, and use semantics and other reinforcement tools effectively.

A company could opt to avoid conversation marketing; however, it is not recommended. Conversation marketing promotes the interactive participation of customers and other audiences and is becoming more and more popular.

Companies would do well to initiate this type of marketing so that consumers could feel as if they had a stake in the company and its products.

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 293 4. Persuasive management tasks might include • Making sales presentations • Motivating employees • Proposing new ideas to upper management • Writing proposals • Drafting sales material Handling disturbances • between co-workers Convincing customers to try • a new product Getting consultants or contractors • to meet deadlines Attracting new business • Promoting changes in procedures • 5. If an emotional appeal is used to manipulate an audience’s decision, especially if the communicator appeals to some negative emotion such as fear, then that appeal must be considered unethical. Subtle appeals to an audience’s emotions that evoke positive feelings of comfort, happiness, safety, self-esteem, and so on would usually be considered ethical.

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 217) Exercises for Perfecting Your Writing 1. The memo uses an effective subject line and introduces common ground: finding ways to cut annual plastic costs.

2. The memo uses the indirect organizational approach. The main idea is not introduced until the numbered list at the end of the second paragraph.

3. The subject line is relevant and effective because it deals with saving costs.

4. The writer uses mostly logical appeals by including specific cost data as well as attaching a supplemental report.

5. The audience will benefit by building the company’s image while reducing costs.

6. The writer establishes credibility by supporting his claims with facts, numbers, and preliminary research results.

7. The writer reinforces his position with semantics (“let’s meet”), by presenting a win-win situation (consumers will be happy and the company will save money), and by providing specific and sufficient support for his recommendation.

8. We Can Save Time and Money on Printing 9. Imagine, a Meal That Everyone Likes!

10. We Can Avoid a Vacation Problem

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2949: Writing Persuasive Messages 11. Original sentence focuses on features. Revision to focus on benefits: Clean-up is easy because All-Cook skillets are coated with a durable, patented non-stick surface.

12. Original sentence focuses on benefits.

13. Original sentence focuses on features. Revision to focus on benefits: Video action is smooth and crisp with the 8-millisecond response time in the Samsung LN-SN4095D 40 LCD TV.

Activities (p. 217) 9.1 This letter suffers from poor organization and a “we” attitude. The following problems are also evident: 1. The opening is misleading—sounding like the beginning of a sales letter rather than a letter to solicit opinions and evaluate performance.

2. The second sentence is blunt, as is the tone of the rest of the letter.

3. The writer implies that customers will not want to fill out the questionnaire.

4. Imperative sentences are rude when making requests.

5. The last paragraph belongs at the beginning of the letter.

6. Writing may not be the most effective way to get the needed information.

Here is a revised version of the letter.

Dear Mr. Lovett: Thanks for your business this past year. As any of our repeat customers will tell you, your satisfaction is our goal. To help us serve you even better, please take a moment to fill out the enclosed questionnaire and return it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope.

The whole questionnaire will take less than five minutes to complete, and you’ll be the one who benefits—the more we know about what you need and want, the better we can help.

In addition, we’ll show our appreciation by mailing you a certificate worth 5 percent off your next repair with us. But to receive this certificate, you must return your questionnaire by April 30.

At Tolson, we want to take care of all your auto needs. Let us hear from you.

Sincerely, * See Transparency 83 for an improved version.

9.2 The letter suffers from overall vagueness. In addition, note the following communication barriers: .

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1. The tone of the letter is not professional or businesslike.

2. The last sentence of the first paragraph insults the reader.

3. The second paragraph does not specify what action the writer is requesting.

4. The writer’s general complaints have nothing to do with the claim.

5. The last paragraph is vague, requiring more time to rectify the problem.

6. The point of the message is almost entirely lost.

Here is a revised version of the letter.

June 20, 2009 Customer Service Gateway 2000 610 Gateway Drive, P.O. Box 2000 North Sioux City, SD 57049-2000 Dear Customer Service Representative: On June 1, I received a TelePath x2 modem from you. Enclosed are copies of my receipt and warranty. The modem works properly, except for the volume, which is set to maximum and will not respond to the normal control codes for reducing it.

This modem is used every day for my business, so it’s difficult to be without one during the time it would take to ship and repair the defective one. I prefer that you ship me a new or used replacement modem. When I receive the replacement, I’ll send you the defective modem to be repaired. Since this request is unusual, I agree to pay one-half the shipping charges.

If you would prefer to handle this repair some other way, please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you for providing both excellent products and services. I look forward to doing business with you in the future.

Sincerely,

* See Transparency 84 for an improved version.

9.3

Here are the problematic claims: 1. I am considered (By whom?)

2, 3, 4. The country’s foremost (Who judges which authority is “foremost,” and how is this party qualified to make this judgment? Also, what does “foremost” mean—the most knowledgeable, the most frequently quoted, the best-selling?)

5. authority on employee health-insurance programs (employee health insurance is a vast and complex subject, and no single human being can profess to be an expert in every facet of this topic).

6. universally positive feedback (No one has ever been dissatisfied about any aspect of service? Seems hard to believe.)

7. They also love (“Love” is an awfully strong word to use here.) .

2969: Writing Persuasive Messages 8. hundreds and hundreds of hours (This is vague; is it two hundred or nine hundred? Does every client realize the same degree of time savings, or is this an average?)

9. I am absolutely confident (This sounds arrogant.)

10. every degree of savings possible (This essentially promises perfect service; what expert can make such a claim and deliver on it every single time?)

11. “Best advice ever!” (The best advice ever received on any topic?)

12. “an unbelievable amount” (Why is it unbelievable?)

Here is a revised version of the message: As a recipient of America’s Health Insurance Plans 2008 Provider of the Year, I am considered one of the country’s foremost authorities on implementing employee health insurance programs. My clients offer positive feedback on the programs I’ve designed for them. They also remark about how much time the programs I implement save them—an average of six hours a week. Given my past experience, I am very eager to thoroughly analyze your needs and create a portfolio that will offer your company substantial savings. I invite you to experience the same level of service that has generated such comments as “Not only is our new insurance system easier to use, it’s designed so everyone can use it!” and “Implementing your system saved our company almost $75,000 in the first year alone.”

* See Transparency 85 for an improved version.

9.4Using emotional appeals is ethical, unless you have distorted the truth or used words that can be misinterpreted. Your posting should include clear benefits and allow readers the freedom to choose. This exercise is a good chance to discuss how peer and company pressure can make people feel manipulated into contributing to a cause.

9.5 The FTC suggests that recipients throw away letters and offers that don’t sound legitimate. Before recipients send money to an organization, the FTC suggests checking it out with the state’s Attorney General or Better Business Bureau.

9.6 This message suffers from poor organization. The writer has used a threatening phrase in the subject line and bluntly finds fault with the reader’s company in the second paragraph and elsewhere in the letter. The rude tone evident throughout the letter will not convince the reader to take action. The writer needs to follow the basic AIDA model. The action the writer wants the audience to take is presented too early in the letter.

Follow the plan for persuasive requests. Grab attention with a compliment and an appeal to good business sense. Because this is not a first but a last appeal, build a strong case by presenting hard-hitting facts about the dangers of ETS. Detail specific costs to CMSI, both human and financial, which could become Kukyendahl’s liability. Be careful not to make threats, but mention legal precedents as one of the strongest benefits of compliance. Request specific action with a tone of positive expectation. Provide contact information, and end with

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 297 another cost benefit.

Here is a revised version of the letter: CMSI Contract Management Services, Inc. 3638 University Blvd., Suite 302, Houston, Texas 77005-3396 (832) 768-3899 fax: (832) 768-3803 www.cmsi.com March 22, 2009 Mr. Robert Bechtold, Manager Kukyendahl Joint, Inc. 88 North Park Road Houston, TX 77005 Dear Mr. Bechtold: Re: Secondhand Smoke at 3638 University Blvd., Suite 302 Kuykendahl Joint has built a fine reputation for successful office space management, so we know you’ll want to be up to date on the issue of secondhand smoke that has been plaguing our new offices since we moved in on January 2, 2004.

As we have explained before, cigarette smoke from tenants on either side of us, and perhaps above and below as well, has been infiltrating our space.

Known as ETS (environmental tobacco smoke), such smoke is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a Group A (known human) carcinogen. No level of exposure to Group A toxins is safe. ETS is linked to many forms of cancer, including lung, breast, cervical, and endocrine.

We lost one of our top-producing employees last week when she had to quit because the smoke was reactivating her childhood asthma. This loss is a serious blow to our bottom line. Another of our employees is in a high-risk category for heart attack, which has also been linked to ETS. Others here, including me, have suffered from bronchitis, respiratory infections, and migraines. ETS contains 4,600 chemicals, including poisons such as cyanide, arsenic, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and ammonia.

Sick time has already cost CMSI valuable business and lowered productivity.

Plus, many of us are considering finding other jobs unless our office air becomes safe to breathe again. Secondhand smoke is even more dangerous than what smokers inhale, since the inhalation process burns off some of the toxins.

As we informed you last month, we tried hiring contractors to apply weather

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2989: Writing Persuasive Messages stripping and seal visible openings. We spent $3,000 in this effort (see attached bills), but we have still obtained no relief from the smoke infiltration. Enclosed is a summary of recent ETS-related court cases in which landlords and owners were held responsible for providing toxinfree air for their tenants. In most of these cases, owners were also required to reimburse rents and pay damages for the harm done before the problem was remedied.

Please resolve this problem immediately. Please provide us with healthy air, refund the $9,000 we’ve paid in rent since January 1, and reimburse us $3,000 for our repair expenditures. To make appropriate arrangements, contact me at (832) 768-3899.

We look forward to breathing clean air again and to enjoying our offices in your building for many years to come.

Sincerely, Kathleen Thomas Manager Enclosure KT:cb 9.7 The overall message is blandly presented; the message needs more punch through the use of action words, colorful verbs and adjectives, and enthusiastic tone. The routine opening does not fully catch the reader’s attention, and some of the audience will not finish reading the brochure. This brochure would benefit from identifying a key selling point and how the audience can benefit. The reader’s interest should be aroused before the price is mentioned. Although the features are identified, they are not presented in an easy-to-read format. The closing also lacks enthusiasm and needs a push for immediate action.

Add a promotional line to the letterhead and include a headline-style subject line.

Pose a question that highlights the central selling point. Build interest by describing the just-washed heartbreak of a sudden deluge, using a personalized tone that suits this business. Put features and benefits in a bulleted list, using bold type to attract interest. Phrase everything using the “you” attitude. Sum up ScrubaDub’s general features and benefits in another list. Wrap your action paragraph in benefits, make action easy, and conclude with a final sales tag line.

In the P.S., make a special timely offer.

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 299

SCRUBADUB CAR WASHES Serving car owners from 11 convenient locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

Bob and Dan Paisner, Owners

Your “Best Defense Against a Dirty World” just got better!

How would you like a FREE car wash the next time your beauty gets rained on or thrashed by salt, slush, or snow?

Don’t you just hate it when that happens the day after you’ve had your car washed and waxed? We do, too! That’s why we’ve created ScrubaDub’s latest innovation in car-wash convenience: our new computer-automated ScrubaDub Car Care Club!

For a mere $5.95 “lifetime membership” (good for as long as you own your car), you get: •

Our 48-Hour Express Guarantee: As a Car Care Club member, you get the same exterior wash FREE if your car gets dirty within 48 hours after your wash.

• Our 4-Day Clean-Car Guarantee: Your member guarantee extends to 4 days if you’ve just purchased the Super Wash, Luxury Wash, Special or Works Wash.

• Our Frequent Wash Bonus Program: Club members get one free Works Wash for every ten washes purchased. Best of all, our computer tracks and awards the free wash when you drive in, so you don’t have to save punch cards or stickers!

• Instant $5 Rebates on Any Foam Wax: You can choose Turtle Wax (lasts 10 days), Simonize (20 days), or Blue Coral (30 days)—as a Club member, you’ll get an instant $5 rebate!

• Members-Only Specials: From time to time, you’ll get good deals available only to Car Care Club members.

• Everything You Already Love About ScrubaDub: Our computerized service tracks everything from the last type of wash you purchased to the kind of wheels you have—so your car gets the right amount of detergent, water pressure, and appropriate handling. Plus, our Satisfaction Supervisors are always on hand to take your special requests, such as towel drying or gas stain removal.

Plus you’ll still get all the ScrubaDub advantages: •

“Touchless” systems to protect your finishes

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3009: Writing Persuasive Messages •

Our secret-formula Superglo detergent to clean your car safely and thoroughly • Wheel sensors to prescribe the right treatment for whitewalls, wire, or chrome • Soft, heated well water to eliminate spots • Soft-cloth drying to give your car a final gloss • Water recycling to preserve our environment • And a FREE wash on your birthday!

And don’t forget ScrubaDub’s Bumper-to-Bumper Guarantee: If you’re not satisfied, you can repeat the wash until you are—or we’ll refund your money.

Whether it’s pigeons or Mother Nature’s little surprises, your newest “best defense against a dirty world” is the ScrubaDub Car Care Club! Sign up today at www.scrubadub.com/club.htm, or your nearest ScrubaDub car wash.

We’ll send you a bar-coded sticker to place in your window and from then on, our computers will take care of everything you need. When it’s time for a wax, we’ll let you know! Our trained attendants will even greet you by name and wish you a Happy Birthday as you drive in for your FREE wash!

Remember what Bob and Dan say, “A clean car lasts longer—and looks newer!”

P.S. If you sign up in the next 30 days, we’ll give you a Super Wash for free!

9.8 This message is poorly organized, and the opening lacks a real attention getter.

The wording will overwhelm the reader. Frequent use of “I” reflects a writerfocused message, which fails to convince Sheila that e-cruiting will make her job easier.

Use the AIDA model. Start with an appealing attention-getter. To ease Sheila into the subject gently, mention your own prior lack of knowledge. Select facts that will increase her interest and desire. Use “we” when noting benefits to the company, and switch to “you” for benefits that will make Sheila’s job easier.

Imply that e-cruiting could become a star in Sheila’s crown as HR director.

Here is a revised version of the e-mail message: To: sryoung@sprenco.com Subject: Recruiting tactics Dear Shelia, How would you like to reduce our hiring costs per candidate from about $1,300 to $183? I’ve been reading about “e-cruiting,” and I think you’ll be amazed by what we could save and how far it could extend our reach.

Until I looked into it, I didn’t realize that there are now 30,000 to 100,000 Internet sites devoted to recruiting. Currently, about 150 million people are using

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 301 the Internet in the United States. Last year, 74 percent of those people over the age of eighteen used the Internet to look for a job. That number represents a huge pool of potential talent that we might tap.

Bank of Montreal claims that it saved $1 million by relying on e-cruiting this year. Even more exciting, only two percent of our building-industry competitors are using this new technique to find good employees. If we’re among the first in our industry, we could snap up the best talent from all over the state before other builders have even written their Sunday ads!

E-cruiting can work two ways. First, we can use software to scan and screen potential candidates from huge online data banks of résumés. We list the qualifications we need, and the job sites send us the résumés of candidates who have those qualifications. This approach will save you hours of hassle. Your prescreening process will already be done—and this service is free.

Second, we can list our job openings on the major career websites such as monster.com or hotjobs.com for only $100–$300 per month—a lot less than the $1,000 we hand over to the local newspaper for an ad. Plus, the online listing reaches a potentially unlimited audience, and it has no word limit. You can describe the openings in as much detail as you like. This way, we may attract some candidates who don’t post their résumés online but who do check the web for job openings.

Some companies say they’ve cut hiring times from six weeks to one hour. You won’t have to wait for résumés to arrive via snail mail, and although you won’t have a first meeting with candidates face to face, you’ll be able to follow up with e-mailed questions in a matter of moments.

Eventually, we could also post jobs on a website of our own, but with so many options available, let’s wade in gradually. If we like e-cruiting and save as much money as we hope, then we can expand our efforts.

I’m looking forward to discussing this with you.

Sincerely,

9.9 This exercise helps students learn from the professionals who prepare glossy sales messages. Students should address each question and identify how direct-mail messages expand beyond the AIDA model used in persuasive requests and claims. Discuss these packages in class to help students understand how these messages differ and why they’re prepared by trained professionals.

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 222) 1. If you decide to write an e-mail, this list of helpful suggestions will improve the effectiveness of the letter: .

3029: Writing Persuasive Messages •

• •

Your purpose for writing should be stated in the first paragraph of the e-mail. If your e-mail pertains to a specific piece of legislation, identify it accordingly, e.g., House bill: H. R. ____, Senate bill: S.____.

Be courteous, to the point, and include key information, using examples to support your position.

Address only one issue in each e-mail; and, if possible, keep the email to one page.

2. When writing to any political figure, you should show the usefulness of your idea as well as the benefit to that person politically. Explanations should be made as to why a small business can help the tax base in a community. In addition, if the business enhances the surrounding area with a new line of goods, not only will it benefit the residents, but it may also provide new employment. Any political figure who can take credit for creating these “positives” will look quite good on election day.

3. Remember that a staff member, not the member of Congress, usually takes telephone calls. Ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you wish to comment.

After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message, such as: “Please tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose (S.___/H.R.___).”

You will also want to state reasons for your support or opposition to the bill. Ask for your senators’ or representative’s position on the bill. You may also request a written response to your telephone call.

CASE SOLUTIONS (p. 222) On the following pages are suggested solutions for this chapter’s cases. They are complete and fully formatted so that you can copy them onto acetate transparencies. *Ready-made transparencies are available for the following cases. Each case has two solutions—one below average and one above average (which match the solution in this manual): Case 1, That’s the Point: E-Mail Encouraging Your Boss to Blog (Transparencies 86 and 87) Case 5, Give a Little to Get a Lot: Suggesting Free Wireless at Starbucks (Transparencies 88 and 89) Case 7, Always Urgent: Memo Pleading Case for Hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive (Transparencies 90, 91, and 92) Case 8, Selling your Idea: Sales Letter Promoting a Product of Your Own Invention (Transparencies 93, 94, and 95)

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Case 9, Instant Promotion: Text Message from Hilton Hotels to Frequent Guests (Transparencies 96 and 97) Case 10, Helping Children: Instant Message Holiday Fund Drive at IBM (Transparencies 98 and 99)

1. THAT’S THE POINT: E-MAIL ENCOURAGING YOUR BOSS TO BLOG (Above-average solution) An indirect approach is definitely called for; you already know that your audience is not ready to accept the message you wish to convey. Use a buffer to establish common ground and to acknowledge Florence’s reservations. Use the body of the message to build your case, presenting your evidence and reasons calmly and objectively. Close with a call to action that doesn’t demand a final yes/no decision but rather asks for a low-risk interim decision (a meeting) in order to keep the persuasive process moving forward.

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3049: Writing Persuasive Messages

1. THAT’S THE POINT: E-MAIL ENCOURAGING YOUR BOSS TO BLOG (Below-average solution)

To: w_florence@sprenco.com Cc: Subject: Refusing to blog is a big mistake!

Hello Will, I’m more convinced than ever that not creating a blog would be a big mistake. Yes, Bob Lutz takes some hits now and again, but he has the courage to put his name and reputation on the line. Plus, these online conversations are going to continue, whether we like them or not. If we choose not to participate in them, we lose any ability to influence the conversation in our favor.

You’ve always stressed the importance of customer feedback; surely you can understand how much valuable feedback we can gather through posted responses to your blog (depending on the system and how we configure it, we can also selectively choose to display or not display messages from people who respond to your postings).

I have several more executive blogs that I’d like to show you—even more evidence that this is the right way to go.

2. LISTEN UP: PROMOTING A PODCAST CHANNEL (Note: The instructions in Case 2 in Chapter 9 specify a 50-word description of the podcast station to be posting on a podcasting website. A second option is to have students script a promotional podcast. Here are possible solutions to both assignments.)

With millions of podcasts appearing on thousands of podcasting websites and channels, you need to clearly identify your podcasting service, define who might be interested, and explain why this audience would want to listen to your podcasts.

Website promotion for podcast station:

The transition from business school to the business world can seem complex and confusing, but it doesn’t have to be.

School2Biz offers practical advice on making smart decisions on everything from preparing résumés to building a successful career. We’ve been through it, and you can learn from our experience!

Podcast promotion for podcast station:

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Greetings from the team at School2Biz, a podcast channel devoted to helping business school graduates make a successful and rewarding transition to the business world.

Our podcasts cover all the key decisions you need to make, from choosing a career path that best fits your interests to promoting yourself as you build that career.

Everyone on the School2Biz team is a bschool grad, with anywhere from two to ten years of work experience. We’ve been through the transition you’re about to make, and we’ve made some good choices and some not-so-good choices. We share it all: what works, what doesn’t, and what we’d do differently if we had it to do all over again.

So join us on this guided tour through one of the most exciting experiences you’ll have in life!

3. YOUR NEW KENTUCKY HOME: LETTER PROMOTING THE BLUEGRASS STATE Relocating an entire company—or choosing the location to start a new business—is an enormously complex decision. Moreover, every state in the union tries to lure businesses, so the competition is fierce. Your argument will need to be clear and compelling in order to stand apart from the crowd. However, keep in mind that no one will relocate based on just a single form letter; your purpose is simply to encourage CEOs to consider Kentucky as an attractive possibility. The entire persuasion process will involve personal visits and a variety of in-depth reports and presentations. But it can all start with a letter that paints a clear picture of Kentucky as a great place to do business. Keep the letter brief and objective, and be sure to explain how readers can get more information.

Marvin E. Strong, Jr. Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development Old Capitol Annex, 300 West Broadway Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 800–626–2930 • econdev@ky.gov [date] [name and address from database]

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Dear [name from database]: If your company is considering moving your existing operations or establishing new facilities, you may be surprised to discover the many advantages that Kentucky has to offer: Knowledgeable workforce

Expansion Management magazine ranked our workforce training programs third among all state programs for customizing business and industry training.

High productivity

Our workers continually outperform the national average.

Low-cost power

Kentucky has some of the lowest electricity costs in the nation.

Attractive business climate Central location

Our cost of doing business is the lowest of any state east of the Mississippi and the fourth-lowest in the nation.

Locating in Kentucky puts you within 600 miles of two-thirds of the nation's population and manufacturing businesses.

Reach customers anywhere by road, rail, water, or air (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport was voted the number two airport by independent passenger surveys).

Efficient transportation Generous incentives Low taxes Available sites and buildings A great way of life

Creative incentives includes corporate tax credits, loan financing, training grants, and opportunities for foreign trade zone operations.

Property taxes are among the lowest in the nation, and we have no local sales taxes.

Over 200 prescreened “shovel-ready” sites and more than 200 quality industrial buildings are ready for your new location or expansion.

From cosmopolitan urban life to the best of outdoor sports and recreation, Kentucky has just about everything for you and your employees to enjoy.

Find out why so many innovative companies choose to locate or expand in Kentucky.

For more information, please contact me at 800-626-2930 or by e-mail at econdev@ky.gov. You can also learn more about all these advantages on our website at www.thinkkentucky.com.

We look forward to speaking with you and welcoming you to your new Kentucky home.

Sincerely,

Marvin E. Strong, Jr. Secretary, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development

4. DON’T FORGET PRINT: USING THE WEB TO PROMOTE TIME INC.’S MAGAZINE ADVERTISING Whatever approach you take with this message, don’t try to downplay or denigrate online advertising. Doing so will only harm your credibility and give your message an air of desperation. Instead, promote the benefits of magazine advertising objectively and explain that for many companies, a mix of online and print advertising can be the ideal strategy. At the same time, don’t try to apologize for the nature of print advertising, even though it doesn’t have the “gee whiz” factor of the latest online technologies. It remains a legitimate and compelling medium, so don’t sell it short.

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Adding the power of print to today’s multimedia advertising strategies Online advertising has taken off in recent years, and with good reason. The interactivity and precise targeting make online advertising a great choice for many advertisers.

However, limiting your media plans exclusively to online can leave a gaping hole in your market coverage and your ability to deliver compelling messages. Consider the unbeatable advantages of today’s magazine ads: •

The ability to reproduce high-quality photography. Nothing shows off a magnificent automobile, a delicious plate of food, or an attractive spokesmodel quite like the ultra-high-resolution, true-color reproduction of magazine photography.

•

The physical presence of print. Online ads are great, but they disappear when visitors leave the website or switch off the computer. Not so with magazines. Day after day, they’re still there—in the library, at the doctor’s office, in the airport lounge—waiting for the next reader to pick them up and encounter your ad.

•

Portability. Computers may be getting smaller, but they will never be as easy to tuck under your arm or toss in a gym bag as magazines are.

Wherever readers go, magazines usually follow.

•

Guaranteed circulation numbers. Verifiable online ad measurements are coming along, to be sure, but you can count on audited magazine circulation numbers today.

•

Close reader relationships. Just about everybody has a favorite magazine or two, and many people have been reading their favorites for years. They keep trusting these publications, which means they’ll keep seeing your ads.

Click here to learn more about the measurable advantages of print advertising and successful strategies for integrating print with online to maximize the marketing power of your advertising investment.

5. GIVE A LITTLE TO GET A LOT: SUGGESTING FREE WIRELESS AT STARBUCKS (Above-average solution) Recognize that your request is a long shot; Starbucks already has a contractual relationship with T-Mobile to provide wireless service for a fee, so the company is not likely to change this without an extremely compelling reason to do so. Moreover, the company may have business reasons for not offering free wireless, such as the risk that their stores will be filled with students and others who take advantage of the free wireless for hours on end without buying much of anything. One possibility is to use .

3089: Writing Persuasive Messages an indirect approach that highlights the customer loyalty that locally owned coffee shops enjoy and that explains why many customers don’t exhibit that same level of loyalty toward Starbucks.

Dear Starbucks, Like many college students, I spend many hours and many dollars at local coffee shops. I hang out with friends there, work on school assignments there, and even hold meetings there for various school organizations and project teams. I typically spend $8 to $10 every visit, by the time I buy one or two beverages and a snack. Multiply that by the 200 or 250 days I visit a coffee shop every year, then multiply that by the 6 million or so college students in the United States, and you’ll end up with a very large number indeed.

So I’d like to pose a question: Why do so many of those college students choose to spend their money at locally owned coffee shops, rather than at Starbucks? I’ll admit that many people my age feel a sense of antipathy toward any large corporation. You may never be able to do much about this part of the problem. However, another key reason has emerged in the past few years, and it’s a situation you certainly can address: free wireless access.

Here at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (and at most every other college these days I am sure), students need network access for virtually every aspect of college life, from communicating with our professors to conducting research to planning our social lives. We need access everywhere we go, it seems, and being on tight budgets, we’ll go anywhere we can get free wireless access.

I don’t have the market research data one would need to confirm this, but I am sure that many college students would spend more of their coffee and snack budgets at Starbucks if you were to offer free wireless. And considering how inexpensive the equipment is these days, you probably wouldn’t need many new customers at each store to justify the cost of providing the equipment and network connection.

In addition, just knowing that Starbucks was paying attention to the needs of cash-strapped college students might even change a few of the antiStarbucks minds of my generation.

In closing, if you look into this opportunity, you might just find a vast new segment of the market willing to switch to Starbucks. Thank you for considering this matter.

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5. GIVE A LITTLE TO GET A LOT: SUGGESTING FREE WIRELESS AT STARBUCKS (Below-average solution)

Dear Starbucks, I’d like to help your company lure in more customers so that your can make more money: Offer free wireless access in your stores.

I’m a college student and usually spend my time (and money) at local coffee shops. No doubt your company recognizes that many students my age do not look favorably on large corporations such as yours, and offering free wireless access is but one way you could help turn this around.

College students need to be able to access the Internet from wherever we are and given our tight budgets, if we could tap into free wireless access at your coffee houses, that’s where we’d go.

If you begin to offer this new service, then you’ll be proving to us college students that your company does really care about our needs and that you’re doing everything you can to make us happy.

I hope that you’ll be able to begin offering this free service soon. Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

6. OUTSOURCING: LETTER FROM KELLY SERVICES OFFERING SOLUTIONS To gain attention, open with a solution to a problem. Use Kelly’s newest offering (KMS) to focus interest on what might otherwise be old news for human resources executives. Describe the new services (features) that Kelly offers, but imply many of the benefits to avoid insulting knowledgeable readers. Include facts about the company that even knowledgeable readers might not know. Make the call for action easy, no-risk, and direct. Then conclude the letter with benefits.

KELLY SERVICES®, INC. 999 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, Michigan 48084 (313) 295-6012 www.kellyservices.com [Date] [Inside address] Subject: Finding the Best Employees for Less Dear _______: Do you need a team that can get the job done but lack the time for choosing, hiring, and training? Kelly Management Services (KMS) is your one-call solution.

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3109: Writing Persuasive Messages At Kelly, you can choose from complete outsourcing services in several categories, including office services, administrative services, transaction processing operations, distribution services, and customer service operations. With a simple phone call, you have an entire department ready to fill your needs immediately—already trained, supervised, and up to speed. When the job is completed, your obligation ends quickly and easily—until the next time you need our help.

Of course, if your task can be handled by one or two employees, Kelly still offers the temporary staffing solutions that have made it a Fortune 500 company with 2,400 offices in 26 countries. We now provide staffing solutions for 95 percent of Fortune 500 companies. That includes technical writers, computer programmers, mechanical engineers, assemblers, data management experts, and office experts in whichever software programs you specify. By assuming all responsibility for hiring, firing, training, and benefits, Kelly Services removes the burden of maintaining a beefed-up workforce, so your company can run “lean and efficient” year-round.

Last year, Chrysler Corporation presented us with its Gold Pentastar Award as a “best-in-class supplier” for excellence in “quality, customer satisfaction, technology, and delivery” of contract labor with office/clerical, information technology, and engineering skills. We can do the same for you, and more.

We choose the best—and many of our temporary workers love their flexible jobs so much that they stay with Kelly. On the other hand, if you want to preview new employees for “no-risk hiring,” we’ll work with you to preselect the best people to fill your temporary-to-permanent positions. After the temporary trial period, both you and your new employee will be sure of the fit—creating happier, more productive, and longer-lasting partnerships.

To learn more about KMS or other Kelly Services, call (313) 295-6012 to speak with a representative. We’ll be glad to meet with you at your offices to discuss how we can help fill your staffing requirements faster, better, and cheaper, with measurable gains in quality and efficiency!

Sincerely, Shania Heikkila Marketing Manager

SH:ld

7. ALWAYS URGENT: MEMO PLEADING CASE FOR HOSTING A RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE (Above-average solution) The subject line is informative, without revealing the request. The memo opens with a human-interest anecdote, weaving emotional appeals in with logical appeals as it lays out the facts and builds a sense of urgency. As the writer explains the facts, he addresses concerns he knows the directors will have, such as who will manage the blood drive and how it will benefit the casino (community stature, visibility, charitable

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 311 instincts, etc.). The writer anticipates and answers possible objections. He carefully describes what he’s asking readers to do (authorize the drive, donate food and drinks). The message ends with a final emotional appeal.

DATE:

August 18, 2009

TO:

The Pechanga Board of Directors

FROM:

Justin Morfitt, Food Service Manager JM

SUBJECT:

Community Image Enhancement Project

Pechanga Casino has an opportunity to enhance its image in the community while helping to correct a serious situation. Today, the American Red Cross issued an emergency call for blood donations. Their supplies are nearly depleted.

Just imagine being wheeled in for open-heart surgery—scary, right? Now imagine you’re only a week old. That’s how old baby Melissa was when she had her first operation for multiple congenital heart defects. The surgery kept Melissa alive—and the donated blood of total strangers gave her a gift that can’t be measured in dollars.

Melissa is five now, thanks to the generous donors who gave her more than 50 units of blood over the years. Her mother recently wrote to the American Red Cross to thank everyone who sat down, rolled up their sleeves, and “gave a piece of themselves” to keep Melissa alive. Indeed, such extraordinary acts of selflessness save thousands of lives every day.

A single pint of blood can help up to four people. But donated blood lasts only 72 hours.

So when there’s no national emergency to inspire us, we forget to donate—and supplies can run dangerously low. This emergency threatens the lives not only of surgery patients like Melissa but also of accident victims, cancer patients, and so many others who need blood or blood products on a regular basis. The Red Cross supplies 50 percent of the nation’s blood, so if an earthquake, tornado, flood, fire, or terrorist attack should occur now, there won’t be enough blood to help the victims.

Pechanga Casino can help reverse this crisis by sponsoring an emergency Red Cross Mobile Blood Drive in the casino’s parking lot. After organizing our successful Toys for Tots drive last year, I’m confident that I can handle all the hosting and promotional requirements, with help from our local Red Cross chapter. Because of the national emergency, we should schedule the drive as soon as we can book the Bloodmobile. We’ll be joining other responsible Temecula firms, from restaurants to law offices, who sponsor such blood drives.

The American Red Cross provides all of its assistance free of charge. The local chapter describes itself as “a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement.” Its mission is “to

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prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found.” The Red Cross is able to accomplish this mission only through the generosity and compassion of businesses like ours, businesses who donate time, money, skills, and in this case, “a piece of themselves.”

I’ve been a blood donor myself for years now, and I can tell you that the emotional rewards of this simple act of giving far outweigh any minor inconvenience. However, only 5 percent of those eligible to donate blood think of doing so. That’s one reason that Pechanga can offer the perfect location for encouraging new donors. We already have so many employees and customers on hand, and our publicity about the Blood Drive will draw members of the community who haven’t previously visited the casino.

If you approve, I can call the Red Cross today to start working out the details. Blood donors (who must be 17 and weigh at least 110 pounds) will need to be well fed, hydrated, and rested before donating blood—we’ll include those suggestions in our advertising. Afterward, they’re usually given orange juice. It would be a wonderful, supportive gesture for Pechanga to donate water, orange juice, and snacks for donors during the event. I can certainly organize such provisions with my food service staff.

Donors who come to the drive will appreciate our generosity, and Pechanga’s active role in the community will become more visible as we help the Red Cross during this blood supply crisis.

If we all pitch in and do what we can, there won’t be a “baby Melissa” out there who doesn’t make it simply because the blood she needed wasn’t available to keep her alive.

7. ALWAYS URGENT: LETTER PLEADING CASE FOR HOSTING A RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE (Below-average solution) The subject line will not catch the readers’ attention in a positive way. The writer fails to use the AIDA model to get the readers’ attention and then build interest and desire before requesting action. The explanation intended to build interest or desire lacks specific details that could help convince the readers. Total costs to the organization are somewhat unclear. Negative connotation words such as “blight” or “eyesore” detract from the positive tone that should pervade letter.

DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT:

August 18, 2009 Board of Directors, Pechanga Casino Entertainment Center David GreenDG Request

I would like to help Pechanga host a blood drive. I’ve contacted the Red Cross, and they tell me they can have their bloodmobile available if we provide some support.

I got the idea when I was listening to the radio this morning and heard that national supplies are dangerously low. Donating blood is always a good thing to do, and I

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 313 have done it myself before, many times. It’s not so bad. Pechanga can offer quite a few potential donors, since we have so many employees and gamblers on the premises.

Will you approve the drive? Don’t worry about the hassles of promoting it or providing snacks and drinks (orange juice) for donors. My food services colleagues and I can take care of all that.

It’s the right thing to do, and Pechanga will look good to the rest of the community for promoting a public service event like this one. As you know, many locals think our casino is something of a blight or an eyesore. This could change their minds, and they might wind up becoming customers.

Please let me know of your decision at your earliest possible convenience.

In case you didn’t realize it, the Red Cross is the largest agency providing blood support in the country. It’s developed a lot of special techniques for handling the blood it collects, but it doesn’t last very long, so they always need new donors.

8. SELLING YOUR IDEA: SALES LETTER PROMOTING A PRODUCT OF YOUR OWN INVENTION (Above-average solution) The letter begins with an effective attention getter. The following paragraphs relate information about the product and build interest and desire. The writer uses vivid wording to describe the various features of the product. The bulleted list assists the reader in quickly understanding the message. The close pushes for action and makes it easy for the reader to comply.

LAPSWIM 4950 Alabama Ave., Woodbridge, VA 21321 (703) 494-3400 fax: (703) 494-8912 lapswim.com April 27, 2009 [address] Dear [name]: Do you ever wish you had a bigger pool so that lap swimming was enjoyable . . . or even possible? We have great news for you swimmers who would like to get some serious exercise in your own pool, even if it isn’t Olympic size!

Now you can get the equivalent of laps in a competition size pool, even if your pool is short. In fact, two adults could use a 15 diameter pool at the same time and get in a great workout of 30 minutes or longer. How? Just use our LapSwim Tethers.

Here’s how they work: •

LapSwim Tethers fasten to the ladder of your pool with large, strong S hooks. (Or, if you have a typical above ground pool, the tethers will also hook securely over the top edge.) .

3149: Writing Persuasive Messages •

•

• • •

Our stretchable tethers attach comfortably and safely over your shoulders, allowing you to get in a great workout with your toes only inches from the edge of the pool. These tethers allow you to stretch out for a full free-style swim. Plus, following diagrams that accompany the tethers, you can adjust them to allow you to swim breaststroke or backstroke.

The tethers are made of a stretchable material that retains its strength after hundreds of workouts. You don’t have to worry about the tethers losing elasticity after just a few days.

The tethers are easily and quickly adjustable, so other family members can also use them too.

LapSwim Tethers dry quickly and resist mildew. Like swimsuits, they will last even longer if they are rinsed in clear water after swimming.

Tethers come in your choice of three colors: green, blue, or black.

Even if you have a full-size pool, Lap Swim Tethers are great. They allow you to get in a great workout while others are playing volleyball, floating, and frolicking in another part of the pool. You no longer have to worry about weaving your way around other swimmers or scheduling your lap swim time when everyone else is doing other things.

At $24.95, LapSwim Tethers will become one of your favorite pool accessories.

Better yet, order two sets so that two people can have an invigorating workout—side by side—in a pool that could never before have been considered a lap pool. To order your tethers, simply fill in the enclosed order form and drop it in the mail. Your tethers will be shipped within 72 hours of receiving your order. You can also visit us at lapswim.com to learn more and to view numerous photos showing LapSwim Tethers in use.

Sincerely,

Patricia Brinkman Sales Director 8. SELLING YOUR IDEA: SALES LETTER PROMOTING A PRODUCT OF YOUR OWN INVENTION (Below-average solution) This letter lacks a real attention getter. More vivid wording is needed to help create interest. More specifics about how it can work in pools of various sizes and more details about the product will help build interest and desire. The closing paragraph invites the reader to action, but it does so in an uncreative way.

LAPSWIM 4950 Alabama Ave., Woodbridge, VA 21321 (703) 494-3400 fax: (703) 494-8912 lapswim.com April 27, 2009 [address] .

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Dear [name]: Lap Swim Tethers are a new invention to aid the serious lap swimmer who may not have a large pool like those found at health clubs. Read on to learn more about this clever new product.

Lap Swim Tethers are made of stretchable material and fasten to the ladder of your pool (or to the top edge of an above-ground pool). You can stretch out to do your “laps,” but the laps are completed while your toes remain just inches from the side of the pool. Think how many laps you would accumulate if you use the tethers to swim for 30 minutes! Lap Swim Tethers are adjustable and come in several colors.

For just $24.95 you can soon be swimming those laps and getting in shape. Fill out the necessary information on the order card and mail it today. We’ll get your Lap Swim Tethers boxed up and on their way to you as quickly as we can. We are sure you will agree they are worth the price.

Sincerely,

Patricia Parkhurst Marketing Director 9. INSTANT PRMOTION: TEXT MESSAGE FROM HILTON HOTELS TO FREQUENT GUESTS (Above–average solution)

Tee off in Egypt!

Cost: $575 (U.S.) per person/day (double room) Where: Hilton Pyramids Golf Resort—Cairo, Egypt

Must See: • •

Pyramids of Giza Karl Litten’s Golf course

Stay 7 nights/8 days Includes: Breakfast and transportation from airport to resort Two rounds of golf per person at: • •

Dreamland Golf Course Soleimaneia Pyramids Golf & Country Club Course

Deadline: 1/15/2010. Mention code G7.

9. INSTANT PRMOTION: TEXT MESSAGE FROM HILTON HOTELS TO FREQUENT GUESTS (Below–average solution) .

3169: Writing Persuasive Messages

Hilton Honor members: $575.00 (US) per person/day (double room), valid through Jan. 15, 2008, stay at Hilton Pyramids Golf resort in Cairo, Egypt for 7 nights/8 days including breakfast, service charge, and tax. Airport transportation to the Dreamland Course; play 2 rounds of golf per person at Dreamland and Soleimaneia Pyramids.

Be amazed at Karl Litten’s beautiful course. Availability and restrictions apply.

10. HELPING CHILDREN: INSTANT MESSAGE HOLIDAY FUND DRIVE AT IBM (Above-average solution)

At IBM we are proud of our employees and their dedication to our mission of corporate citizenship. Just two days from now, Tuesday 12/20, all collection bins will be removed and distributed to those in need. Please don’t forget this important mission and plan to make your donations today. I can be reached at 1-800-658-3899 Ext/ 3342 to assist with credit card contributions or other information.

10. HELPING CHILDREN: INSTANT MESSAGE HOLIDAY FUND DRIVE AT IBM (Below-average solution)

IBM is proud of our employees’ dedication to our mission of corporate citizenship.

Our company has always believed in presenting the community with charitable contributions when we can. Just two days from now, Tuesday 12/20, all collection bins will be removed from their sites, and the items you donated will be distributed to those in need in our community. Please don’t forget this important mission—make your donations today. I can be reached at 1-800-658-3899 Ext/ 3342 to assist with credit card contributions or other information. Don’t forget to respond; we are counting on you to help the community.

11. HELPING OUT: MESSAGE TO WHOLE FOODS MARKET MANAGERS Use the AIDA model (attention, interest, desire, action). Start with an attention-getter.

Provide enough detail to support your request. Think about benefits for the receiver of your memo and write accordingly. Keep the memo brief with specific instructions on how employees can give you their ideas. Offer an incentive to promote action.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET MEMORANDUM Date: 27 February 2009 01:12:15 -0800 From: Jessie Fortuna <j_fortuna@wholefoods.com> To: <storemanagers@wholefoods.com> CC: BCC: Attached: Subject: Please send your ideas for a nationwide food-donation program

Dear Whole Foods Managers,

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 317 We are doing it—not only are we providing quality foods to our customers but we are also making a difference in our neighborhoods and communities with volunteer programs. Many of you are doing a great job donating goods and supplies to the soup kitchens in your local communities. And now we can expand those programs to support our corporate motto: “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet.”

Here in Atlanta, we’ve had great success with our “Whole Foods for Life” program.

Teaming up with our local food banks, we’re making food available wherever it is most needed. The program has worked so well in Atlanta that the company wants to make it a national effort. By streamlining the process companywide, we should be able to increase the number of people we help, and we can get even more of our employees involved.

Please give us your input and assistance. Send us the great ideas you’ve gleaned from your own local experience. Even if you don’t have a food-donation program currently in place, your ideas and those from your employees are crucial to launching this charitable project.

Of course, money for this program is limited, so we’re hoping to use resources already available to us. For example, someone recently suggested using trucks from our suburban branches to make the program “mobile.” Someone else suggested that we partner with a department store or other retail outlet so that both food and clothing can be provided. We can all look at these and many other suggestions during the March 15 managers meeting.

Please share this message with your employees, and ask them for their thoughts. I’ve enclosed “Whole Foods for Life” badges for you to give any employees who generate ideas. Please relay ideas via e-mail or memo to Sandy Stromb here in the Atlanta office. We’ll have a complete list of ideas to look over at our March meeting, and together we’ll choose the best ones to develop the new companywide “Whole Foods For Life” program.

See you at the March meeting!

12. MESSAGE TO AN ANGEL: INTRODUCING YOUR COMPANY TO AN INVESTOR Take advantage of the fact that Sparks has already expressed an interest in finding promising investment opportunities. Open with a statement that indicates you heard her comments at the luncheon, and that your e-mail is a response to those remarks.

Use the AIDA plan to explain how you and your business meet the criteria she established, and emphasize that WorldConnect’s early success is a sign of good things to come. End with a specific request for a meeting, and include the information she would need to get in touch with you.

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Return–Path: <mburnett@worldconnect.com> Date: Mon, 31 March 2007 08:55:17 (EST) From: Michael Burnett <mburnett@worldconnect.com> To: Melinda Sparks <sparks_m@suddenlink.net> Subject:

Dear Ms. Sparks, After hearing your comments at yesterday’s Entrepreneur’s Lunch Forum, I’m confident that investing in my company would help you meet your financial goals.

WorldConnect Language Services (headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee) provides interpreters and translation services for business professionals. The demand for these services is widespread: within two months of opening, our office was booked to capacity. WorldConnect’s ongoing success reflects a strong commitment to growth through knowing our customers’ needs and meeting them in every way.

Our company’s success in Memphis is only the beginning. I’ve researched the entire Southeast region to locate 10 other cities that offer especially promising opportunities for WorldConnect. These locations are already attracting international business, but are struggling to accommodate the language challenges that come with it.

These opportunities offer remarkable profit potential, and I’d like to talk with you about sharing in those gains. Please let me know when your schedule would allow us to meet—sometime within the next four weeks would be ideal.

I can be reached via e-mail at the address above or by phone at (901) 5551212.

Sincerely, Michael Burnett Owner, WorldConnect Language Services

13. WEB ACCESSIBILITY ADVOCACY: IT’S NOT “WORLD WIDE” IF IT DOESN’T INCLUDE EVERYBODY This post is intended for an internal audience, so you can address readers with more familiarity than you would if you were writing for customers and clients. At the same time, be sure not to include anything that would be likely to cause problems if someone shared your post with the public. Highlight the benefits your company can gain from acting on your comments, and make it easy for readers to understand all the reasons that increasing web accessibility is a good idea.

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REALITY CHECK: INCREASING OUR COMPANY’S ACCESSIBILITY IN CYBERSPACE For years, businesses have worked to make their buildings more accessible to those with special needs. As the internet becomes increasingly vital as a way of connecting with customers and clients, that effort has extended to the web. More and more companies are taking a second look at their websites to find ways of making them more accessible. This obviously makes good business sense, but can also help companies avoid legal problems and enjoy enormous benefits in terms of public relations.

While we’ve done well in terms of updating our brick-and-mortar facilities, our company has a lot to work on when it comes to the accessibility of our website. Small fonts abound, and it takes 9-10 clicks in many cases for customers to get to the pages they need. Based on information from the Web Accessibility Initiative (www.w3.org/WAI), I’m convinced that the time and energy it would take to update our site would be worthwhile for many reasons, including: 1. Financial Gains and Cost Savings: More potential customers could easily access our site, which would mean better exposure for the products and services we offer.

Also, if more customers could find answers on our website, traffic would likely decrease at our telephone customer service center (which, as you know, is very costly to staff and maintain).

2. Reduced Risk of Legal Action: Many companies have been sued for failing to make their buildings adequately accessible. If it hasn’t happened already, it’s only a matter of time before the legal system turns its attention to corporate websites. Many laws and policies are already in place requiring that websites be accessible, and we need to stay ahead of the curve on this to protect our interests.

3. Public Relations Benefits: Our company could gain a reputation as a leader in increasing accessibility on the web. We’ve already shown a deep commitment to meeting the needs of every customer. Why not expand on this and enhance our image in the process?

14. TIME TO LOSE: PROMOTING THE 6 WEEK SOLUTION AT CURVES Use the direct approach to highlight what makes this plan different and better than the many diet plans that are available. The headings in bold on the webpage can help you determine what to include in your revision. (The one below contains 285 words.)

Are you tired of diet plans that leave you hungry and frustrated? The Curves 6 Week Solution can help you achieve your weight-loss goals and improve your ability to maintain a healthy weight. In small classes with other women just like you, you’ll get a tote bag filled with lots of helpful tools, and you’ll gain the knowledge and willpower you need to lose those excess pounds for good. .

3209: Writing Persuasive Messages

What makes the Curves 6 Week Solution better than all those other diet plans? First, it revs your metabolism to help your body burn more calories even when you’re not exercising. This is a permanent benefit that can prevent you from having to diet again--ever! Second, it allows you to eat five small meals a day (rather than three large ones). By the time you start to feel hungry, it’s likely to be time for another meal! Third, the 6 Week Solution offers a wide variety of food. The specific foods you eat will depend on whether you choose the higher protein option or the higher carbohydrate option, but either way no foods are off- limits. The Curves 6 Week Solution is also very healthful. Since you’ll be encouraged to eat from all food groups, your body will continue to receive the nutrients it needs.

The best reason to try the Curves 6 Week Solution is that it works. Scientists at Baylor University have put our plan to the test under the close supervision of Richard B. Kreider, PhD, FACSM, and found that women on the Curves plan have lost weight, boosted their metabolism, lost body fat, and enjoyed several other benefits. Call us today at 555-1212 to sign up for the Curves 6 Week Solution.

15. TRY IT—YOU JUST MIGHT LIKE IT: CONVINCING CONSUMERS TO SAMPLE BEEFALO Focus the document on addressing what consumers will be most interested in learning: what is beefalo, and how does it compare to beef? Present the table from the exercise as a concise way to show your audience how beefalo is a better choice than beef for health-conscious consumers.

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 321

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3229: Writing Persuasive Messages

IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 227) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Commas (p. 227) 1. Please send us four cases of filters, two cases of wing nuts, and a bale of rags.

2. Your analysis, however, does not account for returns.

3. As a matter of fact, she has seen the figures.

4. Before May 7, 1999, they wouldn’t have minded either.

5. After Martha has gone, talk to me about promoting her.

6. Stoneridge, Inc., will go public on September 9, 2003.

7. We want the new copier, not the old model.

8. “Talk to me,” Sandra said, “before you change a thing.”

9. Because of a previous engagement, Dr. Stoeve will not be able to attend.

10. The company started attracting attention during the long, hard recession of the mid-1970s.

11. You can reach me at this address: 717 Darby Place, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251.

12. Transfer the documents from Fargo, North Dakota, to Boise, Idaho.

13. Sam O’Neill, the designated representative, is gone today.

14. With your help, we will soon begin.

15. She may hire two new representatives, or she may postpone filling those territories until spring.

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 227) 1. A pitfall of internal promotions is that a person may be given a job beyond his or her competence.

2. What makes this development possible are the technological advances in today’s workplace.

3. We have up-to-date physical safeguards, such as secure areas in buildings; electronic safeguards, such as passwords and encryption; and procedural safeguards, such as customer authentication procedures. .

9: Writing Persuasive Messages 323 4. When asked why BASF needs to bring in a consultant after so many years, Merritt Sink, manager of process development quality assurance, says that experience is extremely important on these types of projects.

5. Looking at just one growth indicator, you can see that imports to the United States from China ballooned to $102 billion in 2001, compared with $15 billion in 1990. Or: Just one growth indicator shows that imports to the United . . .

6. Levi Strauss was the first major manufacturer to develop and publicize a formal code of conduct for its contract manufacturers.

7. In other countries, while the local labor laws may be comparable to or even more stringent than those in the United States, law enforcement mechanisms are often weak or nonexistent.

8. Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest automotive producer, is building a $1 billion assembly and manufacturing plant in Montgomery, Alabama.

9. The long-term success of some products rests heavily on broadband’s wide acceptance.

10. Creativity, flexibility, and dynamic planning are the critical elements of any successful manufacturing process.

11. C 12. Internationally renowned interior designer Jacques Garcia will be designing the hotel’s interiors; he will also design the gardens.

13. People who think they know what a CEO does are probably wrong, according to Eric Kriss, a professional chief executive. [Or Anyone who thinks he or she knows . . .]

14. Dr. Ichak Adizes, who founded the Adizes Institute, headquartered in Santa Barbara, Calif., has spent decades studying the life cycle of businesses.

15. The best job description in the world won’t provide you with a trusted executive; only finely honed interviewing skills will help you do that.

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3249: Writing Persuasive Messages

Level 3: Document Critique—Well-written solution (p. 228) To: <Promotional Customer List2> From: Sasha Morgenstern <smorgenstern@insure.com> Subject: Find Low Insurance Rates – Fast!

“Insure.com provides rock-bottom quotes.”—Forbes Quotes are free and accurate! Compare prices from more than 300 insurance companies. Find the lowest rates for any insurance: * Term life * Automobile * Medical * Dental * “No-exam” whole life * Workers’ compensation * Medicare supplements * Fixed annuities $500 GUARANTEES We’ll find you the lowest U.S. rates for term life insurance, or we’ll deliver $500 to you overnight. Plus, every quote carries a $500 guarantee of up-to-the-day accuracy.

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Sincerely, Sasha Morgenstern * See Transparency 100 for an improved version.

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9: Writing Persuasive Messages 325

CHAPTER 9 POP QUIZ True-False 1. The best persuasive messages are closely connected to your audience’s existing desires and interests. (True) 2. Most persuasive messages use the direct approach. (False) 3. Most persuasive messages include only emotional appeals. (False) 4. In a persuasive message, the section that builds interest urges readers to take the action you suggest. (False) 5. In a persuasive request for action, close with a request for some specific action.

(True) 6. A persuasive claim should include a complete and specific review of the facts and a confident and positive tone. (True) 7. Sales messages are usually sent by nonprofit organizations persuading readers to donate money or time. (False) 8. Benefits are the most attractive features of an idea or product. (False) 9. In many states sales letters are considered binding contracts. (True) 10. Effective sales letters never mention price. (False)

Multiple Choice 11. The best way to gain credibility when writing a persuasive message is to a. explain how your company valiantly worked to keep the price low. b. support your message with facts. c. brag about how your reader will love the product you are selling. d. do none of the above.

12. If you use the direct approach in a persuasive message, you a. omit justification or explanation. b. expect your reader to accept your idea on faith. c. include justification. d. do none of the above.

13. Which of the following best describes the order of the AIDA model? a. action, interest, desire, attention b. action, interest, details, attention c. attention, interest, desire, action d. attention, influence, desire, action

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3269: Writing Persuasive Messages 14. Which of the following types of reasoning can be used in a logical appeal? a. Reason from a generalization to a specific conclusion b. Reason from specific evidence to specific evidence c. Reason from specific evidence to a general conclusion d. All of the above 15. When writing the attention getter for a persuasive message a. write a brief and engaging opening sentence. b. write a detailed sentence that includes relevant and irrelevant points. c. backup your claims. d. do none of the above.

16. Which of the following is the best choice for a sales letter? a. This car is economical to operate. b. According to tests conducted by Consumer Digest, this model averaged 28 miles to the gallon in city driving. c. You will find the car very economical to operate. d. All three would be equally effective in a sales letter.

17. Which of the following is the best choice for a sales letter? a. The cost is $199, which is not expensive for this quality product that improves drinking water. b. The product is an excellent value at any price. c. For $199, a one-time expense, you will improve the quality of the water you drink and cook with for as long as you own your house. d. None of the above is a good choice for a sales letter.

18. Misrepresenting the price, quality, or performance of a product in a sales letter is a. a normal approach for sales letters. b. an example of fraud. c. an invasion of privacy. d. none of the above.

19. How can you support claims in a sales message? a. Include testimonials b. Send a notarized document verifying the price of the product c. Ask the reader a provocative question d. Appeal to the reader’s emotions 20. You can grab the audience’s attention by using which of the following? a. Special sizes or styles of type b. Bullets c. Color d. All of the above

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CHAPTER 10: UNDERSTANDING AND PLANNING REPORTS AND PROPOSALS CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 10 introduces informational reports, analytical reports, and proposals. This chapter focuses primarily on Step 1, the planning step, of the three-step writing process for business reports. Writers are introduced to the analysis tasks involved in planning reports, including analyzing the situation, gathering information, selecting the right medium, and organizing information. A discussion of supporting messages with reliable information addresses how to search libraries, the Internet, and databases. This chapter also addresses methods of conducting primary research, including examining documents, making observations, conducting experiments, surveying people, and conducting interviews. Students receive information about documenting sources, interpreting findings, drawing conclusions, and developing recommendations. Information on planning informational and analytical reports as well as proposals is also offered.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 10 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet.

Number Transparency 101 Transparency 102 Transparency 103 Transparency 104 Transparency 105 Transparency 106 Transparency 107 Transparency 108 Transparency 109 Transparency 110 Transparency 111 Transparency 112 Transparency 113 Transparency 114 Transparency 115 Transparency 116 Transparency 117 Transparency 118 Transparency 119

Content The Three-Step Process Comparison of Organizational Plans for Reports Sample Informational Report in Memo Form (page 1 of 4) Sample Informational Report in Memo Form (page 2 of 4) Sample Informational Report in Memo Form (page 3 of 4) Sample Informational Report in Memo Form (page 4 of 4) Case 1: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 2: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 3: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 4: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 5: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 6: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 7: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 8: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 9: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 10: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 11: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 12: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 13: Guidelines for Solving the Case

Transparency 120:

Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution) .

328 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals

CHAPTER OUTLINE Applying the Three-Step Writing Process to Reports and Proposals Analyzing the Situation Gathering Information Selecting the Right Medium Organizing Your Information Supporting Your Messages with Reliable Information Planning Your Research Locating Data and Information Evaluating Sources Conducting Secondary Research Finding Information at the Library Finding Information Online Documenting Your Sources Conducting Primary Research Conducting Surveys Conducting Interviews Using Your Research Results Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Information Drawing Conclusions Making Recommendations Planning Informational Reports Organizing Informational Reports Organizing Web Content Planning Analytical Reports Focusing on Conclusions Focusing on Recommendations Focusing on Logical Arguments Planning Proposals Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Applying the Three-Step Writing Process to Reports and Proposals Reports fall into three basic categories: Informational reports offer data, facts, feedback, and other types of information without analysis or recommendations.

Analytical reports offer both information and analysis and can also include Recommendations.

Proposals offer structured persuasion for internal or external audiences.

Try to view every report as an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of your audience’s challenges and you ability to contribute to your organization’s success.

The three-step writing process applies to reports as well as to other business messages.

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10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 329 Planning business reports falls into four categories: Analyzing the situation Gathering information Selecting the right medium Organizing your information When writing reports, pay special attention to analysis tasks such as Developing the statement of purpose (explains why you are preparing the report).

Preparing a work plan.

To make your purpose statement the most useful, begin it with an infinitive phrase.

The statement of purpose for an analytical report is often more comprehensive than one for an informational report.

A carefully thought-out work plan insures that you make the best use of your time.

A work plan for yourself may include a simple list of steps you plan to take. If you’re working on a more detailed project with others, the work plan should be more detailed.

When gathering information, be sure to review your statement of purpose and your audience’s needs so you collect only the information you need.

These four guidelines will assist you in selecting the right medium for your report: Many reports and proposals have specific requirements and you may not have a choice in selecting your medium.

Consider how your audience wants to provide feedback on your report or proposal.

Decide if people need to search through your document frequently or update it in the future.

Bear in mind that your choice of media also sends a message.

The direct approach Is the most popular and most convenient for business reports.

Saves time and makes the rest of the report easier to follow.

Produces a more forceful document.

Use the indirect approach when You are a junior member of a status-conscious organization Your audience is skeptical or hostile The indirect approach lets you prove your points first, gradually overcoming audience reservations.

The indirect approach has one disadvantage: it can become unwieldy with long reports.

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330 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals Business people often combine the direct and indirect approach, revealing conclusions and recommendations as they go along.

Supporting Your Messages with Reliable Information Good research requires a clear process: Plan your research.

Locate the data and information you need.

Process the data and information you located.

Apply your findings.

Manage information efficiently.

When developing your problem statement, identify the decision you need to make or the conclusion you need to reach at the end of the process. Next, identify the information you need to make that decision or reach that conclusion. Prioritize your information needs since you will have more questions than you have time or money to answer.

Be sure that you conduct your research appropriately. Keep the following points in mind to avoid ethical lapses: Keep an open mind so that you don’t skew the research toward answers you want.

Respect the privacy of your research participants.

Document sources and give appropriate credit.

Respect your sources’ intellectual property rights.

In most cases you’ll begin your research by looking for sources of secondary information. Primary research is new research done specifically for your current project and includes surveys, interviews, observations, and experiments.

Ask yourself the following questions to ensure your research results are valid: Does the source have a reputation for honesty and reliability?

Is the source potentially biased?

What is the purpose of the material?

Is the author credible?

Where did the source get its information?

Can you verify the material independently?

Is the material current?

Is the material complete?

The library is a primary source of secondary information.

Reference librarians are always an important resource.

Newspapers and periodicals offer access to a wide variety of popular magazines, general business magazines, trade journals, and academic journals.

Business books are less timely than journals, but they provide in-depth coverage.

Directories cover everything from accountants to zoos and include helpful contact information.

Almanacs and statistical sources give facts and statistics about countries, politics, the labor force, and so on.

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10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 331 Government publications offer information on laws, court decisions, current population patterns, and business trends.

Electronic databases are computer-searchable collections of information.

The Internet is a popular source of secondary information about companies and industries.

There are three disadvantages to using search engines: No human editors are involved to evaluate the quality of the results.

Various engines use different search techniques and find different sites.

Search engines can’t reach content on restricted-access websites.

Web directories address the first major shortcoming of search engines by using human editors to categorize and evaluate websites. Search engines scan millions of websites to identify individual webpages that contain specific words or phrases you’ve searched for. Online databases help address the third shortcoming of search engines by offering access to the newspapers, magazines, and journals that you’re likely to need for many research projects.

A keyword search finds items that include all of the words you enter.

A Boolean search lets you define a query with greater precision, using such operators as AND or NOT. Natural language searches let you ask questions in everyday English.

Forms-based searches create powerful queries by filing out an online form that lets you specify parameters such as date ranges, language, and Internet domain name.

To make the best use of any search engine, keep the following points in mind: Read the instructions and pay attention to details Review the search and display options carefully Try variations of your terms, such as child, adolescent, and youth Use fewer search terms to find more results Documenting sources serves three important functions: Properly and ethically credits the person who created the original material.

Shows your audience that you have sufficient support for your message.

Helps your readers explore your topic in more detail if desired.

Software features included in Microsoft Word automatically track and number endnotes and Microsoft’s OneNote and Google Notebook can be used to collect and organize notes from meetings or e-mail messages.

The two most common primary research methods are surveys and interviews.

Surveys can provide invaluable insights if they are reliable (would produce identical results if repeated) and valid (measures what they are supposed to measure).

Tips for developing effective questionnaires: Provide clear instructions.

Don’t ask for information that people can’t be expected to remember.

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332 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals Keep the questionnaire short and easy to answer.

Whenever possible, formulate questions to provide answers that are easy to analyze.

Avoid leading questions that could bias your survey.

Avoid ambiguous descriptors.

Avoid compound questions.

Internet surveys are becoming more and more popular as they are usually faster to create, easier to administer, quicker to analyze, and less expensive overall.

Interviews are planned conversations (with a predetermined purpose) in which questions are asked and answered.

Ask open-ended questions to invite the expert to offer opinions, insights, and information. Ask closed questions to elicit a specific answer, but try to limit closed questions in interviews so the interview doesn’t seem like a survey and you can take full advantage of the interview situation.

When preparing for an interview, try to: Sequence your questions Provide questions in advance if you’d like to quote your source Face-to-face interviews allow you to observe nonverbal signals that accompany answers, but e-mail interviews are becoming more and more common.

After you have collected your data, the next step is to transform this raw matieral into the specific content you need.

You can use information from secondary sources in three ways: Quoting a source means you reproduce it exactly as you found it.

Paraphrasing a source means you restate the point in your own words.

Summarizing is similar to paraphrasing but presents the gist of the material in fewer words than the original.

Whether you are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing your sources you will still need to document them.

Always avoid plagiarism (presenting someone else’s words as your own).

A conclusion is a logical interpretation of facts and other information.

A sound conclusion Is logical Is based strictly on the information included in the rest of the report Whereas a conclusion interprets information, a recommendation suggests what to do about the information.

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10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 333 To be credible, recommendations must Be practical Be based on sound logical analysis

Planning Informational Reports Informational reports provide the feedback that employees, managers, and others need in order to make decisions, take action, and respond to changes.

Reports to monitor and control operations Plans establish expectations and guidelines to direct future action.

Business plans summarize a proposed business venture and communicate the company’s goals and plans for each major functional area.

Operating reports provide feedback regarding sales, inventories, expenses, shipments, and so on.

Personal activity reports provide information regarding an individual’s experiences during sales calls, industry conferences, and other activities.

Reports to implement policy and procedures Policy reports range from brief descriptions of business procedures to manuals that run dozens or hundreds of pages.

Position papers outline an organization’s official position on issues that affect a company’s success Reports to demonstrate compliance Compliance reports are annual reports such as tax returns to reports that describe the proper handling of hazardous materials.

Reports to document progress Progress reports range from simple updates in memo form to comprehensive status reports.

In most cases, the direct approach is the best choice for informational reports; however, if the information is disappointing, an indirect approach might be a better choice.

Most informational reports use a topical organization and arrange materials in one of the following ways: Comparison Importance Sequence Chronology Geography Category When writing for the Web, consider the following: Web readers are demanding.

Reading online can be difficult.

The web is a nonlinear, multidimensional medium.

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334 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals Website designers use the term information architecture to describe the structure and navigational flow of all the parts of a website.

To organize your site effectively, keep the following advice in mind: Plan your site structure and navigation before you write.

Let your readers be in control by creating links and pathways that let them explore on their own.

Help online readers scan and absorb information by breaking it into selfcontained, easily readable chunks that are linked together logically.

Planning Analytical Reports The purpose of analytical reports is to analyze, understand, and explain.

Three categories of analytical reports: Reports to assess opportunities Market analysis reports are used to judge the likelihood of success for new products or sales.

Due Diligence reports examine the financial aspects of a proposed decisions, such as acquiring another company.

Reports to solve problems Troubleshooting and Failure Analysis reports are written when individuals need to understand why something isn’t working properly and how to fix it.

Failure analysis reports study events that happened in the past, with the hope of learning how to avoid similar failures in the future.

Reports to support decisions Feasibility reports are written to explore the potential ramifications of a decision that managers are considering.

Justification reports are written to explain decisions that have already been made.

Challenges of writing analytical reports: You’re doing more than simply delivering information.

You need to present your thinking in a compelling and persuasive manner.

You need to convince others to make significant financial and personnel decisions.

When writing conclusions, follow these suggestions use the direct approach to focus immediately on your conclusions.

Five steps for unfolding your recommendations: Establish the need for action in the introduction by briefly describing the problem or opportunity.

Introduce the benefits that can be achieved if the recommendation is adopted.

List the recommendations required to achieve the benefit and use action verbs for emphasis.

Explain each step more fully, giving details on procedures, costs, and benefits.

Summarize your recommendations.

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10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 335 When readers are skeptical about your plan, use an indirect approach that logically builds to your conclusion.

The 2+2=4 approach convinces readers by demonstrating that everything adds up to your conclusion.

The yardstick approach uses a number of criteria to decide which option to select from two or more possibilities.

Planning Proposals Internal proposals request decisions from managers within the organization.

External proposals request decisions from parties outside the organization.

Investment proposals: request funding from outside investors.

Grant proposals: request funds from government or other sponsoring agencies.

Sales proposals: present solutions for potential customers and request purchase decisions.

The most significant factor in planning a proposal is whether the recipient has asked you to submit a proposal.

Some external parties issue a request for proposal (RFP) that includes instructions that specify exactly the type of work to be completed, along with budgets, deadlines, and other requirements.

Unsolicited proposals offer more flexibility but you must convince readers that a problem or opportunity exists. An indirect approach is often the wise choice for unsolicited proposals.

The next chapter discusses the second and third steps of the writing process: writing and completing reports and proposals.

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Students will have questions about when to use the direct approach and the indirect approach. Conduct a class discussion in which you provide numerous examples of effective reports that use both approaches. Point out that the direct approach saves time and makes the rest of the report easier to follow but that the indirect approach may be needed if the audience is skeptical or if the writer is a junior member of the firm.

Although students have written information reports in elementary and secondary school, they will benefit from a review of topical organization. Review and provide examples of reports in which materials are arranged according to importance, sequence, chronology, spatial orientation, geography, and category.

Students may be overwhelmed at the idea of writing a report. Be sure to point out that reports may sometimes be as short as one page. Lead a discussion that identifies and describes the various types of informational reports that organizations use most often: monitor/control, policy/procedure, progress, and compliance reports.

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336 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals Students often have difficulty distinguishing between informational and analytical reports. Give plenty of examples that relate to the school or student organizations.

Expand the discussion to give examples from other business environments.

Likewise, include a discussion about the differences between reports and proposals, making sure to distinguish between internal and external proposals as well as solicited versus unsolicited proposals.

Post the three-step writing process in the room to emphasize that effective writers still use the same basic three steps for reports as they use for letters and memos.

Whether writing informational or analytical reports, students need to define the problem to be investigated and write a statement of purpose. This process will challenge many of your students. Include in your class discussion an example exercise using the Who, What, Why, Where, When, and How questions suggested in the chapter. Present a general topic and develop the specific problem and statement of purpose as a class exercise.

Students will question why they should create a work plan. Discuss the idea of providing this information to a supervisor in the work environment. You will have a clear understanding of where you are going, how long it will take you, and what information is irrelevant if you include the right information. Review the need for tools such as the problem statement, the statement of purpose, the scope of the investigation, the list of tasks to be accomplished, the description of products that will result from your investigation, the project assignments and schedules, the plans for follow up, and a working outline. Explain to students that by presenting a work plan to a superior, they decrease the chances of confusion or reader disappointment when the final report is completed.

Although most students are Internet users and do use search engines, many will acknowledge that they often get frustrated when conducting their searches. Also, some students will not have worked with library databases such as ProQuest, Infotrac, Galenet, and so forth. If possible, illustrate how to work effectively with keywords in a search. For a library database, demonstrate how to limit the search using advanced search routines. Illustrate the use of AND, OR, and NOT to further refine a search. Also discuss the value of using more than one Internet search engine, since different engines produce different results.

Finding credible information on the Internet is always an issue when students are researching reports. Discuss with the students what you perceive to be credible sites—such as the Internet Public Library (www.ipl.org), company websites, Prnewswire (www.prnewswire.com), Business Wire (www.businesswire.com), and websites of respected professional organizations. Let students know what type of secondary sources you expect; if you don’t clarify, many will use Internet sites only, and some of these will have questionable credibility.

Students will often question how company documents can be considered both secondary and primary sources. Provide illustrations to help them understand the distinctions.

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10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 337 Students will receive many surveys over the course of their lifetime. They may believe that developing a survey is a very simple process. Providing illustrations of effective instruments versus ineffective instruments should give them an appreciation of how important good design is and why companies often turn to trained professionals to design surveys they distribute to customers and clients.

Discuss the necessary planning steps for effective interviews. Remind students that they may conduct informal interviews when gathering data for letters and memos.

However, their research for reports will be more successful with careful planning.

If students will be preparing reports that require secondary research, be sure to address how to document sources. Many students will also benefit from a class discussion of the differences between summarizing, paraphrasing, and plagiarizing.

Discussing a very short article, provide examples of an effective summary and effective paraphrasing. Also illustrate ineffective paraphrasing that fails to present the materials exercise in the words of the report writer. You may also want to provide an requiring students to prepare a bibliographic entry using the style manual you have selected to use for the course. Provide specific illustrations of how to cite Internet sources with and without named authors.

Students should be familiar with preparing summaries of facts. Drawing conclusions and presenting recommendations, however, will be new to many in the class. Pull examples from your files and review with students how the conclusions reflect interpretations of facts provided earlier in the body of the report. Emphasize that no

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES

new factual information appears in the conclusions. Recommendations evolve from 1. Learning how businesses use reports and proposals. Invite a manager from a the conclusions and identify actionsfrom that can taken to solve the problem being local organization (or someone yourbeschool’s administration) to discuss researched. reports and report writing with the class. Request that the visitor discuss the reports he or she prepares, the reports he or she receives, and other reports that are generated in the organization. As an alternative, have students interview someone about report writing on the job. This exercise will help convince some of the skeptical students that they may indeed write reports as part of their job tasks.

2.

Preparing report work plans. Select a topic that students can all relate to (perhaps something related to the school or to a college freshman). As a class exercise, lead students through defining a problem, writing the statement of purpose, narrowing the scope of the research, listing the tasks to be accomplished, identifying the necessary research, preparing project assignments and schedules, and other aspects of a work plan outlined in the chapter. As an alternative to creating your own topic, have students complete Practice Your Knowledge activities 4, 5, and 6 at the end of the chapter.

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338 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 3. Finding secondary information. Assign a topic and ask students to find three businesses or trade publication articles related to the topic. Instruct students to use one of the databases available through the school library. Also ask them to find three Internet sources with appropriate information for the same topic.

Instruct half the class to use the Internet Public Library (www.lpl.org). Instruct the other half of the class to find their Internet sources without checking this Internet site. Discuss the types of Internet sites students find in class and critique the credibility of the sites.

Summarizing, paraphrasing, and citing sources. Distribute an article for students to read. Many short articles are available on topics students always find interesting, such as electronic communication etiquette, dining etiquette, and so forth. Ask students to write a 100- to 150-word summary of the entire article.

Select a particular section of the article and ask students to paraphrase the materials. Instruct students to include the appropriate citation for the article for both the text citation and the references page. Prepare below-average and above-average examples to show during class discussion. Critiquing students’ efforts will help them identify bad habits before they actually turn in an assignment for a grade.

Planning a report. Select one of the informational report cases at the end of the 5. chapter. Let students work in teams of two or three to plan the report you assign.

Select a second report case from the analytical report cases. Again let students work in teams to plan the report you assign. Critique student solutions and identify missing tasks and weak points in their plans.

4.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 250) 1. Managers use reports to provide data about operations that they cannot observe in person. They must rely on honest, accurate, and thorough monitor and control reports for the information they need to catch problems or acknowledge achievements.

2. Primary research is information you gather for a particular report or study. In contrast, secondary research is information that has already been collected, usually in the form of books, periodicals, and reports.

3. A survey is reliable if it produces identical results when repeated. A survey is valid if it measures what it’s intended to measure.

4. A conclusion is a logical interpretation of the facts that you presented in your report. However, a recommendation is a suggestion about what to do regarding the facts that you have uncovered in your report.

5. Writers use RFPs to formulate their proposals. RFPs specify the type of work to be performed or products to be delivered, budgets available, deadlines that must be met, and other requirements.

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APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 250) 1. Information from the Internet may contain doctored photos, unverified sources, and information from biased sources. Additionally, Internet search engines have no human editors to evaluate the quality of search engine results, use different search techniques that yield various results, and are unable to reach restrictedaccess websites.

In addition to using considering the steps in the planning phase of message writing, writers may also need to remember that web readers are demanding, reading online can be difficult, and that the web is a nonlinear, multidimensional medium.

If your audience does not know you, you need to establish your credibility; thus, 3. an indirect approach is best suited to this task since it allows you to support your recommendations with solid reasoning and evidence and it allows readers to explore the thinking behind your conclusion.

Students should recognize that an unsolicited proposal must first convince 4. readers that a problem exists before trying to convince them that the proposal will solve it. Unsolicited proposals are potentially unwelcome advances (or at least unexpected), so the writer must spend extra time and space convincing the reader that this issue is important and that the suggested action is necessary. A solicited proposal, on the other hand, allows the writer to assume that the party requesting the proposal is already convinced that a problem exists, so that writer can focus on presenting solutions.

Some students will claim that one person’s mistake could be their company’s gain and will advocate using this information; others, however, will note that 5. since this information was clearly intended to be private they should contact the webmaster to let him or her know this information is accessible. Since it is clear that this information is not meant for the general public, you should report it to the webmaster.

2.

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 251) ACTIVITIES 10.1

Comparing the two Dell reports, the Year in Review is targeted primarily to shareholders, the business media, and the general public (but it might also be reviewed by bankers and potential investors along with other materials).

Besides the SEC, others interested in the Annual Report 10-K would be serious investors, bankers, or potential business partners.

Students will probably agree that the easier and more interesting report for them to read is the Year in Review, and they may attribute this to its graphics, arrangement of subject matter, and audience targeting. They’ll probably also agree that the Annual Report 10-K supplies more detail.

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340 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 10.2

10.3

Before developing specific questions, students should consider the questionnaire’s purpose, its length, and whether it will be completed on the spot or completed and mailed in later. Because one of the chief issues is the length of the movie, the questionnaire should ask whether the movie is too long, and if so, which parts are least interesting to the audience. Students should also elicit information on the audience members so that their responses can be correlated with their personal characteristics, such as age, gender, income/occupation, and movie-going habits. Remind students to use a variety of question types and to check their questions for clarity and objectivity. Also remind them that they are likely to get a better participation rate if the questionnaire is brief and can be completed right after the screening.

The proposal given as a sample on the website includes in the appendixes a timeline, a key résumé, and a “personal perspective.” The writing hints suggest that the following items be relegated to the appendixes: a dissemination plan, letters of support, a timeline, descriptions of cooperating agencies, and an example of at least one project evaluation instrument (questionnaire, survey questions, interview guide, etc.).

Students who read the writing tips will probably say that material of secondary interest to readers should be placed in the appendixes, assuming that the audience will have limited reading time and may only read the body of the proposal. The appended material will be for readers whose interest you have secured and who are now ready for additional information.

According to the writing tips, the best time to prepare a Project Overview (executive summary) is after you’ve written the entire proposal. Only then will you have the best understanding of the material so that you can summarize it succinctly.

10.4

10.5

Students should be able to identify this report as being one that monitors and controls operations. Students will need to begin by identifying a statement of purpose. Next, they’ll need to identify an organizational pattern (given the task, the sequence pattern is the best) and then write the report.

When reviewing students’ work, look for their ability to define the problem and break it into smaller components for analysis (if appropriate). To keep the exercise manageable, students will eliminate extensive research, which they should be able to accomplish either through team brainstorming (using the questions described in the chapter for planning analytical reports) or through problem factoring (looking for cause-and-effect relationships). From there, students should be able to develop a solution to the problem and a list of facts to be used when describing the problem and proposing a workable solution. For the sake of this exercise, they can list facts that they imagine to be true (however, these facts would need to be verified for a real-world proposal).

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10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 341 10.6

10.7

Students will want to ask and answer questions that will help them focus on audience needs. First, they’ll ask questions to define the audience. Students will want to ask questions similar to those used when preparing an analytical report (to better define the problem).

Drafting the work plan will give students a chance to consider all the factors that go into report planning and research. Their draft plan should reflect thoughtful analysis of the difference between the problem statement and the statement of purpose and scope. Their plan should also suggest realistic results (conclusions about whether the company should rent an exhibition booth) and should propose achievable methods for data collection (observation, surveys about the festival’s significance, review of other companies that rent booths at SXSW). The outline can be brief, but should follow either the alphanumeric or decimal format as illustrated in the chapter.

Students should go to the library and become familiar with these sources: a. Directories in the library, Encyclopedia of Associations b. Information Please Almanac c. Market Share Reporter d. Robert Morris Associates, Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios e. Hoover’s Online, Internet search engines (many of which have stock performance data on public firms) Statistical Abstract of the United States f. g. Statistical Abstract of the United States

10.8

Answers will vary depending on the company selected.

First, students should realize that ignoring signs of impatience would be the wrong move. They could be labeled a time-waster, out of tune with the company’s priorities. Most executives juggle many tasks during a typical day, and many of them were propelled up the corporate ladder by their energy and desire to get things done quickly. So students may mention that even though this interview may be the most important thing they have to do, they must recognize that this executive simply has a lot of other obligations. If students are close to getting all the information they came for, they can say something like, “I know you’re busy today, so we can wrap this up quickly,” and then do so. However, if they’re a long way from finishing, they might explain that they’re conscious of the demands on the executive’s schedule, and ask if there might be a better time to finish the interview.

At this stage of research, students won’t know which styles they will 10.10 ultimately use for endnotes and bibliography in the finished document, so their resource list should include information essential to any style that will help them relocate the source if necessary: a. Author information b. Title information, including volume or edition where appropriate c. Publisher (name, place) d. Date of publication e. Relevant chapter and page ranges 10.9

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342 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals For magazines and newspapers, they’ll also want to record article titles, section numbers or letters, and page jumps. For websites, they will need URLs, page titles, and access dates.

10.11

Answers will vary depending on the industry selected.

10.12 a. Direct, the report is based entirely around recommendations and the recommendations will not upset anyone. b. Indirect, the recommendation might not be well-received and the writer should explain his or her reasoning. c. Direct, the report is based entirely around recommendations. d. Indirect, the recommendation to reduce labor may not be well-received and you need the opportunity to illustrate your reasoning for your recommendations. e. Direct, you’ve been asked to prepare this report and the audience will want to receive this information.

10.13 If the Electrovision report is for information only, it will contain no recommendations and so will need a new title, such as “Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs.” Most headings will need to be changed to reflect the informational nature of the report, and the section titled “Methods for Reducing Travel and Entertainment Costs” will be removed. Students may identify additional details that must be changed. The new transmittal memo should focus on key findings without making judgments or recommendations.

10.14 A sample outline may look like this I. Availability of parking places A. Inadequate student spaces at critical hours B. Motorcycles taking up full spaces C. Spaces (usually empty) reserved for college officials D. Inadequate total space II. Security problems A. Inadequate attempts to keep neighborhood residents from B. occupying spaces C. Discourteous security officers D. Vandalism to cars and a sense of personal danger Residents’ harassing of students who park on the street in front of neighboring houses III. Parking fees A. B.

Full fees charged to night students who use the lots during lowdemand periods Relatively high parking fees

IV. Maintenance of lots A. Poor night lighting near computer center B. Dim marking lines

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EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 253) 1. This site has several directories, including international directories, where students could determine companies’ phone numbers, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, webpage address, and hours of operation.

2. The primary benefit of using this directory includes the immediate access to various reports (e.g., trade magazines, government websites, and scientific and academic articles). One potential drawback, however, is that users have to sift through the site. For example, Budget Rent-a-car appears under a search for the U.S. Budget.

3. Links such as Associations on the Net will be very helpful when analyzing different companies. Also, the type of catalogued information is general enough to assist you when conducting any type of search.

CASE SOLUTIONS (p. 254) On the following pages are suggested solutions for this chapter’s cases. They are complete and fully formatted so that you can copy them onto acetate transparencies.

Ready-made transparencies are available for the solutions to the following cases: Case 1, My Progress to Date: Interim Progress Report on Your Academic Career (Transparency 107) Case 2, Who Said What: Personal Activity Report of a Meeting (Transparency 108) Case 3, Check That Price Tag: Informational Report on Trends in College Costs (Transparency 109) Case 4, Get a Move on It: Lasting Guidelines for Moving into College Dormitories (Transparency 110) Case 5, My Next Career Move: Feasibility Report Organized Around Recommendations (Transparency 111) Case 6, Staying the Course: Unsolicited Proposal (Transparency 112) Case 7, Planning My Program: Problem-Solving Report (Transparency 113) Case 8, Restaurant Review: Troubleshooting Report on a Restaurant’s Food and Operations (Transparency 114) Case 9, On the Books: Troubleshooting Report on Improving the Campus Bookstore (Transparency 115) Case 10, Day and Night: Problem-Solving Report on a 24-Hour Convenience Store (Transparency 116)

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344 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals Case 11, Building a New Magazine: Finding Opportunity in the Remodeling Craze (Transparency 117) Case 12, “Would You Carry It?” Unsolicited Sales Proposal Recommending a Product to a Retail Outlet (Transparency 118) Case 13, Where Is Everybody? Proposal to Sell GPS Fleet Tracking System (Transparency 119)

1.MY PROGRESS TO DATE: INTERIM PROGRESS REPORT ON YOUR ACADEMIC CAREER

This report should be prepared in a less formal memo format since the audience is someone who is helping or encouraging you through school. Your audience will be interested, so use the direct approach. The memo should include information on the progress you have made thus far and on your plan for completing the remaining requirements.

The purpose of the memo report should be clearly identified in the first paragraph. Information in the report should be presented in a straightforward manner. Developing a preliminary outline will assist you in planning coverage of necessary information.

Your reader will be interested in points such as the number of semesters you have been in school, the number of courses you typically take each semester, and the number of courses remaining. As you assess the number of courses remaining, you will need to research the course offerings carefully and consider your own financial situation. Research the answers to such questions as the following: What prerequisites must be completed for each of the remaining courses? How will such prerequisites affect the number of semesters you will need to complete the work? How will your progress be affected by courses offered only once a year or only in certain terms? You must also address how working part- or full-time may affect your progress, based on the information you researched about the course offerings.

Although the report will be relatively short, the reader will benefit from headings 2. WHO WHAT: PERSONAL REPORT OF A MEETING suchSAID as “Progress as of [date],”ACTIVITY “Remaining Coursework,” and “Related Completion Activities.” To provide additional clarity for your reader, you Treat this report similar to a monitor/control report, describing what may occurred during the meeting or conference. Since your classmates will be want include a table activities remain reading report, an detailing informal what memocourses formatand is appropriate.

You and can in what to your assume that you receptive readers, so direct order is preferable. You terms you plan to have complete each one. should make certain the readers understand the purpose of your report by stating it in the first paragraph of the memo.

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10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 345

In the remaining paragraphs, include details about the meeting or conference.

When your company pays your expenses to attend conferences or meetings, you can justify that the money has been well spent by providing an account of what you learned that could help improve effectiveness and efficiency on the job.

Before you begin writing, take time to look at any notes you may have taken during sessions. Next, plan the order in which you want to present your findings by jotting down a brief outline. Include information on sessions you attended, the content of the sessions, and information you learned that can be of use to you (and possibly other employees) on the job. Enhance the memo by adding headings to help guide your readers.

3. CHECK THAT PRICE TAG: INFORMATIONAL REPORT ON TRENDS IN COLLEGE COSTS

You are writing this report to the president of your school, so use a formal, letter format. The tone of the document should also be somewhat formal. Even though your school’s administration has asked you for the report, you will need to include the purpose of your report in the first paragraph. Then plan an outline that will allow you to present your facts in a clear, logical way.

If your administration has not specified which school to use for comparison, you will need to select one. You will need to decide whether you should choose one very comparable to yours (public or private, two-year or four-year, and so forth) or one very different from yours. You will need to describe the school you chose for comparison purposes and briefly explain why you chose that school.

Check your university’s past bulletins or registration materials to obtain tuition information. Bulletins from the other school should contain similar information.

Be certain you double check your calculations for tuition increases at both schools; accuracy of financial calculations is important in any report.

Next, assess what graphics you will use to present the data. For instance, you may wish to use a line graph to provide a comparison, or if the percentage increases are very similar, you may wish to use a table to provide clarity.

Graphics should never stand alone, so you will need to plan text that introduces, discusses, and interprets your graphics. Graphics should be placed as close to relevant text as possible. All graphics should have clear labels and titles and should be appropriately sized for easy reading.

Be sure to provide a paragraph of conclusions as a closing paragraph. Base your conclusions on a logical interpretation of the facts in your report. Draw your conclusions strictly from the information you provided in your report.

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346 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 4. GET A MOVE ON IT: LASTING GUIDELINES FOR MOVING INTO COLLEGE DORMITORIES

Because your readers are fellow students, use a memo report format. Follow the first step of the three-step writing process and define the problem to be addressed: providing rules and procedures for anyone moving in with a college roommate. Develop a preliminary outline of the issues you need to address, such as those in the text and any additional items you have identified from personal experience. You should also gather secondary information that identifies rules and policies already in place at your college or university, such as prohibited items and so forth. You may also want to conduct some informal interviews with students who have experienced moving in with a roommate.

Use a straightforward organization of information. The first paragraph should clearly identify your purpose. The information should be presented in a positive tone, reflecting guidelines for a successful move. Since numerous guidelines will be presented in this report, use numbered or bulleted lists to enhance readability.

Provide some discussion for each guideline to help justify why each point is an important one to follow.

A summary in the closing paragraph will help reemphasize that the guidelines are important to follow to ensure success when moving in with a roommate.

5. MY NEXT CAREER MOVE: FEASIBILITY REPORT ORGANIZED AROUND RECOMMENDATIONS

Because you are writing this report for your personal use, a memo format is sufficient. Before beginning to write, follow the planning steps for reports.

Clarify the purpose of the report before conducting any necessary secondary or primary research. You may need to do some research using a publication such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gather information about salary, working conditions, educational requirements, promotional opportunities, and so forth.

Since the report is to be organized around recommendations, introduce in the first paragraph the job you recommend pursuing. Following your recommendation, present logical and clear reasons for pursuing the particular position. Be sure to focus on the advantages the position presents in relation to your long-term career goals. Consider placing advantages in a bulleted list for readability. Follow the advantages with a list of actions you will need to take to get the recommended job. These actions could also be presented in a numbered list for easy reference.

A closing summary should focus on what you will do to pursue the job.

6. STAYING THE COURSE: UNSOLICITED PROPOSAL

Since this proposal is to be sent in an e-mail message, you will need to plan your message carefully. You want the dean and appropriate faculty to give your proposed course serious consideration. The proposal is unsolicited, so you will

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10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 347 need to provide sound reasons to convince your audience that a new course is needed, and you will need to show how including your course will benefit the curriculum as a whole.

Conduct some secondary research by reviewing another university’s core curriculum offerings. This information is provided on many college and university websites, which also provide information on required and elective courses for various majors. Citing other schools that have similar courses will support your proposal to add a course. To strengthen your argument, you may also want to search for articles in newspapers and periodicals that discuss accounting education, management education, and so forth.

Use a tone that is non-threatening to current faculty and existing courses, and use unbiased language. Explain why the course is needed, what content would be included, and how students will benefit. Make certain you explain why your reader should take action and add the course.

7. PLANNING MY PROGRAM: PROBLEM-SOLVING REPORT

You are preparing this report for your counselor or academic adviser, so you can assume you have an interested reader. First, plan your report by clearly identifying its purpose: to determine which course to enroll in next term.

Determine which courses you will assess and how you will organize your report.

How will you organize the report? By course? By importance of courses to your overall program completion timeline? By prerequisites, time offered, types of assignments or tests? Or by the time needed to complete a course successfully?

Next, conduct any necessary secondary research by reviewing course descriptions in the school bulletin. You may also want to conduct some informal primary research in which you discuss some of the above issues with students who have taken the courses you are considering.

Present the information in a clear, straightforward manner, using unbiased language and eliminating any negative references to individuals teaching the various courses. Close the report by drawing conclusions from the factual information you have provided. Finally, based on your conclusions, make a recommendation about which course you should enroll in next term.

8. RESTAURANT REVIEW: TROUBLESHOOTING REPORT ON A RESTAURANT’S FOOD AND OPERATIONS

This memo will go to the owner, so you can assume your reader is interested.

The purpose of the memo is to inform the reader of areas that need improvement or change. Therefore, you will need to prepare a plan of what you will do and what you will look for during your visit. You may even want to prepare an observation list to take with you. Quick references to the list will remind you of all the issues you want to research during your visit. The value of the observation

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348 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals depends on your reliability as the observer. Once your information is collected, assess how you will present it.

In the opening paragraph, describe the purpose of your report and the methods you used to conduct your research. You may wish to begin with a discussion of what you observed that was good. This information tells the reader that you completed a comprehensive observation of the restaurant’s food, facilities, service, and so forth. The following paragraphs should include your findings in areas needing improvement. These remarks should be stated in as positive a manner as possible, emphasizing what needs changing, rather than focusing on an individual employee.

Once the areas needing improvement are discussed, you are ready to draw conclusions and prepare recommendations. The conclusions should be your interpretation of the various facts reported, should be based on logical reasoning, and should link back to the original statement of purpose. Remember that conclusions don’t introduce any new information.

This report should end with a section of recommendations for improvement. Be sure to base these recommendations on logical analysis of the conclusions you have written. Be sure to provide actual steps that should come next so that your reader is not left wondering, “what do I do now?”

9. ON THE BOOKS: TROUBLESHOOTING REPORT ON IMPROVING THE CAMPUS BOOKSTORE

You can assume that the bookstore manager will be interested in increasing the profitability of the bookstore while keeping the needs of both the students and the school administration in mind. Before visiting the bookstore, prepare an observation sheet that will remind you to observe numerous facets of the bookstore’s operations. Conducting secondary research will help you determine what other campus bookstores are offering their patrons. Visiting other campus bookstores may also provide information for comparison and ideas for improvement.

In the opening paragraph of your report, describe your purpose and the methods you used to conduct your research. Provide a brief overview of the strengths you observed—to let your reader know that you observed many facets of the store and that you found numerous good points about the operation. The following paragraphs should include your findings of what could be changed or improved to increase profitability. Refer to the bookstore services and offerings that you found during your secondary research. To give extra credibility to your statements, document your sources.

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10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 349 10. DAY AND NIGHT: PROBLEM-SOLVING REPORT ON A 24-HOUR CONVENIENCE STORE

Because both the manager and the regional manager will read this report, it should be prepared in letter format. Provide the readers with basic information and detailed analysis. Both your readers should be interested in solutions to the restocking problem, so you may organize your report by presenting recommendations first, followed by some background information and then your discussion of the pros and cons of each of the four time periods.

The reasons for recommending the particular time period should reflect an analysis of (1) the average number of sales during specific hours (day or night) and (2) the number of employees in the store during these same hours. A table may be useful in presenting this information efficiently and clearly. Since graphics should never stand alone in a report, you will need to provide appropriate text to introduce and interpret any tables or graphs you include.

To close your report, summarize your recommendation and the facts that support it.

11. BUILDING A NEW MAGAZINE: FINDING OPPORTUNITY IN THE REMODELING CRAZE

From Tables 13.1 through 13.5, students should be able to identify a possible “sweet spot” in the data: kitchens, bathrooms, and home offices are the most frequently tackled rooms; $10–$20k is the most common budget range; and the tasks that are (1) of most interest to “heavy-hitter” DIYers and (2) probably covered less extensively by publications that focus on more-superficial tasks would include conceptual design, demolition, framing, plumbing, and possibly finish carpentry and tile work (although these last two might be considered “lighter” tasks and therefore might be covered adequately by other publications).

The follow-on research task, then, is to see whether a magazine market really exists for homeowners who want to extensively remodel kitchens, bathrooms, and home offices (as well as other rooms, but these would be the big three) with fairly sizable budgets in projects where they would tackle conceptual design, demolition, framing, and plumbing. Moreover, since consumer publications rely heavily on advertising, the research also needs to identify how many advertisers want to reach such a market. Lastly, the report should indicate how well or poorly this market is currently being served by other publications (students will need to make up this information).

The funding request portion of the report needs to make a strong case for pursuing the additional research, based on preliminary indications of the size of the market, the number of advertisers involved, and the competition.

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350 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 12. “WOULD YOU CARRY IT?” UNSOLICITED SALES PROPOSAL RECOMMENDING A PRODUCT TO A RETAIL OUTLET

The report is an external, unsolicited proposal. Prior to conducting your research on the product, determine the specific purpose of the proposal: to convince a retail outlet to carry a particular product. You will want to consider the interests and concerns of your readers. Although your readers may not have an initial interest in your product, they are interested in marketing products that sell in sufficient volume and with sufficient markup to contribute to the profit of the company.

Conduct research to gather information about the product’s features and its benefits to the store. You may also find some information about retail cost of the product to help you determine reasonable figures for your report. The manufacturer’s website may also provide information about warranties and other details you will need to know about before writing your proposal.

Highlight anything special that your company has to offer. Include details of how you will supply the product (delivery times, pricing, quantity discounts) and of other services your company provides. Prepare your materials with extreme care.

If readers approve the proposal, it forms the basis of a contract, so be certain to spell out precisely what your company will provide under specific terms and conditions.

13. WHERE IS EVERYBODY? PROPOSAL TO SELL GPS FLEET TRACKING SYSTEM

The proposal is an external, unsolicited proposal. Begin by determining the specific purpose of the proposal: to propose a trial deployment of Cloudberry using five Midwest Express trucks. You will want to consider the interests and concerns of your readers and demonstrate that a problem does exist and you are offering a solution for that problem. Although your readers may not have an initial interest in your product, they are certainly interested in increased fuel efficiency and safety for their drivers and their cargo.

After explaining the benefits of Cloudberry, outline the course of action your company would like to take. Be sure to include the timeline and cost of this preliminary deployment.

Close by mentioning the benefits your product has to offer. Prepare your materials with extreme care. If readers approve the proposal, it forms the basis of a contract, so be certain to spell out precisely what your company will provide under specific terms and conditions. You might also want to include a brochure featuring the specifications of Cloudberry for your reader’s benefit.

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IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 257) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Dashes and Hyphens (p. 257) 1. Three qualities—speed, accuracy, and reliability—are desirable in any applicant to the data entry department.

2. A highly placed source explained the top-secret negotiations.

3. The file on Marian Gephardt—yes, we finally found it—reveals a history of late payments.

4. They’re selling a well-designed machine.

5. A bottle-green sports jacket is hard to find.

6. Argentina, Brazil, Mexico—these are the countries we hope to concentrate on.

7. Only two sites—maybe three—offer the things we need.

8. How many owner-operators are in the industry?

9. Your ever-faithful assistant deserves—without a doubt—a substantial raise.

10. Myrna Talefiero is this organization’s president-elect.

11. Stealth, secrecy, and surprise—those are the elements that will give us a competitive edge.

12. The charts are well-placed on each page—unlike the running heads and footers.

13. We got our small-business loan—an enormous advantage.

14. Ron Franklin—do you remember him?—will be in town Monday.

15. Your devil-may-care attitude affects everyone involved in the decision-making process.

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 257) 1. Commerce One helps its customers lower administrative costs, improve order times, and manage contract negotiations more efficiently.

2. The intermodal bus vehicle seats up to 35 passengers but is equipped with a 20foot standardized container in the rear—the same container seen on ships, trains, and planes.

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352 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 3. “The American Dream of innovation, persistence, and a refusal to accept the status quo has just created, in our opinion, America’s newest and most exciting company to watch,” said James Gaspard, president of Neoplan USA. 4. This new transportation paradigm may have a global effect, and the barriers to entry will be extremely costly to overcome.

5. Autobytel also owns and operates Carsmart.com, Autosite.com, and AIC (Automotive Information Center), a provider of automotive marketing data and technology.

6. Mymarket.com offers a low-cost, high-reward entry into e-commerce not only for buyers but also for suppliers.

7. Eclipse Aviation’s main competitor is another start-up, Safire Aircraft, of West Palm Beach, Florida.

8. After identifying the factors that improve an industrial process, you must conduct additional refining experiments to confirm the results. [Or After the factors that improve an industrial process have been identified, additional refining experiments must be conducted to confirm the results.]

9. The Fair Labor Standards Act regulates minimum wages, establishes overtime compensation for work exceeding 40 hours per week, and outlaws child labor.

10. The Chinese government is supporting use of the Internet as a business tool because the government sees the Internet as necessary to enhance competitiveness.

11. At a certain point in a company’s growth, the entrepreneur who wants to control everything can no longer keep up, so he or she mistakenly looks for a better manager and calls that person a CEO. 12. City Fresh Foods is paid by city health agencies to provide ethnic food to the homebound elderly in the Boston area. [Or: City health agencies pay City Fresh Foods to . . .]

13. Having been in business since 1993, Ms. Rosen has boiled down her life story into a two-minute sound bite for sales prospects.

14. Those who want to gain a new perspective on their product or service must cast aside their own biases.

15. If I were Bill Gates, I’d handle the federal government’s antitrust lawsuit differently.

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Level 3: Document Critique—Well-written solution (p. 258) MEMO DATE: March 14, 2009 TO: Jeff Black and HR staff FROM: Carrie Andrews CA SUBJECT: Recruiting and hiring seminar As you all know, the process of recruiting, screening, and hiring new employees can be a legal minefield. Because we don’t have an in-house lawyer to help us make every decision, it’s important for all of us to be aware of what is legally acceptable and what isn’t.

Last week I attended an American Management Association seminar on this subject. I got enough useful information to warrant updating our online personnel handbook and perhaps developing a quick training session for all interviewing teams. First, here’s a quick look at the things I learned.

AVOIDING LEGAL MISTAKES ▪ How to write recruiting ads that accurately portray job openings and that don’t discriminate.

▪ How best to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act ▪ How to use an employment agency effectively and safely (without risk of legal entanglements) SCREENING AND INTERVIEWING MORE EFFECTIVELY ▪ How to sort through résumés more efficiently (including looking for telltale signs of false information) ▪ How to avoid interview questions that could get us into legal trouble ▪ When and how to check criminal records MEASURING APPLICANTS ▪▪

Which types of pre-employment tests have been proven most effective Which drug-testing issues and recommendations affect us

As you can see, the seminar addressed a lot of important information. We cover the basic guidelines for much of this already, but a number of specific recommendations and legal concepts should be emphasized.

It will take me a couple of weeks to get the personnel handbook updated, but we don’t have any immediate hiring plans anyway. I’ll keep the seminar handouts and my notes on my desk, in case you want to peruse them. After I’ve updated the handbook, we can get together and decide whether we need to train the interviewing team members. Although we have a lot of new information, I think we can highlight what people need to be aware of and let them read the new sections as their schedules allow.

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354 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to e-mail me or drop by for a chat. *See Transparency 120 for a corrected version of this memo.

CHAPTER 10 POP QUIZ

True-False 1. An analytical report presents data and facts without analyses. (False) 2. Policy and procedure reports expose any problems that exist in the organization.

(False) 3. Problem-solving reports typically require secondary research, primary research, or both types of research. (True) 4. A proposal is designed to get products, plans, or projects accepted by others, and it may be either solicited or unsolicited. (True) 5. When planning reports, the writer can eliminate audience analysis because the audience is not important. (False) 6. A preliminary outline establishes a framework for the report. (True) 7. Newspapers are not considered legitimate secondary sources for business report research. (False) 8. Information at a website may be biased, inaccurate, or exaggerated. (True) 9. Business documents may be a source of both secondary and primary information, depending upon how they are used. (True) 10. Conclusions of a report are suggestions for action. (False)

Multiple Choice 11. Which of the following informational reports would be considered a report for monitoring and controlling operations? a. Income tax report b. Monthly sales report c. Progress report d. Position paper on need for voice mail

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10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 355 12. The purpose of an analytical report is to a. convince the audience that the conclusions and recommendations developed are valid. b. convince the audience you are an excellent writer. c. provide facts only about a situation. d. accomplish none of the above.

13. A request for proposal from one company generates ____ from other companies. a. informational reports b. solicited proposals c. unsolicited proposals d. purpose statements 14. A work plan prepared at the request of your boss would include a. the problem statement, the purpose statement, and the scope of your investigation. b. the unsolicited proposal, the solution, and the schedule. c. a final outline of your report, the solicited proposal, and the method you’ll use for your investigation. d. all of the above.

15. Which of the following should you search first for information on current population patterns and business trends? a. Popular magazines b. Books c. Government publications d. None of the above 16. Which of the following is not one of the four categories of periodicals discussed in the chapter? a.

Trade journals b. Academic journals c. Business magazines d. Almanacs 17. Search engines a. identify and screen web resources. b. all operate the same way. c. should not be used for business research. d. are impossible to use successfully.

18. Which primary research method is best for collecting opinions from a large group of consumers? a. Observations b. Interviews c. Surveys d. Experiments

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356 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals 19. Using someone else’s words or ideas without proper credit is a. paraphrasing. b. summarizing. c. plagiarizing. d. documenting.

20. Conclusions are a. the facts you collect. b. logical interpretations of the facts. c. suggestions of what to do about the facts. d. none of the above.

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CHAPTER 11: WRITING AND COMPLETING REPORTS AND PROPOSALS CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 11 discusses Steps 2 and 3 of the three-step process for writing reports and proposals. The chapter begins with Step 2, Writing Reports and Proposals. Writers are first introduced to issues of adapting to an audience and composing reports and proposals. The chapter addresses composition tasks, including drafting report content, drafting proposal content, providing direction for readers (with headings, transitions, previews, and reviews), and using technology to craft reports and proposals. The chapter also explains how to illustrate reports with effective visual aids and how to design effective visuals. The final section focuses on Step 3, Completing Reports and Proposals. Writers are introduced to the various components of reports: revising reports and proposals, producing formal reports, producing formal proposals, proofreading reports and proposals, and distributing reports and proposals.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 11 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet.

Number Transparency 121 Transparency 122 Transparency 123 Transparency 124 Transparency 125 Transparency 126 Transparency 127 Transparency 128 Transparency 129 Transparency 130 Transparency 131 Transparency 132 Transparency 133 Transparency 134 Transparency 135 Transparency 136 Transparency 137 Transparency 138 Transparency 139 Transparency 140 Transparency 141 .

Content Comparison of Organizational Plans for Reports Choosing an Approach Selecting the Right Visual Aid for the Job Sample Table Sample Line Chart with Multiple Lines Sample Line Chart Sample Bar Chart Sample Horizontal Bar Chart Sample Pie Charts Sample Organization Chart Activity 11.4 (improved version) Case 1: Guidelines for Solving the Case (page 1 of 2) Case 1: Guidelines for Solving the Case (page 2 of 2) Case 2: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 3: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 4: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 5: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 6: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 7: Guidelines for Solving the Case Case 8: Sample Outline to Solve the Case Case 9: Guidelines for Solving the Case (page 1 of 2)

358 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals Transparency Transparency 143

Case 142 9: Guidelines for Solving the Case (page 2of 2) Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution)

CHAPTER OUTLINE Writing Reports and Proposals Adapting to Your Audience Composing Reports and Proposals Drafting Report Content Report Introduction Report Body Report Close Drafting Proposal Content Proposal Introduction Proposal Body Proposal Close Drafting Online Content Helping Readers Find Their Way Using Technology to Craft Reports and Proposals Illustrating Your Reports with Effective Visuals Choosing the Right Visual for the Job Tables Line Charts and Surface Charts Bar Charts and Pie Charts Data Visualization Flowcharts and Organization Charts Maps, Drawings, Diagrams, and Photographs Animation and Video Designing Effective Visuals Completing Reports and Proposals Revising Your Reports and Proposals Producing a Formal Report Prefatory Parts of a Formal Report Text of a Report Supplementary Parts of a Report Producing a Formal Proposal Prefatory Parts of a Formal Proposal Text of a Proposal Proofreading Your Reports and Proposals Distributing Your Reports and Proposals Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Writing Reports and Proposals This chapter builds on the writing techniques and ideas you learned in Chapter 4, addressing issues that are particularly important when preparing longer message formats. .

11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 359 Adapting to your audience involves the following: Adopting the “you” attitude.

Striking a balance between overly informal (which can be perceived as trivializing important issues) and overly formal (which can put too much distance between writer and reader).

An informal tone may be used if you know your readers reasonably well and your report is likely to meet with their approval.

To make your tone less formal, speak to readers in the first person and refer to yourself as I. To make your tone more formal: Use the impersonal journalism style.

Emphasize objectivity.

Avoid personal opinions.

Build your argument on provable facts.

Eliminate all personal pronouns (you and I).

Avoid jokes, similes, and metaphors.

Try to minimize the use of colorful adjectives or adverbs.

Taking into account that communicating with people in other cultures often calls for more formality in reports.

When communicating with people in other cultures, the report often calls for more formality. Be sure to respect cultural preferences and to reduce the risk of miscommunication.

When composing reports and proposals, do the following: Select the best words.

Create the most effective sentences.

Develop coherent paragraphs.

As with other forms of written business communication, reports and proposals have three main sections: Introduction (or opening) Body Conclusion An effective introduction Puts the report or proposal in context by tying it to a problem or assignment.

Introduces the subject or purpose of the report or proposal and indicates why the subject is important.

Previews the main ideas and the order in which they’ll be covered.

Establishes the tone of the document and the writer’s relationship with the audience.

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360 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals The body presents, analyzes, and interprets the information gathered during your investigation and supports recommendations and conclusions.

An effective close has four important functions: Emphasizes your main points.

Summarizes the benefits to the reader.

Refers to all the pieces and reminds readers how those pieces fit together.

Brings all the action items together in one place.

To enhance your credibility, be sure your content is Accurate Complete Balanced Clear and logical Documented properly Elements included in an introduction depend upon the nature and length of the report, the circumstances under which you’re writing, and your relationship with the audience.

Each of the following elements could be included in the introduction; however, you’ll need to select the best one to include for your particular report: Authorization.

Problem/opportunity/purpose.

Scope.

Background.

Sources and methods.

Definitions.

Limitations.

Report organization.

In the body of your report, only provide only enough detail to support your conclusions and recommendations; place additional information in appendices.

Topics found in the body of a report include: Explanations of a problem or opportunity Facts, statistical evidence, and trends Results of studies or investigations Discussion and analyses of potential courses of action Advantages, disadvantages, costs, and benefits of a particular course of action Procedures or steps in a process Methods and approaches Criteria for evaluating alternatives and options Conclusions and recommendations Supporting reasons for conclusions or recommendations For analytical reports using the direct organizational approach, you’ll generally state your conclusions or recommendations in the introduction and use the body of your report to provide your evidence and support. .

11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 361 For analytical reports using the indirect approach, you’re likely to use the body to discuss your logic and reserve your conclusions or recommendations until the very end.

The content and length of the close depend primarily on your choice of direct or indirect order.

If you’re using the direct approach, you can end with a summary of key points, listed in the order in which they appear in the report body.

If you’re using the indirect approach, you can use the close to present your conclusions or recommendations if you didn’t end the body with them. However, don’t introduce new facts in your close; your audience should have all the information they need by the time they reach this point.

If your report is intended to prompt others to action, use the close to spell out exactly what should happen next. If you’ll be taking all the actions yourself, make sure your readers understand this fact so that they know what to expect from you.

When writing a proposal, the content and length of the introduction, body, and close depend on the source of your proposal: For unsolicited proposals, you have some latitude.

For solicited proposals, you are governed by the request for proposal.

Writing a proposal is similar to that used for persuasive sales messages: Your proposal must sell the audience on your ideas, product, service, methods, and company.

You use the AIDA model (or something similar) to gain attention, build interest, create desire, and motivate action.

To strengthen your argument in a proposal, try to Demonstrate your knowledge.

Provide concrete information and examples.

Research the competition.

Prove that your proposal is appropriate and feasible for your audience.

Relate your product, service, or personnel to the reader’s exact needs.

Package your proposal attractively.

Make sure your proposal is letter perfect, inviting, and readable.

The following topics are commonly covered in a proposal introduction: Background or statement of the problem.

Solution.

Scope.

Organization.

The body of a proposal typically includes these sections: Proposed solution.

Work plan.

Statement of qualifications.

Costs.

The final section of a proposal Summarizes the key points Emphasizes the benefits that readers will realize from your solution .

362 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals Summarizes the merits of your approach Reemphasizes why you and your firm are a good choice Asks for a decision from the client Keep this section brief and use a confident, optimistic tone.

When drafting online content, keep these five additional points in mind as well: Take special care to build trust with your intended audiences because careful readers can be skeptical of online content. Make sure your content is accurate, current, complete, and authoritative.

As much as possible, adapt your content for a global audience. Translating content is expensive, so some companies compromise by localizing the homepage while keeping the deeper, more detailed content in its original language.

In an environment that presents many reading challenges, compelling, readeroriented content is key to success.5Wherever you can, use the inverted pyramid style, in which you cover the most important information briefly at first and then gradually reveal successive layers of detail—letting readers choose to see those additional layers if they want to.

Present your information in a concise, skimmable format. Effective websites use a variety of means to help readers skim pages quickly, including lists, careful use of color and boldface, informative headings, and helpful summaries that give readers a choice of learning more if they want to.

Write effective links that serve for both site navigation and content skimming.

Above all else, clearly identify where a link will take readers; don’t force them to click through and try to figure out where they’re going.

To help readers navigate your report, use three tools: Headings or links.

Transitions.

Previews and reviews.

When creating lengthy reports and proposals, take advantage of technological tools to help throughout the process.

Some of the more important tools for developing reports and proposals include the following: Templates.

Linked and embedded documents.

Electronic forms.

Electronic documents.

Multimedia documents.

Proposal-writing software.

Illustrating Your Reports with Effective Visuals Well-designed visuals Enhance the communication power of textual messages.

Can replace text in some cases.

Can convey much more information than text in a given amount of time.

Attract and hold your audience’s attention. .

11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 363 Are an effective way to communicate with today’s diverse audiences.

Given the importance of visuals in today’s business environment, visual literacy—the ability (as a sender) to create effective images and (as a receiver) to correctly interpret visual messages—has become a key business skill.

Even without any formal training in design, being aware of the following six principles will help you be a more effective visual communicator: Consistency.

Contrast.

Balance.

Emphasis.

Convention.

Simplicity.

Deciding which type of visual to use is most often determined by the type of information you wish to present. For example, a table is the most obvious choice for presenting a large set of numerical values or detailed textual information.

Tables Systematically arrange data in columns and rows Are ideal when the audience needs information that would be either difficult or tedious to handle in the main text When preparing a table, be careful to Use common, understandable units and clearly identify them.

Express all items in a column in the same unit and round off for simplicity.

Label column heads clearly and use a subhead if necessary.

Separate columns or rows with lines or extra space so that the table is easy to follow.

Don’t cram so much information into a table that it becomes difficult to read.

Keep online tables small enough to read comfortably on-screen.

Document the source of the data below the table.

Line charts Illustrate trends over time or plot the relationship of two variables.

Depict trends by arranging the vertical (y) axis to show the amount and the horizontal (x) axis to show the time or the quantity being measured.

Surface charts, also called area charts, are line charts with a cumulative effect: All lines add up to the top one, which represents the total.

Bar charts portray numbers with the height or length of its rectangular bars, making a series of numbers easy to grasp quickly. Bar charts are particularly useful when you want to

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364 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals Compare the size of several items at one time.

Show changes in one item over time.

Indicate the composition of several items over time.

Show the relative size of components of a whole.

There are several types of bar charts: Grouped Segmented Combination Pie charts show how parts of a whole are distributed Conventional charts and graphs are limited in two ways: They can represent only numeric data.

Most types show only a limited number of data points before the display becomes too cluttered to interpret.

A diverse class of display capabilities known as data visualization overcomes both of these drawbacks.

Flowcharts illustrate a sequence of events from start to finish; flowcharts are indispensable when illustrating Processes.

Procedures.

Sequential relationships.

Organization charts illustrate the positions, units, or functions in an organization and the ways they interrelate..

Maps are useful for showing territories, routes, and locations.

Drawings can show an endless variety of business concepts, such as the network of suppliers in an industry, the flow of funds through a company, or the process for completing payroll each week.

Photographs offer both functional and decorative value, and nothing can top a photograph when you need to show exact appearances.

Computer animation and video are among the most specialized forms of business visuals. When they are appropriate and done well, they offer unparalleled visual impact.

Computers make it easy to create visuals, but they also make it easy to create visuals that are ineffective, distracting, and even downright ugly.

To integrate visuals with your text: Position your visuals so that your audience won’t have to flip back and forth (in printed documents) or scroll (on-screen) between the visuals and the text. .

11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 365 Clearly refer to visuals by number in the text of your report and help your readers understand the significance of visuals by referring to them before readers encounter them in the document or on-screen.

Write effective titles, captions, and legends.

Titles provide a short description that identifies the content and purpose of the visual Captions usually offer additional discussion of the visual’s content and can be several sentences long.

Legends help readers “decode” the visual by explaining what various colors, symbols, or other design choices.

When checking completed visuals, proofread them carefully and ask these questions: Are there any typographical errors?

Is the color treatment, consistent?

Are there any confusing or undocumented symbols?

Are there any misaligned elements?

Completing Reports and Proposals As with shorter messages, be sure to perform four tasks to complete your document: Revise Produce Proofread Distribute When revising your message, evaluate the Organization, style, and tone.

Readability: vary sentence length; keep paragraphs short; use lists, bullets, headings, and subheadings.

Revising until content is clear, concise and compelling.

Report components fall into three categories: Prefatory parts Text parts Supplementary parts Most prefatory parts (such as the table of contents) should be placed on their own pages.

Various parts in the report text are often run together and seldom stand alone.

The prefatory parts of a formal report are front-end materials that provide key preliminary information so that readers can decide whether and how to read the report.

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366 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals Prefatory parts of a formal report may include some but usually not all the following: Cover Title fly Title page Letter of authorization Letter of transmittal Table of contents List of illustrations Synopsis Executive summary When putting a title on the cover, remember to Give readers all the information they need to grasp the purpose of the scope of the report.

Use high-quality cover stock for a formal report.

The title fly is a plain sheet of paper with only the title of the report on it.

The title page includes four blocks of information: The title of the report The name, job title, and address of the person, group, or organization that authorized the report The name, title, and address of the person, group, or organization that authorized the report The date on which the report was submitted The letter of authorization is a document requesting that you to prepare a report.

The letter or memo of transmittal Introduces your report on your behalf.

Begins by discussing the scope, methods, and limitations of the project.

Highlights important sections of the report, suggests follow-up studies, offers details to help readers use the report, and acknowledges help from others.

Closes with a note of thanks for the assignment, expresses a willingness to discuss the report, and offers to assist with future projects.

The table of contents lists report parts and text headings to indicate the location and hierarchy of the information in the report.

The list of illustrations are not included in all reports, but consider including one if the illustrations are particularly important.

The synopsis Is a brief overview (one page or less) of a report’s most important points.

The phrasing of a synopsis is informative for direct reports, descriptive for indirect reports.

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11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 367 The executive summary May be used instead of a synopsis.

Is a fully developed “mini” version of the report.

Supplementary parts follow the text of a report and provide information for readers who seek more detailed discussion. Supplements are more common in long reports than in short ones. They typically include the following: Appendixes Bibliography Index An appendix contains additional information for readers who want it; this information is related to the report but not included in the text because it Is too lengthy or bulky.

Lacks direct relevance.

The bibliography is a list of secondary sources consulted when preparing the report.

The index is an alphabetical list of names, places, and subjects mentioned in the report, along with the pages on which they appear.

Formal proposals contain many of the same components as other formal reports but the special nature of proposals does require some unique elements Some prefatory parts for proposals differ from prefatory parts for other reports, including The copy of or reference to the request for proposals (RFP) The synopsis or executive summary The letter of transmittal The RFP is a letter or memo soliciting proposals or bids on a particular project: The RFP would replace the letter of authorization that appears in other reports.

A synopsis or an executive summary is often less useful in proposals than in other reports: In unsolicited proposals, your transmittal letter will catch the reader’s interest.

In solicited proposals, the introduction would provide an adequate preview of the contents.

The letter of transmittal included in proposals is handled differently, depending on whether the proposal is solicited or unsolicited: It follows the pattern for positive messages when the proposal is solicited.

It follows the advice for persuasive messages when the proposal is unsolicited.

As with other types of reports, the text of a proposal consists of the introduction, body, and close.

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368 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals The introduction presents and summarizes the problem you intend to solve and your solution. It highlights the benefits the reader will receive from the solution.

The body explains the complete details of the solution: how the job will be done, how it will be broken into tasks, what method will be used to do it (including the required equipment, material, and personnel), when the work will begin and end, how much the entire job will cost (including a detailed breakdown), and why your company is qualified.

The close emphasizes the benefits readers will realize from your solution and urges readers to act.

When you proofread textual material, check for inconsistencies, errors, and missing components.

Don’t forget to proofread your visual aids and to make sure they’re positioned correctly.

For online reports, make sure all links work as expected and all necessary files are active and available.

Review Chapter 5 for specific tips on proofreading documents.

Try to enlist someone with “fresh eyes” to proofread your report, ideally two people: Someone who is an expert in the subject matter can ensure your report’s technical accuracy.

Someone who isn’t an expert in the subject matter can ensure that a wide range of readers will understand your report.

Your choice of distribution method depends partly on the type of report or proposal: For physical distribution to a large group, consider a professional courier or package delivery service to help your document stand apart from the crowd.

For physical distribution to a single person or small group, consider delivering it in person to answer immediate questions and emphasize recipient benefits.

For electronic distribution, provide PDF documents to overcome people’s reluctance to open word processor files because of their vulnerability to viruses and to control how your document is displayed to your audience.

For web-based content management systems, intranets, or extranets, verify that you have uploaded the correct files to the right place and that all elements are there.

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Some students will have difficulty comprehending when and how to structure analytical reports. During class discussion, provide examples of analytical reports that use the three common approaches: focusing on conclusions, focusing on recommendations, and focusing on logical argument. You can use examples from .

11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 369 your files and from the text. Emphasize when the writer should or should not use each approach.

Business communication students often have trouble selecting the right visuals for a given report, especially when the choice is between simple bar charts, segmented bar charts, and grouped bar charts. Some students may choose to use pie charts when they are not appropriate. During class discussion, provide a number of data examples and help students select the most effective way to graph or chart them.

Because students don’t use the graphing capabilities of a spreadsheet on a daily basis, they may have forgotten what they learned in any software courses they may have taken. Demonstrate how to add titles, legends, and labels for effective graphs. Show students how to import graphics from a spreadsheet into word-processing documents, how to resize graphics if necessary, and how to wrap text around visuals. Emphasize the importance of being consistent in the design of multiple visual aids to make the graphics easier for readers to follow.

Students will need assistance determining what to write about the graphics they design. Two common errors are (1) to write nothing (simply including a graph or chart for the reader to review), or (2) to write a lengthy paragraph (detailing every number or percentage from every portion of the graphic). Provide some samples of graphics and give students practice in writing effective text to introduce and interpret them.

When writing the text of a report, students often struggle with using a personal or an impersonal tone. Explain that a personal tone uses the pronouns you and I, whereas the impersonal tone presents the entire report in third person (avoiding you and I).

Stress that in reports using an impersonal tone, the writer maintains this tone throughout, including the conclusions and recommendations. Provide plenty of examples of when to use a personal or an impersonal tone.

Some students will make effective use of the outline they prepared during the planning step, but they may neglect to incorporate the actual first- and second-level headings in the text of the report. Explain how headings guide the reader and how important they are to an effective report. Also illustrate the format of the various heading levels that you want students to use in the reports they prepare for class.

For reports that require secondary research, the format of references is always an issue. Once you have selected the style manual that students should follow for their reports, discuss the correct form of textual citations and reference-page entries for books, periodicals, websites, and so forth. Be sure to provide numerous examples.

Students will need guidance in writing an effective synopsis. Discuss what the synopsis should include and the order in which the information can be presented. To strengthen student understanding, provide some examples for them to review.

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370 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES 1. Choosing and preparing effective visual aids. Select several groups of data that a report writer would logically choose to graph or chart in some manner. Let students work in teams of two to identify effective visuals for each group of data.

In some instances more than one type of visual would work effectively. Also instruct students to indicate which particular visuals would not work and why.

(You may choose to use Practice Your Knowledge Activity 6 for this portion of the exercise.) If computers are available in the classroom, instruct students to design the visual aid, provide effective titles, correctly label visual parts, and size the visual for effective placement within a document. (This work could also be assigned as homework.) During class discussion, critique student results.

2.

Providing text support for visuals. Provide some sample visual aids that could be included in reports. Assign students to work in teams of two to develop a paragraph that introduces each visual and provides necessary interpretation for readers. Critique student paragraphs in class. Practice Your Knowledge Activity 6 gives students a chance to study an example of a report with numerous visuals.

Preparing effective headings, transitions, previews, and reviews. Provide an example report that includes no headings, limited use of transitions, and no preview paragraphs. Guide a class critique of the report and develop effective headings, add effective transitions, and provide preview and review paragraphs as appropriate. Practice Your Knowledge Activity 7 provides a hands-on example of how these tools guide readers through a lengthy report.

Preparing an effective report introduction. Provide students with a report-writing 4. scenario for which no additional research is required (such as Case 1 at the end of the chapter). Ask students to prepare just the introduction section of the report, and critique their solutions. As an alternative, project both effective and ineffective examples of report introductions for students to critique.

3.

Distinguishing among facts, conclusions, and recommendations. Ask students to 5. assume they have been assigned the task of investigating the security and control provisions in the computer labs at school. Students may assume some facts if they do not actually visit the labs before class. Instruct students to prepare a list of facts, some conclusions, and appropriate recommendations. As an alternative, provide a list of fifteen to twenty points for students. Make sure some of the points are factual information, some are conclusions, and some are recommendations. Mix the list, and ask students to identify each item as a fact, conclusion, or recommendation.

Preparing a report. Select an end-of-chapter case (or assign another of your 6. choosing). Let students work in teams of two or three to plan the report. Critique student plans and identify missing tasks and weaknesses. If computers are available in the classroom, allow some class time to write portions of the text.

Critique such issues as objective presentation of facts, proper degree of formality, use of a consistent time perspective, use of headings and transitions, and so forth.

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11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 371

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 299) 1. An introduction for an unsolicited proposal must contain a statement of the problem or opportunity that the proposal addresses since readers need to be convinced that the problem or opportunity exists and that you will be able to assist them.

2.

3 .

4 5. .

To help readers navigate a long report, (1) the opening introduces the subject and indicates its importance; (2) headings and lists highlight important ideas and provide clues; (3) transitions tie ideas together and keep readers moving; (4) previews and reviews introduce new information and summarize what’s been discussed; (5) the ending summarizes ideas, conclusions, or recommendations.

To compare one part with a whole, use a pie chart.

A flowchart shows a sequence of events. In contrast, an organization chart shows the positions and functions within an organization.

A proposal’s RFP is equivalent to a report’s letter of authorization.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 299) 1. A brief reference to methodology can establish credibility. However, this discussion need not be handled in a separate section. You can mention research methods while presenting your results. You might say, “In telephone interviews with 20 personnel directors at Fortune 500 companies, we learned that relatively few will provide detailed references on former employees.”

The best way to ensure a graph’s accuracy is to consider how the scale influences the curve. Ask yourself whether any important data might have been left out, check labels and titles, and check the source reference. Is it recent and authoritative?

Like nonverbal communication, visual aids convey meaning independently of 3. words and are therefore not distorted by differences between the sender’s and the receiver’s interpretation of words. Visual aids and nonverbal communication both involve subconscious, symbolic messages of which the sender and receiver may not be aware. For example, a chart that uses bright red might provoke an unforeseen reaction that has nothing to do with the data.

You might use an illustration that shows changes in each department over a period of six months. The best choice for depicting changes over time is a line 4. chart (using a separate line for each department). The vertical axis would indicate the amount of absenteeism and turnovers, and the horizontal axis would indicate the passage of months. However, for more than three departments, a single line chart could be confusing. Alternatives would be to use a separate line chart for each department or to use one bar chart. The bar chart would feature one bar for each department, showing absenteeism and turnover in two contrasting colors.

2.

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372 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 5. If the company adopts the firm’s recommendations without hiring them, then they are behaving in an unethical manner. The company adopting the firm’s recommendations is, essentially, plagiarizing the ideas of that firm.

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 300) ACTIVITIES 11.1

11.2

If the Electrovision report is for information only, it will contain no recommendations and so will need a new title, such as “Electrovision’s Travel and Entertainment Costs.” Most headings will need to be changed to reflect the informational nature of the report, and the section titled “Methods for Reducing T&E Costs” will be removed. Students may identify additional details that must be changed. The new transmittal memo should focus on key findings without making judgments or recommendations. This wiki article has numerous flaws, both major and minor. Students will need to spend some time analyzing the purpose and organization of the message in order to identify necessary revisions. Here and on the next page, we’ve identified 24 flaws that need to be addressed (there are more, but some of those will be fixed as a result of fixing these 24). Following that you’ll find one possible revision to the article. Please be sure to check the Instructor Messages section at http://realtimeupdates.com/bce for any additional information about this online exercise.

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11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 373

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374 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals Problems that need to be corrected in the wiki article in Activity 2 (continued)

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11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 375 One possible revision to the wiki article in Activity 2

Calibrating the digital height readout on your WorkRite Sonoma Premium Series workcenter The digital height readout shows the current position of your workcenter, as measured in inches from the floor to the top of the work surface. It is accurate when it leaves the factory, but if you made any of the following changes, you may need to calibrate the readout: • Adjusting the levelers in the bottom of the towers •

Placing a padded rug or floor mat in front of the workcenter

•

Adding a custom worksurface that is not the same thickness as the standard worksurfaces

To determine whether you need to calibrate the readout, simply measure from the floor to the top of the work surface and compare this value with the value shown on the readout. (If you have a rug or mat in front of the workcenter, measure from the top of the rug or mat to the top of the work surface.) If the measurement does not match the readout, you can calibrate the readout in two easy steps: Step 1. Lower the workcenter to its lowest position and remeasure the distance from the floor to the top of the work surface. As before, be sure to include the thickness of any rug or mat in the measurement.

Step 2. Hold down the “S” button on the control panel and press the up or down arrow until the readout matches the measurement you took in Step 1.

The readout now accurately reflects your specific configuration.

11.3

The best visual aids for these particular purposes are as follows: a. Table or line chart b. Bar chart c. Flow chart or diagram d. Flow chart or organizational chart e. Map f. Table or line chart

11.4

Students can either cut out or photocopy the section of a city map that surrounds the location they choose. If it is available, students can also use mapping software. In either case, the exact locations of the car washes should be indicated with a dot or star. Each of the surrounding radii should be indicated in a way that distinguishes them from the others, such as using a different color of line or shading for each. Students should also indicate what percent of customers will visit the car wash from each area (50 percent from within 4 miles of the location, 65 percent from within 6 miles, and so on).

The best locations will be easily accessible to densely populated residential areas.

This exercise offers a hands-on example of how headings, transitions, previews, and reviews guide readers through a lengthy report. Discussion might center on articles that did not accomplish this effectively. Why didn’t

11.5

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376 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals they? What could their authors have done differently? In more successful articles, did students find any techniques that were used effectively (such as using a similar form for reviews or previews throughout the article)?

11.6

11.7

11.8

When you are writing the report, the ethical move would be to mention your recent discovery about the faulty survey in the introduction (as you explain “limitations”—factors beyond your control that affect your report’s quality).

Since the report is due in three days, you’ll probably want to go ahead and present your findings and recommendations but inform your readers of the discrepancy you found. In truth, a better-administered survey might come up with similar or identical results, so you have no reason to throw out your conclusions just yet, and you’ll want to mention this fact in the introduction as well. Depending on the circumstances of your report, you might also suggest follow-up research to counter the flawed survey with a second or revised report to be submitted before the company takes action.

Student versions of this letter will vary. In general, the letter should be upbeat, stressing the group’s gratitude for the County Arts Council grant, and should mention that the grant allowed the Friends of the Library to support literacy and boost library usage through a diverse set of activities and acquisitions. The letter should touch on highlights of the report and build goodwill because the writer hopes the recipient will continue providing grants in future years.

Students should recognize the following attributes of this executive summary: • At two and a half pages, this executive summary could be considered rather short for a 160-page report; however, it does present highlights of the report content.

• It contains several headings to assist the reader, although the subheadings could be better designed, both to differentiate parts from chapters and to make them both stand out from the body text.

• It is organized in the same part/chapter sequence as the main report.

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 301) 1. The most common file format for online visuals is PDF (Portable Document Format).

2.

3.

Color depth describes the number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel in a bitmapped image or video frame buffer. This concept is also known as bits per pixel (bpp), particularly when specified along with the number of bits used. Higher color depth gives a broader range of distinct colors.

Dithering scatters different colored pixels in an image to make it appear as though there are intermediate colors in images with a limited color palette.

Your operating system will automatically dither images when your display .

11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 377 settings are set to 256 colors or less. Dithering is often used to reduce banding in GIFs with graduated color transitions. Most software provides options that let you control the appearance of the scattered pixels; for example, the dithering can be a rigid pattern, random noise, or diffusion.

Keep in mind that dithering often increases the file size of an image, but in many cases the improved appearance is worth the trade-off. Below are several examples of different types of dithering. The last example is is not dithered. Notice the changes in file size for the various types of dithering.

Diffusion dithering, 4 color GIF, 2.00 KB

Pattern dithering, 4 color GIF, 1.31 KB

Noise dithering, 4 color GIF, 2.36 KB

No dithering, 256 color GIF, 6.00 KB

CASE SOLUTIONS Planning task solutions for this chapter’s cases appear on the following pages.

Ready-made transparencies are available for the solutions to the following cases: Case 1, Grumbling in the Ranks: When Departments Can’t Agree on the Value of Work, Transparencies 132 and 133 Case 2, Selling Overseas: Research Report on the Prospects for Marketing a Product in Another Country, Transparency 134 Case 3, A Ready-Made Business: Finding the Right Franchise Opportunity, Transparency 135 Case 4, Moving the Workforce: Understanding Commute Patterns, Transparency 136 Case 5, You Can Get Anything Online These Days: Shopping for Automobiles on the

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378 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals Internet, Transparency 137 Case 6, Secondary Sources: Report Based on Library and Online Research, Transparency 138 Case 7, Polishing the Presenters: Offering Your Services as a Presentation Trainer, Transparency 139 Case 8, Healthy Alternatives: Proposal to Sell Snacks and Beverages at Local Schools, Transparency 140 Case 9, Career Connections: Helping Employees Get the Advice They Need to Move Ahead, Transparencies 141 and 142

1. GRUMBLING IN THE RANKS: WHEN DEPARTMENTS CAN’T AGREE ON THE VALUE OF WORK

Tempers are no doubt flaring across the company and people are surely demanding answers, so both timeliness (to proceed toward a resolution as quickly as possible) and accuracy (to avoid fueling the fire with misinformation) are paramount in this report. Here are a number of suggestions for students, based on the three-step writing process: Analyzing the situation: Because the assignment from the CEO is merely to provide information about the situation and not to solve the problem, starting with a clear statement of purpose is vital—both to guide the writing effort and to remind the CEO when he or she reads it. Even though the audience is just a single person and the report is requested, sketching a brief audience profile will be helpful since the student (in the role of the new HR manager) doesn't have a long history with the CEO. In addition, a clear work plan will help the report writer make the best use of limited time.

Gathering information: The CEO asked for a report on available information, so students won’t need to allow for additional information gathering, such as an employee survey. However, in their role playing, some students may provide additional hypothetical information, such as industry-wide averages or insights from a previous job.

Selecting the right medium: Confidentiality is the overriding concern in this case, and there’s already evidence of vulnerabilities in the company’s electronic communication network, so a printed memo with no copies and hand-delivered to the CEO is probably the best choice.

Organizing: A direct approach is called for since the report is primarily about delivering information, and the CEO requested it. To organize the information, a comparison approach will be most effective, and students should also keep the numeric and narrative information separate to avoid confusion. If students choose to add information beyond that shown in the two tables, it should be presented after the salary data and responses from the two managers.

Adapting to the audience: Since the report writer is a new employee, his or her response to this crisis is likely to be a career-defining moment. The CEO’s assessment of that response, positive or negative, will help establish perceptions that could last years.

Consequently, the report needs to clearly and directly meet the audience’s needs, while .

11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 379 confronting the problem head-on. Complaining about the information leak or criticizing the company’s computer systems will detract from the purpose of the report and therefore generate a negative reaction from the audience.

Composing the report: The report should be written in a calm, neutral style. A voice of reason is doubly appreciated during a time of crisis. Any insights the writer can find that might help define a solution should be offered as well, such as noting that while the range of salaries for engineers is considerably broader than the range for marketing staffers, the averages are not terribly far apart across the two departments.

This suggests that a few top performers in the engineering group are paid far above the average, which might not be out of line at all.

Revising, producing, proofreading, and distributing: The primary concerns here are accuracy and confidentiality.

2. SELLING OVERSEAS: RESEARCH REPORT ON THE PROSPECTS FOR MARKETING A PRODUCT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY

This decision-oriented, analytical report may be organized in two ways, depending on the probable reader reaction. For a positive reaction, you should use a direct order based on conclusions. If you expect resistance, use an indirect order based on a list of reasons.

Because this is an internal report, the format and style may be relatively informal.

Prefatory parts should include a title page/cover, a memo of transmittal/synopsis, and a table of contents that includes illustrations.

The text should begin with a brief introduction (no heading required) that describes the opportunity, mentions the type of research performed, and indicates the order in which points will be presented. If a positive response is expected, the introduction should state the basic conclusion/recommendation: “We should sell product X in country Y for these three reasons.” If resistance is anticipated, the introduction should pose the question, “Should we do this? Here are the factors to consider.”

The body should run continuously (with no separate chapters). Organize it around either conclusions or reasons. Headings should be informative (direct order) or descriptive (indirect order). Because a decision on this issue involves major commitment, include solid facts about demand, marketing, logistics, manufacturing, staffing, and financing.

The final section of the text, titled “Conclusions and Recommendations,” should summarize the case for introducing the product in the target country. If the report is in indirect order, the conclusion section requires in-depth development, and the recommendation section should use conditional phrasing: “If a decision is made to go forward, these are the steps required.” If the report is in direct order, the conclusions may be stated briefly (possibly in list format), and the recommendations may be stated more positively: “Within the next two months, we should do these five things.”

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380 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 3. A READY-MADE BUSINESS: FINDING THE RIGHT FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY

The content of these reports can vary widely, depending on the companies students choose. No matter which five franchises students choose, however, thorough research is the key to success in this exercise. They need to identify not only the franchising requirements but the nature of the work as well—to make sure they’re suited to it and can convince investors of their suitability. A comparative report such as this can make good use of both narrative descriptions (brief histories of each company, for instance) and tabular data (such as financial requirements).

4. MOVING THE WORKFORCE: UNDERSTANDING COMMUTE PATTERNS

Students have two creative challenges in a report involving this much data (of course, many business reports have many times this much): presenting the data (in graphical or tabular format) and providing narrative summaries of the data.

Although tables do present all the necessary data, visuals would make the most compelling points more instantly recognizable. For instance, the data in Tables 11.3 (carpool habits), 11.4 (use of public transportation), and 11.7 (telecommuting) could be effectively presented as pie charts. Table 11.5 (impact of improvements to public transportation) could be replaced with a bar chart that shows the percentage of employees responding to each item. And Table 11.6 (distance traveled) is a good candidate for a map that shows concentric distance rings around the company location (e.g., a ring at 1 mile, a second ring at 3 miles, etc.), with data labels indicating the number of employees who live in each ring.

For the second challenge, interpreting the data and providing concise narrative summaries, students should focus on the aspects of each data set that are most relevant to the transportation challenge. These highlights include such observations as the following: Table 11.3 (carpool habits): Only a third of the workforce carpools regularly, so this option might yield some significant improvements.

Table 11.4 (use of public transportation): More than a quarter of the workforce never use public transportation for their commutes, but as Table 11.7 shows, the range of reasons is diverse and not solvable with any one change.

Table 11.5 (effect of improvements to public transportation): Subsidized fares and improved safety (both of which are potentially costly options) are the two most important ways to improve employees use of public transportation, but more than 8,000 employee won’t use mass transit under any circumstances, so it’s not a total solution to the problem.

Table 11.6 (distance traveled): Only 17 percent of employees live within three miles of work, so walking and bicycling are not viable options for most of the workforce.

Table 11.7 (telecommuting): Only 28 percent of employees believe that their jobs are compatible with telecommuting in any regular way. Perhaps some change

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11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 381 in job design could increase this percentage and make telecommuting a more viable choice.

5. YOU CAN GET ANYTHING ONLINE THESE DAYS: SHOPPING FOR AUTOMOBILES ON THE INTERNET

This report is a straightforward writing project; here are several suggestions to assist students: Statement of purpose: Make sure to focus on the information that buyers’ need— and only that information. The history of online buying, the market dynamics of car retailing, lists of features to look for in the car itself, and other factors might be interesting, but they’re not central to this task.

Audience profile: Online shoppers are a diverse lot; some are be quite comfortable with shopping online, whereas others are compete novices. In addition, many consumers are intimated by the car-buying process in general, no matter where it takes place, and this anxiety will add to the uncertainty. Because the stated use of the report is introducing consumers to the basic concepts, students should be sure to cater to the needs of the beginners in the audience (as opposed to more-advanced online shoppers).

Organization: The organization should be simple and logical. Here is one possibility using a three-part structure: I. What you can—and cannot do—online (set audience expectations for what they'll be able to accomplish using an online car-buying service) II. How the process works (walk the audience through the process so the understand what will happen and when; a flowchart diagram is a good visual possibility) III. How to get started (answer the “OK, now what do I do?” question, telling people where to go online to get started; a table of websites such as that provided in the case would be helpful here) Adapting to the audience and composing the report: Clarity and simplicity are at a premium in a report such as this. Students should keep the target audience in mind and avoid the jargon that Internet-related writing falls into too frequently.

6.

SECONDARY SOURCES: REPORT BASED ON LIBRARY AND ONLINE RESEARCH

These research and reporting tasks vary in terms of both complexity and the degree of speculation required to answer the questions, so you may want to consider assigning a specific question that matches the needs and interests of your class. Whichever question they pursue, students should take care to keep facts and opinions separate (although both may be required to answer the question) and to draw a clear boundary between actual and speculative data (such as past sales data versus forecasted future sales).

7. POLISHING THE PRESENTERS: OFFERING YOUR SERVICES AS PRESENTATION TRAINER

The proposal for a presentation workshop involves two key challenges: communicating the value of an intangible product and tailoring the pitch to make it relevant to the specific target buyer. Thorough research is the first step to .

382 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals meeting both challenges. Students should focus on how the presentation will yield meaningful results for the target customer, and how various businesses can have dramatically different needs for presentation skills.

For instance, if the focus is on making sales presentations, a company that sells a large number of relatively simple and low-cost products or services has different presentation needs than a company that sells a small number of complex, expensive products or services every year. The former probably doesn’t have the time to customize every sales presentation, whereas the latter might invest days or weeks in customizing a presentation for a single customer. By studying the company’s website and other available information, students should be able to surmise, in at least a general sense, the types of presentations that the company is likely to give. (Of course, the focus might not be on sales presentations at all, but rather on product training, new employee orientation, or some other business presentation need.)

Since the case didn’t indicate that a company had requested the proposal, students should proceed on the assumption that the proposal is unsolicited.

Consequently, the proposal should include a section that highlights the importance and value of effective presentation skills (thereby clarifying the need for the workshop).

Students can gain insight into the necessary content and structure for this proposal by following the chain of questions that a typical target customer is likely to ask upon receiving a proposal such as this: 1. Do we really need help with our presentation skills? (If the prospect doesn't already sense the need or can't be convinced of the need in the first few sections of the proposal, he or she isn't likely to continue reading.)

2. Assuming we have a need, is a workshop the right solution? (The prospect might believe that self-paced video training, Toastmasters, or some other alternative is the way to go instead. Again, if he or she may not think that a workshop is the right solution, the proposal needs to address this hurdle before continuing.)

3. If a workshop is the right solution, how do we know that this particular trainer is the right person to teach us? (Assuming the prospect senses the need and agrees that a workshop is the way to go, now it’s time for the presentation coach to explain why he or she is the right trainer for the job.)

By following this chain, students can quickly see that it’s futile to sell the trainer’s qualifications before the potential client is aware of the need or in agreement that a workshop is the right solution. Using this insight, students can formulate a step-by-step persuasive argument that starts from the basic customer need and proceeds toward the specific solution being offered.

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11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 383 8. HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES: PROPOSAL TO SELL SNACKS AND BEVERAGES AT LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS

Most school boards should be keenly aware of the controversy over junk food and unhealthy beverages in today’s schools. Thus, the primary challenge in this case is maintaining focus, since the brothers have identified many different benefits for a number of different constituencies.

One good way to organize the proposal is by constituency. Here’s a sample outline, starting with a description of the program, followed by benefits to three major groups of people: I. Description of the proposed program II. Benefits to students (healthier snacks, job training, removal of many forms of brand advertising from school campuses) III. Benefits to school administration (share of the business’s profits) IV. Benefits to the community (healthier children, fewer worries for parents, support for local farmers) V. Request for action (such as an opportunity to make a presentation at the next school board meeting) 9. CAREER CONNECTIONS: HELPING EMPLOYEES GET THE ADVICE THEY NEED TO MOVE AHEAD

This scenario is an effective reminder that finding good ideas usually isn’t the problem in today’s business world—it’s turning these good ideas into reality amidst the many competing demands for time, energy, and money. Mentoring is a wonderful idea, but it takes time and energy away from other important activities. Some points for students to keep in mind: • This is a solicited proposal (although not being written in response to a formal RFP), so it doesn't need the same justifications that an unsolicited proposal requires.

• Although the proposal is solicited, it should clarify exactly what is being proposed, since any two people could have dramatically different ideas of what constitutes a mentoring program and why one would benefit the company.

• Whatever program students design, it must benefit the company overall and it must have buy-in at the highest levels of the organization to have any chance of getting off the ground. In times of tight budgets, programs that can’t show a connection to the bottom line tend not to get funded.

Measuring the benefits of a mentoring program can be difficult, since many • of the benefits are not directly quantifiable (e.g., it’s difficult to point to improved executive etiquette and say how much it has increased sales). By studying the identified problems (e.g., employees who make social gaffes in front of customers), the program leaders will need to devise ways to judge improvements in this behavior. Making sure that the subjects covered in regular performance evaluations are addressed in mentoring relationships is a good start; this will ensure that people are motivated to work on the skills that their bosses judge them on. .

384 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals •

•

•

The imbalance of supply (executives available to mentor) and demand (employees who want mentors) is likely to be a permanent situation given the pyramid shape of all organizations. One possibility is to treat entry into the mentoring program as a reward for top performance.

The program needs to carefully consider rewards for mentors and to make mentoring an official part of their job responsibilities, rather than an extracurricular activity they're expected to do on top of everything else. By implication, this means taking something else off every mentor’s plate in order to free up enough time to mentor effectively. The proposal needs to address this as well, perhaps by hiring another person at the executive level and distributing the executive team's responsibilities over this larger group to give each person more free time.

Some sort of “matchmaking service” is needed to pair employees with the right mentors—and to judge when a match isn’t working.

IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 307) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Quotation Marks, Parentheses, Ellipses, Underscores, and Italics (p. 307)

1. Be sure to read “How to Sell by Listening” in this month’s issue of Fortune.

2. Her response (see the attached memo) is disturbing.

3. Contact is an overused word.

4. We will operate with a skeleton staff during the holiday break (December 21 through January 2).

5. “The SBP’s next conference,” the bulletin noted, “will be held in Minneapolis.”

6. Sara O’Rourke (a reporter from The Wall Street Journal) will be here on Thursday.

7. I don’t care why you didn’t fill my order; I want to know when you’ll fill it.

8. The term up in the air means “undecided.”

9. Her assistant (the one who just had the baby) won’t be back for four weeks.

10. “Ask not what your country can do for you . . .” is the beginning of a famous quotation from John F. Kennedy.

11. Whom do you think Time magazine will select as its Man of the Year?

12. Do you remember who said “And away we go”?

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11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 385 13. Refinements in robotics may prove profitable. (More detail about this technology appears in Appendix A.) 14. The resignation letter begins, “Since I’ll never regain your respect . . .” and goes on to explain why that’s true.

15. You must help her distinguish between i.e. (which means “that is”) and e.g. (which means “for example”).

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 308) 1. For the first time, thanks largely to deals with the big chains like Stop & Shop, Sheila’s Snak Treets is showing a profit.

2.

The premise for broadband, sometimes called the “next generation of Internet,” is that consumers need a faster pipeline for getting digital information into their homes.

3. After moving into their own factory, the Andersons found themselves in the market for an oven with airflow controls.

4. C 5. Designs in the Rough sends out some 7 million catalogs a year, yet until recently didn’t need a warehouse and had hardly any carrying costs.

6. Blockbuster estimates that 70 percent of the U.S. population lives within a 10minute drive of a Blockbuster store.

7. Nestle Waters North America is the exclusive importer of globally recognized brands such as Perrier and Vittel, from France, and S. Pelligrino, from Italy.

8. The U.S. Hispanic community, the largest minority group in the country, commands an impressive total purchasing power, estimated at $499 billion.

9. To ensure the effectiveness of the program, we conducted a six-month pilot in Chicago.

10. A series of 7-Eleven television spots helped make the term “brain freeze” part of everyday American language.

11. The ad agency’s accounts include such consumer brands as Wal-Mart, Southwest Airlines, Kinko’s, Land Rover, and Krispy Kreme.

12. PETsMART, the number-one specialty retailer of pet supplies, allows pets and their humans to stroll the aisles of its stores together. [or, to stroll store aisles together.]

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386 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 13. Signature Fruit Co. has confirmed it’s closing its Gridley, California, peach plant this fall.

14. The clothing company has set up a corporate intranet to unite the company’s 91 franchisees around a common corporate identity.

15. It would be a good idea for you to contract with an Internet service provider—an ISP—to both run and maintain your website.

Level 3: Document Critique—Well-written solution (p. 309) MEMORANDUM DATE: TO: FROM:

18 April 2009 Ken Estes, Northern Illinois Concrete Kris Beiersdorfkb Contract No. 79371 DuPage County

RE:

Memco Construction is pleased to submit the following road construction proposal for the above project. Our company has been providing quality materials and subcontracting services for highway reconstruction projects for over 23 years. Our most recent jobs in Illinois have included resurfacing Illinois State Route 60 and reconstructing Illinois Tollway 294.

Based on the scope of the work outlined below, we project that the total cost of this job will run $99,283.00. Because material quantities can vary once a project gets underway, we are providing a unit price breakdown of our fees. Final charges will be based on the exact quantity of materials used for the job. Our Engineered Fill unit prices include all labor, material, equipment, and supervision to complete the job.

Engineered Fill—Class II and IV Description

Unit

Est. Quantity

Unit Price

Mobilization* Lump Sum 1 $4,500.00 $ 33.00 Engineered Fill Class II Cubic Yards 1,267 $ 38.00 Engineered Fill Class IV Cubic Yards 1,394 Total Job Cost *Mobilization includes one move-in; additional move-ins to be billed at $1,100.00 each.

Our proposal assumes that the following items will be furnished by other contractors (at no cost to Memco): • • • • •

All forms, earthwork, and clearing All prep work Water at project site Traffic control setup, devices, and maintenance Location for staging, stockpiling, and storing material and equipment at job site .

Total $ 4,500.00 $41,811.00 $52,972.00 $99,283.00

11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 387

Should you have any questions about this proposal, please contact me at the company (847-672-0344, direct extension #30) or by e-mail at kbeiersdorf@memcocon.com. * See Transparency 143 for a copy of this well-written solution.

CHAPTER 11 POP QUIZ True-False 1. Reports may be prepared in preprinted form, letter, memo, and manuscript formats. (True) 2. The indirect approach saves time and makes the report easier to understand by giving readers the main idea first. (False) 3. An example of a topical organization is arranging material by categories. (True) 4. Solicited proposals are best organized by using the client’s criteria as the main points. (True) 5. Use pie charts to help your audience understand large amounts of detailed information. (False) 6. Organizational charts are good for showing a sequence of events from start to finish. (False) 7. The most successful reports present all sides of the issue fairly and equitably.

(True) 8. The body of the report includes the major divisions that present, analyze, and interpret the information you gathered during your investigation. (True) 9. Report and proposal contents should be identical (False) 10. A letter of transmittal is the letter that authorized the report in the early stages of the study of the problem. (False)

Multiple Choice 11. You should use an indirect approach for your report or proposal when your a. audience is receptive. b. audience is skeptical or hostile. c. proposal is a solicited proposal. d. report is long and complicated.

12. Which of the following would be an effective visual to detail the annual sales of 60 stores in a local shopping mall? a. Pie chart b. Bar chart c. Table d. Area chart .

388 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals 13. Which of the following would be an effective visual to compare the fourthquarter sales of the five regions of a retail organization? a. Pie chart b. Bar chart c. Table d. Organization chart 14. For the most successful proposal, use the AIDA model and a. package your proposal attractively. b. adopt a “you” attitude. c. prove that your proposal is workable. d. all the above.

15. Which of the following is an example of impersonal style? a. I recommend we purchase new computers for the marketing department. b. We expect to have new computers in the marketing department. c. You should purchase new computers for the marketing department. d. The company should purchase new computers for the marketing department.

16. In what part of the report text would you find an explanation of the primary and secondary sources consulted and methods used? a. Close b. Body c. Introduction d. None of the above 17. Words or phrases that tie ideas together and show how one thought is related to another are a. headings. b. transitions. c. authorizations. d. transmittals.

18. Supplementary report parts include which of the following? a. Bibliography b. Synopsis c. List of illustrations d. None of the above 19. A fully developed “mini” version of the report itself, which may contain headings, transitions and even visual aids is a. a synopsis. b. a conclusion. c. an executive summary. d. all of the above.

20. Why should a writer use visual aids? a. To support the primary message. b. To help the reader understand the message. c. To make the report more interesting. d. To do all of the above. .

CHAPTER 12: DEVELOPING ORAL AND ONLINE PRESENTATIONS CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 12 addresses how to plan, write, and complete oral presentations.

Delivering effective oral presentations, both formal and informal, is an important part of the job for many business employees over the course of their careers. The chapter begins by noting how students can build their careers with oral presentations. Next, analyzing the purpose of the presentation and profiling the audience is discussed. Once this analysis is complete, the chapter guides students through the steps of organizing and composing effective presentations, including laying out such elements as the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The chapter addresses some of the advantages and disadvantages of using visual aids.

It provides guidelines for designing visual aids that will enhance any oral presentation. Finally, students study effective delivery techniques for oral presentations, including tips for getting ready to speak, overcoming anxiety, presenting visuals effectively, and handling audience questions.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 12 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet.

Number Transparency 144 Transparency 145 Transparency 146 Transparency 147 Transparency 148 Transparency 149 Transparency 150 Transparency 151 Transparency 152 Transparency 153 Transparency 154 Transparency 155 Transparency 156 Transparency 157 Transparency 158

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Content Purposes for Business Presentations Graphics in Oral Presentations Case 1: Above-average solution (page 1 of 2) Case 1: Above-average solution (page 2 of 2) Case 1: Below-average solution Case 3: Above-average solution (page 1 of 5) Case 3: Above-average solution (page 2 of 5) Case 3: Above-average solution (page 3 of 5) Case 3: Above-average solution (page 4 of 5) Case 3: Above-average solution (page 5 of 5) Case 3: Below-average solution (page 1 of 4) Case 3: Below-average solution (page 2 of 4) Case 3: Below-average solution (page 3 of 4) Case 3: Below-average solution (page 4 of 4) Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution)

390 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations

CHAPTER OUTLINE Building Your Career with Oral Presentations Planning Your Presentation Analyzing the Situation Selecting the Right Medium Organizing Your Presentation Defining Your Main Idea Limiting Your Scope Choosing Your Approach Preparing Your Outline Writing Your Presentation Adapting to Your Audience Composing Your Presentation Presentation Introduction Arousing Audience Interest Building Your Credibility Previewing Your Message Presentation Body Connecting Your Ideas Holding Your Audience’s Attention Presentation Close Restating Your Main Points Describing Next Steps Ending on a Strong Note Enhancing Your Presentation with Effective Visuals Creating Effective Slides Writing Readable Content Designing Graphics for Slides Selecting Design Elements Adding Animation and Special Effects Giving Presentations Online Completing Your Presentation Finalizing Slides and Support Materials Preparing to Speak Practicing Your Delivery Overcoming Anxiety Handling Questions Responsively Chapter Summary

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations391

TEACHING NOTES Building Your Career with Oral Presentations Oral presentations, delivered in person or online, offer important opportunities to put all your communication skills on display.

If the thought of giving a speech makes you nervous, remember that Everybody gets nervous.

Being nervous means you care about the topic, your audience, and your career success.

You can convert those nervous feelings into positive energy that helps you give more compelling presentations.

Planning Your Presentation When planning oral presentations, one task (gathering information) is essentially the same as for written communication projects.

Try to anticipate the likely emotional state of your audience by trying to determine if your audience is going be Supportive.

Interested but neutral.

Uninterested.

Apprehensive.

Hostile.

When selecting the right medium, remember that technology offers an array of choices these days, ranging from live, in-person presentations to webcasts.

When organizing your presentation, you’ll perform the same tasks as when organizing a written message; however, oral media have certain restraints, so you need to make sure that audience members hear and remember what you say: Audience members can’t skip back through printed pages to review something you said.

Audience members can’t skip ahead if they don’t need certain information.

To get your main idea across most effectively, try to Figure out the one message you want audience members to walk away with.

Compose a one-sentence summary that links your subject and purpose to your audience’s frame of reference.

Effective presentations are tailored to the time allowed: Audience attention levels and retention rates drop sharply after 20 minutes.

To estimate the time required to present your material: Figure that it will take you 3 or even 4 minutes to get through a single slide. .

392 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations Most people speak between 125 and 150 words per minute, so you can practice a small portion of your presentation while recording it and then go back and count how many words you used. From that test sample, you can estimate how much material you can cover in a given time frame.

When organizing short speeches on routine or good news, use the direct approach:.

When trying to persuade or delivering bad news, use the indirect approach.

Plan your introduction to arouse interest and to give a preview of what’s to come.

Prepare the body to explain the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your subject.

Use the final section to review the points you’ve made and close with a statement that will help your audience remember the subject of your speech.

When organizing longer speeches, organize them like reports: If your purpose is to motivate or inform, use direct order and a structure suggested by your subject (comparison, importance, sequence, chronology, geography, or category).

If your purpose is to analyze, persuade, or collaborate, organize your material around conclusions or recommendations or around a logical argument.

A three-act storytelling structure might also be helpful: Act I: introduce the “story” you’re going to tell.

Act II: explore the complication, evidence, support points, and other information.

Act III: resolve all the complications and present a solution that addresses the problems introduced.

To ensure effective organization, prepare your outline in several stages: State your purpose and main idea.

Organize your major points and subpoints in logical order.

Identify main points in the body and then outline the introduction and close.

Identify transitions between major points or sections.

Prepare your bibliography or source notes.

Choose a compelling title.

To prepare an effective speaking outline, follow these steps: Start with the planning outline and then strip away anything you don’t plan to say directly to your audience.

Condense points and transitions to key words or phrases.

Add delivery cues.

Arrange your notes.

Writing Your Presentation Although you typically don’t actually write out a presentation word for word, you still engage in the writing process: .

12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations393 Adapt your style to fit the occasion: Audience size Subject Purpose Budget Time available for presentation A more casual style suits a relatively small audience: Choose an avenue such as a small conference room with audience members seated around a table.

Use simple visual aids.

Deliver your remarks in a conversational tone, using notes to jog your memory if necessary.

Use notes to jog your memory as you speak.

With a larger audience, use a more formal style, especially when you may be on a stage or platform, standing behind a lectern, and using a microphone.

Like written documents, a presentation has three parts: Introduction Body Close In the introduction, you Arouse audience interest Build your credibility Preview your message To arouse interest in your introduction, make sure you can give audience members a reason to care and to believe that To build credibility in your introduction, consider letting someone else introduce you (without exaggerating your qualifications). If you’re introducing yourself be sure to Mention your accomplishments.

Tell listeners briefly who you are and why you’re there.

Mention a few aspects of your background.

To preview your message, you Summarize your main idea.

Identify your supporting point.

Indicate the order in which you’ll develop those points.

In the body of your speech, your goals are to make sure that: The organization of your presentation is clear.

Your presentation holds the audience’s attention.

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394 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations When developing the body of your speech, you must rely on words to connect various parts and ideas: One or two transitional words link sentences and paragraphs.

Transitional sentences link major sections of your presentation.

Reviews and previews stress the connection between your ideas every time you shift topics.

To hold your listeners’ attention during the body of your speech, try to Relate your subject to your audience’s needs.

Anticipate—and answer—your audience’s questions.

Use clear, vivid language and throw in some variety.

Show how your subject is related to ideas with which your audience is already familiar.

Ask for opinions or pause occasionally for questions or comments, if appropriate.

Illustrate your ideas with visuals.

When developing your close, remember to Tell listeners that you’re about to finish.

Restate your main point Describe the next steps you want your audience to take.

End on a strong note.

Visuals can improve the quality and impact of your oral presentations by Creating interest Illustrating points that are difficult to explain in words alone Adding variety Increasing the audience’s ability to absorb and remember information The most popular visual aids to enhance oral presentations are Electronic presentations Overhead transparencies Chalkboards and whiteboards Flip charts Other visuals * See Transparency 145 for a table of pros and cons for the most popular visual aids.

This chapter focuses on electronic presentations, although most of the design tips apply to overhead transparencies as well.

Visuals support your spoken message and should never replace or overshadow it.

To create effective slides, let accuracy and simplicity guide you.

Simple materials take less time to create than complex materials.

Simple materials reduce the chances of distraction and misinterpretation. .

12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations395 When writing content for text slides, keep your message short and simple: Limit each slide to one thought, concept, or idea.

Limit content to 20 or 25 words—no more than five or six lines of text containing about 3 or 4 words per line.

Avoid full sentences or full blocks of text.

Phrase list items in parallel form to simplify reading.

Use active voice.

Avoid long sequences of text-only slides; mix in visuals to hold viewer attention.

To modify graphic visuals for slides, you Reduce the detail Avoid long sequences of text-only slides; mix in visuals to hold viewer attention.

When using color in slides, keep the following in mind: Color increases an audiences’ willingness to read.

Contrasting colors increase readability whereas colors closer in hues decrease readability.

Colors may have different meaning for different cultures.

Slides have two layers or levels of graphic design: Background: Corresponds to paper in a printed report; usually stays the same from slide to slide Foreground: Contains the unique text and graphic elements that make up each individual slide In general, the more “quiet” your background is, the better.

Your foreground artwork can be either Functional—photos, technical drawings, charts, and so on Decorative—artwork that is there simply to enhance the look of your slides When selecting fonts and type styles for slides: Use both uppercase and lowercase letters, with extra white space between lines of text.

Limit fonts to one or two per slide.

Choose font sizes that are easy to ready from anywhere in the room (generally 24- to 36-point type for electronic presentations).

To achieve design consistency in your slides: Create a slide master, showing the colors, fonts, and other design elements you’ve chosen.

You can add punch to an oral presentation with judicious use of special effects such as Sound .

396 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations Animation Video clips Transition effects from one slide to the next Hyperlinks Use animation not simply for animation’s sake but in support of your message.

Functional animation involves motion that is directly related to your message, such as a highlight arrow that moves around the screen to emphasize specific points in a technical diagram.

Decorative animation, such as having a block of text cartwheel in from offscreen, doesn’t have any communication value and can easily distract audiences.

Transitions control how one slide replaces another on screen by adding motion between slides.

Although subtle transitions can ease your viewers’ gaze from one slide to the next, many transitions currently available are too distracting.

Builds control the release of text, graphics, and other elements on individual slides. Making bullet points or graphic elements appear one at a time helps draw the audience’s attention to the point being discussed.

When you need flexibility in your presentations or need to share different kinds of files with the audience, you can rely on two features: Hyperlinks instructs your presentation software to jump to another slide in your presentation, to a website, or to another program entirely.

Action buttons are preprogrammed hyperlink icons that let you perform such common tasks as jumping forward or backward to a specific slide or opening a document or spreadsheet.

Consider adding multimedia elements to your slides for the ultimate in active presentations: You can include a short video clip as an object on your slide.

Online presentations have benefits such as Communicating with a geographically dispersed audience at a fraction of the cost of traveling.

Letting a project team or an entire organization meet at a moment’s notice.

Online presentations have challenges, including the layer of technology between you and your audience, which blocks those “human moments” that guide and encourage you.

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations397 To ensure successful online presentations, regardless of the system you’re using: Consider sending preview study materials ahead of time.

Keep your presentation as simple as possible.

Ask for feedback frequently.

Consider the viewing experience from the audience members’ point of view.

Make sure your audience can receive the sort of content you intend to use.

Allow plenty of time for everyone to get connected and familiar with the screen they’re viewing.

Don’t get lost in the technology.

Completing Your Presentation To complete your speech you will need to Finalize your slides and support material Prepare to speak Practice your delivery Overcome anxiety Handle questions responsively To finalize your slide show, use your software’s slide sorter feature to Add and delete slides Reposition slides Check slides for design consistency Verify the operation of animation and transition effects Structure your presentation by making use of A title slide Agenda and program details Navigation slides To supplement your presentation, you can hand out copies of printed handouts during or after your presentation.

You have several delivery methods to choose from: Memorizing—not usually a good choice.

Reading—sometimes necessary when delivering legal information.

Speaking from notes—usually the best method.

Practicing your delivery is helpful because so many things can go wrong in a presentation, including Equipment glitches Confusing slides Timing problems

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398 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations A day or two before you’re ready to step on stage for an important talk, make sure you can give a positive response to the following questions: Can you present your material naturally, without reading your slides?

Is the equipment working—and do you know how to work it?

Is your timing on track?

Can you easily pronounce all the words you plan to use?

Have you decided how you’re going to introduce your slides?

Have you anticipated likely questions and objections?

Completing several practice runs will help you Stay on track Maintain a conversational tone Boost your confidence and composure If you are addressing an audience that doesn’t speak your language, consider using an interpreter.

When delivering an oral presentation to people from other cultures, you will need to adapt the content and to take nonverbal communication elements into account.

You can overcome your anxiety and feel more confident about speaking by Preparing more material than necessary Practicing Thinking positively Visualizing your success Taking a few deep breaths Being ready Being comfortable Not panicking Concentrating on your message and your audience, not on yourself Maintaining eye contact Keeping going The question-and-answer period gives you a chance to Obtain important information Emphasize your main idea and supporting points Build enthusiasm for your point of view To handle questions responsively, be sure to Learn enough about your audience members to get an idea of their concerns and think through potential answers.

Pay attention to nonverbal signals to help determine what each person really means.

Avoid the temptation to sidestep difficult or complex questions.

Maintain control by cutting off questioners without offending them. .

12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations399 Survive the hot seat by maintaining your composure.

Conclude your presentation on time.

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Some students will be quite nervous about delivering speeches and presentations.

Explain that effective planning can reduce their anxiety and that this chapter gives a lot of good advice for making their presentations effective. Explain that giving a presentation is like many other skills: the more you practice, the better you get.

Some class members may have completed a speech course as part of their curriculum; others may not. Encourage those who have completed a speech course to share information and tips with others in the class.

Emphasize the value of the three-step process for preparing and giving oral presentations. Not all students will immediately see this value. Post the three-step process in the room to serve as a constant reminder of how effective speakers should approach oral presentations.

Although students should by now be familiar with audience analysis, stress its importance.

Give examples of situations for which careful audience analysis would be critical (such as a twenty-year-old being asked to make a presentation about music to a group of senior citizens).

When confronted with a limited timeframe, students will struggle with how much information to include. Address how much the typical presenter can cover in a minute, and review the chapter example, which allows three basic points for a 10minute speech. Reinforce the need to limit the scope of any presentation. Finally, discuss the value of preparing an outline for presentations.

Stress the importance of the introduction. Students often forget to introduce themselves, build their own credibility, or provide an overview of their talk for the audience. Review the five ways a presenter can effectively get the audience’s attention. Emphasize that a strong, effective introduction sets the stage for a successful presentation.

Whether or not visuals are used to supplement text, student presentations often lack clear transitions between points. Stress that verbal transitions are necessary between sentences, paragraphs, and major sections.

An otherwise effective presentation may suffer from an ineffective closing. Discuss strategies for restating main points, describing what comes next, and ending on a strong note. Discourage statements such as, “that’s all I have,” or similar comments. .

After studying all the chapters on report writing, students should have a clear understanding of the need for effective visuals. Discuss the visual aid options a presenter has and the best instances for using each. Because overhead transparencies are used so frequently, compare their advantages and disadvantages with those of

400 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations electronic slides. Provide examples to illustrate electronic slides are not always the best choice.

Students commonly have difficulty limiting the number of visuals. They often prepare average 15 or more slides for a 5-minute presentation. Suggest that presenters 1 slide for every 90 seconds, with adaptations for title slides and certain graphics.

Some students may be unfamiliar with software for preparing electronic slides.

Depending on the background of the class, consider providing some hands-on instruction in designing effective slides. Even if all students indicate they have used the software, they may not apply good design principles consistently. Discuss the importance of choosing colors, choosing background designs, choosing fonts and type styles, choosing font sizes, adding animations and special effects, limiting the wording on a slide, and so forth. Also discuss selecting appropriate clip art, limiting its use, and adjusting the image size when necessary.

Students often think that audience handouts of electronic slides are the only handouts to consider using. Discuss other options and emphasize the strengths of each option you identify. Invite students to list the pros and cons of distributing handouts at the beginning or at the end of the presentation.

Be sure to discuss the three delivery options presented in the chapter, and help students determine the value of speaking from notes without reading the presentation.

Be sure to clarify which type of delivery option you expect students to use for any presentations they make in class.

Student presenters often lack finesse when working with transparencies or electronic slides. when Suggest ways to handle these visuals during the presentation, including to introduce a slide, how to provide effective transitions, and so forth.

Invite the class to build a list of ways to help reduce presentation anxiety.

Completing SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES this as a class activity can help students appreciate that most members of the class have some level of presentation anxiety.

1. Interviewing a Businessperson Who Delivers Presentations. Assign students to interview someone who develops and delivers presentations as a part of his or her Class members are discussion typically supportive of other student presenters and to avoid job.

Lead a class and help students develop a list of questions ask during the interview. The question list should cover planning, composing, arguing preparing visuals, and delivering presentations. Have students share their findings with class.how to handle audience questions effectively, including intensely.

Even so,the review how to deal with an argumentative audience.

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations401 2. Critiquing Speeches. Have students attend a presentation on campus or within the community and critique the speaker’s content, visuals, and delivery. This activity can be done as a preview of the chapter or after you have covered the key chapter elements. You may also assign the Practice Your Knowledge activities 3 and 4 at the end of the chapter. Lead a class discussion in which students identify the presentation’s strengths and weaknesses. This activity is a good way to involve students in thinking about steps such as clarifying your purpose; analyzing your audience; composing an effective introduction, body, and closing; planning effective visual aids; and providing an effective delivery.

Planning and Composing an Oral Presentation. Ask students to plan a short presentation on a topic they are familiar with, perhaps an informative presentation about a student organization. Assign students to work in teams of two to plan the oral presentation. Students should clarify the purpose of the presentation and complete an audience analysis. Once these steps are completed, ask students to prepare an outline of the presentation. Students should indicate a plan for their presentation style, what they will include in their introduction, how they will get attention and keep it, what they will include in the body of the presentation, and how they will effectively close the presentation. Critique the materials the teams prepare.

Critiquing visuals. Because students often face challenges in preparing effective 4. visuals, provide examples of both effective and ineffective visuals. Be sure to include a variety of visual types, including overhead transparencies, electronic presentations, flip charts, scale models, and so forth. Lead a discussion to help students recognize effective design and identify the ineffective design elements that can detract from the presentation or confuse the audience.

Preparing Visuals. Students typically enjoy working with presentation software.

If computers are available in the classroom, have students design an effective set 5. of slides to accompany the presentation they planned in activity 2 (or another one they will present later). Be sure to emphasize the effective design techniques identified in the chapter, and instruct students in how to build slides, select slide format, add clip art, provide animations, and so forth. Critique students’ results.

Giving and Critiquing Presentations. Have students choose a topic (perhaps one of those found in Practice Your Knowledge activity 8). Direct them to prepare a 6. brief presentation (5–10 minutes) to be delivered before your class. Require visual aids (a type based on the facilities available in your classroom). Involve all class members in evaluating the presentations. Distribute critique sheets and ask students to critique each presentation. Encourage students to provide constructive comments concerning presentation strengths and delivery points that could be improved. Students can comment on points such as knowledge of topic, effectiveness of the opening and closing, logic of body organization, effectiveness of visuals, enthusiasm for topic, eye contact, gestures, voice, language skills, presenter appearance, nervousness, and so forth. After you have reviewed the critique sheets and removed names of persons who prepared the critiques, give them to the presenters. These critiques will help students 3.

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402 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations understand that not all audience members will react to a presentation in the same way. Students may also recognize common themes in the delivery critiques.

7. Connections beyond the classroom. It’s important to note that oral communication in all settings—family, school, and in public—is critical to outcomes. You may have only a few minutes to dissuade a family member from taking a certain action that has severe consequences. A judge will only allow you five minutes to persuade him or her of your position. At a community meeting, your verbal skills will be tested as you present your reasons for wanting or not wanting a certain outcome. There are strategies to know and techniques to master that will make you a better and more effective communicator. Study the advice on the following website, http://www.ljlseminars.com/monthtip.htm and be prepared to share with your class the importance of oral communication beyond the classroom.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 330) 1. Oral presentations, delivered in person or online, offer important opportunities to put all your communication skills on display, including research, planning, writing, visual design, and interpersonal and nonverbal communication.

2.

During an introduction, a speaker should arouse the audience’s interest in the topic, establish credibility, and preview the message.

Some techniques for piquing the audience’s attention include:

3.

Uniting the audience around a common goal Telling a story Passing around a sample Asking a question Stating a startling statistic Using humor 4. During the close of a presentation, a speaker should restate main ideas, describe next steps, and end on a strong note.

To deliver an effective online presentation, speakers should: 5.

Consider sending preview study materials ahead of time Keep content—and its delivery—as simple as possible Ask for feedback frequently Consider the viewing experience from the audience’s side Make sure the audience can receive the sort of content intended for use Allow plenty of time for the audience to get connected and familiar with the screen it’s viewing

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations403

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 330) 1. It’s important to limit your scope when planning a presentation because the time allotted for a speech is usually strictly defined. To avoid going over the time limit, plan how much of your time you will devote to each part of your speech.

2.

Audience attitude can affect the amount of audience interaction. If listeners are receptive and interested in your topic, audience members will be more likely to ask questions and exchange information. If the audience is unreceptive or indifferent, members will probably be more likely to sit quietly, hear you out, and

3. leave. Of course if the audience is emotional and outwardly hostile, you may have too much of the wrong kind of audience interaction.

• Amight startling (preferably sales statistic Students suggest some ofgood) the following when choosing three attention• A story getters a presentation about the performance of a company product: • for A display of the product • • • • •

A sample to pass around An explanation of how the product or its performance affects listeners individually An emotional appeal that touches on human nature (perhaps an anecdote or the story mentioned above) A question posed to listeners A call for questions or ideas from the audience (if the group is small)

4. Responding to questions throughout the presentation has one chief advantage: It promotes audience interaction and facilitates the process of reaching a decision.

On the other hand, responding to questions throughout the presentation reduces your control of the situation, interrupts the flow of your argument, and introduces what may be extraneous and time-consuming material of little interest to some members of the audience.

From the listener’s point of view, being able to ask questions during the presentation might be better if the presentation is boring, dry, confusing, or misleading. However, if well presented, listeners might also want to hear all a speaker has to say before posing questions.

Ethical Choices. Students will probably mention using color to affect an 5. emotional response (warm colors such as orange or red to activate audience members; cool colors such as blue or green to relax them). Or students might discuss the ways that simplifying a graph for a slide presentation could result in shading perceptions one way or another.

As always with persuasion, the ethical boundary usually rests with the presenter’s motivation. If design elements are manipulated to deliberately conceal, dishonestly portray, or harmfully incite, then the presentation has crossed the line into unethical behavior. If the design presents all material fairly but encourages action or opinion to change in favor of the speaker’s viewpoint, then the

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404 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations persuasive presentation has been both successful and ethical. The key is in the fairness of the presentation and the objectives of the presenter.

You should be able to stir up a lively classroom discussion by asking students to come up with examples of both types of persuasive presentation—one they would describe as ethical persuasion and one that uses unethical tactics. These examples might be sales presentations, presentations at shareholder meetings, or in-house presentations regarding an internal proposal.

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 331) Activities 12.1

This exercise guides students through the analysis of an actual speech.

Students may point out, for example, that the introduction should preview the main points and that the close should restate those points and highlight the next step. Regardless of the attention-getting device the speaker used in the introduction, the close should be positive, looking toward the future or offering a thought-provoking statement or question for the audience to consider. The speaker should clearly explain what action is to be taken.

Students looking for transitional phrases may find some hard to detect. This is an opportunity to discuss whether subtlety is a wise choice in a speech and how transitions contribute to the effectiveness of a speech. Ask students whether they think speakers should make direct statements such as, “Now that we’ve explored such-and-such, let us move on to the next point.” Also suggest that students compare notes to determine whether all have listed the same main points and supporting points. What does this comparison suggest about the importance of transitions?

12.2

Students should recognize that most of the effects in this slide package are guilty of distraction while adding little to the transfer of ideas and information. (A case can be made that the bullets flying in on slide #3 would allow the speaker to reveal information one topic at a time.) When students see these effects in action, they should ask themselves whether they are paying more attention to what each slide is doing as opposed to what it is saying.

12.3

When evaluating the content of students’ slides, look for • One topic focus per slide • Audience considerations such as readable fonts, good color contrast, and appropriate art • Use of arrows and highlighting techniques to direct audience attention to key points • Clarity (can the message be grasped in 5—8 seconds?)

• Bulleted material with concise, parallel phrases • Telegraphic wording .

12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations405 • •

Active voice Informative titles

Check the title slide for basic information about the presentation, and check the blueprint slide for appropriate key points to guide the audience through the presentation.

12.4

This is an opportunity for students to see how nonverbal communication is used during a presentation. First, students will want to identify whether the speaker memorized the speech, read the speech, or used notes. Next, students will want to analyze the speaker’s nonverbal communication to see how these contributed to effective delivery. Encourage students to consider how the full range of nonverbal signals might have been used to emphasize important points and reflect the speaker’s confidence. Also help them identify and discuss nonverbal factors that were distracting, unproductive, contradictory, or otherwise inappropriate.

12.5

Eye contact, posture, and vocal inflections send important signals to the audience. So do hand gestures, standing or sitting, or even a slight movement of the body forward or backward. Nonverbal signals are usually a natural accompaniment to speech, reflecting the speaker’s attitude toward the subject matter. Most speakers would have trouble altering their nonverbal signals to mislead an audience.

Students might mention maintaining eye contact as a sign of sincerity when a speaker is actually trying to mislead listeners. They might mention possibilities such as moving the body forward, using hand gestures, and heightening vocal inflections as ways a speaker might try to move listeners with feigned enthusiasm.

12.6

12.7

12.8

12.9

You might conduct an experiment to see how well students can stick to a nonverbal “plan” to deceive when actually speaking about a subject that matters to them. Most will probably (1) insert some telltale nonverbal messages that they never planned on using and (2) omit some of the forced nonverbal signals that they had planned on using.

After students write their introductions and pair off to critique them, you might suggest they rewrite and present them to the class. Does the introduction use humor, storytelling, statistics, or visual aids to gain attention? Does it preview the speech and build the speaker’s credibility?

Based on the introduction, would the class want to hear the rest of the speech?

This self-assessment will assist students as they try to limit the scope of the speech topics in which they may be interested.

This self-assessment exercise will help students analyze their strengths and weaknesses with regard to planning, writing, and delivering presentations.

Encourage them to follow up on areas for improvement by rereading

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406 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations relevant parts of the chapter and looking for opportunities to practice their oral presentation skills.

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 333) 1. The three questions that should be answered include: What’s up? (provide the audience with the lay of the land, or at least a benchmark or two), So what? (convince the audience that your facts and figures are important), and Now what? (this section is both a call to action and your prescription for success).

2. To record narration, follow these five steps: 1. Open a PowerPoint presentation.

2. On the Slide Show menu, click Record Narration. A dialog box appears showing the amount of free disk space and the number of minutes you can record.

3. Do one of the following: o

To insert the narration as an embedded object, click OK.

o

To insert the narration as a linked object, select the Link narrations in checkbox. Browse to the desired folder if necessary. Then, click OK to begin recording.

Note: It is usually best to link long narration. Brief narration can be embedded.

4. PowerPoint switches to Slide Show. Record narration as desired.

5. When the Slide Show is finished, a message appears: o

To save the timings along with the narration, click Yes.

o

To save only the narration, click No.

You know which slides contain narration because those slides contain a sound icon in the lower right corner.

Note: Narration cannot be edited. If you need to make changes to the narration, you must re-record it.

3. The advantages and disadvantages of three common seating arrangements are as follows: Theater Style This layout is primarily used for large audiences. It is also the layout you are least likely to have any control of — chances are, the space is set up for you. Given the size and formality of this layout, it is .

12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations407 especially important that you be sure that your audience can see you and your visuals from all areas of the room.

Classroom Style/U-Shaped Style These layouts tend to be the most effective for educational and training presentations. Classroom style is primarily used for larger audiences, while the U-shaped style is preferred for more intimate training classes. Both of these layouts allow audience members to take notes and participate in group activities. The challenge for the presenter is keeping movement possible — without causing a great deal of disruption. Try to ensure a large adult can walk through any aisle.

Meeting Style The most popular room layout for small groups is meeting style. The layout allows the presenter to be as formal or informal as he/she wants. In addition, the presenter has a high degree of interaction with the audience. It is important however, that the presenter still be the focus of attention. So, even in an informal setting, the presenter should sit at the "head" of the table or occupy another position of prominence. This is most important when using visual aids.

CASE SOLUTIONS Solutions for this chapter’s cases appear on the following pages.

Ready-made transparencies are available for the solutions to the following cases: Case 1, Is Anybody Out There? Explaining Loopt’s Social Mapping Service, (Transparencies 146—148) Case 3, Face to Face: Updating Management on Your Monthly Progress, (Transparencies 149—157)

1. IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? EXPLAINING LOOPT’S SOCIAL MAPPING SERVICE (Above-average solution)

Student presentations are likely to closely reflect the material on Loopt’s website, along with the way it is organized. Here is a possible presentation outline that incorporates information and terminology from https://www.loopt.com/loopt/tour.aspx: I. What’s Loopt?

A. It is a social mapping service that lets you 1. Find friends a. Using your mobile phone, you can see detailed maps that show you where your friends are.

2. Connect with friends a. Loopt lets you know when you’re near your friends. .

408 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations b. This makes it easy to get together at a moment’s notice.

3. Create and edit your profile a. You can create and edit your profile anytime, anywhere. b. You can use your cell phone or a computer.

4. Share photos and locations a. Loopt lets you take pictures, tag them, and share them with friends. b. You can also write in your friends’ journals and they can write in yours.

5. Tag places & create events a. You can tag and save favorite places, then create an event and invite friends. b. You can also accept invitations and manage your social calendar— right from your phone.

6. Control your privacy a. With Loopt, you decide who can see your private profile. b. Your profile is visible only to your friends.

II. What phones work with Loopt?

A. Loopt currently supports selected phones from 1. Boost mobile 2. Sprint 3. Nextel B. A detailed list of supported phones is available at www.loopt.com/loopt/phones.aspx III. What safety issues does Loopt present?

A. Too many close “friends” 1. Loopt makes it easy to locate others and be located by them. a. Could result in unwanted surprise visits B. Distractions 1. Loopt functions add to those of a regular cell phone. a. Cell phones already present a distraction hazard b. Additional functions may increase distractions C. Loopt.com offers a “Be Safe” link to a page with these safety tips: 1. Only add friends to Loopt who are really good friends.

2. Confirm the phone numbers from your invites.

3. Know who can find you.

4. Use your journal responsibly.

5. Report inappropriate behavior and offensive content.

6. Call 1-877-LOOPT-ME if you lose your phone.

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations409 1. IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? EXPLAINING LOOPT’S SOCIAL MAPPING SERVICE (Below-average solution)

I. Loopt keeps you connected with friends A. Loopt lets you know when you’re near your friends.

B. You can create and edit your profile anytime,anywhere.

C. By uploading pictures, you can share photos and locations.

D. Tagging places and creating events helps too E. Privacy is maintained by you 1. Users decide who can see their profile F. Lots of phones work with Loopt 1. Boost mobile, Sprint, and Nextel II. Loopt does have some disadvantages A. Your friends will know where you are B. Loopt can be the cause of distractions 1. Just like when one is driving and using a cell phone, Loopt could also be dangerous C. To avoid these risks, Loopt gives safety tips on the website 2. I’LL FIND MY SPACE SOMEWHERE ELSE, THANKS: PROMOTING ALTERNATIVES TO MYSPACE

Students should recognize the importance of a feature-to-feature comparison in their presentations. Vague generalizations about the potential drawbacks of MySpace will not be convincing. It will be helpful to create at least one visual that makes it easy for the audience to compare specific features and functions of MySpace with those of other sites. Students may also be tempted to ignore similarities and focus only on differences between MySpace and another site. This would provide a good opportunity to discuss the importance of presenting a balanced review in order to build credibility. Finally, it will be important to remind students to move beyond explaining the distinctive features of their alternative site. As the instructions indicate, they should use those features to generate a profile of the type of person who would probably prefer the alternative site to MySpace.

2. FACE TO FACE: UPDATING MANAGEMENT ON YOUR MONTHLY PROGRESS (Above-average solution)

The following pages contain an example of a basic electronic slide show based on the progress report. The slides are organized to allow the presenter to point out the general vicinity of each site in relation to downtown Denver, and then provide details on each site.

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410 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations

Denver Site Analysis Roger Watson July 2009

1. Lakewood

⚫ 260 sq. ft. ⚫ Available now ⚫ Starbucks building nearby, but no other com petition

⚫ No storefront visibility from street

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations411

1. Lakewood

www. maps.google.com

2. Glendale

⚫ 525 sq. ft. with 150 additional in one year ⚫ Available in January ⚫ 2 Starbucks and 1 Chicago Blues nearby ⚫ Very good street visibility (at busy intersection)

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412 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations

2. Glendale

www. maps.google.com

3. McNichols Arena

⚫ 420 sq. ft. ⚫ Available in December ⚫ JavaLand and Starbucks nearby ⚫ Good street visibility

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations413

3. McNichols Arena

w w w . map s. goog le. com

4. University of Denver

⚫ Two sites: 340 sq. ft. or 655 sq. ft. ⚫ Smaller site available now ⚫ Larger site available in March ⚫ Starbucks and 5 independents nearby ⚫ Good street visibility for smaller site ⚫ Poor visibility for larger

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414 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations

4. University of Denver

w w w . map s. goog le. com

3. FACE TO FACE: UPDATING MANAGEMENT ON YOUR MONTHLY PROGRESS (Below-average solution)

DENVER SITE ANALYSIS— Racing After the Dream Roger Watson July 2009

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations415

Lakewood & Glendale 260 sq. ft. available now Not much competition. The only thing nearby is Starbucks.

Unable to see the storefront from the street.

525 sq. ft. (655 available next year) Lots of competition near, including Starbucks (2) and Chicago Blues.

The intersection here is busy, and that’ll be good for visibility.

McNicholsArena & U. of Denver 420 sq. ft that we will be able to get in December There’s good street visibility but there’s also two other companies nearby: Starbucks (AGAIN!) and JavaLand

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2 sites: 340 or 655 sq. ft.

Smaller site is offered now; we’d have to wait until March to get the larger space.

Large site isn’t very visible, but smaller is.

Starbucks & 5 other independents are near.

416 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations

1. Lakewood

www. maps.google.com

2. Glendale

www. maps.google.com

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations417

3. McNichols Arena

w w w . map s. goog le. com

4. University of Denver

w w w . map s. goog le. com

4. HOT TOPICS: IDENTIFYING KEY ELEMENTS IN AN IMPORTANT BUSINESS ISSUE

Responses will vary according to the topic each student chooses. The exercise provides a good opportunity to discuss different ways to credit sources in .

418 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations presentations, and for students to practice preparing simple visuals. Since the audience is made up of managers from different backgrounds, general business websites and databases such as www.forbes.com, www.wsj.com, ABI/INFORM Complete, and Business Source Premier will be the best place to begin searching for information.

IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 335) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Capitals and Abbreviations (p. ) 1. Dr. Paul Hansen is joining our staff.

2. New Caressa skin cream should be in a position to dominate that market.

3. Send this report to misterMr. H. K. Danforth, Rural Route 1, Warrensburg, new yorkNY 12885.

4. You are responsible for training my new assistant to operate the Xerox machine.

5. She received her master of business administration degreeMBA from the University of Michigan.

6. The building is located on the corner of Madison and Center streets.

7. Call me tomorrow at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning, PSTpacific standard time, and I'll have the information you need.

8. When Jones becomes CEO next month, we’ll need your input ASAP. 9. Address it to Art Bowers, Chief of Production.

10. Please RSVP to Sony Corp. just as soon as you know your schedule.

11. The data-processing department will begin work on Feb. 2, just one week wk. from today.

12. You are to meet him on Friday at the UN building in New York City nyc.

13. Whenever you can come, Professor, our employees will greatly enjoy your presentation.

14. At 50 per box, our std. standard contract forms are $9.00 a box, and our warranty forms are $7.95 a box.

15. We plan to establish a sales office on the West Coast.

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations419

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 335) 1. McDonald’s and Sears have partnered with the television program “It’s Showtime at the Apollo” to offer talented kids the opportunity to appear on national television. [Also correct to italicize “It’s Showtime at the Apollo.”]

2. Tiffany & Co., the internationally renowned jeweler and specialty retailer, plans to open a 5,000-square-foot store in Walnut Creek, California, next year.

3. If neither of the solutions seems satisfying, pick the easier one. [Or: If none of the solutions seems satisfying, pick the easiest one.]

4. Ken Baker, the West Coast bureau chief for Us magazine, will be responsible for overseeing all magazine reporting in Hollywood, conducting high-profile celebrity interviews, identifying news stories, and assisting in the generation of cover concepts.

5. With experience managing numerous enthusiast brands, including Kawasaki and Skechers, Juxt Interactive is cementing its role as a leader in strategic, integrated interactive campaigns.

6. Your message, tone, and product positioning have to be right to be accepted and successful.

7. As I began to put the team together, it became apparent to me that my idea was ahead of its time.

8. Many think that the primary market for newspapers is the readers; however, advertisers generate the majority of revenues.

9. EI’s new website, www.REI-outlet.com, features items that are not available at REI’s physical stores, in its catalog, or on its main website.

10. The company’s CEO, whom we had seen at the awards dinner Wednesday night, was fired the next day.

11. A designer of high-priced purses, such as Kate Spade or Louis Vitton, generally limits distribution to exclusive boutiques or high-end retail stores such as Neiman-Marcus.

12. There are many indications that an economic recovery is under way and will continue to stabilize and build, however modestly.

13. The equipment we bought at a second-hand store turned out to be shoddy and defective.

14. Experts cite two principal reasons for Webvan’s failure: consumer resistance and overexpansion.

15. The human resources staff will implement the overtime hours guidelines. .

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Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution) (p. 336) Date: Thu, 25 April 2009 From: Steve Pendergrass<spender@manchcc.com> To: Gregory Hansford <gregory.hansford@manchcc.com> CC: BCC: Attached: Subject: Campus library schedule

Dear Mr. Hansford: The favorite place for Manchester students to study is our campus library because of the quiet atmosphere, excellent resources, and helpful staff. With an adjustment in library hours, more students could take advantage of these assets.

In an informal survey of the students in my English class, everyone expressed a desire for the library to be open more hours on the weekends. Many students find weekends best for researching term papers because that’s when they can schedule large blocks of time.

Understandably, librarians need a day off. Perhaps students and librarians could both be accommodated if the library closed at 5:00 p.m. on Fridays. Friday night is the time most students like to relax and attend sports events or parties. The library could then be open on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. To make this arrangement fair to librarians, perhaps their schedules could be staggered so that nobody would have to work every Saturday, or those scheduled to work on Saturdays could be given Mondays or Fridays off.

Please consider implementing this new schedule this fall. You will be performing another much-appreciated service for the students.

Sincerely, Steve Pendergrass Student

* See Transparency 158 for a well-written solution to this document

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations421

CHAPTER 12 POP QUIZ True-False 1. The three basic reasons for giving a presentation are to inform, to persuade, and to entertain. (False) 2. Once you have started your oral presentation, it is best not to modify the content.

(False) 3. A good closing arouses audience interest and establishes your credibility. (False) 4. To effectively gain the attention of audience members, you can tell a story that illustrates an important point. (True) 5. Visual aids are distracting to an audience and should only be used when you need to fill time in your oral presentation. (False) 6. Overhead transparencies and electronic presentations both consist of a series of slides. (True) 7. If you wish to excite your audience, add tones of blue to your slides. (False) 8. When designing slides, you should key slide text in all capitals, to make the materials easier for the audience to read. (False) 9. Handouts can be both useful and distracting. (True) 10. Memorizing your speech is the safest delivery method, especially if your speech is a long one. (False)

Multiple Choice 11. When organizing your presentation, which of the following should you do? a. Define the main idea. b. Limit the scope. c. Choose your approach. d. Do all of the above.

12. Which of the following is important in a good introduction? a. Preview your presentation. b. Connect your ideas. c. Leave a strong and lasting impression. d. None of the above is important in a good introduction.

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422 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations 13. Which visual would be the best choice for recording points made during smallgroup brainstorming sessions? a. Overhead transparencies b. Electronic presentation c. Chalkboard or whiteboard d. None of the above 14. The advantages of using electronic slides to support a presentation include which of the following? a. They are simple to use, requiring no extra equipment to show. b. They can be altered during the presentation. c. The speaker can add animation, sound, hypertext, and other multimedia effects. d. They are fragile and bulky to transport.

15. When selecting a background design for electronic slides, the speaker should a. choose backgrounds with busy patterns to entertain the audience. b. choose a design that is simple and appropriate for the presentation subject. c. avoid all the presentation software’s collection of background designs. d. do none of the above.

16. The most effective and easiest presentation delivery mode is a. memorizing the presentation. b. reading the presentation. c. speaking from notes. d. impromptu speaking.

17. To become a more confident speaker a. prepare more material than necessary. b. rehearse. c. visualize your success. d. do all of the above.

18. While giving a presentation with accompanying slides, you should a. read the slides aloud to make certain that the audience has time to follow along. b. show a visual first and then introduce it. c. use speaker’s notes to jog your memory, but avoid reading the slides. d. practice no more than once to avoid becoming overconfident.

19. To handle audience questions effectively, you should a. maintain control of the situation. b. stay at the podium as long as necessary to answer every question in detail. c. tell hostile audience members that you will answer them once they calm down. d. do none of the above.

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12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations423 20. Speaking before a group offers which of the following opportunities? a. Immediate audience feedback b. Immediate modification to suit audience needs c. A chance to build your image in a community d. Both (a) and (b)

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CHAPTER 13: BUILDING CAREERS AND WRITING RÉSUMÉS CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 13 addresses searching for employment and sending employment messages.

Readers are first introduced to concepts of understanding employers’ approach to the employment process, as well as how to research companies, make contacts, and find career counseling. The chapter discusses how to prepare effective résumés, using the three-step writing process. Readers learn about different organizational patterns including chronological, functional, and combination résumés. Effective résumé content sections are also discussed. Both traditional and scannable résumés are addressed.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 13 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet: Number Transparency Content 159 Transparency Organizing 160 Résumés Transparency Résumé 161 Components Transparency 162 Activity 13.1 (improved version) Level 3: Document critique (Well-written solution)

CHAPTER OUTLINE Securing Employment in Today’s Job Market Understanding Employers’ Approach to the Employment Process Organizing Your Approach to the Employment Process Staying Abreast of Business and Financial News Researching Specific Companies Networking Seeking Career Counseling Preparing Résumés Planning Your Résumé Analyzing Your Purpose and Audience Gathering Pertinent Information Selecting the Best Medium Organizing Your Résumé Around Your Strengths The Chronological Résumé .

13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 425 The Functional Résumé The Combination Résumé Writing Your Résumé Keeping Your Résumé Honest Adapting Your Résumé to Your Audience Composing Your Résumé Name and Contact Information Introductory Statement Education Work Experience, Skills, and Accomplishments Activities and Achievements Personal Data and References Completing Your Résumé Revising Your Résumé Producing Your Résumé Producing a Traditional Résumé Printing a Scannable Résumé Creating a Plain Text File of Your Résumé Creating a Word File of Your Résumé Creating an HTML Version of Your Résumé Creating a PDF Version of Your Résumé Proofreading Your Résumé Distributing Your Résumé Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Securing Employment in Today’s Job Market Understanding how employers approach the hiring process is just one of many insights and skills you need in order to conduct a successful job search.

Employers use several methods to find new employees, including personal referrals.

Because as many as 80 percent of all job openings are never advertised (the hidden job market), it’s up to you to take action to get yourself noticed.

The major job boards have grown so popular that some employers feel deluged with résumés from these sources, and some job seekers fear it’s becoming impossible to stand out from the crowd when hundreds or thousands of people are applying for the same jobs.

Employers approach the employment process by Looking first for candidates within their organization Relying heavily on referrals from people they know and trust Sending recruiters to college campuses to conduct interviews

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426 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés Recruiting through employment agencies, state employment services, temporary staffing services, and employment bureaus operated by trade associations Accepting unsolicited résumés To keep tabs on all the applicants in various stages of the recruiting process, many companies now use computerized applicant tracking systems to capture and store the hundreds or thousands of résumés they receive each year.

The employment process can consume many hours of your time over weeks or months, and organizing your efforts in a logical, careful manner can help you save time.

Approach the employment process by finding out Where the job opportunities are Which industries are strong Which parts of the country are booming Which specific job categories offer the best prospects for the future Everything you can about individual organizations Stay abreast of business and financial news through Websites that focus on business A newsfeed aggregator that automatically updates you on interesting professions and companies In addition to searching want-ads and signing up for campus interviews, you can use the web to Get detailed information about your prospective employers Look for and respond to job openings Don’t limit your research to easily available sources, however. Companies are likely to be impressed by creative research, such as interviewing their customers to learn more about how the firm does business.

Networking is the process of making informal connections with mutually beneficial business contacts: Look for networking opportunities wherever people with similar interests gather, both online and in person: Read news sites, blogs, and other online sources.

Participate in student business organizations.

Visit trade shows that cater to an industry you’re interested in.

Volunteer in social, civic, and religious organizations.

Remember that networking is about people helping each other, not just about other people helping you. To become a valued network member, you need to be able to help others in some way.

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13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 427 College placement offices offer Individual counseling Job fairs On-campus interviews Job listings You can also find job counseling online.

Preparing Résumés Planning your résumé includes Analyzing your purpose and audience Gathering pertinent information Selecting the best medium Organizing your résumé around your strengths Your résumé is A structured, written summary of your education, employment background, and job qualifications A persuasive business message intended to stimulate an employer’s interest in meeting you and learning more about you Intended to get you an interview with prospective employers Résumés and CVs are essentially the same: The term curriculum vitae is used instead of résumé in some professions and in many countries outside the United States.

CVs can be more detailed Before preparing your résumé, gather all the information that you might possibly need: Specific dates, duties, and accomplishments from any previous jobs you’ve held Every piece of relevant educational experience (formal degrees, skills certificates, academic awards, or scholarships) Relevant information about personal endeavors (dates of your membership in associations, offices you may have held in a club or professional organization) You may need various forms of your résumé, including A traditional version printed on paper A Word document A plain-text document that you paste into online forms A PowerPoint presentation A multimedia résumé available online or on CD-ROM Explore all your options and choose those that (a) meet the requirements of target employers and (b) allow you to present yourself in a compelling fashion.

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428 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés Starting with a traditional paper résumé is a great way to organize your background information and identify your unique strengths.

The most successful résumés convey that you Think in terms of results Know how to get things done Are well rounded Show signs of career progress and professional development Have personal standards of excellence Are flexible and willing to try new things Communicate effectively For an effective résumé, you’ll want to Include a little information in all categories (education, employment, and so on).

Emphasize the information that does the best job of aligning your career objectives with the needs of your target employers.

Address the common problems that trigger employers’ skepticism: Frequent job changes Gaps in work history Inexperience Overqualification Long-term employment with one company Job termination for cause Criminal record Focus attention on your strongest points by adopting the best organizational approach: Chronological Functional Combination A chronological résumé emphasizes your work experience, placing that section in the most prominent position (immediately after the name and address and optional objective).

Develop the work section of your chronological résumé: List your jobs sequentially in reverse order, beginning with the most recent position and working backward toward earlier jobs.

For each listing, describe your responsibilities and accomplishments.

If you are a recent graduate, you can vary this approach by putting your educational qualifications before your experience.

The chronological approach has three key advantages: Employers are familiar with it and can easily find information.

This approach highlights growth and career progression. .

13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 429 This approach highlights employment continuity and stability.

The functional résumé, sometimes called a skills résumé, emphasizes your skills and capabilities, identifying employers and academic experience in subordinate sections.

This pattern stresses individual areas of competence rather than job history.

The functional approach has three advantages: Employers can see what you’ll do for them, without having to read through every job description.

You can emphasize earlier job experience.

You can deemphasize any lengthy unemployment or lack of career progress.

The functional approach is not popular with some employers, who may think that you’re trying to hide something, so if you don’t have a strong, uninterrupted history of relevant work, the combination résumé be a better choice.

The combination résumé includes the best features of the chronological and functional approaches, but it has two potential disadvantages: It tends to be longer than a chronological résumé.

It can be repetitious if you have to list your accomplishments and skills both in the functional section and in the chronological job descriptions.

When writing your résumé, help ensure success by Treating your résumé with the respect it deserves Giving yourself plenty of time and not putting it off until the last second Learning from good models Not getting frustrated by the conflicting advice you read about résumés Somehow, the idea that “everybody lies on their résumés” has crept into popular consciousness, and dishonesty in the job search process has reached epidemic proportions. Applicants with integrity know they don’t need to stoop to lying to compete in the job market. More than 90 percent of companies that find lies on résumés refuse to hire the offending applicants, even if that means withdrawing formal job offers.

If you’re not sure whether to include or exclude a particular point, ask yourself this: Would you be willing to say the same thing to an interviewer in person? If you wouldn’t be comfortable saying it in person, don’t say it in your résumé. If you’d be uncomfortable sharing a particular piece of information face to face, don’t include it.

To adapt your résumé to your audience: Translate your past accomplishments into perceived future potential.

Be prepared to translate your skills and experiences into the terminology of the hiring organization.

Know yourself and your audience in order to focus on the strengths needed by potential employers.

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430 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés To compose an impressive résumé state your information as forcefully as possible; try to use a simple, direct style: Use short, crisp phrases instead of whole sentences.

Avoid using the word I. Start your phrases with strong action verbs.

Quantify the results and offer proof so that your claims don’t come across as empty puffery.

Begin your résumé by identifying yourself and providing your contact information: Your name Physical address (permanent and temporary) E-mail address Phone number(s) Personal webpage or e-portfolio URL (if you have one) Stating a career objective is optional: Some experts advise against it, saying that your objective is obvious from your qualifications and that a stated objective labels you as being interested in only one thing.

A good alternative to including a career objective is to provide a summary of qualifications.

A career summary offers a brief recap of your career with the goal of presenting increasing levels of responsibility and performance.

In the education section, present your academic background in depth: List the name and location of each school you attended (starting with the most recent).

Include the term of your enrollment (in months and years) for each entry.

List your major and minor fields of study for each entry.

Include significant skills and abilities you’ve developed in your course work.

List the degrees or certificates you’ve earned at each school.

List the courses that have directly equipped you for the job you’re seeking.

Indicate any scholarships, awards, and academic honors you’ve received.

Include any off-campus training sponsored by business or government.

List any relevant seminars or workshops you’ve attended (and any certificates you received).

Mention high school or military training only if those achievements are pertinent to your career.

If you choose to show a grade-point average, include the scale (especially if a 5point scale is used instead of a 4-point scale).

In the work experience section, highlight the relationship between your previous responsibilities and your target field:

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13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 431 List your jobs in reverse chronological order (with the current or last one first).

Include any part-time, summer, or intern positions, even if unrelated to your career objective.

If you have worked your way through school, say so.

Include the name and location of each employer.

Briefly describe what each organization does.

State your functional title for each job.

State how long you worked on each job (from month/year to month/year).

Devote the most space to the jobs that are related to your target position.

Mention any significant achievements on the job (including facts about your skills and accomplishments).

You might include a section describing other aspects of your background that pertain to your career objective: Command of another language Travel experience Skills in operating computers, specific software, or other specialized equipment You may insert information at the bottom of your résumé about additional materials that are available: You might want to say that work samples are available upon request.

In a section titled “Activities and Achievements,” you might List volunteer activities that demonstrate your abilities List career-related activities such as “member of the Student Marketing Association” Personal data should be left off your résumé unless including it enhances the employer’s understanding of why you would be the best candidate for the job.

Exclude information such as Items that would encourage discrimination (gender, marital or family status, age, race, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, etc.)

Salary information Reasons for leaving jobs Names of previous supervisors A photo of yourself Your Social Security number or student ID Number The availability of references is usually assumed, so you don’t need to put “References available upon request” at the end of your résumé., however, be sure to have a list of several references ready when you begin applying for jobs; you will probably be asked for it at some point in the selection process.

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432 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés As with any other business message, you need to complete your résumé by Revising it Producing it Proofreading it Distributing it The ideal length of your résumé depends on the depth of your experience and the level of the positions for which you are applying.

When revising your résumé, think about how to avoid the following criticisms: Too long or wordy Too short or sketchy Difficult to read Poorly written Displaying weak understanding of the business world or of a particular industry Poor-quality printing or cheap paper Full of spelling and grammar errors Boastful Gimmicky design To achieve good résumé design, make sure that you Focus on simplicity, order, plenty of white space, and easy-to-read type face Make your subheadings easy to find and easy to read Use lists to itemize your most important qualifications Leave plenty of white space Make any added color subtle and sophisticated; color is not necessary You may want to produce your résumé in as many as six forms: Printed traditional résumé Printed scannable résumé Electronic plain text file Microsoft Word file HTML format PDF file Some applicants also create PowerPoint presentations or video to supplement a traditional résumé.

When ready to print your traditional résumé: Avoid papers with speckles or other designs.

Choose a slightly heavier, high-quality plain paper designed specifically for résumés and other important documents.

White or off-white paper is the best color choice.

Use a well-maintained, quality printer that has adequate toner.

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13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 433 When you format your scannable résumé, be sure to Use a clean, common sans serif font such as Optima or Arial, 10 to 14 points.

Avoid italics and underlining.

Make sure that characters do not touch one another, including the slash (/).

Don’t use side-by-side columns.

Don’t use ampersands, percent signs, accented characters, or bullet symbols.

Put each phone number and e-mail address on its own line.

Print on plain white paper.

Place your name on every page, first to last.

Check the company’s website or call the human resources department to learn of any specific requirements.

When adding keywords to your scannable résumé: Use nouns, rather than verbs.

Use abbreviations sparingly.

Include 20 to 30 words and phrases that define your skills, experience, education, professional affiliations, and so on.

Place your keyword list right after your name and address.

Creating a plain text version of your résumé into an online form is faster, easier, and less prone to errors than the scanning process. Plain text is just what it sounds like: no font formatting, no bullet symbols, no colors, no lines or boxes, and so on.

In some cases, an employer or job-posting website will let you upload a Microsoft Word file directly. Before submitting a Word file to anyone, be sure your system is free from viruses.

The benefits of creating your HTML version of your résumé include sending it as a fully formatted e-mail message, posting it on your personal webpage, and including it in your e-portfolio.

Proofreading is extremely important: to impress employers, your résumé must be perfect.

When proofreading your résumé: Check all headings and lists for clarity and parallelism.

Make sure that your spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct.

Ask at least three other people to read it too.

How you distribute your résumé depends on The number of employers you are targeting Employer preferences for receiving résumés When mailing your traditional and scannable résumés: Use a flat 9  12 envelope or, even better, use Priority Mail.

Consider sending both scannable and standard formats to each employer. .

434 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés When faxing your traditional and scannable résumés: Make sure the employer prefers résumés via fax.

Include a standard fax cover sheet.

Set the fax machine to “fine” mode.

When e-mailing your résumé: Don’t send attachments.

Insert plain text into the body of the e-mail message.

When submitting your résumé online, follow site instructions carefully.

When posting a résumé on your website, find some way of providing potential employers with your URL. When posting your résumé online, consider the following: Create an e-portfolio.

Create a personal website, which can include your e-portfolio.

Create a profile on one or more social networking sites.

Post your résumé on “general-purpose” job websites, such as Monster and CareerBuilder.

Post your résumé on specialized websites, such as Jobster or Jobfox.

Post your résumé with a staffing service.

Keep an eye out for any new channels that emerge in the coming years.

Before you upload your résumé to any site, learn about its confidentiality protection.

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Although the majority of your students may have been employed at some time, many in the class may not yet have work experience. Help students build a list of traits that employers are looking for. As you conduct this discussion, solicit examples of ways that students can illustrate each of the traits in their résumés, letters, and interviews.

By now, students are probably automatically applying the three-step writing process; however, this time the analysis step must include an analysis of themselves: their strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and so forth. Stress the importance of this step in the planning process for employment messages. Whereas some students will downplay their strengths, others will overstate them, and some will hesitate to complete an honest critique to identify their weaknesses.

Stress the importance of researching a company before applying for a job. Today’s students will typically turn to the Internet to find information about a company. But because the Internet may offer limited information on smaller companies, help students identify other ways to find information: school career services office, newspapers, published company materials, and so forth.

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13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 435 Some class members may not have visited the school’s career services office. Provide an overview of the services the office provides students, and tell them what they need to do to register. Since some class members will already have visited the office and obtained booklets and various help sheets, be prepared to answer questions about any differences between that information and the information provided during class or in the textbook.

Students will have numerous misconceptions about effective résumés. Encourage them to bring in any résumés they created previously so that they can modify them according to chapter guidelines. Be sure to discuss chronological, functional, and combination résumés. Help students identify which would be the best fit, considering individual work history, strengths, and so forth. During class, examine the detailed critiques of the chronological and functional résumés included in the chapter.

Address the criticisms that employers often make about applicants’ résumés. Also stress the need for error-free documents in this unit of study. Emphasize that document errors and weaknesses may cause a potential employer to eliminate an applicant from consideration.

Students often have trouble preparing résumé content. Emphasize using short, crisp phrases (instead of whole sentences), starting phrases with action verbs, avoiding personal pronouns (such as I and my), and preparing a forceful yet accurate résumé.

Review all the typical sections of the résumé: contact information, career objective, education, work experience, and other information. Also review what information to exclude. Help students assess the pros and cons of including a career objective.

Students will have varying work histories, so help them select effective ways to present their information. When discussing the various résumé sections, such as education and work experience, encourage students to ask questions about what to include and how to present it.

Sometimes students are tempted to exaggerate or omit information as they prepare their materials. Discuss common forms of résumé deception and answer questions related to leaving things out, embellishing facts inappropriately, and so forth.

This class may be some students’ first exposure to preparing scannable résumés.

Compare and contrast traditional and scannable résumés. Help students identify keywords that would be appropriate for their personal résumés.

Discuss creating Plain Text (ASCII) versions to submit information to an employer’s database. Remind students that this is a faster and easier process than sending a scannable résumé.

Webpage versions of a résumé may also be a new concept to students. Discuss briefly the use of HTML code and show them the usefulness of this version of their résumé for an e-portfolio.

A common problem with student application letters is that they simply repeat the facts presented in the résumé. Review the AIDA model and help students identify what information to include in each of the three paragraphs that the text recommends.

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436 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés Remind students to focus on the potential employer by explaining what the writer has to offer the company. Encourage students to be assertive when asking for an interview and to eliminate wording that suggests a doubtful tone. Give concrete examples of wording to avoid in the last paragraph.

Students may question the necessity of sending follow-up letters. Review why these letters are valuable tools, what they should include, and when they should be sent.

SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES 1. Gathering Opinions of Human Resource Managers. Invite two or three human resource managers to address the class and share information about what they look for in job applicants. Invite them to share weaknesses they often find in résumés and application letters and what they view as résumé deception. Have them share what students can do to get an interview. This panel presentation should generate many student questions.

2.

Conducting a Self-Assessment. Have students complete a self-assessment exercise (such as the work-related preferences self-assessment in the Practice Your Knowledge activity 4). Ask students to prepare a list of personal strengths and weaknesses as a starting point for preparing employment-related documents.

Instruct them to list achievements, specific skills, educational preparation,

3. work experience, extracurricular activities, community involvement, and so forth.

Determining What Support the Career Services Office Provides. Invite the director of the school’s career services office to address the class. Ask the speaker to inform the students of the assistance they can obtain from the office and what they must do to register. Invite the speaker to bring along selected handouts that would be helpful to your students. This speaker can present insightful information on résumé writing and interviewing skills. Students should

4. have numerous questions for the speaker. As an alternative, you may want to assign a small group of students to visit the career services office, gather information on support available, and report their findings to the class.

Identifying Helpful Tips on Résumé Design. Assign students to work in teams to conduct research on the Internet to identify sites that provide helpful information 5. about résumé preparation. Instruct students to visit several sites and compare and contrast the information provided at those sites. Students may want to start with some of the sites identified in the Expand Your Knowledge section at the end of the chapter. Teams should present their findings to the class. Help students . identify the more credible sites that students report on, and assist them in dealing with the inconsistencies of the information they find.

Critiquing Résumés and Application Letters. Assign students to analyze the ineffective employment documents in the Practice Your Knowledge activities at the end of the chapter. From your files, provide additional examples of both

13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 437 6. Preparing Résumés and Application Letters. Have each student put together an application package for a job. You may want the students to prepare the packet for an immediate part-time or full-time job opening or for an upcoming internship. You may specify your own packet requirements, or you may use one of the cases at the end of the chapter.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 358) 1. According to one recent survey, networking is the most common way that employees find jobs.

2. A résumé is a structured, written summary of someone’s educational background, employment experience, and work qualifications. It’s important to adopt a “you” attitude when writing a résumé since the document has little time to make an impression. So you’ll want to consider what each employer needs and then tailor your résumé to show your readers what you can do for them.

3. In a chronological résumé, the section on work experience is prominently positioned directly after the name, address, and objective, with job background listed in reverse chronological order. This is the traditional type of résumé and is used to highlight career progression as well as employment continuity and stability. In contrast, a functional résumé emphasizes skills and accomplishments rather than previous jobs and employers. This type of résumé is appropriate when the job seeker is entering or reentering the job market, wants to change career direction, or has little continuous career-related experience.

4. Employers commonly complain that résumés are too long or too short, too hard to read, too wordy, too slick, too amateurish, too boastful, poorly reproduced, filled with spelling and grammar mistakes, gimmicky, or dishonest.

5. Putting a keyword summary in a scannable or electronic résumé helps employers find your résumé when conducting a computerized search for candidates who fit particular criteria.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 358) 1. If you have a number of part-time, temporary, or entry-level jobs that don’t relate to your career objective, you have to use your best judgment when it comes to including or excluding them. On the one hand, employers will be impressed by the fact that you can land and keep jobs while you’re progressing toward your career goals. On the other hand, too many minor and irrelevant work details can clutter your résumé, particularly if you’ve been in the professional workforce for a few years. Generally speaking, if you don’t have a long employment history, use these jobs to show your ability and willingness to work.

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438 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés

2. Even though résumé scanning may miss a qualified applicant because the résumé wasn’t loaded with the exact search terms, such scanning is probably a good idea for large companies that receive hundreds of résumés for a single vacancy.

Without it, recruiters would probably skim the résumés and miss an equal number of qualified candidates anyway. The advantage of résumé scanning is that it truly does keep your résumé “on file” or in the company database. Without it, many résumés would get lost in the pile. The disadvantage is that computer scanning focuses on a specific set of skills or job-related experience and cannot read between the lines like humans do. So a company that uses scanning is less likely to select candidates who show great potential but don’t meet the criteria.

3.

4.

5.

Neither outcome is desirable. A qualifications summary might solve the problem by briefly indicating that your skills and experience could qualify you for more than one position.

Even if a student is uncertain about a career path, he or she always applies for a single, specific job. Therefore, his or her résumé should be fine-tuned to the specific nature of that job. This approach of modifying the résumé for each opportunity creates a much more compelling story than simply sending out a generic résumé.

Include the appropriate information for the six-month job. Providing this information about your employment at the finance company shows that you worked the entire year you were not in school. Without this information, it would appear that you were not working or attending school for six months. You are not expected to list your reason for leaving the position on your résumé, nor do you need to provide anyone from that company as a reference. Many potential employers would view leaving the job off the work history as deceptive.

PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 359) Activities 13.1 Analyze This Document Although this applicant has valuable qualifications, she presents them so poorly that she is unlikely to get an interview, much less a position.

1. The résumé’s format is inconsistent. Each heading level should be presented in the same fashion; for instance, “Education” and “Work Experience” should both be either centered or flush left, either in capitals or in uppercase and lowercase letters, and so on.

2. The résumé is poorly organized. The most impressive aspect of the applicant’s qualifications is her work experience, so that section should immediately follow her statement of a job objective. Her education is the next most important aspect, followed by personal data.

3. The job objective is too vague and doesn’t emphasize the writer’s desire .

13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 439 to use her skills.

4. Under the heading “Experience,” format is again inconsistent (note the use of commas and periods in the subheadings). The job descriptions should begin with strong verbs that convey professionalism, responsibility, and initiative, and the first-person pronoun should be avoided throughout. The most recent positions should be described in greater detail than earlier positions. The descriptions currently put too much emphasis on skills (such as secretarial skills) that are irrelevant to the position she seeks, and they provide no evidence that she has successfully carried out marketing or sales tasks. For example, she could indicate the size of her sales territory, the types of customers she called on, and the changes in sales volume due to her efforts. When discussing summer and part-time work, she should emphasize skills that relate to her job objective.

5. When discussing education, the writer should also focus on matters related to her career field. Her extracurricular activities, if she considers them relevant, should be mentioned in an achievements section. She should mention her date of graduation.

6. The personal data provided here is irrelevant, is not especially distinctive, and should be eliminated. The space could be used to list references or to list some activities and achievements demonstrating her ability to deal with people.

7. The résumé is not concise, and the pronoun “I” is used excessively.

Here is a revised version of the document.

SYLVIA MANCHESTER 765 Belle Fleur Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70113 — (504) 312-9504 OBJECTIVE A responsible position in marketing or sales with the opportunity to work in the field of biochemical research WORK EXPERIENCE 2000–present: Fisher Scientific Instruments, Field Sales Rep Call on directors of medical labs and of government and university research labs in a three-state territory (Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas). Increased

territory’s sales 150 percent in 3 years. Help define needs for electronic instruments and explain features and benefits of Fisher’s line. Follow up with regular visits to monitor needs for instrumentation. Write sales letters to prospective and existing clients. Represent Fisher at trade shows in territory and at annual meeting of American Medical Association. Won company sales award past 2 years.

1997–1999: Fisher Scientific Instruments, Customer Service Rep Answered customer calls about delivery, quality, and operation of electronic instruments. Corresponded with customers who required written response.

Received one of three citations for excellence from company president,

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440 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés Dr. Ronald Nash, at 1998 employee banquet.

1994–1997: Medical Electronics, Inc., Adm. Asst. to Marketing VP Compiled monthly sales reports, using figures provided by field sales force.

Conducted market research.

1991–1994: U. Louisiana, Admissions Office, Part-Time Clerk Processed student applications and handled correspondence with high school students and administrators.

EDUCATION June 1994: B.A., Biology, University of Louisiana, 3.0 avg. 4.0 scale

* See Transparency 161 for an improved version.

13.2

This self-assessment exercise will help students think through their preferences for work-related activities and situations. Encourage them to keep these preferences in mind when they research appropriate careers and jobs.

13.3

a. Experienced in database design. b. Explored cost accounting alternatives for large manufacturer. c. Participated in the development of a new inventory control system. d. Prepared quarterly department budget. e. Managed department and oversaw seven employees. f. Developed spreadsheet to analyze monthly sales by department. g. Designed and implemented new ordering program for supplies.

13.4

a. Designed databases for 15 clients. b. Explored cost accounting alternatives for manufacturer with $75 million in sales. c. Participated in the development of a new inventory control system for 750 products. d. Prepared quarterly department budget ($3 million). e. Managed department generating $13 million in sales and oversaw seven employees. f. Developed Excel spreadsheet to analyze monthly sales of 13 departments. g. Designed and implemented new ordering program for supplies, resulting in the elimination of a full-time position.

13.5

Yes, you should clarify that those accomplishments were the result of a team effort, not just your individual efforts. Otherwise you will be exaggerating your experience, which is not only unethical but which can backfire if the truth comes to light.

This activity will help students understand the specific differences between traditional and scannable résumés.

13.6

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13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 441

13.7

This résumé should also be reformatted by eliminating graphics and special formatting codes such as italics and tabs, adding blank spaces to align text and using asterisks for bullets, and saving the file in plain text format.

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 361) 1. The following are a list of action verbs students could use to describe their skills: accelerated

correlated

headed

organized

accessed

counseled

helped

participated

achieved

created

hired

performed

acquired

delegated

identified

pinpointed

acted

demonstrated

implemented

planned

administered

designed

improved

prepared

appointed

determined

increased

presented

arranged

developed

initiated

prevented

assigned

devised

instituted

purchased

assisted

directed

instructed

reorganized

attended

doubled

interacted

reported

booked

edited

introduced

restructured

broadened

effected

invented

revised

budgeted

eliminated

investigated

saved

checked

established

launched

scheduled

collaborated

evaluated

led

sold

competed

executed

maintained

solved

completed

expanded

managed

structured

conceived

expedited

marketed

solved

conducted

explored

met with

supervised

constructed

formulated

monitored

tightened

consulted

founded

motivated

trimmed

contributed

generated

negotiated

utilized

controlled

guided

opened

worked with

coordinated

handled

operated

2. The majority of résumés follow a similar format by listing most recent jobs and work experience first. This is called a “reverse chronological” format. But there is also the “skills-based” or “functional” format that highlights what you can do .

442 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés rather than what you have done. Some find that blending these two formats is the best way to summarize their experience and capabilities. Those in teaching and scientific professions, especially people with advanced degrees, find the “curriculum vitae” or CV most effective. How do you decide which format is best? Following are some tips and guidelines for when to use which format.

Reverse Chronological This is the format familiar to most employers and hiring managers. It normally includes a career objective or summary at the top, and is followed by a listing of each job the person has held, starting with the most recent, and a brief summary of responsibilities and accomplishments. Reverse chronological résumés should include job titles, dates of employment, and company names and locations.

For each position you held, you should give an overview of your essential responsibilities and your related accomplishments and achievements. This should be followed by a summary of your education and training.

Using this format is best for those who have had a steady work history and a record of increased responsibility and career growth. This is also a great format if the companies you worked for, especially your most recent employer, are wellrecognized and well-respected within your industry.

Skills-Based or Functional Format A functional formatted résumé ignores chronological order and focuses on your career in terms of your skills and capabilities. This format helps readers focus on what you can do rather than what you have done. By using the functional approach, you can tailor your résumé to highlight skills and competencies sought by potential employers. You can show how you ideally match the requirements of a particular job for which you are applying, by including relevant achievements and accomplishments related to specific skills.

The functional résumé includes a career objective that states what type of job you desire and or a career summary that encapsulates your work history, education strengths in a sentence or two. The main body of the résumé provides a summary of three to five skills you possess and demonstrates your proficiency in the particular area through accomplishments and measurable results related to the skill. both One added benefit of this format is that you can include learning from paid and volunteer work. In its purest form it omits dates, employers and job titles; within however, most employers expect to see this information somewhere a résumé. .

The functional format is ideal for those who have had gaps in employment or for those who have changed careers over the years or had unclear career paths. It is also great for new graduates who don’t have much paid work experience.

Combination or Blended Format

13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 443 summary of qualifications and bulleted skills, followed by a chronological job listing that demonstrates, through measurable results, how you used or applied the skills you just highlighted.

3. OCR software attempts to match characters scanned from your résumé with standard letter shapes. So, it’s important to write your scannable résumé in a font that conforms. It’s the single-most important factor for making your résumé conducive to scanning.

For example, if you use a decorative font such as Bahamas, the OCR software might misinterpret the fancy letter a as the letter o. Misspelled keywords, such as monoger for manager in this case, won’t show up in a search for matching keywords. Consequently, your résumé won’t show up either. The best fonts for scannable résumés are those that aren’t overly decorative. Examples are listed below.

Times New Roman Arial Helvetica Verdana Tahoma Courier Although Times New Roman is a little fancier than the rest, it’s a standard font that OCR software is programmed to recognize. But Times New Roman is about as fancy as you can get when writing a scannable résumé.

The optimal font size is between 9 and 12 points. However, which size you choose depends on the font. For example, note that the characters in Times New Roman appear smaller and more compact than those in Arial, even though both fonts are set to 12 points. The more compact a font is, the harder it is for scanners to separate the characters. So, if you go with Times New Roman, the properties of the 12-point size are likely best to allow for the variances in scanner quality, while 10-point Times New Roman might be too small.

It’s okay to use bold or all UPPERCASE characters in your scannable résumé headings. But as with choosing font size, using bold or not might depend on the properties of the font. If bold "fattening" makes the characters harder to read, don’t use it or switch fonts. It’s also okay to use different fonts in the same scannable résumé, such as Times New Roman Text with Arial-Bold Headings. But never write any résumé in all UPPERCASE characters, scannable or not. It’s unprofessional.

It’s a good idea to avoid Italics anywhere in your scannable résumé, since it skews characters into the white space between them. Also avoid underlining, since the underline limits white space under characters and cuts through those with descenders, such as the "tail" on the g in the word underlining.

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444 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés

Speaking of white space, scanners and OCR software prefer it. It’s how they figure out where one paragraph or section ends and another begins. It’s a good idea to separate headings and paragraphs with at least one full line of space, like the blank line across the page between this paragraph and the next.

You can spruce up your scannable résumé by using horizontal lines to separate sections, so they look good on paper. However, don’t allow them to touch or get too close to text. Make sure they occupy at least one full line of space, should OCR software ignore them. That’ll at least leave adequate, separating white space where the horizontal lines were.

Avoid short vertical (|) lines and slash marks (/). Scanners might try to interpret them as letters, such as a lowercase l or an uppercase I. Also avoid text leaders or trailers, such as periods (....). They might confuse scanners or OCR software.

In place of bullets, use asterisks (*) or hyphens (-), plus a space before the text like this: * Bullet one or - Bullet one It’s important for scannable résumé text to contrast highly with the paper on which it’s printed. Print your scannable résumé in black ink only, on high-quality, white, cream or very light gray paper. Avoid colored text and paper, and paper size other than 8.511 inches (standard letter size). When mailing your scannable résumé, use a large envelope that accommodates it without folding. Folding makes it more difficult to lay your résumé flat on a scanner bed, and it might jam those with paper feeders. It also causes shadowy creases that might confuse OCR software.

If it’s important to show off your formatting or creative skills to land a job, distribute copies of your fancy paper résumé at interviews. Alternately, send both a fancy and scannable résumé. (Explain in your cover letter why you did that, so it doesn’t appear that you are unorganized or can’t follow instructions.) You can also create a fancy Web résumé and portfolio, and include the URL in your scannable résumé or cover letter.

Speaking of which, always include a scannable cover letter with your scannable résumé, unless recipients say otherwise. To make your cover letter scannable, follow the guidelines above.

CASE SOLUTIONS(p. 361)

Suggested guidelines for this chapter’s cases appear on the following pages.

1

THE RIGHT JOB, RIGHT NOW For this assignment, the résumé should be neatly arranged on the page, with only relevant educational, professional, and personal data provided. The writer’s name, address, and phone number should be clearly indicated.

2. THE DREAM JOB IN THE FUTURE: WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET THERE? As with the previous assignment, students’ résumés should be neatly arranged and tailored to the specific company where they are seeking employment. .

13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 445

3. THE MULTIMEDIA ME: CREATING A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION FOR YOUR E-PORTFOLIO This case invites students to consider alternative resources to be included in a résumé and also provides students with a refresher in creating professionalquality presentations.

IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS AND USAGE (p. 362) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Numbers (p. 362) 1. We need to hire one 1 office manager, four 4 bookkeepers, and twelve 12 clerktypists.

2. The market for this product is nearly six 6 million people in our region alone.

3. Make sure that all 1,835 pages are on my desk no later than nine o’clock 9:00 a.m. (or nine o’clock in the morning) 4. In 2004, was the year that José Guiterez sold more than $50,000 thousand dollars worth of stock.

5. Our deadline is 4/7 April 7, but we won’t be ready before 4/11 April 11.

6. 95 Ninety-five percent of our customers are men. (or Of our customers, 95 percent are men.)

7. More than ½ half the U.S. population is female.

8. Cecile Simmons, thirty-eight, is the first woman in this company to be promoted to management.

9. Last year, I wrote 20 15 fifteen-page reports, and Michelle wrote 24 three-page reports.

10. Of the 15 applicants, seven 7 are qualified.

11. Our blinds should measure 38 inches wide by 64-8/16 and one-half inches long by 7/16 inches deep.

12. Deliver the couch to seven eighty-three 783 Fountain Rd., Suite three3, Procter Valley, CA 92074.

13. Here are the corrected figures: 42.70% agree, 23.25% disagree, 34.00% are undecided, and the error is 0.05% 14. You have to agree that 50,000,000 million U.S. citizens cannot be wrong. .

446 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés

15. We need a set of shelves 10 feet, eight8 inches long.

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 362) 1. Speaking at a recent software conference, Alan Nichols, CEO of Tekco Systems, said the company’s goal is to reduce response time to 2 to 4 hours using software as an enabler.

2. Selling stocks short is the latest rage on Wall Street, where recently things have just gone from bad to worse.

3. As electronic commerce grows, people are trying to find new ways to make money off it.

4. We notify not only the customer but also our salespeople that the product has been shipped, because they will want to follow up.

5. When deciding among these suppliers, we found that each of them offers [Or offered] both advantages and disadvantages.

6. I found the book Marketing Is Easy, Selling Is Hard for three different prices on the Internet: $14.00, $13,25, and $12.00.

7. United Agra Products, a distributor of chemicals, fertilizers, and seeds, faced the possibility of serious bottlenecks in transmission of customer orders over its private network.

8. The answers you receive are influenced by the types of questions you ask, the way you ask them, and your subject’s cultural and language background.

9. The creation of hazardous by-products, such as silver in film processing, requires us to collect our used chemicals for disposal at a hazardous waste facility.

10. When obtaining ingredients for our products, we try to establish relationships with small cooperative or farming communities—often in developing countries— because we believe that the best way to improve people’s lives is to give them a chance at self-reliance.

11. An entrepreneur should never be in any organization that gets so big that it loses intimacy.

12. Racecar driver Eddie Cheever is also founder of Aleanza Marketing Group, a seven-person company that handles $10 million in sponsorship campaigns for Cheever’s team, Red Bull Cheever Racing.

13. Over the last six years, Business Cluster Development has started 13 technologyrelated incubators, which they call “business clusters.”

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13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 447

14. In an interview, Gary Hoover said, “When I dreamed up Bookstop, we asked people, ‘If there was a bookstore that carried a huge selection of books and had them all at discount prices, would you go there?’ and we got a lot of yawns.”

15. The chief attraction of vending machines is their convenience: they are open 24 hours a day. On the other hand, vending machine prices are no bargain.

Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution) (p. 363) THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (EXCERPT) Purpose of the Proposal This document will acquaint the reader with three principal topics by • •

•

Showing what the San Diego State University (SDSU) SUNTRAQKKER project is Showing that the team-oriented, interdepartmental disciplines at SDSU possess the tenacity and know-how to build and race a solar-powered vehicle in the World Solar Challenge Race in Australia in 1993 Defining and articulating how this business team expects to promote and generate the necessary support, funds, and materials from students, alumni, community, and local businesses

Project Profile The SUNTRAKKER Solar Car project was conceived in July 1990 when a small group of San Diego State University engineering students, motivated by the successes of the General Motors Sunrayce, committed themselves to designing and building a superior solar-powered vehicle to compete in the World Solar Challenge.

From modest beginnings, the SUNTRAKKER project quickly evolved into a crossdisciplinary educational effort, encompassing students from many colleges of San Diego State University. The project has provided student participants and volunteers with valuable real-life experiences and has brought them together in an effort that benefits not only the student and the university but also the environment.

Sponsors are not only contributing to the success of the overall SUNTRAKKER project but are also enhancing their goodwill advertising and name promotion by association with the project. In addition, the SUNTRAKKER offers a unique opportunity for the companies that can donate parts and accessories to showcase their name and field-test their products in this highly publicized international contest. * See Transparency 162 for a copy of this well-written solution.

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448 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés

CHAPTER 13 POP QUIZ True False 1. Prepare your application letter first; then prepare an effective résumé to support the application letter. (False) 2. A portfolio can give employers tangible evidence of your professionalism. (True) 3. A résumé should be a minimum of two pages to provide detailed information for potential employers. (False) 4. A scannable résumé is easier to produce and send to an employer than a plain text (ASCII) résumé. (False) 5. All a résumé can do is get you in the door for an interview. (True) 6. A chronological approach is the most common way to organize a résumé. (True) 7. Avoid using sentence fragments on a résumé; write using only complete sentences. (False) 8. Experts agree that all résumés should include a career objective. (False) 9. To save the prospective employer time, in the employment history section of your résumé include only the company name, your functional job title, and the dates you worked at the company. (False) 10. Claiming to be self-employed is a good way to cover employment gaps. (False)

Multiple Choice 11. To determine what you have to offer an employer, examine your a. functional skills. b. education and experience. c. personality traits. d. All of the above 12. Which of the following will make you more valuable to employers? a. Keeping an employment portfolio b. Working on polishing and updating your skills c. Having your résumé prepared by a résumé writing service d. Doing both a and b

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13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 449 13. An effective résumé is a. tailored to various audiences and situations. b. nothing more than a simple list of jobs you’ve held. c. your guarantee that you will get the job you want. d. none of the above.

14. Which of the following résumé organizational patterns would be effective for someone who is redirecting a career or who has little continuous career-related experience? a. Combination b. Chronological c. Functional d. None of the above 15. Which of the following would be the best wording to describe your employment? a. Valiantly performed duties of stock clerk b. Streamlined stocking procedures and increased productivity by 10 percent c. Stocked shelves d. I stocked shelves 16. On your résumé, stating your objective or summarizing your qualifications a. gets you the job you’re after. b. helps the recruiter categorize you. c. gives the recruiter too much information. d. does none of the above.

17. Which of the following is NOT an efficient way to find a potential employer? a. Posting a résumé on your website b. Submitting your résumé online c. Faxing your résumé d. Surfing the web for employment 18. Which of the following is a form of résumé deception? a. Preparing separate résumés with different objectives when you have different types of qualifications b. Listing 2001–2002 as employment dates for a job that you held from November 2001 to February 2002 c. Listing the degree you are pursuing with an expected date of completion d. All of the above 19. When preparing a résumé in scannable format, a. include the same information found on your traditional résumé. b. put your name on its own line at the top of each page. c. provide a list of keywords. d. do all of the above.

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450 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 20. What should the middle section of an application letter contain? a. A description of the job you’re applying for. b. A summary of your relevant qualifications and desirable personal qualities. c. Your contact information. d. A request for an interview.

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CHAPTER 14: APPLYING AND INTERVIEWING FOR EMPLOYMENT CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter 14 focuses on how to prepare for and successfully complete job interviews. The chapter begins its focus on writing application letters. Next, students are introduced to the interview process, including screening, selection, and final interviews. They learn about the various types of interviews, such as structured, open-ended, group, stress, video, and situational. They also learn how to prepare for a job interview by doing follow-up research, thinking ahead about questions, bolstering their confidence, polishing their interview style, planning to look good, and being ready when they arrive. The chapter discusses interview stages (the warm-up, the question-and-answer session, and the close), and offers suggestions for handling each one. The chapter closes by focusing on common follow-up messages: letters of thanks, letters of inquiry, letters requesting an extension, letters of acceptance, letters declining a job offer, and letters of resignation.

TRANSPARENCIES FOR CHAPTER 14 The following transparencies are available in a separate packet.

Number Transparency 163 Transparency 164 Transparency 165 Transparency 166 Transparency 167 Transparency 168 Transparency 169 Transparency 170 Transparency 171 Transparency 172 Transparency 173 Transparency 174 Transparency 175 Transparency 176 Transparency 177 Transparency 178 Transparency 179 Transparency 180 Transparency 181 Transparency 182 .

Content Interviewing for Employment and Following Up Activity 14.1 (improved version) Activity 14.2 (improved version) Activity 14.3 (improved version) Activity 14.4 (improved version) Activity 14.5 (improved version) Case 1: Above-average solution Case 1: Below-average solution Case 2: Above-average solution Case 2: Below-average solution Case 5: Above-average solution Case 5: Below-average solution Case 6a: Above-average solution Case 6a: Below-average solution Case 6b: Above-average solution Case 6b: Below-average solution Case 6c: Above-average solution Case 6c: Below-average solution Case 6d: Above-average solution Case 6d: Below-average solution

452 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment Transparency 183 Transparency Case 6e: Above-average 184 Transparency solution 185 Case 6e: Belowaverage solution Level 3: Document Critique (Well-written solution) CHAPTER OUTLINE Writing Application Letters and Other Employment Messages

Application Letters Getting Attention Building Interest and Increasing Desire Motivating Action Application Follow-Ups Understanding the Interviewing Process The Typical Sequence of Interviews Common Types of Interviews Structured Versus Unstructured Interview Panel and Group Interviews Behavioral, Situational, Working, and Stress Interviews Interview Media What Employers Look For in an Interview Preemployment Testing and Background Checks Preparing for a Job Interview Learn About the Organization Think Ahead About Questions Planning for the Employer’s Questions Planning Questions of Your Own Bolstering Your Confidence Polishing Your Interview Style Planning to Look Good Being Ready When You Arrive Interviewing for Success The Warm-Up The Question-and-Answer Stage Answering and Asking Questions Listening to the Interviewer Handling Discriminatory Questions The Close Concluding Gracefully Discussing Salary Interview Notes Following Up After the Interview Thank-You Message Message of Inquiry .

14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment453 Request for a Time Extension Letter of Acceptance Letter Declining a Job Offer Letter of Resignation Chapter Summary

TEACHING NOTES Writing Application Letters and Other Employment Messages In addition to your résumé, you’ll need to Write application letters Write job-inquiry letters Fill out application forms Write follow-up notes Accompanying your résumé with an application letter lets readers know What you’re sending Why you’re sending it How they can benefit from reading it The purpose of your cover letter is to get the reader interested enough to read your résumé, so Learn something about the organization you’re applying to.

Address your letter with the name, title, and department of the person to whom you are writing.

In your application letter you should Be as clear as possible about the kind of opportunity you seek.

Show that you understand the company and the position.

Never volunteer salary information unless an employer asks for it.

Keep it short—and keep e-mail cover letters even shorter.

Show some personality.

Meticulously check your spelling, mechanics, and grammar.

A solicited application letter is in response to an announced job opening and you’ll usually know what qualifications the organization is seeking.

An unsolicited application letter is sent to an organization that has not announced an opening so you’ll need to do some research to identify the requirements the position is likely to have.

Organize your application letter like your résumé by Using the AIDA model.

Focusing on your audience.

Emphasizing reader benefits.

Making sure your style projects confidence without being arrogant. .

454 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment

The opening paragraph of your application letter has two important tasks to accomplish: Clearly stating your reason for writing.

Giving the recipient a reason to keep reading by demonstrating that you have some immediate potential for meeting the company’s needs.

To build interest and create a desire in the middle section of your application letter, try to Be specific and back up your assertions with convincing evidence.

Be sure to discuss each requirement specified in the ad (if you’re writing a solicited letter).

Mention salary requirements only if the organization has asked you to state them.

Refer the reader to your résumé by citing a specific fact or general point covered there.

The final paragraph of your application letter has two important functions: To ask the reader for a specific action (usually an interview) To facilitate a reply To motivate action, you Offer to come to the employer’s office (or its nearest representative) at a convenient time.

Include your e-mail address and phone number, as well as the best time to reach you or you could take the initiative and say that you will follow up with a phone call.

Send a follow-up letter if your application letter and résumé fail to bring a response within a month or so.

A follow up letter can demonstrate that you’re Sincerely interested in working for the organization.

Persistent in pursuing your goals.

Upgrading your skills to make yourself a better employee.

Understanding the Interviewing Process An employment interview is a formal meeting during which both you and the employer ask questions and exchange information; the objective is to see whether the applicant and the organization are a good fit for each other.

As you begin to prepare for your interview, keep two vital points in mind: Recognize that the process takes time—start your preparation and research early.

Don’t limit your options by looking only at a few companies.

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14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment455 Before deciding to make a job offer, most employers interview an applicant two or three times in the following stages: Screening stage Selection stage Final stage Interviews at the preliminary screening stage Help employers screen out unqualified applicants Are generally held on your school’s campus, t company offices, or via telephone or computer Are limited in time, so keep your answers short while providing a few key points that will differentiate you from the other candidates Interviews at the selection stage allow organizations to narrow the field a bit further: Your best approach in selection interviews is to Show keen interest in the job Relate your skills and experience to the organization’s needs Listen attentively Ask insightful questions that show you’ve done your research Final stage interviews May occur on the spot or a few days later by phone, mail, or e-mail May be conducted by high-ranking executives who can make hiring and compensation decisions Are conducted to sell you on the advantages of joining the organization Types of interviews include Structured and unstructured interviews Panel and Group interviews Behavioral, Situational, Working, and Stress interviews In structured interviews: The interviewer (or a computer) asks a series of prepared questions in a set order.

Allow employers to identify candidates who don’t meet the basic job criteria.

Allow the interview team to compare answers from multiple candidates.

In open-ended interviews, the interviewer adapts his or her line of questioning based on the answers you give and any questions you ask.

In a panel interview, you meet with several interviewers at once. (Some companies have up to 50 employees on the panel, but that is unusual.)

In group interviews, one or more interviewers meet with several candidates simultaneously to see how they interact.

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456 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment Perhaps the most common type of interview these days is the behavioral interview, in which you are asked to relate specific incidents and experiences from your past.

Employers use behavioral interviews Because behavioral questions require candidates to use their own experience and attributes to craft answers To assess applicants’ job-related technical skills and ability to work under pressure, coordinate with others, and resolve conflict.

A situational interview is similar to a behavioral interview except that the questions focus on how you would handle various hypothetical situations on the job.

A working interview is the most realistic type of interview: You actually perform a job-related activity during the interview.

The most unnerving type of interview is the stress interview, during which you might be asked questions designed to unsettle you or be subjected to long periods of silence, criticism, interruptions, and or even hostile reactions by the interviewer.

In addition to encountering a variety of interview formats, expect to be interviewed through a variety of media.

Employers trying to cut travel costs and demands on staff time often interview

candidates via telephone e-mail instant messaging videoconferencing systems webcams online interviewing systems Virtual online interviews can range from simple structured questionnaires and tests to sophisticated job simulations that are similar to working interviews.

Interviews show employers whether you Can handle the responsibilities of the position Will be a good fit with the organization The most common types of preemployment testing include Integrity tests Personality tests Job skills tests Substance tests Background checks

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14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment457

Preparing for a Job Interview When preparing for interviews, be sure to Demonstrate an understanding of the company’s operations, its markets, and its strategic and tactical challenges.

Dig a little deeper into the company so that you can demonstrate your interest in the company.

Plan for the employer’s questions by giving a little extra thought to some tough questions like these: What was the hardest decision you ever had to make?

What are your greatest weaknesses?

Where do you want to be five years from now?

What didn’t you like about previous jobs you’ve held?

Tell me about yourself.

When planning questions of your own, think about what you would like to find out: Are these my kind of people?

Can I do this work?

Will I enjoy the work?

Is the job what I want?

Does the job pay what I’m worth?

What kind of person would I be working for?

What sort of future can I expect with this organization?

To bolster your confidence: Correct or offset aspects of your appearance or background that make you uneasy.

Focus on your strengths.

Focus on how you can help the organization.

To polish your interview style, you can Stage mock interviews with a friend or using an interview simulator.

Identify opportunities for improvement by having your mock interview partner critique your performance or critique yourself.

In the United States, the following nonverbal behavior will help you have a successful interview: Maintaining eye contact Smiling frequently Sitting in an attentive position Using frequent hand gestures Overcoming voice problems such as speaking too rapidly, too loudly, or too softly

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458 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment The following look will serve you well in just about any interview situation: Neat, “adult” hairstyle Conservative business suit (for women, that means no exposed midriffs, short skirts, or plunging necklines), in dark solid color or a subtle pattern such as pinstripes White shirt for men; coordinated blouse for women Conservative tie (classic stripes or subtle patterns) for men Limited jewelry (men, especially, should wear very little jewelry) No visible piercings other than one or two earrings (for women only) No visible tattoos Stylish but professional-looking shoes (no high heels or casual shoes) Clean hands and nicely trimmed fingernails Little or no perfume or cologne (some people are allergic and many people are put off by strong smells) Subtle makeup (for women) Exemplary personal hygiene One way to be ready when you arrive is to plan ahead and consider placing the following items in a good-quality briefcase: A small notebook A pen A list of the questions you want to ask Several copies of your résumé An outline of what you’ve learned about the organization Any past correspondence about the position A small calendar A transcript of your college grades A list of references A portfolio containing samples of your work, performance reviews, and certificates of achievement Another way to be ready when you arrive is to plan to arrive early: Know when and where the interview will be held.

Verify the route you will take (even phoning the interviewer’s secretary to ask directions).

Find out how much time it takes to get there.

Allow a little extra time in case you run into a problem on the way.

Finally, be ready when you arrive by relaxing once you get there: If you arrive early, use this time to review the key messages about yourself that you’d like to get across in an interview.

Show respect for everyone you encounter.

Refrain from chewing gum, eating, or drinking while you’re waiting.

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14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment459

Interviewing for Success Every interview proceeds through three stages: The warm-up The question-and-answer stage The close The warm-up is the most important of the three stages: An interviewer poorly trained in interviewing techniques may make his or her mind in the first 20 seconds of contact with a candidate.

Body language is crucial at this point—stand or sit up straight, maintain regular but natural eye contact, and don’t fidget.

Common questions in this stage include: Why do you want to work here?

What do you know about us?

Tell me a little about yourself.

In the question-and-answer stage, be sure to Let the interviewer lead the conversation.

Never answer a question before he or she has finished asking it.

Avoid one-word yes-or-no answers as much as possible.

Use the opportunity to expand on a positive response or explain a negative response.

Pause before responding to a difficult question.

Think through the implications of the question.

When it’s time to ask questions, be sure to Ask questions from your prepared list.

Probe for what the company is looking for in its new employees.

Zero in on any reservations the interview might have about you so that you can dispel them.

Be alert to how your comments are being received by noting the interviewer’s Facial expression Eye movements Gestures Posture If your interviewer asks these personal questions, how you respond depends on how you feel about revealing the information asked for, what you think the interviewer will do with the information, and whether you want to work for a company that asks such questions. Remember that you always have the option of simply refusing to answer .

460 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment or of telling the interviewer that you think a particular question is unethical— although either of these responses is likely to leave an unfavorable impression.

If you do want the job, you might respond to discriminatory questions by Asking how the question is related to your qualifications Explaining that the information is personal Responding to what you think is the interviewer’s real concern Answering both the question and the concern If you choose to answer an unethical or unlawful question: You run the risk that your answer may hurt your chances.

Think carefully before answering.

Ask yourself whether you want to work for an organization that condones illegal or discriminatory questions or that doesn’t train employees enough to avoid them.

When the interviewer is trying to conclude the session, he or she may Ask whether you have any more questions.

Check the time.

Sum up the discussion.

Simply tell you that the allotted time for the interview is up.

When you get the signal, you should Thank the interviewer for the opportunity.

Express your interest in the organization.

Try to pin down what will happen next.

If the interview ends with an offer of employment, you may either Accept it.

Request time to think it over (the best course).

If you receive a job offer, you’ll want to discuss salary: Let the interviewer raise the subject.

If you aren’t satisfied with the salary, you might be able to negotiate depending on the following factors: Market demand for your particular skills.

Overall strength of the job market.

Company compensation policies.

Company’s financial health.

Whether you have other job offers.

If salary isn’t negotiable, consider negotiating other benefits such as Signing bonus Profit sharing .

14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment461 Pension and other retirement benefits Health coverage Vacation time Other valuable elements Interview notes Can help you refresh your memory of each conversation Improve your performance during future interviews Help you keep track of any follow-up messages you’ll need to send Following Up After an Interview Following up after an interview Shows that you really want the job and are determined to get it Gives you another chance to demonstrate your communication skills and business etiquette Brings your name to the interviewer’s attention once again Reminds the interviewer that you’re waiting to know the decision In a thank-you message (whether it’s a phone call, an e-mail message, or a letter), you Express your thanks within two days of the interview.

Acknowledge the interviewer’s time and courtesy.

Convey your continued interest.

Reinforce the reasons that you are a good fit for the position.

Ask politely for a decision.

To write successful thank-you messages, try to Keep them brief.

Organize them like a routine message.

Demonstrate the “you” attitude.

Sound positive without sounding overconfident.

Send a message of inquiry when You haven’t been advised of the interviewer’s decision by the promised date or within two weeks of the interview.

You don’t want to accept a second firm’s offer until you have received an answer from the first one.

When requesting a time extension, be sure to Open with a strong statement of your continued interest in the job.

Ask for more time to consider the offer.

Provide specific reasons for the request.

Assure the reader that you will respond by a specific date.

When you want to accept an offer, send a letter of acceptance within five days that: .

462 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment Begins by accepting the position and expressing thanks.

Identifies the job that you’re accepting.

Covers any necessary details.

Concludes by saying that you look forward to reporting to work.

Conveys your enthusiasm and eagerness to cooperate.

Remember that your written acceptance is legally binding.

When writing a letter declining a job offer, be sure to Use the negative message plan.

Open warmly.

State the reasons for refusing the offer.

Decline the offer explicitly.

Close on a pleasant note, expressing gratitude.

When writing a letter of resignation: Follow the advice for negative messages.

Make the letter sound positive.

State your intention to leave.

Give the date of your last day on the job.

Give your employer at least two weeks’ notice.

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STUDENTS OFTEN FACE Although some students will have experienced job interviews, others will not.

Students may be anxious about job interviews, and they typically have many questions. Explain that employment interviews have a dual purpose and that this chapter and class activities will help students present themselves effectively.

Students may have some misconceptions about the number of interviews that are required for some jobs, so discuss the screening, selection, and final stages of interviews, and point out what each stage is designed to do.

Class members who have been interviewed by employers may have experienced only structured interviews. Many will be unfamiliar with all the various types: structured, open-ended, group, stress, video, and situational interviews. Point out the differences between types and discuss what an applicant should strive to accomplish in each one.

If students have not previously researched an organization, review how to find important information about a company, and perhaps assign a related exercise from the Practice Your Knowledge activities at the end of the chapter. Encourage students to outline the information they gather to refer to as they prepare for an interview.

Students typically have concerns about how to answer the questions that interviewers may ask. During class discussion, help students build a list of frequently asked interview questions. Refer them to Table 14.2 for some common ones. Encourage

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14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment463 them to share ideas about how to answer each question effectively. Provide suggestions for more effective responses. This activity illustrates how students with different backgrounds may answer in different ways. Additional information about this topic is typically available from your school’s career services office.

Students often need assistance in determining what information they should not reveal during an interview. Caution them about revealing too much personal information such as marital status, childcare needs, and so forth, when responding to a question such as “tell me about yourself.” Provide examples of what they could include to illustrate their strengths during an interview. Students often have no response when asked the question, “What do you consider to be your greatest weakness?” Be sure to provide guidance in how to address this question by turning a negative into a positive.

Students may express concern about asking their own questions during an interview.

Stress the need for the applicant to prepare a list of questions to take to the interview.

Emphasize that interviewers expect questions from interested candidates. Remind students that the questions should be designed to help the applicant evaluate both the organization and the specific job. Refer students to Table 14.3 for examples. Caution them that their questions should not give the impression that they are interested only in the benefits the employer offers.

Discuss what constitutes an effective interview style, as well as effective nonverbal communication. Encourage students to practice interviews with someone they trust so that they can use the feedback they get to help them improve their interviewing skills.

If class time permits, ask students to conduct some mock interviews for other members of the class to critique.

Discuss how to dress properly for interviews. Don’t assume that today’s students all know how to dress for an interview. Include dress and appearance issues for both men and women. For illustration, pull photos from your files, or ask your students to research the Internet for examples of how people should dress for employment interviews.

Discuss Figure 14.1 to help students understand what employers don’t like to see in candidates. What students should not do is often as important to discuss as what students should do during an interview.

Those who have applied for jobs may have already formed some bad interview habits. Discuss issues such as the need to arrive early and the need to behave professionally in the waiting area. During the discussion of planning travel times, stress the importance of allowing enough time for problems with traffic, parking, or public transportation.

Students often have misconceptions about how much time interviewers take to form opinions and how important the applicant’s style and nonverbal communication can be in the opening moments of any interview. Stress the importance of the warm-up stage of the interview and review important elements such as eye contact, a firm handshake, confident posture and voice, overall appearance, and so forth.

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464 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment Students will typically have questions about how to respond when presented with a discriminatory question during an interview. Invite suggestions from the class and help them assess how they will respond to such questions.

Students frequently question how to deal with the issue of salary. Encourage them to research local salaries for various jobs prior to the interview. Your school’s career services office may have some specifics for students to review. Caution students to hold off introducing this subject and until the interviewer brings it up.

Review with students the most common follow-up messages used in the employment process and how to organize them. Some students may question whether a thankyou message is necessary, so discuss the benefits such messages can provide applicants.

Stress the importance of conveying a “you” attitude and including courtesy in any follow-up messages.

1. Gathering opinions of human resource managers. Invite two or three employers to address the class and share information about what they look for in job SUGGESTED CLASSROOM EXERCISES applicants. Invite them to share information about effective and ineffective interviews. Ask them to share examples of how an applicant can effectively handle the three stages of the interview: the warm-up, the question-and-answer session, and the close. This panel presentation should generate many student questions. As an alternative, you may invite your school’s career services director to share information about successful interviewing tips and techniques.

Dressing for a successful interview. Assign students the task of researching appropriate interview attire. Once their research is completed, ask students to apply what they have learned and come to class dressed for a job interview.

Critique each student’s dress and attire. (This critique is often best accomplished by using a checklist filled out by the instructor and given to each student individually.) If the in-class discussion of applicant dress is held the same day, generalized comments about hairstyles, shoes, jewelry, clothing, and so forth can be made without directly embarrassing students. This exercise often allows oneon-one suggestions for students who may have limited budgets. Provide examples of how a change of shirt and tie or blouse can provide sufficient variety in dress for a second interview. Students typically enjoy this exercise and appreciate a diplomatic critique.

Planning effective answers to interview questions. Assign students to work in 3. teams to prepare a list of questions that could be asked during a structured interview. Instruct students to also include a list of discriminatory questions that interviewers should not ask. As homework, ask students to think through their own answers to each question on the list. During the next class session, invite students to share their responses and ask the class to give constructive feedback on the effectiveness of the answers.

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Participating in mock interviews. Arrange for each student to be interviewed as a 4. class exercise. Your school’s advisory council may be able to assist in this

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14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment465 exercise. If employers are not available for this exercise, have students work in teams of three. One person should assume the role of interviewer, one the role of applicant, and one the role of observer. After an interview is completed, the interviewer and observer can provide a constructive critique of the applicant’s interview skills. Students should change roles until all in the team have been interviewed and critiqued. If possible, videotape the interviews so that applicants can view and critique their own interviews. Cases at the end of the chapter offer similar activities.

5.

6.

Preparing and critiquing follow-up messages. As class exercises, assign case scenarios in which students plan, write, and complete the following: follow-up letter thanking the interviewer, letter of inquiry, and a request for more time to decide. As a preview to writing their own letters, you may assign student to analyze the documents in the Practice Your Knowledge activities at the end of the chapter. Students should work at computers (if available) to facilitate writing, rewriting, and editing. Require students to go through the planning step before composing. While students are working, move around the room and provide individual constructive comments about organizational pattern, completeness

of information tone, and so(p. forth.

When most students are finished, TEST YOURprovided, KNOWLEDGE 385) project both a below-average solution and an above-average solution for each letter. Lead a discussion that illustrates strengths and weaknesses of each.

1. Traditional, generic interview questions can often be answered with “canned” responses, but behavioral questions require candidates to use their own experiences and attributes to craft answers. Employers use these questions to assess applicants’ job-related technical skills and ability to work under pressure, coordinate with others, and resolve conflict. Situational interviews allow employers to see how you would handle various hypothetical situations on the job.

2.

3.

4.

During a selection interview, try to show interest in the job, relating your skills and experience to the organization’s needs. Broaden your discussion of skills, touching briefly on all your strengths but explaining three or four in depth. Also probe for information about the organization and the position. Listen attentively, ask insightful questions, and show your enthusiasm.

In a structured interview, the employer maintains control by asking a series of preset questions in order. The open-ended interview is less formal and has no rigid format. Instead, the interviewer asks open-ended questions that allow the candidate to speak more freely. In a situational interview, an interviewer describes a particular situation and asks how the candidate would handle it.

The questions you ask during an interview are important because they demonstrate your understanding of the company, and they allow you to create opportunities for showcasing your qualifications. They also elicit information

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466 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment that can help you decide whether the job and the company are right for you.

5. The three stages of every interview are the warm-up, the question-and-answer stage, and the close. The warm-up is the most important, because some interviewers make the majority of their decisions within the first few minutes.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 385) 1. Being familiar with the company and with the entry-level jobs that you are interviewing for will give you an important edge. During the interview you can relate your skills and background to the company’s needs, even if it’s only briefly.

2. To prepare for a behavioral interview, review your work history or experience on school projects to recall several instances in which you demonstrated an important job-related skill or attribute. In a situational interview, the situations will likely relate to the job you’re applying for, so the more you know about the position, the better prepared you’ll be.

3. During job interviews, applicants should resist the temptation to criticize their current supervisor or other managers and coworkers. Instead, they should concentrate on the positive qualities of the new position, the desire for a greater challenge, and the need to learn new skills. If asked point-blank about conflicts with the current supervisor, applicants should make a fair, even-handed statement, such as “We have different styles.”

First recognize that even though the interviewer does not appear to be concerned 4. about the candidate’s behavior, chances are he or she is well aware of what is happening. In fact, the interviewer may be waiting to see exactly how the other candidates will react. Competing for attention by speaking over the noise is not in your best interests. Perhaps the best approach is to make sure that when you do have a chance to speak that you say something that the interviewer will remember you by. Ask a probing question. Call attention to one key aspect of your background that will distinguish you from the other candidates. Be polite, and use your body language to communicate patience and interest.

Unlawful interview questions have been used in the past to discriminate against 5. job candidates. If you choose to answer an unlawful question because you really want the job and don’t want to ruffle the interviewer, be sure to answer carefully.

Try to appear cooperative, but don’t back yourself into a discriminatory situation.

You might want to think about the answers to these questions ahead of time, just in case.

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PRACTICE YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 386) Activities 14.1

The letter of application will most certainly fail because of these communication problems: 1. The letter starts with a boring cliché seen on 90 percent of all applications.

2. The writer does not specify where the job was advertised. There may have been more than one brand manager position.

3. The student should not emphasize the fact of “no real job experience” but should seek to emphasize relevant collegiate activities.

4. The second sentence is presumptive.

5. Even the message about grades is negatively colored with “considering.”

6. The last sentence in first paragraph beginning with “my grades” makes the reader sound insecure.

7. The idea of the bulleted list is effective; however, the Lamar Franklin Award is not described and may not mean anything to the audience.

8. The last bulleted item needs to be more specific.

9. The first sentence of the third paragraph is unprofessional.

10. The last sentence of the third paragraph is too “we” oriented.

11. The final paragraph shows a lack of understanding of business hours and interview times.

12. The writer should be in charge of following up with a call and should state when the follow-up call will be made.

Here is the revised version of the document: Nora Stumpf 552 Norse Circle #5A, Altoona, PA 16603 (814) 332-3887

June 15, 2009 Ms. Kati Haas Human Resources Procter & Gamble 11883 Wire Rd. SE Cincinnati, OH 45202 Dear Ms. Haas: “Choosy mothers choose Jiff” is a phrase I grew up with. That’s one reason I was happy to see the announcement on your website for a brand manager in your Food Division.

During my undergraduate studies at Penn State, I achieved a 3.8 GPA in my business courses and received my BA earlier this month. While in business school, I

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468 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment concentrated my course of study in the area of marketing and did a marketing internship with CPC for two consecutive summers.

In 2007 I received the Lamar Franklin Award for leadership in Penn State’s business school. You can see from the community and university activities listed on the enclosed résumé that I made good use of my time while at State. During my last three years, I also worked part-time to help pay tuition and expenses.

I will call early next week to see whether we can meet to discuss my experience and qualifications. Until then, I’ll settle in with a Jiff peanut butter sandwich and think of the future.

Sincerely,

Nora Stumpf Nora Stumpf

* See Transparency 164 for a copy of this improved version.

14.2 The follow-up letter can be an effective way to keep a potential employer interested in an applicant. Unfortunately, this letter suffers from a lack of professionalism, not to mention its unclear organization. In addition, the following problems can be found: 1. The letter opens with a question that is not likely to be answered. Such a letter needs a strong opening statement or attention getter.

2. The second sentence seems to blame the company.

3. The third sentence should sound more professional, including a reason the company should remember the applicant.

4. The first paragraph should end with a strong statement rather than with information the applicant heard through the grapevine.

5. The second paragraph opens with a vague sentence.

6. Although intended as an example of management experience, the second sentence in the second paragraph fails to specify which restaurant and gives irrelevant pay raise information.

7. The reference to “twelve girls” is condescending and sexist.

8. Demeaning a current job will not help the applicant obtain a different one.

9. Obtaining information about the company should be the job of the applicant.

10. The applicant reveals too much information in the last paragraph and states it too bluntly.

11. Last sentence must be stronger; promise to follow up within a couple of weeks.

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14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment469 Here is a revised version of the document: Mary Lou Webb 2424 Paces Ferry Road, #2A, Atlanta, GA 30301 (404) 233-3838 March 11, 2009 Ms. Liliana Roman, Human Resources Emory HealthCare Services 1883 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30305 Dear Ms. Roman: Thank you for considering my application letter and résumé, which I sent to you on February 20, 2009. Since then, I’ve been promoted at my present job, so I’m enclosing my updated résumé to reflect my new position and responsibilities.

Also, congratulations on your customer-service rating (reported in the latest issue of Your Health magazine). Ranking in the top five companies industry-wide is no small feat. As a stockholder, I’m happy to see the company doing so well. Even more, I’d love to contribute my experience and energies to an Atlanta-based organization that shares my philosophy of customer service.

I’ll certainly be keeping in touch. I’ll call in a few weeks to see whether any new positions have opened up, and at that time, I’ll try to arrange an informational interview. In addition, as I add to my experience and training, I’ll send you updated résumés. Thanks for keeping me in mind for your future staffing needs.

Sincerely, Mary Lou Webb Mary Lou Webb Enclosure * See Transparency 165 for a copy of this improved version.

14.3

This letter suffers from both tone and content problems.

1. The opening is too gushy; “really marvelous” is overdoing it.

Furthermore, the writer should be more specific about the date of the interview and the position in question.

2. Here again, the writer could be more specific. The second sentence doesn’t really say anything very useful. From the reader’s standpoint, it’s a waste of time.

3. The third sentence could easily be misconstrued. What does “quite a crew” mean? Instead of judging the company, the writer should introduce new information to favorably influence the reader. If no new information is available, a brief and courteous “thank you” is enough.

4. The writer’s observations could backfire if the reader has a different .

470 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment perception. Also, the writer should avoid criticizing. The whole tone of the fourth sentence is immature and unprofessional.

5. Nothing is terribly wrong with the observation in the fifth sentence, although “relief” is probably not the best choice of words. However, by focusing so much on the “atmosphere” of the company, the candidate suggests a preoccupation with the social aspects of the job. The candidate would do better to point out how he or she could make a contribution to the company.

6. Instead of expressing doubt, a candidate should convey confidence in his or her qualifications.

7. Introducing the naval experience may help, although use of the term “hitch” is too colloquial.

8. The candidate doesn’t mention specific responsibilities in the third sentence.

9. It’s okay to ask for a decision, but demanding a call in a week is presumptuous. Instead of pressuring the company, the writer can express confidence and refer to his or her strongest points.

10. Although it’s good to provide information to make the requested action easier, the writer is thinking in “me” terms. It may be inconvenient for the reader to call after working hours.

Here’s a revision of the letter: James J. Broyles Elkins Hall,Box 133 Chattanooga State Technical College Amnicola Highway Chattanooga, Tennessee 37406 May 29, 2009 Mr. Bill Huckaby Starret Engine Company 3500 E. 42nd St. Chattanooga, TN 37407 Dear Mr. Huckaby: Thank you for the opportunity to meet you and your colleagues at Starret Engine Company. The tour of your facilities and the opportunity to talk with all the people there was most enjoyable.

After reconsidering the job requirements, I am even more convinced that my skills, particularly the engineering skills I developed during two years in the Navy, would help your company meet its goals. Much of your equipment is identical to equipment I used in the Navy.

You have an impressive organization, and I would like to put my experience and knowledge to work for you. When you have made your decision, you can reach me at

.

14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment471 877-9080 in the evenings, or you may leave a message for me at that number. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely, James J. Broyles James J. Broyles * See Transparency 166 for a copy of this improved version.

14.4 This letter lacks tact. The letter of inquiry should begin with who the 1. candidate is and what position was applied for; the request for a decision should also be stated up front. This writer mistakenly begins with a me-oriented announcement 2. that tactlessly mentions the name of another firm.

The second sentence establishes the purpose of the letter, but the wording suggests that the reader intends to play the two 3. undiplomatic firms against each other in some sort of bidding contest.

It’s fine to assure the reader of a continuing interest in the firm, but the phrasing of the third sentence is too self-centered. The writer would create 4. a better impression by mentioning something particularly appealing about the prospects of a career with the reader’s company. By saying “I don’t mean 5. to pressure you,” the writer reminds the reader that, in fact, pressure is being applied. It would be better to simply say that the 6. other company (which should not be identified) requires a decision within 10 days.

Asking for a decision by a specific date is fine; however, the request could be courteous.

Here’s amore revision of the letter: In the last sentence, the writer egotistically assumes that the reader plans 83 Ames Ct. Youngstown, OH 44505 to make an March 9, 2010 offer. Showing confidence is fine, but this writer carries it to the point of being presumptuous. A more diplomatic alternative would be to Mr. Benjamin suggestConnors that the writer prefers the reader’s company.

Action Wholesale, Inc. 412 Overland Ave. Youngstown, OH 44506 Dear Mr. Connors: During my March 2 interview for a sales manager position, I was quite impressed by your company's dynamism and professionalism. I am still very interested in a career

.

472 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment with Action Wholesale. My marketing education and successful sales experience have given me the ability and confidence to lead your company to greater profits.

Yesterday another firm offered me a comparable position and gave me two weeks to accept or reject the offer. But I’d like to hear from you before I make a decision.

Please call me at 358-7431 between 3:30 and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, Diana Moon Diana Moon * See Transparency for a copy of this well-written solution.

14.5

This letter should be expanded and reorganized according to the negativemessage plan.

1. Instead of blurting out the bad news in the first sentence, the writer should begin with a buffer. Also, the writer should identify the position in question.

2. The explanation of the writer’s decision should be more developed in a separate paragraph. Attractive aspects of the reader’s company should be mentioned, and the relative advantages of the other offer should be indicated. Singling out money as the reason makes the candidate seem somewhat self-centered and unable to grasp the overall value of a job offer.

The third sentence is tactless and should be cut. Instead, the writer 3. should begin a new paragraph that introduces the bad news—that he or she has decided to accept another offer.

Closing on a note of thanks is fine, but this version sounds 4. superficial. The writer could personalize the thanks by mentioning a specific kindness on the part of the reader.

Here’s a revision of the letter: 1767 Quaker St. Eugene, OR 97402 August 23, 2009 Ms. Ellen Petrella, Manager Human Resources Department Newsome Manufacturing, Inc. 3500 Billadeau Rd. Bend, OR 97701 Dear Ms. Petrella:

.

14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment473 Thank you for offering me a job in the purchasing department of your company. I greatly appreciate the time you devoted to the interview and the courteous reception I received from your staff. Everyone was most gracious.

Because of the exceptional atmosphere and the beautiful surroundings, I think I would have enjoyed working at Newsome. However, I have accepted a position with a larger company where greater opportunities for advancement are available.

Best wishes for success in finding the right person for the purchasing position. Your hospitality will undoubtedly appeal to many applicants.

Sincerely, Lisa Troxier Lisa Troxier * See Transparency 168 for a copy of this well-written solution.

14.6

14.7

This exercise is designed to show students the difficulty of substantiating an intangible attribute. Merely claiming that you are hard working or willing to take chances is not enough. The exercise will teach students to come prepared with concrete evidence. It will also teach them the value of adopting the “you” attitude—especially for those who assume the roles of interviewers assessing these attributes.

This is a research exercise designed to give students practice in learning about a company prior to an interview. In addition, students are asked to use their company knowledge to highlight personal attributes and accomplishments that demonstrate a good fit with that company—again enforcing the “you” attitude. Finally students follow through on their understanding of the company and the fit by identifying suitable keywords for their résumés.

14.8

14.9

It might be of value to have students exchange their answers with classmates.

By seeing others’ answers, students will get a glimpse of the competition they will face in the job market. It might also encourage them to modify their answers.

Student e-mail messages should develop only one or two strengths and weaknesses to substantiate their individual assessments. In addition, they should try to reframe their strengths and weaknesses into learning experiences. An interesting question to ask the students after they’ve written their memo is why an employer would want to know about the specific examples that students have discussed.

The final part of this exercise allows students to consider how their strengths and weaknesses fit with companies seeking to fill job openings. You can ask students how explaining both strengths and weaknesses during an interview might help the interviewer better understand the candidate and the fit with the job.

.

474 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment 14.10

The question students must resolve is whether to mention that they will be accepting a job with a competitor. Chances are, the current employer will find out anyway if the new employer checks references. Since the resignation will not be good news, students should use the indirect approach—especially since the current employer might be concerned about the person sharing trade secrets or customer information with a competitor. Students should keep the letter positive, seal the letter in an envelope, and place it on the desk. Or perhaps a better approach would be to arrange a meeting with the supervisor to discuss the decision personally and use the letter to document the resignation for the files.

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE (p. 388) 1. Tough Questions and possible answers are provided below. Students will have a variety of answers.

• • • • • • • • •

2.

How do you explain a career change?

How do you explain gaps in your work history?

How do you explain low grades?

Where do you want to be five years from now?

What salary are you seeking?

Tell us about yourself.

What is your greatest weakness?

How do you handle stress?

How do you deal with difficult people?

This section discussed preparing for an interview in a particular field and how to dress for that position. The interview length was discussed and size of the interview panel was projected. The questions section is very helpful offering sample questions including: hypothetical questions, supervision questions, and basic questions about skills and abilities an applicant possesses to perform well in this particular position.

3. The following steps will help students develop an interviewing “game plan”: • Define in detail how you want to perform in the interview: Describe to yourself in words the way you want to be.

• Mentally rehearse the interview from the perspective of an observer: In your imagination visualize yourself at the interview comfortable and at ease meeting people, feeling relaxed and confident • Mentally rehearse the interview from your own perspective: When you are pleased with the imagined performance you are producing, step inside the image of yourself and run through the scenarios again as if YOU are now doing it.

• Set up a peak performance signal: Ask yourself - what signal will you use as a reminder to use your ability to perform in this way?

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14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment475

CASE SOLUTIONS (p. 388) Suggested solutions for this chapter’s cases appear on the following pages. * Ready-made transparencies are available for the following cases. Each case has two solutions—one below average and one above average (which match the solutions in this manual): Case 1, Online Application: Electronic Cover Letter Introducing a Résumé (Transparencies 169 and 170) Case 2, All Over the Map: Application Letter to Google Earth (Transparencies 171 and 172) Case 5, A Slight Error in Timing: Letter Asking for Delay of an Employment Decision (Transparencies 173 and 174) Case 6, Job Hunt: Set of Employment-Related Letters to a Single Company (Transparencies 175 to 184)

ONLINE APPLICATION: ELECTRONIC COVER LETTER INTRODUCING A RÉSUMÉ(Above-average solution) Application letters can serve to draw the reader into a résumé. First, students must consider the needs of Bouton, the editor. What will he find interesting and creative?

Students should try to see the world through Bouton’s eyes and create a document that will make their personality, their experience, and their résumé stand out from the rest.

1.

To: Denys Bouton <bouton@megapixel.com> Date: 19 January 2010 Dear Mr. Bouton: Could Megapixel use someone with management experience who has been a photographer for the past two years? In addition to my knowledge of many types of digital cameras, I have a Bachelor’s degree in Technical Writing and can offer your webzine seven years of managerial experience.

Like so many other readers, I enjoy the articles in each month’s issue. In fact, I am so impressed with your magazine that I would like to join your team. Being a photographer myself, I’m confident that I can deal effectively with other employees and understand what drives readers. One idea I would like to discuss is the possibility of writing a regular column for your webzine that is targeted at those just entering the field. Each week I would profile a new camera or accessory and describe it so that users at any level would gain a sense of familiarity with the product.

For the past four years, I have been in charge of planning and supervising various projects for the city of Thibodaux, Louisiana. For example, while managing an annual week-long festival, I developed community support, .

476 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment managed publicity, coordinated activities of diverse groups, maintained financial controls for events, and negotiated contracts. The festival had traditionally operated at a loss, but each of the four years that I was in charge, it realized a profit.

I’ve learned a great deal in my current position, and I’m ready to move on to new challenges.

I’d like to help Megapixel’s circulation grow by reaching out to new readers interested in becoming expert photographers. Please call me (cell phone: 985432-2210) or e-mail me at pparkhurst@hotmail.com to arrange a meeting to discuss my qualifications in depth. I am available for an online interview via webcam, a telephone interview, or a personal interview.

Sincerely, Patricia Parkhurst 1. ONLINE APPLICATION: ELECTRONIC COVER LETTER INTRODUCING A RÉSUMÉ (Below-average solution) Mr. Bouton: I am interested in a management position with Megapixel. As you can see from the attached résumé, my background is perfect for the position.

I thought your recent article about the new Cannon digital camera was especially good. Because I am a photographer, I am confident I can relate to the articles prepared each month. Why just this past year I have purchased and mastered the use of two different types of digital cameras.

I can offer you seven years of managerial experience, in which I have learned to deal with a diverse group of people. It is now time for me to move on to new challenges.

Please call me at (985) 432-2210 or e-mail me at pparkhurst@hotmail.com to arrange a time to discuss my qualifications further.

Patricia Parkhurst 2. ALL OVER THE MAP: APPLICATION LETTER TO GOOGLE EARTH Perhaps the most important point for students to bear in mind for this exercise is to avoid focusing on the negatives (primarily that they don’t have a background in geographic information systems). The many positives they do have in this scenario far outweigh that one shortcoming, particularly since the applicant is interested in working on the “business side” of Google Earth, not the technical and scientific side.

In this situation, a strong businessperson with a passion for geography and cartography would be more valuable to Google than a geography or cartography expert with only a passing interest in business.

.

14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment477 3. INTERVIEWERS AND INTERVIEWEES: CLASSROOM EXERCISE IN INTERVIEWING) This exercise puts responsibility directly on students. They must decide which candidates sell themselves effectively on paper and in person. This letter opens with a clear explanation of what position the writer is applying for. The next paragraph presents the writer’s qualifications and education, choosing details that are relevant to the job. In closing, the writer requests an interview at the reader’s convenience and indicates how the reader can easily reach him.

4. INTERNET INTERVIEW: EXERCISE IN INTERVIEWING This letter thanks the interviewer for the opportunity to interview. Then, using information from the company’s home page as well as from topics discussed during the interview, the letter comments on several points relevant to The writer’s work experience. The middle section of the letter could contain a bulleted or numbered list to remind the company of what qualifies the writer for the job. Finally, the writer promises to follow up by calling in two weeks (could be earlier if so indicated by the interviewer). [Remind students that thank-you letters provide a networking tool, even if another person has been selected for a position. Sometimes the first candidate decides against taking the job or stays for only a brief time. Those who wrote thankyou letters will be the first to receive calls.]

5. A SLIGHT ERROR IN TIMING: LETTER ASKING FOR DELAY OF AN EMPLOYMENT DECISION (Above-average solution) This note of inquiry follows the plan for a direct request: main idea, necessary details, and courteous close. In this situation, the main idea is appreciation for the offer from Longhorn Leather and Lumber. In the midsection, the writer expresses enthusiasm for Longhorn but cites obligations to another—unnamed—company that has requested an interview. the letter requests a delay of a specific length of time. A friendly, confident tone is appropriate for the close.

ALICE WOHL 3200 Wacos Blvd., Apartment 2B, Dallas, TX 75206 (214) 888-7240 August 20, 2009 Mr. R. P. Longhorn Leather and Lumber 27 Sam Rayburn Dr. Commerce, TX 75428 Dear Mr. Bronson: Thank you for offering me the retail position for which I interviewed earlier this week.

Because of another interview commitment I have already set up, I would appreciate your giving me until September 10 to make a decision. The position selling leather goods is appealing; however, I feel obligated to keep my other appointment.

.

478 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment I do realize that this time extension is beyond the ten days you indicated in your letter, but I would like to keep my earlier commitment. If you can allow me the extra time, I’d be grateful. Please let me know right away by telephoning me at (214) 8887240 or e-mailing me at alice_wohl@hotmail.com.

Sincerely,

Alice Wohl

Alice Wohl

5. AEMPLOYMENT SLIGHT ERROR IN TIMING: LETTER ASKING FOR DELAY OF AN DECISION (Below-average solution) Although the opening does quickly get to the point of a time extension request, the writer fails to officially thank the reader for the job offer. The second sentence lacks strong enthusiasm for the position at Longhorn Leather and Lumber. Although the writer asks whether she can have more time, she fails to request an immediate response from the reader and gives no indication of the amount of time she is requesting.

ALICE WOHL 3200 Wacos Blvd., Apartment 2B, Dallas, TX 75206 (214) 888-7240 August 20, 2009 Mr. R. P. Bronson Longhorn Leather and Lumber 27 Sam Rayburn Dr. Commerce, TX 75428 Dear Mr. Bronson: Because I have another interview already scheduled, I will need some extra time in deciding whether to accept your offer. Although the offer of selling leather products would fill my desire for a retail position, I want to keep this other option open, also.

Since the interview isn’t scheduled until next week, I know I can’t reach a decision in the ten-day period you mentioned in your letter.

May I have some extra time to make my decision?

Sincerely,

Alice Wohl

Alice Wohl

6a. JOB HUNT: SET OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED LETTERS TO A SINGLE COMPANY (Above-average solution) The thank-you letter is both brief and concise. The opening expresses thanks for the interview and mentions the specific position and date. The next paragraph expresses enthusiasm and provides any additional, relevant details. In closing, the writer offers to submit more information and expresses confidence in helping to further the company’s goals. [Before beginning, students must decide which qualities and

.

14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment479 background the chosen employer is likely to seek. A list of such data will help students compose focused and persuasive letters.]

PAXTON GUIDROZ 1412 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 448-4222 September 20, 2009 Mr. Clyde Foust, Controller Brinkman Shipyards 4200 River Rd. Metairie, LA 70002 Dear Mr. Foust: Thank you for talking with me on Friday, September 17, about the staff accountant position. The position you described will present a challenge that I am ready to meet.

As you requested, I have verified that the part-time job I held in the accounting office at Nicholls State University last year gave me experience with the same general ledger software system used in your office. This background will allow me to adjust very quickly to your office’s activities and my job responsibilities.

Should you need additional information before making your decision, please call me at (985) 448-4222 after 4 p.m. any weekday, or e-mail me at PaxtonG@hotmail.com.

I will be glad to provide the appropriate details. I am confident I can be a successful employee and help the accounting department achieve its goals.

Sincerely,

Paxton Guidroz Paxton Guidroz

6a. JOB HUNT: SET OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED LETTERS TO A SINGLE COMPANY (Below-average solution) The writer could offer more specifics about which job was applied for and on what date. The writer may have misread a casual day dress as a “laidback” office. The reader may not interpret the “stuffed shirts” comment in the manner the writer intended. The writer would also benefit from including some additional information about accounting knowledge or skills in this letter. Finally, it may be inconvenient for the reader to call after work hours.

PAXTON GUIDROZ 1412 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 448-4222 September 20, 2009 Mr. Clyde Foust, Controller Brinkman Shipyards .

480 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment 4200 River Rd. Metairie, LA 70002 Dear Mr. Foust: Thanks so much for talking with me about a position at Brinkman Shipyards. I am sure I would fit right in with the laidback atmosphere of the department. Although I want to work as an accountant, I don’t want to work in an office of “stuffed shirts.”

Because your employees appear to get along so well, I do want to emphasize that I was involved in a lot of campus activities during my school years. Obviously I enjoy meeting and working with a wide variety of people.

Please call me at (985) 448-4222 to let me know your decision. I am typically home after 6 p.m.

Sincerely,

Paxton Guidroz Paxton Guidroz

6b. JOB HUNT: SET OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED LETTERS TO A SINGLE COMPANY (Above-average solution) This note of inquiry follows the plan for a direct request: main idea, necessary details, and specific request. Its tone is confident and you-oriented.

PAXTON GUIDROZ 1412 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 448-4222 October 1, 2009 Mr. Clyde Foust, Controller Brinkman Shipyards 4200 River Rd. Metairie, LA 70002 Dear Mr. Foust: During my September 17 interview for a staff accountant position, I was impressed with your department’s professionalism and the company’s commitment to quality. I am still very interested in a career with Brinkman Shipyards. My accounting education at Nicholls State and 18 months of part-time experience in a CPA firm have provided me with the necessary skills and confidence to complete the job tasks accurately and efficiently.

Another firm offered me a position this morning and gave me ten days to accept or reject the offer. I’d like to hear from you before I make a decision. Please call me at (985) 448-4222 after 4 p.m. any weekday. I look forward to hearing from you.

.

14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment481 Sincerely,

Paxton Guidroz Paxton Guidroz COMPANY (Below-average solution) This letter lacks tact. Undiplomatic wording suggests that the writer may attempt to play 6b. JOB HUNT: SET OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED LETTERS TO A SINGLE the two firms against each other. The content of the letter is too self-centered. Although requesting a decision by a specific date is acceptable, this request could be more courteously phrased.

PAXTON GUIDROZ 1412 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 448-4222 October 1, 2009 Mr. Clyde Foust, Controller Brinkman Shipyards 4200 River Rd. Metairie, LA 70002 Dear Mr. Foust: I received a job offer this morning from another firm, but before I give that company an answer, I’d like to consider any offer that you may present to me. I am still interested in a career at Brinkman Shipyards, but I do need a job, even if it isn’t my first choice. Please let me know by October 7 whether I will be receiving an offer from your firm so that I have enough time to select the better offer.

Sincerely,

Paxton Guidroz Paxton Guidroz

6c. JOB HUNT: SET OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED LETTERS TO A SINGLE COMPANY (Above-average solution) A request for more time to decide should follow the same direct plan as the note of inquiry. It is especially important to express continued interest in working for the company.

PAXTON GUIDROZ 1412 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 448-4222 October 6, 2009 Mr. Clyde Foust, Controller Brinkman Shipyards 4200 River Rd. Metairie, LA 70002 .

482 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment Dear Mr. Foust: The staff accountant position at Brinkman Shipyards would be an interesting and challenging position to begin my full-time career in the accounting field. I am indeed pleased that you offered the position to me.

Because I have another job interview already scheduled for October 9, I feel obligated to keep that appointment. It has been scheduled for a month. Your organization does offer the professionalism and commitment to quality that I am seeking, and if you can allow me until October 25 to make my decision, I would be grateful.

Please e-mail me at PaxtonG@hotmail.com or call me at (985) 448-4222 after 4 p.m. weekdays to let me know whether I may have the extra time.

Sincerely,

Paxton Guidroz Paxton Guidroz

6c. JOB HUNT: SET OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED LETTERS TO A SINGLE COMPANY (Below-average solution) This letter fails to officially thank the reader for making the job offer. The letter fails to include any comments that indicate the writer is still strongly interested in the job. The writer provides a narrow contact time. Finally, asking for 3½ weeks more time may be more than the reader can accommodate.

PAXTON GUIDROZ 1412 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 448-4222 October 6, 2009 Mr. Clyde Foust, Controller Brinkman Shipyards 4200 River Rd. Metairie, LA 70002 Dear Mr. Foust: I have another job interview already scheduled, and I need to honor it. Because it is not scheduled until the end of this week, I will need more time to reach a decision about the staff accountant position. Please let me know whether or not I can have until the end of the month to make my decision. You can reach me at (985) 448-4222 until 8:30 a.m. each weekday morning.

Sincerely,

Paxton Guidroz Paxton Guidroz

.

14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment483 6d. JOB HUNT: SET OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED LETTERS TO A SINGLE COMPANY (Above-average solution) A letter of acceptance should begin with a direct, enthusiastic statement accepting the offer; should supply any necessary details; and should close by saying that the writer looks forward to reporting for work.

PAXTON GUIDROZ 1412 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 448-4222 October 1, 2009 Mr. Clyde Foust, Controller Brinkman Shipyards 4200 River Rd. Metairie, LA 70002 Dear Mr. Foust: I am so pleased that Brinkman Shipyards has decided to offer me a position and I happily accept.

As I reminder, I will be able to begin my employment with your company on October 15. I will submit my letter of resignation to my current employer today.

Thank you again for offering me this position. I look forward to the opportunity of working with you.

Sincerely,

Paxton Guidroz Paxton Guidroz

6d. JOB HUNT: SET OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED LETTERS TO A SINGLE COMPANY (Below-average solution)

PAXTON GUIDROZ 1412 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 448-4222 October 1, 2009 Mr. Clyde Foust, Controller Brinkman Shipyards 4200 River Rd. Metairie, LA 70002

.

484 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment Dear Mr. Foust: I accept the position you’ve offered me at Brinkman Shipyards.

Since I still have to submit my letter of resignation to my current employer, I can’t begin working for you until October 15.

Thanks again,

Paxton Guidroz Paxton Guidroz

6e. JOB HUNT: SET OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED LETTERS TO A SINGLE COMPANY (Above-average solution) A letter declining the job offer should begin on a warm note, provide a tactful explanation of why the writer is refusing, express appreciation for the offer, and conclude cordially.

PAXTON GUIDROZ 1412 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 448-4222 October 1, 2009 Mr. Clyde Foust, Controller Brinkman Shipyards 4200 River Rd. Metairie, LA 70002 Dear Mr. Foust: Thank you for offering me a job with your company. I greatly appreciate the time you devoted to the interview and the courteous reception I received from your staff.

Everyone was most gracious.

Because of the exceptional atmosphere and the beautiful surroundings, I believe I would have enjoyed working at Brinkman Shipyards; however, I have accepted a position with a larger company where greater opportunities for advancement are available.

Best wishes for success in finding the right person for the purchasing position. Your hospitality will undoubtedly appeal to many applicants.

Sincerely,

Paxton Guidroz Paxton Guidroz

.

14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment485 6e. JOB HUNT: SET OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED LETTERS TO A SINGLE COMPANY (Below-average solution) A letter declining the job offer should begin on a warm note, provide a tactful explanation of why the writer is refusing, express appreciation for the offer, and conclude cordially. This letter is too abrupt in delivering the bad news and the close is too cocky.

PAXTON GUIDROZ 1412 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, LA 70301 (985) 448-4222 October 1, 2009 Mr. Clyde Foust, Controller Brinkman Shipyards 4200 River Rd. Metairie, LA 70002 Dear Mr. Foust: Thank you for offering me a job with your company. I know I would’ve liked working with you, but your company didn’t offer enough opportunities for advancement. Because of this, I have accepted a position with a different company.

I hope that you’re able to find someone as suitable for your organization as I would’ve been.

Sincerely,

Paxton Guidroz Paxton Guidroz

IMPROVE YOUR GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE (p. 390) Level 1: Self-Assessment—Vocabulary (p. 458) 1. except________ Everyone except Barbara King has registered for the company competition.

2. device_______ We need to find a new security device.

3. loath_________ The Jennings are loath to admit they are wrong.

4. ordinance_____ The judge has ruled that this town cannot enforce such a local ordinance.

5. precedence____ To stay on schedule, we must give precedence to the Marley project.

6. than__________ This month’s balance is greater than last month’s.

7. who’s________ That decision lies with the director who’s in charge of the 8. department. a lot In this department, we see alot of mistakes like that. .

486 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment 9. judgment In my judgement, you’ll need to redo the cover.

10. regardless_____ He decided to reveal the information, irregardless of the consequences.

11. accommodate Why not go along when it is so easy to accomodate his 12. imply demands?

13. embarrassing When you say that, do you mean to infer that I’m being unfair?

14. to She says that she finds this sort of ceremony embarassing.

All we have to do is try and get along with him for a few more days.

15. precede_______ A friendly handshake should always preceed negotiations.

Level 2: Workplace Applications (p. 390) 1. Entrepreneurs and their business are so closely tied together that a bank will want to see how they handle their personal affairs before granting them a smallbusiness line of credit.

2. The company’s annual meeting will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on May 3 in the Santa Fe Room at the Marriott Hotel.

3. Well over 400 outstanding students from coast to coast have realized their dreams of a college education, thanks to the NASE scholarship program.

4. If your home is your principal place of business, you can generally deduct the cost of traveling from your home to any business destination.

5. Companies like McLeod USA sprang into being in the 90s to provide cut-rate phone services to small and medium-size businesses in competition with the established Baby Bells.

6. Some question whether a “new economy” exists, and, if so, how it differs from the old economy.

7. When the music industry claimed Napster was committing piracy by stealing intellectual property, Napster argued that it wasn’t doing anything illegal or unethical.

8. The World Bank plays an important role in today’s fast-changing, closely meshed global economy.

9. When it comes to consumer rights, the FDA, the FTC, and the Agriculture Department are concerned not only with safety but also with accurate information. Or: the FDA, the FTC, and the USDA are concerned . . . [to make all the federal agencies acronyms] 10. C 11. The Fortune 500 not only ranks corporations by size but also offers brief company descriptions, along with industry statistics and additional measures of corporate performance.

12. Cisco Systems, which has bought 55 companies over the past decade, plans to make 10 to 15 new acquisitions each year.

13. In 1984 Michael Dell decided to sell PCs direct and built to order; now everybody in the industry is trying to imitate Dell’s strategy.

14. By using virtual teams, American Express has reduced the number of field offices from 85 to 7, resulting in large cost savings for the company.

15. In Europe and Asia, people are using mobile phones to send text messages to other users, to exchange e-mail, to read the morning news, to surf certain websites, and to make purchases (such as movie tickets) and charge them to their .

14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment487 monthly phone bill. Or: using mobile phones to send text messages to other users, exchange e-mail, read the morning news, surf certain websites, and make purchases—such as movie tickets—and charge them to their monthly phone bill.

Level 3: Document Critique (p. 391) MORGAN MITRAS 2397 Glencrest Ridge, Fort Worth, Texas 76119 (817) 226-1804 February 2, 2010 Ms. Nancy Remington, Human Resources Norton Accounting Group 3778 Parkway North Indianapolis, IN 46205 Dear Ms. Remington: Your ad in the February 1 issue of The Wall Street Journal for someone to fill a financial management position really has me excited. With your company’s reputation for quality, customer service, and employee empowerment, you’ll want to hire someone who is not only accurate and efficient but also self-motivated and results-oriented—someone who is able to make decisions as well as cooperate with team members and clients.

During my three years at Tandy Corporation (see attached résumé), I’ve conducted internal auditing for accounts valued at $450 million. Some of my accomplishments include: • • •

Increasing both internal and client support for the auditing process Discovering billing errors that saved the company over $2.5 million Suggesting ways to streamline accounts receivable processes

In addition, Norton Accounting would appreciate my ability to complete projects on time and under budget. One of my priorities is a position that will broaden my experience, so I would welcome any opportunity to travel.

I’ll be in your area the week of February 20. I’ll call your office on February 8 to see whether we can arrange to meet. I look forward to discussing the position with you.

Sincerely,

Morgan Mitras *See Transparency 185 for a well-written solution to this letter.

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488 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment

CHAPTER 14 POP QUIZ True-False 1. Employment interviews have a dual purpose. (True) 2. During the screening stage of interviews, you should try to differentiate yourself from other candidates. (True) 3. Open-ended interviews are especially useful in helping employers judge interpersonal skills. (False) It is not necessary to learn about the organization and the job before the actual 4. interview. (False) 5. You should expect the interviewer to ask you questions about work habits, personal attitudes, and college. (True) 6. An applicant should not ask questions during the interview; only the interviewer should be asking questions. (False) 7. Nonverbal behavior has a significant effect on the interviewer’s opinion of you.

(True) 8. Because most companies today allow their employees to wear casual dress, an applicant should always arrive in casual dress for an interview. (False) 9. It is acceptable to smoke in the waiting area prior to your interview. (False) 10. The applicant should be the person who raises the subject of salary during an interview. (False)

Multiple Choice 11. Which of the following correctly presents the typical sequence of interviews a company will use to select new employees? a. Screening, selection, final b. Screening, final, orientation c. Selection, final, orientation d. None of the above 12. In which type of interview does the interviewer ask a series of prepared questions in a set order? a. Stress interview b. Situational interview c. Open-ended interview d. Structured interview

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14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment489 13. Which is the best recommendation for planning for the employer’s questions? a. Practice your answers to questions employers routinely ask. b. Memorize responses so that you appear well rehearsed. c. Clear your mind of all employer questions before entering the room to provide unrehearsed answers. d. Call and request a list of questions a few days prior to the interview.

14. Plan a list of questions that you can ask during an interview, which will help you a. convey your knowledge of interview activities. b. evaluate the organization and the job. c. impress the interviewer . d. none of the above.

15. In the United States, you are more likely to have a successful interview if you a. provide very brief answers to all questions asked, being sure to limit hand gestures. b. keep eyes lowered as a sign of your respect for the interviewer. c. smile frequently, maintain eye contact, and sit in an attentive position. d. speak as rapidly as possible to convey the most information in the amount of time allotted for the interview.

16. Which of the following should you take with you to an interview? a. Two copies of your résumé b. An outline of what you have learned about the organization c. A small notebook d. All of the above 17. Which of the interview stages is most important? a. The warm-up b. The question-and answer stage c. The close d. All of the above 18. Interviewers sometimes ask discriminatory questions during interviews. How should you respond if you want the job? a. Tell the interviewer that you think the question is unethical b. Simply refuse to answer the question c. Ask how the question is related to your qualifications d. None of the above 19. A note or phone call thanking the interviewer is organized like a. a bad-news message. b. a routine message. c. a persuasive message. d. none of the above.

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490 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment 20. In a request for a time extension to decide about a job offer, you must pay extra attention to a. identifying the other company you are considering. b. emphasizing how many offers you have from other companies. c. easing the reader’s disappointment. d. none of the above.

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APPENDIX A: FORMAT AND LAYOUT OF BUSINESS DOCUMENTS

APPENDIX OUTLINE First Impressions Paper Customization Appearance Letters Standard Letter Parts Heading Date Inside Address Salutation Body Complimentary Close Signature Block Additional Letter Parts Letter Formats Envelopes Addressing the Envelope Folding to Fit International Mail Memos E-mail Header Body Reports Margins Headings Page Numbers .

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LECTURE NOTES First Impressions Professionalism is indicated by choice of Paper Customization Appearance Quality of paper is measured by the Weight of four reams (20-pound is preferred, but 16- and 24-pound version are also used) Cotton content (25 percent cotton is preferred for letters) Paper comes in several sizes: Standard size: 8½ by 11 inches (for U.S.; most other countries use metric sizes) Legal size: 8½ by 14 inches Personal size: 7 by 10 inches To make a good impression choose paper color carefully: White is standard color for business purposes.

Neutral colors such as ivory and gray are also acceptable for many uses.

Customized stationery has letterhead with information such as the firm’s Name Address Phone number Fax number Cable address Website address Product lines Date of establishment Officers and directors Slogan Symbol (logo) Well-designed letterheads give readers Pertinent reference data.

A favorable image of the company.

A good idea of what the company does.

When preparing business documents: Use letterhead for the first page of a business letter.

Use blank matching paper for subsequent pages, although some companies may use a .

A: Format and Layout of Business Documents 493

specially printed second page.

Use your company’s standardized forms for memos and reports if they are available.

Nearly all business documents are produced using an inkjet or laser printer.

Use a typewriter-quality printer for most situations.

Use handwriting for some informal memos and for notes of condolence.

For the best appearance, Center letters on the page and set all margins at 1-inch minimum.

Do not use justification, varying line length makes the message easier to read.

Include the proper spacing after punctuation: One space after periods and colons One space after commas, semicolons, and the periods in a person’s initials No spaces in abbreviations for organizations, even with periods (U.S.A., not U. S. A.) Take advantage of the many special symbols available with your computer’s selection of fonts.

Make sure that you correct any errors—messy corrections are unacceptable in business documents.

Letters Standard letter parts include the following: Heading Date Inside address Salutation Body Complimentary close Signature block Your heading depends on the type of paper you use: Generally use letterhead.

If no letterhead is available, start 13 lines from the top of the page (a 2 inch margin).

The date’s position depends on the type of heading you use: Place the date one blank line beneath the letterhead.

If you aren’t using a letterhead, place the date immediately below (without any extra line space).

The form is either the standard form (July 14, 2009) or the alternative form (14 July 2009).

When communicating internationally, you may also experience some confusion over time.

Make sure your references to time are as clear as possible, and be sure you clearly understand your audience’s time references.

The inside address is placed one or more lines below the date (depending on the length of the letter) and includes the following: Addressee’s name, preceded by the addressee’s courtesy title (Dr., Mr., Ms.) Addressee’s organizational title

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Name of department Address For the salutation, be sure to Use the first name for friends.

Use the title and last name for all other correspondence.

Spell names correctly.

Use a polite description (“Dear Alumni,” “Dear Colleague,” “Ladies and Gentlemen,” “Dear Accounting Department,” etc.) if the recipient’s name is unknown.

Use double spacing before and after.

You may also use a salutopening (omitting the “Dear” and using the recipient’s name in the first few words of the body).

The body uses Single-spacing within paragraphs Double-spacing before and after the salutation Double-spacing between paragraphs Double-spacing before the complimentary close Place the complimentary close on the second line below the body.

The signature block Includes the sender’s name and title Is placed three lines below the complimentary close Additional letter parts are optional; use the following as needed: Addressee notation Attention line Subject line Second-page heading Company name Reference initials Enclosure notation Copy notation Mailing notation Postscript The addressee notation (“Personal,” “Confidential,” and so on) Is typed in capital letters Is placed two lines above the inside address Use an attention line when the inside address does not include the name of a specific person. .

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The subject line tells the recipient at a glance what the letter is about.

The second-page heading Needs to be used whenever an additional page is required May be special letterhead Specifies the recipient Lists the date Gives the page number Leave two blank lines before the body.

If you include the company name in the signature block, be sure to Use capital letters.

Place it a double space below the complimentary close.

Reference initials show who helped prepare the letter and Are typed at the left margin.

Are placed a double space below the last line of the signature block.

The enclosure notation is placed one or two lines below the reference initials.

The copy notation appears below the enclosure notation (or reference initials) and can begin with cc (courtesy copy) pc (photocopy) c (copy) bc (blind copy) bcc (blind courtesy copy) bpc (blind photocopy) The mailing notation (Special Delivery, Registered Mail) usually follows the reference initials and enclosure notation, and comes before the copy notation.

The Postscript begins with one of the following: P.S. PS. PS: Nothing at all Letters have three basic formats: Block formats place all lines at the left margin.

Modified block formats place the date, complimentary close, and signature block are centered and may or may not indent the first line of paragraphs.

Simplified formats weaves the reader’s name into the first line or two of the body, often includes a subject line in capital letters, and uses no salutation.

Letter formats differ in three ways: The way paragraphs are indented

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The placement of letter parts Some punctuation Letter formats are similar in three ways: The way paragraphs are indented.

The way letter parts are placed.

In some punctuation.

However, the elements are always separated by at least one blank line, and the printed (or typewritten) name is always separated from the line above b y at least three blank lines to allow space for a signature.

For letters, the standard (or mixed) punctuation style Places a colon after the salutation (or a comma if the letter is social or personal).

Places a comma after the complimentary close.

For letters, the open punctuation style Places no colon or comma after the salutation.

Places no colon or comma after the complimentary close.

Envelopes Letterhead envelopes use the same paper stock and the same color ink as letterhead stationery: Standard business size: No. 10 (9½ inches long) Smaller size: No. 6¾ The address on the envelope is always single-spaced with all lines aligned on the left.

Elements to be included in the address (from smallest division to largest) are the Name and title of recipient Name of department or subgroup Name of organization Name of building Street address, suite number, or post office box number City, state or province, and ZIP code or postal code Name of country( if letter is being sent abroad) Envelope elements should conform to post office specifications, especially for mass mailings.

To speed handling and delivery, be sure to use The ZIP code + 4 in the United States The postal code in Canada To fold letters properly, you Fold the letter in thirds. .

A: Format and Layout of Business Documents 497

Fold the bottom up first.

Fold the top down over it.

For international mail, follow the instructionswww.usps.com/business/international/. at Memos When preparing a memo, you May be asked to use a special memo form Include the title MEMO (or similar) at the top of the page either centered or aligned with the left margin At the top of a memo, place introductory information such as TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: or RE: If a memo has wide distribution, type See distribution list or See below after To: and place recipient names at the bottom of the page (usually in alphabetical order except when high-ranking officials deserve more prominent placement).

Courtesy titles need not be used in a memo.

The subject line (or lines) should be short but informative.

For the body of the memo: Start on the second or third line below heading.

Use single-spacing, with double spacing between paragraphs.

Handle lists, important passages, and subheadings as you do in letters.

Either indent paragraphs or make them flush left.

If the memo carries over to a second page, head the second page just as you head the second page of a letter.

Although no complimentary close or signature block is required in a memo, the sender may initial the memo beside his or her name or at the top or bottom of the memo.

Handle reference initials, enclosure notations, and copy notations just as you would in a letter.

Memos may be delivered by hand, interoffice mail, or post office.

E-mail

E-mail messages can act as both memos (carrying information within your company) and as letters (carrying information outside your company and around the world). A memo’s format

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A: Format and Layout of Business Documents

depends on your audience and your purpose (from simple office memo to formal report).

E-mail headers contain information about Audience’s e-mail address Sender’s e-mail address Date Subject Cc: Bcc: Attachments Most e-mail programs allow you to hide or reveal other lines that contain more detailed information, including: Message-Id X-mailer Content type Received Prepare your e-mail message carefully: You may choose to include a memo-type header of your own, but doing so is optional.

Be sure to include both a greeting and a closing.

Your message begins one blank line space below your greeting; skip one line space between paragraphs and include headings, numbered lists, bulleted list, and embedded lsits when appropriate.

Reports When preparing reports, set margins as follows: Top margin should be 2 inches from the top of the paper for prefatory parts, supplementary parts, the first page of text, and the first page of each new chapter.

Top margin should be 1 inch from the top for all other pages.

Side and bottom margins should be at least 1 inch wide.

For headings, use appropriate levels and be consistent.

When numbering report pages: Do not number the first page of the report (title page).

Number prefatory parts using lowercase roman numerals (without dashes or periods).

Number prefatory parts 1 inch from the bottom, centered.

Number text pages using arabic numerals (without dashes or periods).

Number the first text page 1 inch from the bottom, centered.

Number succeeding text pages of left-bound reports 1 inch from the top, right-hand margin.

Number top-bound reports and for special pages having 2-inch top margins, center the page numbers at the bottom margin. .

APPENDIX B: DOCUMENTATION OF REPORT SOURCES

APPENDIX OUTLINE Chicago Humanities Style In-Text Citation—Chicago Humanities Style Bibliography—Chicago Humanities Style APA Style In-Text Citation—APA Style List of References—APA Style MLA Style In-Text Citation—MLA Style List of Works Cited—MLA Style

LECTURE NOTES Providing information about your sources Improves your own credibility as well as the credibility of the facts and opinions you present Gives readers the means for checking your findings and pursuing the subject further.

Is the accepted way to give credit to the people whose work you have drawn from.

If your employer uses a particular style for documentation, adopt and use that style.

Whatever style you use, be consistent.

All styles break bibliographic information into parts: Information about the author (name) Information about the work (title, edition, volume number) Information about the publication (place, publisher) Information about the date Information on relevant page ranges Chicago Humanities Style The Chicago Manual of Style recommends two types of documentation systems: Documentary-note (or humanities) system, which .

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B: Documentation of Report Sources

Gives bibliographic citations in notes (either footnotes or endnotes) Is often used in literature, history, and the arts Author-date system, which Gives the author’s last name and the publication date in the text itself (usually enclosed in parentheses) Reserves full documentation for the reference list (or bibliography) Chicago’s humanities system relies on superscripts (arabic numerals placed just above the line of type at the end of the reference).

Note preferences differ: Some readers prefer footnotes so that they can simply glance at the bottom of the page for information.

Some readers prefer endnotes so that they don’t have to plow through a clutter of notes on text pages.

Writers often prefer endnotes so that they don’t have to plan for how much space the notes will take away from the end of the page.

A good compromise is to use footnotes for content notes and endnotes for source notes.

Content notes serve several purposes: To supplement the text with asides about a particular issue or event To provide a cross-reference to another section of the report To direct readers to a related source Source notes are used to document Direct quotations Paraphrased passages Visual aids Because Chicago’s humanities system gives all necessary bibliographic information in the notes, a bibliography is optional.

When using Chicago style, the bibliography may be titled Bibliography Reference List Sources Works Cited (if you include in your list only those sources you actually cited in your report) Works Consulted (if you include uncited sources as well) Since the reference list may also serve as a reading list, you might want to Annotate each entry.

Subdivide the list into categories (either by type of reference or sub ject matter)..

B: Documentation of Report Sources

501

To prepare a bibliography using Chicago style, follow these major conventions: For all entries, you Exclude any page numbers already cited in source notes.

Alphabetize.

Format entries as hanging indents.

Arrange the information in each entry as follows: Author name Title information Publication information Date Periodical page range Enclose article titles in quotation marks—capitalizing the first word, the last word, and all other important words.

Italicize book, newspaper, journal, and magazine titles.

For journal articles, you Include the volume and issue number.

Enclose the year of publication in parentheses and follow with a colon.

Include page range.

For electronic references, you Use brackets when identifying them: [Online database] or [CD-ROM].

Explain how electronic references can be reached: Available from CompuServe.

Give the citation date for online references.

APA Style The American Psychological Association (APA) recommends the author-date system, which is popular in physical, natural, and social sciences.

To use the APA’s author-date system, you Include the following in parentheses: The author’s last name The year of publication The page number (if you’re using a direct quotation) Omit the author’s name from parenthetical material if you’ve already mentioned it in text.

Include personal communications and author interviews in text only (not in the reference list).

APA style recommends that the reference list include only those works that are actually cited in the report.

To prepare a list of references using APA style, follow these major conventions: For all entries, you .

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Format entries as hanging indents.

Reverse the order of author names (last name first), using initials for first and middle names.

Arrange the information in each entry as follows: Author name Date Title information Publication information Periodical page range Follow author name with the date of publication in parentheses.

List article titles from magazines, newspapers, and journals without underlines or quotation marks, capitalizing the first word and proper nouns.

Italicize titles of books—capitalizing all important words For journal articles, you Include volume number (in italics) and issue number (in parentheses).

Include the page range.

Include personal communications only in text, not in reference lists.

For electronic references, you Include author, publication date, article title, publication name, volume, date of retrieval, and source.

Indicate the year of actual publication, the exact date of retrieval.

Specify the URL (leaving periods off the ends).

MLA Style The Modern Language Association of America (MLA) style is used widely in the humanities, especially for language and literature.

To use MLA’s style, you Include the following in parentheses: Author’s last name Page reference Omit the author’s name from parenthetical material if it’s already mentioned in the text.

Prepare the list of works cited first so that you know what to include in the parenthetical citation: Whether to add a shortened title if you are citing more than one work by the same author Whether to add an initial or first name if you’re citing two authors with the same last name To prepare a list of works cited using MLA style, follow these major conventions: For all entries, you Format each one as a hanging indent.

Arrange the information in each entry as follows: .

B: Documentation of Report Sources

503

Author name Title information Publication information Date Periodical page range List the lead author’s name in reverse order; list second and succeeding author names in normal order.

Enclose article titles in quotation marks, capitalizing all important words.

Italicize book, newspaper, journal, and magazine titles, capitalizing all main words.

For journal articles, you Include volume and issue numbers.

Include year of publication in parentheses, followed by a colon.

Include page range.

For electronic sources, you Make citations as comprehensive as possible.

Include both the date assigned in the source and the date accessed by the researcher.

Include the URL in angle brackets: <http://www.hoovers.com/capsules/13787.html.>

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APPENDIX C: CORRECTION SYMBOLS

Today’s business professionals increasingly rely on electronic markup features in word processors and the commenting tools available in Adobe Acrobat, but familiarity with traditional proofreading marks is still an important skill.

Early in the term, direct students to this handy appendix at the end of the textbook. “Correction Symbols” lists abbreviations for marking errors in content, style, grammar, usage, and mechanics and shows how standard proofreading symbols are used. This system of marking written messages saves you from the time-consuming task of writing out long comments when students make common errors. Moreover, students may find that the list provides them with a useful shorthand for editing their own writing.

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CONTENTS Changes and Improvements in the Ninth Edition 1 ........................................................................ Business Communication Real-Time 5 Updates ............................................................................. An Unsurpassed Instructional 9 ResourceTeaching General Package Guides ........................................................................ ............................................................................................................. 12 Course Planning Guide .......................................................................................................... 13 Cooperative Learning Guide for Groups and Small Teams .................................................. 19 Collaborative Writing Guide ................................................................................................. 22 Service Learning Guide 1: Use Service Learning to Add Real-World Writing Experience to Your Course ............................................................................................. 36 Service Learning Guide 2: Real Clients, Real Management, Real Failure: the Risks and Rewards of Service Learning ...................................................................... 38 Diagnostic Tests of English Skills ......................................................................................... 41 Video Guide .......................................................................................................................... 51 Chapter Guides ........................................................................................................................... 62 Unit 1: Business Communication Foundations ..................................................................... 63 Chapter 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace ................. 63 Chapter 2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication ...................................................... 84 Unit 2: The Three-Step Writing Process ............................................................................... 102 Chapter 3: Planning Business Messages ......................................................................... 102 Chapter 4: Writing Business Messages ........................................................................... 122 Chapter 5: Completing Business Messages .................................................................... 142 Unit 3: Brief Business Messages ........................................................................................... 162 Chapter 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media ....................................................... 162 Chapter 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages........................................................ 202 Chapter 8: Writing Negative Messages .......................................................................... 242 Chapter 9: Writing Persuasive Messages ........................................................................ 281 Unit 4: Longer Business Messages........................................................................................ 327 Chapter 10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals .................................. 327 Chapter 11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals ......................................... 357 Chapter 12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations ................................................. 389 Unit 5: Employment Messages and Job Interviews .............................................................. 424 Chapter 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés ...................................................... 424 Chapter 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment .............................................. 451 Appendix A: Format and Layout of Business Documents .................................................... 491 Appendix B: Documentation of Report Sources ................................................................... 499 Appendix C: Correction Symbols ......................................................................................... 504 More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage .............................................................. 505

Business Communication Essentials Bovée and Thill Changes and Improvements in the 4th Edition

Overall changes in this edition •

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The primary theme of this revision was to further strengthen BCE’s leadership position as the only text that combines vital business English skills with the electronic media skills that students will be expected to have when they enter the workforce. The Fourth Edition is closely integrated with a unique online content updating service called Business Communication Essentials Real-Time Updates. Please see page 10 for more on this free, valued-added service. The Fourth Edition also incorporates MyBCommLab.com, a series of text-specific, easily customizable online courses for Prentice Hall textbooks in business communication. MyBCommLab.com gives you the tools you need to deliver all or a portion of your course online, whether your students are in a course setting or working from home. You can use MyBCommLab.com’s homework and test managers to select and assign online exercises correlated directly to the textbook, and you can also create and assign your own online exercises and import TestGen® tests for added flexibility.

MyBCommLab.com’s online gradebook automatically tracks students’ homework and test results, and it gives you control over the calculation of final grades. You can also add offline (paper-and-pencil) grades to the gradebook. Students can use online tools, such as video lectures, animations, and a multimedia textbook, to independently improve their understanding and performance. All communication-related technologies were reviewed and updated to match the expectations that today’s employers have regarding employees’ use of these tools. Numerous model documents and other figures were updated or replaced to help students learn from effective and ineffective examples; in all, this edition offers 32 new exhibits, most of which are in electronic media. The table of contents remains consistent with the proven organization from previous editions, although two chapters have been retitled. Chapter 2, which is now called “Mastering Interpersonal Communication,” was reorganized to provide separate sections for team communication, business etiquette, meetings, listening skills, and nonverbal communication. Chapter 6 is now “Crafting Messages for Electronic Media,” and it was extensively updated with coverage of all major electronic media used for brief messages, including e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, blogging, podcasting, and wikis. To prepare students for contributing to wikis and to help them collaborate more effectively in general, Chapter 5 now covers evaluating, editing, and revising the work of other writers, and Chapter 6 expands the coverage of wikis to integrate these editing and revising skills with the technical matters associated with wikis. The selection of cases was extensively updated, with 35 new cases on a variety of contemporary business issues—many involving instant messaging, blogging, and podcasting.

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Change and Improvements in the Fourth Edition

Chapter-by-chapter changes and improvements Chapter 1 Learning objectives

Chapter 2

More emphasis on why Comparable to BCE3 communication skills are important to career success and the skills that today’s employers expect

About the Retained: About The From the Real New: World revolution in business Container Store’s communication made emphasis on teamwork possible by social media and open communication

Chapter content (subject areas that were added, clarified, expanded, streamlined, or updated for this edition)

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Expanded introduction to the global business environment New section on recognizing effective communication New section on what employers expect from employees

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Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Comparable to BCE3

Comparable to BCE3

Comparable to BCE3

Retained: About the quick adoption of podcasting as a communication medium by employees at IBM

New: About Dice.com’s effective use of professional jargon to communicate with its target audience

Retained: About the role played by clear, concise communication in every professional’s career success

Reorganized chapter • Simplified to give equal coverage of emphasis to five skill media types and areas: teamwork, created etiquette, meetings, comparative listening, and breakdown of nonverbal advantages and communication disadvantages in a new table New section on Replaced the collaborative writing • coverage of techniques and electronic media technologies New section on New information on • visual media online meetings, Clarified including meeting in • definitions of virtual worlds topic and main idea

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• Simplified Clarified coverage of style and tone coverage of evaluating Revised treatment of content, buzzwords and organization, clichés style, and tone Clarified coverage of coherent and unified • New section on paragraphs evaluating, editing, and revising the work of others

New section on constructive feedback New section on business etiquette New: Blog posting that demonstrates both effective communication and good use of technical tools (Fig 1.3) New: Advice on giving constructive feedback Updated: Four-page photo essay updated with latest technologies

End of chapter exercises

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New questions involving cultural context and reader interaction on blogs

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New: Meeting in a virtual world (Fig 2.3)

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New: Visual media (Fig 3.1) New: Media advantages and disadvantages (Table 3.1)

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New: Improving a customer letter through careful revision (Fig 5.2) New: A professional business letter (Fig 5.3) New: Poor and improved document design in an e-mail message (Fig 5-3) New questions about editing the work of others

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Changes and Improvements in the Fourth Edition

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Learning objectives

More emphasis on professional e-mail style, e-mail subject lines, and guidelines for being an effective wiki contributor

Comparable to BCE3

From the Real World

New: On Southwest Airlines’s experience gathering customer feedback on its blog

Retained: Warren Buffett’s advice on being an effective communicator

Chapter content (subject areas that were added, clarified, expanded, streamlined, or updated for this edition)

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New discussion of social media Information on creating effective memos and reports now dispersed in Chapters 3–5

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

New emphasis on responding to the challenge of online rumors and attacks on a company’s reputation

More emphasis identifying potential objections and modifying your writing approach for conversation marketing

New emphasis on planning online reports and other website content

New: On a Ford’s executive’s public criticism of a company product

Retained: On the

New: On the benefits and possible legal risks of using plain English in employee handbooks

Compressed coverage of granting claims and requests for adjustment

•

New: Routine messages (Fig 7.1) New: Effective message requesting action (Fig 7.2) New: Congratulating business partners (Fig 7.9)

•

• E-mail, IM, blog,

importance of the “you” attitude in persuasive messages

New coverage of the challenge of responding to negative social media messages about a company and its products

• New information on audience motivations • New advice on the limitations of the AIDA model for persuasive messages • New section on writing persuasive messages for social media, including the concept of conversation marketing

•

New: Effectively refusing a claim (Fig 8.4)

•

•

and podcast sections revised to follow the threestep writing process •Coverage of e-

New section on organizing website content

mail streamlined • Text messaging added to IM section •Expanded discussed of business uses of blogging New section on • collaborating via wikis Model documents and other exhibits

New: Video • blogging (Fig 6.3) New: The • podcasting process (Fig 6.5)

• •

•

New: Appealing to audience motivations (Fig 9.1)

• New: The spectrum of emotional and logical appeals (Fig 9.4) •New: Conversation

•

marketing (Fig 9.5) • New: Opt-in e-mail for promotions (Fig 9.6) End of chapter exercises

•

Cases

13 new cases

New questions involving IM, blogs, podcasts, wikis, ethical decisions, teamwork

.

•

New Message for Analysis

5 new cases

•

New question on social media challenges

3 new cases

•

New questions on conversation marketing, features and benefits, and persuasive strategies

3 new cases

3

•

New: Direct approach versus indirect approach in an introduction (Fig 10.4) New: Information architecture (Fig 10.7)

New questions on planning website content, information reports, and work plans

1 new case

4

Change and Improvements in the Fourth Edition

Chapter 11 Learning objectives

From the Real World

Chapter content (subject areas that were added, clarified, expanded, streamlined, or updated for this edition)

More emphasis on drafting and revising online content, principles of graphic design, verifying the quality of visuals, and completing reports Retained: About the importance of using clear language when communicating about complex topics •

•

•

•

Model documents and other exhibits

•

New section on drafting online content New coverage of proposal writing software Heavily revised section on illustrating your reports with effective visuals, including visual literacy and six principles of effective visual design New coverage of

Chapter 12

• New: Digital image manipulation (Fig 11.12)

Chapter 14

Comparable to BCE3

More emphasis on résumé fraud, résumé formatting, and media choices for résumés

New emphasis on the growing use of behavioral interviews

New: About removing barriers between the speaker and the audience

Retained: About poorly designed résumés being tossed out without even being read

Retained: About using the job interview to give employers a good idea of who you are and what you offer

•

•

The first section,

• Reorganized Common

Building a Career with Your Communication Skills, is now in the new Prologue Revised coverage of employers’ approach to the employment process

Types of Interviews •Added coverage of

•

New advice for anticipating and responding to the emotional state of presentation audiences New advice on using a three-act storytelling structure for presentations

data visualization

New: Data visualization using a cloud tag (Fig 11.9)

Chapter 13

• New: Writing readable content (Fig 12.5) • New: Slide master (Fig 12.6) • New: Slide sorter view •

(Fig 12.7) New: Navigation and

•

• Added information about networking etiquette • New coverage of career objectives, qualifications summaries, and career summaries Revised coverage of • activities and achievements Revised coverage of • personal data and references New coverage of • PowerPoint and video résumés •

New: Effective chronological résumé (Fig 13.5)

panel interviews •Separated situational and behavioral interviews as two distinct types •Added coverage of working interviews •Added section on interview media, which includes e-mail and IM, video, and online interviews •Revised coverage of what employers look for in an interview •Replaced the Plan to Look Good section •Revised Discussing Salary section

•

New: Effective solicited application message (Fig 14.1)

•

New questions on situational and behavioral interviews

• New: Combination résumé (Fig 13.6) • New: Ineffective résumé design (Fig 13.7)

support slides (Fig 12.8) • New: Moving blueprint slides (Fig 12.9) End of chapter exercises

•

Cases

2 new cases

New questions on integrating visuals and text, visual design, wiki revision

.

•

New questions on presentation skills, ethical design choices, and slide show animation

4 new cases

•

New questions on résumé writing, networking, plain-text and HTML formats, and qualifications summaries

2 new cases

Comparable to BCE3

5

Real-Time Updates Business Communication Essentials

THE LATEST BUSINESS COMMUNICATION NEWS, DELIVERED FREE TO YOUR DESKTOP Stay on top of new technologies, important trends, and hot topics with Business Communication Headline News. This free service uses the newest Internet technologies to deliver late-breaking news in headlines with concise summaries. You can scan incoming items in a matter of seconds, then simply click through to read the full articles that interest you.

HOW IT WILL HELP YOU This service offers instructors a variety of important advantages:

• • • • • • •

Keep current with the latest information and trends in the field Easily update your lecture notes with fresh material Create visuals for your classroom presentations Supplement your lectures with cutting-edge handouts Enhance your research projects with the newest data Compare best practices from other instructors Improve the quality and effectiveness of your teaching by reading about new teaching tips and techniques

This comprehensive website, developed and published by the authors, offers an array of unique tools: • Business Communication Web Search, featuring a revolutionary approach to searching developed by Bovée and Thill that preformats more than 325 types of searches using the web’s most powerful search engines. The tool uses a simple, attractive, and intuitive interface engineered to help business communication instructors find precisely what they want, whether it’s PowerPoint files, Adobe Acrobat PDFs, Microsoft Word documents, Excel files, videos, or podcasts.

•

Real-Time Updates are newsfeeds and content updates tied directly to specific points throughout the text. Each content update is classified by the type of media featured: article, video, podcast, PowerPoint, or PDF. Additional sections on the site include Instructor Messages, Instructor Media (both password protected), Student Messages, and Student Assignments. The “Most Popular” updates are listed by title in the margin of each chapter on the site. .

6

Business Communication Headline News

HOW YOU CAN GET STARTED Choose whatever delivery method best fits your Internet usage habits: 1. View the headlines on your My Yahoo, Google, or AOL homepage. If you use one of these three systems for your browser homepage, simply go to www.businesscommunicationblog.com and click the icon for your homepage. Refresh your browser, and the headlines will appear immediately.

2. View the headlines on an RSS newsreader. Firefox (with Sage plug-in) and Internet Explorer 7 have built-in newsreaders. Of, if you prefer, use a news aggregator such as Awasu, BlogExpress, or FeedDemon. Links to these aggregators appear on our homepage.

Aggregators will allow you to not only receive Business Communication Headline News, but hundreds of other newsfeeds and podcasts. Plus, you can have news headlines compiled based on keywords you specify, so the headlines will be personalized for your specific interests.

3. View the headlines in your e-mail. Use NewsGator Outlook Edition, NewsGator’s E-Mail Edition, or Squeat to receive our headlines by e-mail. Links to these e-mail news aggregators appear on our homepage.

4. View the headlines on your instant messenger. This includes Yahoo!, MSN, AIM, and ICQ via immedi.at, a free service.

5. View the headlines on your mobile phone screen. Use NewsGator Mobile Edition or add inexpensive 49pm software to your phone to receive our headlines. Links to these services appear on our homepage.

In addition to automated delivery, you can always view the headlines at www.businesscommunicationblog.com. The headlines are categorized by subject and are fully searchable. And since this is a blog, readers can add their comments about any of the headlines that have been posted.

Visit the website today so you don’t miss any of the late-breaking information in the field of business communication!

HOW TO USE BOVÉE & THILL’S WEB SEARCH TOOL

Web Search is an online search tool developed by Bovée & Thill that enables instructors to have 334 search engines at their fingertips for quick, comprehensive searching online.

The tool uses a simple, attractive, intuitive interface, engineered to help instructors find precisely what they want, whether it’s PowerPoint files, Adobe Acrobat PDFs, Microsoft Word documents, or Excel files.

Users can also search for academic content or instructional assistance, or search online libraries, news sites, newspapers and magazines, newsletters, blogsites, the blogosphere, forums and groups, wikis, reference, government, information about people, social bookmarking sites, press releases, company information, photographs, videos, videoblogs, podcasts, or RSS newsfeeds.

.

Business Communication Headline News 7

The tool also includes major search, metasearch, visible search, invisible web search, and social bookmarking search engines.

Go to Web Search (http://businesscommunicationblog.com/websearch) and run your cursor over the various icons. Note that each icon represents a different type of search engine. When you click on an icon, all of the search engines relating to that icon will be displayed.

Here are several situations that will help you understand how to use Web Search.

Situation 1 You’re going to be teaching about blogging, and you’d like to see a list of the Microsoft PowerPoint programs available for this topic.

Go to the search tool, enter “blogging” in the search box, click on the “File Type” icon (first icon, first row), and you’ll see a drop-down menu of search engines. Click on “Google: Microsoft PowerPoint.” The result will be a list of all of the Microsoft PowerPoint programs currently available on the web on the topic of “blogging.”

You can drag and drop the program files of your choice from the search page onto your desktop.

Situation 2 You’re teaching about podcasting, and you’d like a list of online videos.

Go to the search tool, enter “podcasting” in the search box, click on the “Videos” icon, and you’ll see a drop-down menu of video search engines. Click on the search engine of your choice. The result will be a list of the online videos about podcasting. If you don’t find what you’re seeking with the first search engine you selected, choose another search engine until you’ve found the video that suits your needs.

You can drag and drop the online video files of your choice from the search page onto your desktop.

Situation 3 As you begin the report-writing section of your textbook, you want your students to learn how to do research about companies. Your assignment to them to have them select a publicly traded company and write a one-page paper about the company. You should ask your students to do the following: Go to the search tool, enter the query (such as “Xerox”) in the search box, click on the icon, “Companies.” A drop-down menu will show search engines for locating company information.

Students should click on the search engine of their choice. The result will be information about Xerox. For additional information about Xerox, students should use the remaining search engines.

Students can drag and drop the files of their choice from the search page onto their desktops.

.

8

Real-Time Updates Business Communication Essentials

REINFORCE LEARNING AND KEEP CONTENT FRESH THROUGHOUT YOUR ENTIRE COURSE You no longer need to spend hours of your limited prep time searching for current examples, discussion materials, and classroom media.

Business Communication Essentials’ “Real-Time Updates” solves the age-old problems of maintaining the currency of textbook content and providing to you a steady stream of new examples, lecture materials, and media to enliven your classes. This unique suite of web technologies, developed by the authors, automatically provides weekly content updates, including podcasts, PowerPoint presentations, online videos, PDFs, and articles. Simply visit the website whenever you need material—or get new items delivered to your desktop automatically via RSS newsreader.

Visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bce to take advantage of this unique resource, including media items available only to adopters of Business Communication Essentials, Fourth Edition.

1 Read messages from the authors and access over 175 media items available only to instructors.

(Students have access to

2 Click on any chapter to see the updates and media items for that chapter.

their own assignments, messages, and media items.)

4 Subscribe via RSS to individual chapters to get updates automatically for the chapter you’re currently teaching.

5 Media items are categorized by type so you can quickly find podcasts, videos, PowerPoints, and more.

.

3 Scan headlines and click on any item of interest to read the article or download the media item.

Every item is personally selected by the authors to complement the text and support in-class activities.

Teach with an Unsurpassed Supplements Package The instructional resource package accompanying this text is specially designed to simplify the task of teaching and learning. Here is a list of the supplements that are available. The list is followed by sections that contain brief descriptions of the supplements: Online Instructor’s Resource Manual Online Test Item File Prentice Hall's Test Generator Online Transparency Program Videos on DVD PowerPoint Presentation (Instructor and Student Versions) MyBCommLab.com Business Communication Update Newsletter for Faculty Authors’ E-Mail Hotline for Faculty Companion Website for Students and Faculty Online Instructor’s Resource Manual This comprehensive supplement is an instructor's tool kit. Among its many teaching aids, this manual provides a section about collaborative writing, suggested solutions to exercises, suggested solutions in the form of fully formatted letters for every case in the letter-writing chapters, and a grammar pretest and posttest. This comprehensive manual contains a set of completely integrated support materials. It is designed to assist instructors in quickly finding and assembling the resources available for each chapter of the text and includes the following material: • • • • • • • • • •

Course planning guide Sample syllabuses Collaborative writing guide Diagnostic tests of English skills Chapter outline Lecture notes Outline of difficulties students often face and suggestions for overcoming them Solutions to all cases and exercises One pop quiz for each chapter consisting of 10-15 questions Video Teaching Notes

Online Test Item File This Test Item File contains 14 chapters of 100+ questions per chapter, all of which have been carefully checked for accuracy and quality. This comprehensive set consists of multiplechoice, true/false, and essay questions. Each test question is ranked by level of difficulty (easy, moderate, or difficult) and type of question (concept or application) and includes page and learning objective references to allow the instructor a quick and easy way to balance the level of exams or quizzes. The Test Item File also supports Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International Accreditation. Each chapter of the Test Item File was prepared with the AACSB curricula standards in mind. Where appropriate, the answer line of each question indicates a category within which the question falls. This AACSB reference helps instructors identify those test questions that support that organization’s learning goals. .

10

Supplements Package

Prentice Hall’s Computerized Test Manager—TestGen Our user-friendly software allows you to generate error-free tests quickly and easily by previewing questions individually on the screen and then selecting randomly by query or by number. The Computerized Test Manager allows you to generate random tests with our extensive bank of questions. You can also edit our questions/answers and even add some of your own. You can create an exam, administer it traditionally or online, and analyze your success with a simple click of the mouse. The newest version of our Computerized Test Manager, TestGen, has been improved to provide users with a vast array of new options. Enhancements now allow you to • Import test questions from word processors • Import/export tests • Correlate charts • Select by query • Select by review (redesigned) • Select by criteria • Archive database capability • Analyze test bank items • Export grades to Excel • Weight grades • Record grades in a new spreadsheet format and create a grade database • Control online testing Online Color Acetate Transparency Program This text offers nearly 150 full-color large-type transparency acetates that are available to instructors via www.pearsonhighered.com/bovee. These visuals help bring concepts alive in the classroom and provide a starting point for discussing communication techniques. All transparencies are keyed to the Instructor's Resource Manual. Many contrast poor and improved solutions to featured cases from the textbook.

Videos on DVD A series of thematically driven business communication videos include Ethical Communication, Learning to Listen at Second City, Creativity at Second City, Communicating in the Global Workplace, Impact of Culture on Business: Spotlight on Latin America, Technology and the Tools of Communication, Interviewing Skills, and Giving an Oral Presentation. Two NEW videos accompany this edition: Business Etiquette and Effective vs. Ineffective Communication.

PowerPoint Presentation Enhance your classroom presentations with this well-developed PowerPoint presentation set. It comes in two versions: 1. Instructor version: an enhanced PowerPoint package for instructors to use for class, with colorful text-specific electronic slides that highlight and reinforce important concepts in the text.

Free to adopters, these PowerPoint presentation slides can be downloaded from the instructor’s resource section of www.pearsonhighered.com/bovee.

2. Student version: a special PowerPoint version for students to use for review purposes; it can also be conveniently printed three to a page for in-class note taking. These slides can be accessed in the student’s resource section of this text’s website.

.

Supplements Package

11

MyBCommLab.com MyBCommLab.com is a series of text-specific, easily customizable online courses for Prentice Hall textbooks in business communication. MyBCommLab.com gives you the tools you need to deliver all or a portion of your course online, whether your students are in a course setting or working from home.

Students can also use online tools, such as video lectures, animations, and a multimedia textbook, to independently improve their understanding and performance. Instructors can use MyBCommLab.com’s homework and test managers to select and assign online exercises correlated directly to the textbook, and they can also create and assign their own online exercises and import TestGen® tests for added flexibility. MyBCommLab.com’s online gradebook is designed to automatically track students’ homework and test results and give the instructor control over the calculation of final grades. Instructors can also add offline (paper-and-pencil) grades to the gradebook.

Electronic Newsletter Delivered exclusively by e-mail six months a year, Business Communication Update provides helpful reminders, tips, and teaching ideas directly from the authors to keep your course exciting and current. To receive a complimentary subscription, send an e-mail to http://businesscommunicationblog.com/blog with “BCU” in the subject line and your name and institutional affiliation in the message area. You can also subscribe at the authors' website at www.leadingtexts.com.

Authors’ E-Mail Hotline for Faculty You’ll find that the authors’ hallmarks are integrity, excellence, and responsiveness. They provide you with books that are academically sound, creative, timely, and sensitive to instructor and student needs. To be sure you’re completely satisfied, the authors invite you, as an adopter, to use the authors’ E-Mail Hotline. So if you ever have a question or concern related to the text or its supplements, please e-mail the authors at bovee@leadingtexts.com.

You can also access the hotline on the web at http://businesscommunicationblog.com/blog.

The authors will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Companion Website for Students and Faculty This text’s Companion Website at www.pearsonhighered.com/bovee contains valuable resources for both students and professors, including access to a student version of the PowerPoint package, an online Study Guide, the “English-Spanish Audio Glossary of Business Terms,” the “Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage,” and the “Business Communication Study Hall,” which allow students to brush up on several aspects of business communication—grammar, writing skills, critical thinking, report writing, résumés, and PowerPoint development.

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GENERAL TEACHING GUIDES

In this section, you will find the following: •

Course Planning Guide

•

Cooperative Learning Guide for Groups and Small Teams

• •

Collaborative Writing Guide Diagnostic Tests of English Skills

•

Video Guides

Course Planning Guide13

COURSE PLANNING GUIDE Although Business Communication Essentials, Fourth Edition follows a traditional sequence of topics, it is structured so that you can address them in the order that best suits your needs. For instance, if you want to begin by reviewing grammar, you can ask students to read Chapter 5, “Completing Business Messages,” and then the Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage.

The following list suggests a sequence and a schedule for covering the chapters in the textbook, with time allocations based on the total number of class hours available.

HOURS DEVOTED TO EACH CHAPTER CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE 1: Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace 2: Mastering Interpersonal Communication

30-HOUR 45-HOUR 60-HOUR COURSE COURSE COURSE 1 1 1

2

2

3

3: Planning Business Messages 4: Writing Business Messages

2 2

3 3

4 4

5: Completing Business Messages C: Correction Symbols

2 —

3 —

3 1

H: Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage A: Format and Layout of Business Documents

2 1

3 1

3 1

6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 8: Writing Negative Messages 9: Writing Persuasive Messages

2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4

10: Understanding and Planning Reports and Proposals

2

4

5

11: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals B: Documentation of Report Sources

2

4

6

1

1

2

12: Developing Oral and Online Presentations 13: Building Careers and Writing Résumés 14: Applying and Interviewing for Employment

1 2 2

2 3 3

3 4 4

INTRODUCING THE COURSE TO STUDENTS Many schools now require that instructors distribute a course syllabus to students on the first day of class. Even if one is not required, it’s a good idea to let students know at the beginning of the course what the course’s objectives are and what students must do to reach them. In addition, you may want to provide information about the format of the course (as suggested in the following sample outline).

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14

General Teaching Guides

COURSE SYLLABUS COURSE NUMBER AND TITLE SEMESTER, YEAR I. Instructor’s name, office number, office hours, e-mail address, voice mail II. Course credits and prerequisites III. Class meetings (number per week, time, and place) IV. Textbook: Business Communication Essentials, Fourth edition by Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill (Prentice Hall, 2010) V. Catalog description of course VI. Course content and direction A. Major themes and scope B. Educational goals C. Instructional objectives VII. Evaluation and grading (describe tests and assignments, role of class participation, availability of extra-credit assignments, attendance policies, makeup policies) VIII. Course withdrawal procedures IX. Recommended study procedures X. Assignment/test schedule Early in the school term (perhaps in the first week), preview any major projects that students will be required to undertake for the course, such as a résumé and application letter, a major report, or an oral presentation. Then students can begin thinking about the type of job they want to apply for or a suitable subject for their report or presentation.

In addition to providing information about the course, you might spend time on the first day gathering information about your students. Ask them to hand in brief written answers to questions like these: What is your major? How close are you to graduating?

What career are you preparing for? If you have a job, what field is it in? How long have you been in that field? What kinds of business communication do you already engage in?

What kinds of communication do you need to work on most? After studying student answers, you can adjust the course to meet their needs. The writing samples will also give you an idea of students’ strengths and weaknesses in expressing themselves.

CONDUCTING THE CLASS A variety of methods and media are useful for teaching business communication.

However, those that give students an opportunity to develop and practice their skills are most desirable.

Lectures and Discussions Although some of the material in this course lends itself to informal lecture, an exchange of information and ideas among students and instructor is more likely to bring home the main points—that communication takes place in many settings for many purposes, that there is seldom a “right” answer in business communication, and that business communication depends on judgment and analysis. .

Course Planning Guide

15

Discussion is especially valuable when students are faced with a communication project. Beforehand, they need to understand the ramifications of the assignment. For example, students need to understand that before they can write a direct request, they must formulate a main idea and analyze the audience and purpose. The textbook abounds with examples of business messages, any of which you may use as a focus of discussion. In addition, you may have collected some examples of your own. Ask students to react to them, and help students understand the positive and negative points of any given example.

With inexperienced students in particular, part of your job is to give them insight into the realities of the business world. Use stories from your own experience, and locate interesting stories about communication from such business magazines as Fortune and Business Week. You may even begin an assignment in class, asking students to analyze an audience or a purpose, for example, while you write their suggestions on the board.

After assignments have been completed and returned to students, it may be profitable to discuss the project in class. Lists of pointers for writing various messages appear throughout the chapters on writing letters and reports. These pointers provide a handy outline for such discussions.

Regardless of the assignment or topic, your goal is to make students feel as if they are already business communicators. If they approach each assignment seriously and professionally, they will gain benefits rivaled only by on-the-job experience.

Students who have done a particularly good job could be asked to read their documents to the others, or their documents could be shown to the class with a projector.

Ask students for critiques, but make sure that negative evaluations are balanced with positive ones or with constructive suggestions for improvement. Ultimately, it falls on you to point up the good features of individual students’ documents and the weaknesses common to all.

Student Conferences Class discussion is good for helping students understand general principles and solve some specific problems, but one-on-one conferences are indispensable in the development of business communicators. In a conference, students can ask for clarification of assignments and approaches. Moreover, you can help students over barriers and encourage them to do their best.

Of course, when a student approaches you before or after class with a specific question, you have an opportunity to realize some of these benefits. You might also schedule periodic conferences, perhaps during class time when students are working on individual assignments or during your office hours. During the conference, unless you want to spend a great deal of time going over each student’s document line by line, you are better off selecting no more than three points for discussion.

For best results, structure your remarks as a “criticism sandwich”: one negative comment between two positive observations. Furthermore, phrase the negative comment in terms of a suggestion for improvement—for example, you might say, “Your message would be more persuasive if it began with some kind of attention-getter instead of the main idea.”

This sort of constructive aid is rare in the work setting, but it is the most effective way to develop skills in business communication.

.

16

General Teaching Guides

Tools and Resources Students should be encouraged to obtain a college edition of a reputable dictionary and a red or blue pencil for revision. Access to a computer with word-processing software or to a typewriter is useful as well.

A variety of tools and resources can help you, as well. For a list of additional available sources, you may want to contact the Association for Business Communication: Association for Business Communication Communication Studies Baruch College One Bernard Baruch Way New York, NY 10010 Telephone: (212) 387-1620 Fax: (212) 387-1655 On the web: www.businesscommunication.org Another good way to prepare yourself for teaching business communication is to scan such publications as Fortune, Business Week, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Inc., and Savvy. From time to time, all have articles related to business communication; furthermore, they provide a glimpse into the business world.

One of the single most valuable tools is a portfolio of business documents. By studying good examples, students can learn communication techniques that work. Less successful examples give students an opportunity to practice analyzing and revising business documents.

You can get samples from the textbook, this manual, the transparencies designed to accompany the textbook, and your own mailbox. You might also check with friends in business or write to businesses about the possibility of using documents from their files.

Usually, however, you must promise that you will obscure all sensitive personal and competitive information. With an opaque projector (for actual documents) or an overhead projector (for transparencies), you can conduct an effective in-class demonstration using samples like these.

Some students may benefit from the insights of a guest speaker. Someone who has had to communicate in business knows how important a skill it is and can convey that conviction to skeptics in the class. Be careful, however, to select guest speakers who have relevant experience, and ask them to focus their remarks to suit your needs.

Inexperienced students may enjoy exposure to communication technology. Perhaps you can arrange a “field trip” to a campus office or classroom that has communication equipment. A faculty or staff member or knowledgeable student can demonstrate the operation of such equipment as computers, the Internet, dictation machines, word processors, e-mail, voice mail, and telephone switchboards; some hands-on practice for your students would also be desirable.

GRADING AND EVALUATING STUDENTS The way an instructor grades is a very personal matter, but you will generally find two schools of thought. Some instructors start students at 100 percent and then deduct points from this total for such major sins as missing assignments to such minor missteps as .

Course Planning Guide

17

forgetting commas. Students of these instructors leave the course with a sense of discipline and an awareness of the need to take care of matters large and small. Other instructors start students at zero and award points for successful solutions to communication problems, downplaying the mundane details. Students of these instructors leave with some appreciation for the creativity that successful writers and speakers apply to their work.

Students who have the chance to take courses from both types of instructors are fortunate because both approaches contribute to a balanced education.

Business Communication Essentials should meet the needs of both types of instructors and of those who fall somewhere between the two extremes. The writing cases at the end of most chapters require solutions that can be graded on organization and format. But since they are also open-ended enough to permit individual expression, they can also be evaluated for a student’s control over a successful line of argument.

Designing an Evaluation Program Prepared written and oral messages provide a basis for evaluating student performance.

Here are a few additional questions to consider when deciding on a program of evaluation:

• •

Will you weigh all assignments the same, or will grades for some of the more complex projects carry more weight in determining final grades?

Will you ask students to hand in the outlines and drafts that are preliminary steps for some assignments? If so, on what basis will they be graded?

• Will you begin any class meetings with a quiz—a time-honored device for encouraging • •

attendance and keeping students’ reading current? What effect will quizzes have on final grades?

Will you lecture most of the time, expanding on points from the text, or will you emphasize class discussion? If you opt for discussion, how will class participation affect grades?

Will you have both a midterm and a final examination? If so, will grades for both have the same effect on final grades for the course?

When answering these questions, you will probably develop a weighted system for

evaluating students’ work overall. For example, you may decide that the elements will account for the following percentages of the total grade: Outlines and drafts (turned in on time) 10% Short assignments 20% Report assignment 20% Presentation assignment 10% Quizzes 10% Class participation 10% Midterm examination 10% Final examination 10%

Evaluating Written Assignments The most important part of this course is the practice it gives in preparing business messages, but the value of that practice is immeasurably enhanced by constructive .

18

General Teaching Guides

feedback. So grade students’ documents against professional standards while providing suggestions about how to attain those standards. The more notes you write on each assignment, the better. If necessary, edit or rewrite to show how a problem may be solved; suggest a conference to discuss complicated problems. Be sure to praise the good points in addition to criticizing the bad ones.

You may want to refer to Appendix C, Correction Symbols, when evaluating student work. This appendix lists abbreviations for marking errors in content, style, grammar, usage, and mechanics. This system of marking saves you the time-consuming tasks of writing out long comments for common errors. Refer students to this list early in the term so that they can become familiar with the abbreviations.

In general, students’ documents should be evaluated on their effectiveness. In addition to using the lists of pointers for writing various messages in the textbook, you might use these guidelines:

• Are the purpose and main idea of the document clear?

• Has the document been organized to be compatible with the purpose and audience?

• Is the “you” attitude—courtesy and consideration for the audience—consistently present?

• Has all the necessary information—and only the necessary information—been included?

Are • grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and vocabulary correct?

Is • the format attractive and appropriate?

Was the document submitted on time, as expected in the business world?

• These considerations form the basis of an evaluation system. An objective system begins with a list of the most important points and qualities in any given assignment. You then give each item a weight (the total of these weights being the maximum number of points for the assignment). As you read each document, you award an appropriate number of points for each item. Then you total the points, convert them to a letter grade (if desirable), and record them.

A less objective plan is much the same, except that you evaluate each document’s overall level of achievement without assigning a specific number of points to each item.

Although this second method is faster than the first, it is less likely to yield consistent results when many documents are being graded.

Seriously consider giving students the opportunity to revise their original documents.

In the process of revision they learn and practice techniques for solving writing problems.

In addition, they get the chance to transform a “failure” into a “success.”

However, if you allow revisions, you will have to devise a mechanism for including them in your evaluations. One method is to check off in your grade book documents that are of an acceptable quality. Unacceptable documents are handed back to students for revision by a stated deadline, and as soon as a document becomes acceptable (you may choose to allow as many attempts as required), the student receives a check mark for it.

Another method is to assign grades to documents but allow revision of any document that receives less than a C. In fairness to students who do a good job the first time, you might deduct a few points for each rewrite. Regardless of the system you choose, your goal is to gradually instill professional standards.

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COOPERATIVE LEARNING GUIDE FOR GROUPS AND SMALL TEAMS Recent research in education indicates that instruction is more effective when students work in cooperative learning groups (small groups of three or four students) rather than in situations where competition and individualistic learning are emphasized. Many of the assignments in Business Communication Essentials are designed for small teams. These activities help students learn how to share ideas and information with one another, appreciate the contributions of others, engage in constructive criticism (and learn to accept the criticism of others), collaborate with others to solve problems, and share responsibility for completing a task. By working in a cooperative learning group or small team, students become involved in a process similar to those taking place on the job as well as in the day-to-day interactions that occur in life.

WORKING WITH COOPERATIVE LEARNING GROUPS The cooperative learning group is based on the belief that all group members are capable of understanding, learning, and performing the activities needed to complete a task. Typically, a cooperative learning group is composed of three or four randomly selected students who work together to complete an assigned task. The most effective groups are heterogeneous in background, skill level, physical capability, and gender. Moreover, they have no assigned leader (leadership emerges naturally as group members alternate performing leadership tasks when appropriate).

A variety of skills are necessary for cooperative learning groups to be successful. Students will be familiar with most of these skills from other contexts. However, be sure to remind them of the requirements they must fulfill for the group’s work to be useful. Not all students will use every skill all the time. But by becoming aware of the appropriate skills and applying them when required, all students can become equal partners in making the group successful.

Give students the following list of tips during your discussion of the process prior to beginning group work: • • • • • • • •

Use the names of your fellow group members.

Encourage others in your group to talk and participate.

Acknowledge the contributions of others and express your appreciation (“Ellen and Sam did the research on marketing in Spain,” “Thanks, good idea,” etc.).

Use eye contact when talking with your fellow group members.

Share feelings with your group using I messages (“I feel that we’re not making progress,” “I like working with this group,” “I feel like some members are not contributing equally”).

Disagree in an agreeable way: try to say something positive before saying anything negative (“I see your point about including that information, but I’m not sure it needs to be detailed”).

Reduce tension among group members, perhaps by initiating a conversation or discussion when a problem arises.

Practice active listening: for example, allow group members to complete a thought before interrupting with comments, and acknowledge that you have heard what another group member said (“I hear that you think . . .”). .

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• • •

Check others’ understanding of the work.

Give information and opinions.

Stay on-task: Help your group get back to work and follow directions for completing your task.

Seek information and opinions from others in your group as well as from outside resources.

•

While students are working in cooperative learning groups, the instructor becomes facilitator and mediator. When students are working in groups during class, the instructor rotates among the groups to check progress, make sure they are on-task, help solve problems by offering a variety of solutions, help end disagreements by guiding students in a discussion of their differences, and ensure that all students are participating in the various responsibilities of completing the task. If groups are working outside class, the instructor can arrange a brief meeting with each group to check progress.1 WORKING IN DYADS A dyad is a two-student form of the cooperative learning group. Dyads are useful for giving information and for stating and clarifying opinions, feelings, and attitudes. By participating in dyads, students have an opportunity to learn and practice the art of active listening and to express their thoughts.

Dyads can be used as a method of stimulating thought prior to class discussion, helping students formulate or define opinions both before and after a discussion, and initiating the work of a cooperative learning group. Implementing the process is fairly easy: 1. Divide students into random pairs, and give them a topic or question to discuss.

2. Give each partner a specified amount of time to speak about the topic or question. Initially, students may be comfortable talking to a partner for only one or two minutes. But as students relax with the process, that time can be extended to five minutes or longer.

3. Inform students that while one member of the dyad is speaking, the partner is responsible for listening without interruption, comment, or judgment. If the person speaking has nothing to say or is unable to talk for the specified time, the partner may opt either to say nothing or to prompt the speaker by asking a related question or by saying something related to the topic.

4. When the specified time for talking is over, the partners switch roles—listener becomes speaker and speaker becomes listener.

5. Emphasize the importance of confidentiality. A member of the dyad must not share what a partner says unless that partner gives permission.

6. Following the discussion in dyads, the class can proceed with a large-group discussion either about the topic or about the cooperative learning groups. In this follow-up discussion, give each member of the class an opportunity to share his or her feelings, attitudes, or opinions about the topic and the process.

WORKING WITH THE JIGSAW PROCESS The jigsaw is a variation of the cooperative learning process that is useful in helping students understand and process information that is assigned for reading. Textbook chapters and lengthy articles are examples of the type of material that can be jigsawed. By reading a section of the text .

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or an article and discussing it with other students who have read the same section, a student becomes an “expert” on that section and then shares that expertise with the students in an assigned group who have not read the material. The skills necessary for cooperative learning groups are applicable to the jigsaw process. Here are the procedures for implementing the jigsaw process: 1. Divide the assigned chapter or article into easily digestible sections. This separation can be done by subtopic, but the reading should probably not be divided into more than six sections.

2. Divide the class into groups. The number of students in each group must equal the number of sections in the assigned chapter or article. If there are extra students, assign them to groups already having a full complement rather than forming any groups with fewer students than sections of reading.

3. Assign each student in a group one section of the article or chapter so that all the sections will be read by at least one member of each group. (If extra students are in the group, more than one person will be reading some of the sections.)

4. Allow students a specified time (10 to 15 minutes) to read their material and take notes.

5. After all students have read their assigned sections, they form “expert groups,” meeting with other students who have read the same material and discussing what they have read. While meeting in expert groups, students have an opportunity to gain a broader perspective and to become more knowledgeable about the material they have read. Expert groups can last 10 to 15 minutes.

6. After meeting with expert groups, students break up into their original groups and teach the other members about the sections they have read. Sharing in the original group should be done in the sequence of the original chapter or article. Five minutes per section should be ample time for students to share the information they have read, answer any questions, and discuss the section with group members.

7. If desired, a class discussion of the entire chapter or article can summarize the small-group discussions or emphasize particular issues.

Note A 1. Selected portions of this material were adapted from Dee Dishon and Pat Wilson O’Leary, Guidebook for Cooperative Learning (Holmes Beach, Fla.: Learning Publications, 1984), 57.

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COLLABORATIVE WRITING GUIDE Adapted from materials prepared by Deborah Bosley The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

If we teach students that writing is a solitary activity, we may not be preparing them adequately for entry into the business world. In business, a single report or other document is frequently planned, researched, written, and edited by a team of colleagues. Thus graduates who are not skilled in collaborative writing may be unprepared for professional life.

When two or more students receive group credit for working together to produce a single letter, memo, report, or proposal, they are engaging in collaborative writing.

Merely exchanging papers, evaluating one another’s work, and then turning the work in for individual credit, is peer evaluation—not collaborative writing.

For several reasons, you might want to consider using collaborative writing in your business communication classes (particularly in conjunction with Unit Four, “Longer Business Messages”):

• • • •

Most businesses require employees to write collaboratively, but most people receive little or no training in collaborative writing either in high school or in college.1 Collaborative, or cooperative, learning improves self-esteem, teaches students problem-solving skills, and improves their ability to evaluate the work of others.

In addition, cooperative learning increases ethnic and racial tolerance.2 Collaborative writing improves writing ability, particularly the ability to analyze audiences.

Collaborative writing relieves business communication teachers of the volumes of paperwork they must usually face, allows them to function less as authority or evaluator and more as facilitator, and introduces a new and effective teaching/learning strategy into the classroom.

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR COLLABORATIVE WRITING Throughout their school years, students learn the value of individual accomplishment rather than commitment to shared goals. With the weight of such experience behind them, students cannot learn to work collaboratively just by listening to lectures. They must experience cooperative work for themselves.

The first step is to establish a sense of community and shared history among members of the entire class as well as among members of each work group. One method of building that sense of community is to encourage students to respond orally to one another, not merely to the teacher. Teach them how to critique one another’s work constructively. You can also begin the semester with such activities as peer-evaluation groups, discussion groups, and groups that collaborate on writing assignments. Finally, help students develop a commitment to the task and to their groups.

Although most students have not had extensive team experience, many of them .

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have worked in groups in other business classes, freshman composition classes, and extracurricular organizations. These experiences influence their attitudes about group work in the business communication class. So you might ask students to list what they perceive to be the positive and negative aspects of working in groups. Then assign them to groups to discuss their lists and compile a group list. The group list can then be shared with the entire class. In discussing the frustrations and rewards of group work, students develop a sense of common experience. In addition, students who have never worked in a group get a preview of what to expect.

Forming Groups Many researchers have offered criteria for dividing groups: along demographic lines, by ability, according to interest in a particular topic, on the basis of common schedules and availability for meetings. You might also randomly assign students to groups or, if you have watched students interact on smaller group projects, form groups according to who seems to work well together.

Regardless of how you divide students, however, groups should be made up of an odd number of members. Three eliminates the dynamics of the dyad; five eliminates couples or pairs working against each other. Also, an odd number of members can decide issues by voting.

Three seems to be the most effective number to work with. Many collaborative writing assignments are too big for fewer people to accomplish in a reasonable amount of time. And with more than three members, the group will have trouble both scheduling time to meet and achieving a sense of unity and cohesion. Also, with three members, the group generally cannot achieve its goals unless all members take an active role. In a larger group, group members can often avoid participating in the assignment.

It is best to avoid putting close friends into the same group. For one thing, if two are close friends, the other will feel like a “third wheel.” Second, friends are less likely to pressure one another to fulfill their obligations for the project. Finally, friends tend to discuss other matters besides the project during their group meeting time.

Teaching Group Brainstorming and Decision Making Students usually need to be taught how to cooperate in generating ideas and how to avoid letting one member dominate the group’s decisions. They often think brainstorming means writing down a bunch of ideas. In addition, they frequently let the group member perceived to be the brightest or the hardest working or the one who assumes the leadership position to make many of the group’s decisions. Without enough commitment to the task to “fight” for their perspective, the others may just give in. Weaker students might even feel that they do not know enough to make any decisions or to have a valid opinion.

You might teach students to overcome this tendency in a situation that is not directly connected with their project or with a grade. For example, you might have each group come up with a name for itself or with a theme for a sales letter.

One effective method for reaching consensus begins with brainstorming.3 You must stress that students’ ideas are to be generated on the spur of the moment and without any judgment on the part of the other group members. Within the groups, .

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each member in turn contributes one idea, which is recorded. Each member gets a chance to make three suggestions. Without discussing the merits of any of the ideas, each member then votes for what he or she considers the three best ideas. The three ideas that receive the most votes are then discussed by the group. After their discussion, the group members vote again or agree on their final choice.

Assigning Tasks With three members in a group, each person can fill an important group-maintenance role: leader, recorder, or evaluator. The leader is responsible for setting the agenda, making sure all members know about meetings, and leading discussions. (Leaders may be chosen by their groups or may arise naturally; in some groups, various members take the lead at different points in the project.) The recorder takes minutes and keeps track of who’s doing what. The evaluator keeps the group on target and initiates discussions about how the group is functioning.

The most effective way to assign tasks for a project is on the basis of students’ interests. Groups should therefore encourage members who are proficient at doing library research, conducting one-on-one interviews, or typing to do so. You might want to supplement group assignment of tasks by providing a list of tasks that need to be completed, such as completing secondary and primary research, writing the rough draft, and proofreading the final document.

Each student should keep track of his or her specific responsibilities, hours spent working on them, hours spent meeting with the group, and so on (see Exhibit 1). This log helps students track their own participation and (if turned in) allows you to evaluate individual participation. You may also choose to require each team to hold one team meeting each week and forward a summary of the meeting activities and decisions to you.

Students sometimes wonder how to handle a group member who is not doing his or her share of the work. Before the groups start working on their projects, you might suggest one of these three remedies: (1) group members confront the errant student to work through problems together; (2) you take care of the problem when you evaluate the student’s individual work; or (3) you talk with the student in a private conference or talk with the entire group. You might create role-play situations so that students can practice confronting “freeloaders.”

Some instructors allow teams to fire group members who do not meet group expectations. A fired team member must then complete the project individually.

Early in the team process, have each team develop a contract of expectations that all members sign. This contract and documentation of a member’s actions provide support for the firing of the individual.

ASSIGNING SHORT-TERM PROJECTS If time for collaborative writing is limited, you might assign a project that will take only two or three class sessions. Chapters 1 through 9 in the textbook offer a variety of activities that can be performed by groups. (These are also good warmup activities for a collaborative report-writing project.) The Chapter Guides in this manual suggest solutions for each activity, and pointers for writing in each chapter of the textbook .

Collaborative Writing Guide

provide evaluation guidelines.

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EXHIBIT 1

INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP TASK SHEET

Name of Group/Team Topic for Group Research Report Individual’s Name Function in Group (leader, secretary, typist, editor, etc.)

What you did (be specific)

Group meetings (where and when)

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Time spent (date; hours and minutes)

Who Attended

Time Spent

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Here are some additional short-term assignments: 1. Divide the class into groups of people in similar majors, and then ask each group to compose a letter soliciting career information from someone in their chosen field.

For example, accounting students might ask questions like these: What kind of courses did you take in college? What liberal arts courses prepared you for a career in accounting? What kind of starting salary can an accountant expect to receive?

What are the best geographic locations for accountants? What is your professional life like on a daily basis? The groups can brainstorm to come up with questions and a recipient for the letter. They will compose a rough draft (which you should evaluate) and prepare and mail a final draft. The response can then be used in conjunction with the chapter on writing application letters and résumés or as a basis for discussing career opportunities.

2. To gather information for the report-writing project, each group might write a letter asking for information from someone who has knowledge of the group’s topic. This letter might serve as an interview in written form.

3. Ask groups to give themselves a name and assume the role of consultants hired to make suggestions for changes at the school. After discussing a problem within the school, they can write a collaborative proposal (letter or memo) to mail to the appropriate audience.

4. Ask groups to compose letters inviting a prominent businessperson to speak to the class. The entire class might select the most effective letter for actual mailing.

5. Ask whether the school would be interested in a newsletter produced by groups of your students. Or have students write articles for the public relations office at your school. You might also consider publishing a newsletter for your business communication classes.

6. Ask groups to write summaries of important articles on business communication.

Each group could research several articles on one topic, such as customer service or sexual harassment, and then write a summary of the articles for presentation to the class.

UNDERTAKING A LONG-TERM PROJECT The long-term project described here is a 7–10 page analytical or informational report.

For complete exposure to the collaborative process, each group produces a work plan, a rough draft, a progress report, a final report, an oral presentation, and an evaluation of each participant’s work with the group. Most of the data for the reports are gathered from library research and interviews.

Because of the scope of this project, give students time in class to meet with their groups, and remember that you are there as a facilitator. Try to limit your interaction with the groups to observing or answering questions about the project; try to avoid becoming another member of the group by offering too many suggestions or taking over the decision-making process. Remember, you are an authority figure, and students tend to acquiesce to what they perceive to be your agenda.

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Overview of the Process The report-writing project usually takes at least eight weeks, although you may find that you can eliminate some classroom time. The following week-by-week schedule indicates which chapters and topics to discuss and when to collect specific assignments: Week 1 •• Introduction to group dynamics covered in Chapter 2 (working in teams); discuss student attitudes about and experiences with groups • Instruction in brainstorming and decision-making techniques Discussion of Chapter 10 (planning reports); formation of groups; selection of topics; discussion of evaluation procedures Week 2 • Discussion of Chapter 10 (work plans); analysis of sample work plans • Work in groups on work plans • Discussion of secondary and primary research Week 3 • WORK PLAN DUE • Group conferences on work plans • Group work on secondary and primary research Week 4 • Discussion of Chapter 10 (investigation for business reports and proposals) • Group work on rough drafts • Discussion of Appendix B (documentation) • Conferences with groups (progress check) Week 5 • Discussion of Chapter 10 (progress reports); analysis of sample progress reports • Discussion of Chapter 5 (readability) • ROUGH DRAFT DUE Week 6 • Group conferences on rough drafts • PROGRESS REPORT DUE • Discussion of Chapter 11 (visuals) • Discussion of Chapter 12 (electronic presentations) Week 7 • Discussion of Chapter 11 (writing and completing reports) • Discussion of Chapter 12 (presentations); assignment of presentation dates Week 8 • FINAL REPORT DUE, EVALUATION AND TASK SHEET DUE, PRESENTATION DUE The following week, return the final reports with grades, give students their individual evaluations, and inform them of their grades on the oral presentations.

You may want to meet with groups to discuss their final reports. However, be sure that you don’t discuss individual grades with other group members present. .

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Step-by-Step Guide A lengthy collaborative project like this offers students a variety of challenges. These are the seven main steps in the process: 1. Selecting a topic 2. Formulating a work plan 3. Collecting secondary and primary information 4. Composing a rough draft 5. Writing a progress report 6. Preparing a final report 7. Giving a presentation Selecting a Topic. Groups should be allowed to select their own topics because students work better on report assignments when they choose their area of research. Yet you can simplify their decision-making process and your own evaluation of their work by providing some framework for their choices. You might give them free range within any of the following three general areas:

•

•

•

They could analyze some aspect of university life, such as housing or parking problems. Part of the task is to recommend solutions to the problem they select.

On-campus research has the advantage of alleviating scheduling difficulties that students might have.

They could gather information on a business topic of their choice, such as problems faced by two-career families, the characteristics of the job market, or small-business opportunities in their own community. The only criterion for this type of project is that it in some way involves information pertinent to the business world. You might give them a list of possible topic choices or spend part of a class brainstorming. This method elicits a sense of commitment and allows students to choose topics that they already know something about. It may therefore be particularly good for classes that include several nontraditional students who often bring to the classroom years of experience.

They could work on one of the cases or collaborative activities at the end of Chapters 10 and 11. The activities may be used as they are or supplemented with additional procedures.

Formulating a Work Plan. The first document the groups produce is a work plan (Chapter 10). In the form of memos written to you, work plans include (1) a statement of the problem, (2) an analysis of the audience, (3) a statement of the purpose of the report, (4) a description of research methodology, (5) background information necessary for the audience’s understanding, (6) a review of planned areas of research, (7) a brief bibliography (if necessary), and (8) a schedule of when each task will be accomplished (the fixed due dates you have established).

The work plan may be written as a whole by one group member (but only after group discussion), in parts by members of the group, or completely by the group.

Some groups prefer to have each member write all the parts and then decide together which versions to use.

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Collecting Secondary and Primary Information. The next phase is to collect data for the report (see Chapter 10). You may assign reports that require library (secondary) research, primary research (typically collected through interviews), or both secondary and primary research. Primary research is often included in business reports.

Begin by discussing with students your expectations for depth of research and types of sources you expect the team to include in the report. For secondary research, be sure to include a discussion of what you view as credible Internet sources.

If teams must conduct interviews, provide sufficient guidance in the development of questions. Also teach students how to conduct interviews. Caution them to set up interviews early so that they can work around the interviewee’s schedule. In addition to interviewing people who have information related to their report topic, students might want to interview the audience for whom the report is intended, to determine its needs and concerns. Remind students that the audience for the analytical or informational report is whoever has authority to make changes. For example, the audience for an analytical report on campus parking problems would be the administrator(s) with power to change parking policies.

Students may formulate interview questions individually, partly with the group, or completely with the group. For example, they could bring possible questions to a group meeting, at which members would select the questions. Or the entire group could brainstorm and then select the questions. Generally, however, the questions are written as a group. Require teams to submit interview questions for your review and constructive criticism. Groups should then revise the questions for your final review prior to conducting actual interviews. (Strongly urge students to tape-record interviews so that they can concentrate on listening and asking questions during the interviews.)

Composing a Rough Draft. So that students focus on essentials, ask them to provide rough drafts consisting only of the introduction, body, and conclusions or recommendations. The introduction describes the problem, the purpose, the methodology used for research, and any background information necessary; the body describes and analyzes the results of the research. Pay little attention to format at this stage.

Basically, groups can put the draft together in one of two ways: (1) members can write about their own areas of specialization and then hand in four or five sections written individually or (2) the entire group can pool its research and write the draft together. The second approach is used less frequently because it is more difficult. Let the groups select the method that works better for them.

Writing a Progress Report. The third document in the report package is a progress report, which is written individually, not collaboratively. This progress report should be a one-page memo written to you explaining what the group has accomplished and what the individual group member has accomplished. Exhibit 2 is a handout for the assignment.

Progress reports (1) give you information about the involvement of individual group members, (2) give students an opportunity to earn individual grades, and (3) prepare students both for ongoing evaluation during the report process and for self-assessment at completion.

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EXHIBIT 2

PROGRESS REPORT The purpose of a progress report in the business world is to let your supervisor (or project director) know what steps are being taken to complete a project so that he or she can make decisions. The purpose of your progress report for this class is to let me know how your group is functioning and what progress you are making toward completing your report. One thing to keep in mind: A progress report is useless unless it reports candidly and honestly. In business, if you are having problems finding information, completing the project, or working with other team members, you MUST let your supervisor know. Without that information, he or she might make erroneous assumptions or decisions, which may later cause problems for you and the company.

ASSIGNMENT Write a progress report, addressed to me, that is single-spaced and no more than one page long.

FORMAT Use memo format and the following headings: BACKGROUND: A statement of the purpose of your project and the problem you are investigating WORK COMPLETED: What you have done for the project (the exact tasks you have completed), how much time you have spent so far (check your task sheet), general information about group progress, and problems you have encountered in doing the research and working with the group PRESENT WORK: What you are presently working on and, in general, what information you have found WORK TO BE COMPLETED: What remains to be done, what problems you anticipate, and what you hope the results of your research will be

EVALUATION CRITERIA You will be graded on the progress report’s format, writing style, and mechanics and on your candor, honesty, and participation.

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When assigning progress reports, stress the importance of candor and honesty.

The purpose of progress reports in the business world is to give managers the information they need to make vital decisions; painting an unduly rosy picture subverts the decision-making process. Also point out that student complaints about other group members’ work will have no effect once the group has been graded, so they should use the progress report to make you aware of any potential problems. In addition, remind them that their progress reports are the equivalent of employee evaluations, which are expected to include both negative and positive assessments.

Preparing a Final Report. Students’ final reports should have at least nine parts: 1. Professional-looking cover 2. Title page 3. Table of contents 4. Synopsis 5. Introduction (statement of the problem, purpose of the report, scope and limitations, methodology, background information) 6. Body of the report 7. Summary, conclusions, or recommendations 8. Appendixes (copies of interview questions, handouts used in the presentation, visual aids not appropriate for inclusion in the body of the report, and so on) 9. Bibliography 10. Visual aids (optional) 11. Letter of transmittal (optional) The final report and the rough draft are usually written in the same manner. That is, if group members write the draft together sentence by sentence, they write the final report that way. If they write parts of the rough draft individually and revise together, they write the final report that way.

At this point, the problem of consistent style arises. Often, one member of the group edits the report for format, sentence structure, and other matters discussed in Chapters 5 and 11. To clarify the distinction between revising and editing, you might tell students that most report writers work together during revision but leave the editing to one member and the proofreading to another.

Giving a Presentation. In addition to the group-writing project, students may also collaborate on an oral presentation (see Chapter 12), which they present to the class.

Their presentations should last 8 to 12 minutes, with each member responsible for a 3- to 4-minute segment. You may ask students to use visual aids in their presentations. After each presentation, the entire class critiques it.

Students generally plan their group’s presentation together, but each member outlines his or her own section and, possibly, a recalcitrant group member’s section.

As with the written document, the group works together to rehearse and revise the presentation.

EVALUATING COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS Both short- and long-term projects may be evaluated on the merits of the end product .

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and on the basis of group members’ participation. But if the short-term project is

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considered a warm-up exercise, you should focus on evaluating the long-term project, which takes place in six phases: 1. Evaluation of work plan (group grade) 2. Evaluation of rough draft (group conference) 3. Evaluation of progress reports (individual grade) 4. Evaluation of final report (group grade) 5. Evaluation of presentation (group and individual grade; optional) 6. Evaluation of participation in group (individual grade) The purpose of the work plan is to allow students to develop goals for the project and for themselves and to allow you to foresee any problems they might have in focusing their research. The criteria for the grade are the feasibility of the project; the care with which the plan was developed; and the ordinary concerns of style, grammar, and the like.

After students hand in their rough drafts, write comments on them and meet with the groups to make suggestions for further research, answer questions about the topic, assess the dynamics of the group, and so on. Don’t interfere by making the group’s decisions, but suggest ways for students to motivate everyone to participate. Of course, you can’t resolve all conflicts. Conflict is unavoidable and a necessary part of the group decision-making process, often facilitating change and growth. But it’s destructive when groups become dysfunctional because of it.

Exhibit 2 explains the evaluation criteria for the progress report (graded individually). The final report is evaluated on its own merits, and the entire group receives that grade. In addition to asking the entire class to critique each presentation, you might write a fuller group evaluation. Base individual grades on students’ ability to handle visual aids, working knowledge of the topic, oral language skills, and so on.

Finally, all students evaluate fellow group members, as well as themselves. This evaluation allows you to give each student an individual grade for participation and for interaction with other group members. You may collect students’ task sheets (Exhibit 1). Also, the evaluation form in Exhibit 3 lets students score and rank fellow group members’ work. You may find that students rank two or more group members equally; accept this judgment if it’s the group’s consensus.

To summarize, students’ final grades for this collaborative report-writing project are based (1) individually on their progress reports, participation in the presentation, task sheets, and evaluation forms and (2) as a group on their work plan, final report, and presentation. Evaluation is the most difficult part of teaching collaborative writing because of the difficulty of determining individual grades. But giving individual grades ensures that all members contribute.4

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REFERENCES Notes 1. Lisa S. Ede and Andrea A. Lunsford, “Why Write . . . Together: A Research Update,” Rhetoric Review 5 (1986): 71–81.

2. Shlomo Sharan, “Cooperative Learning in Small Groups: Recent Methods and Review of Educational Effects on Achievement, Attitudes, and Ethnic Relations,” Research 50 (1980): 241–271; Robert Slavin, “Cooperative Learning,” Review of Educational Research50 (1980): 315–342.

3. 4.John F. Cragan and David W. Wright, Communication in Small Group Discussions: A Case Study Approach (New York: West, 1980).

Slavin, “Cooperative Learning.”

Bibliography Allen, Nancy, et al. “What Experienced Collaborators Say about Collaborative Writing.” Journal of Business and Technical Communication 1 (1987): 70–90.

Bruffee, Kenneth. “Collaborative Learning: Some Practical Models.” College English 34 (1973): 48–57.

Cragan, John F., and David W. Wright. Communication in Small Group Discussions: A Case Study Approach. New York: West, 1980.

Duin, Ann Hill. “Implementing Cooperative Learning Groups in the Writing Curriculum: What Research Shows and What You Can Do.” ERIC, ED 251849 (1984): 2–12.

Ede, Lisa S., and Andrea A. Lunsford. “Why Write . . . Together: A Research Update.” Rhetoric Review 5 (1986): 71–81.

Faigley, Lester, and Thomas P. Miller. “What We Learn from Writing on the Job.” College English 44 (1982): 557–569.

Johnson, D. W., and R. T. Johnson. Learning Together and Alone. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1975.

Sharan, Shlomo. “Cooperative Learning in Small Groups: Recent Methods and Effects on Achievement, Attitudes, and Ethnic Relations.” Review of Educational Research 50 (1980): 241–271.

Slavin, Robert. “Cooperative Learning.” Review of Educational Research 50 (1980): 315–342.

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General Teaching Guides

EXHIBIT 3

INDIVIDUAL EVALUATIONS On the other side is an evaluation form to fill out for the members of your group.

This information will allow me to assign individual grades for group participation.

Write comments telling me specifically why each individual received the score he or she did. If these forms are not filled out with comments, you will lose points.

1. The information you provide on this assessment sheet is private communication between you and me. It will not be shared with the other members of your group.

2. No two people should get exactly the same assessment. Group members are individuals, with different strengths and weaknesses, so they can reasonably be expected to participate at different levels in each category. Assessments do not normally cluster at the top end—or the low end—of the scale.

3. Be ready to explain your assessments throughout the project if I ask you to do so.

4. Keeping notes on each person’s participation will help you fairly evaluate fellow group members. Avoid making up responses at the end of the project.

5. Assign points for each group member’s participation in each category: 5 = Excellent 4 = Good 3 = Average 2 = Poor 1 = Dismal or did not do anything at all Scores of 1 should be reserved for situations where the individual’s participation damaged the group’s final report or social relations. You will probably be asked to justify more than three or four 5s for a single person. No one is usually excellent in every area.

6. Be sure to total each person’s score.

7. The scores you assign will be reflected in the individual’s final grade on the project.

8. You MUST write comments to justify your scores. Feel free to write any additional comments that will help me fairly evaluate each individual’s participation.

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Collaborative Writing Guide

37

EXHIBIT 3 (Continued)

YOUR NAME _______________________________________________________ GROUP MEMBER’S NAME __________________________________________ CRITERIA Being at and on time for meetings Accepting responsibility and volunteering Contributing ideas

POINTS COMMENTS

Talking and participating in meetings/discussions Doing a fair share of the work Interacting smoothly with other group members Seeking/listening to others’ ideas Showing respect for other members and their ideas Being prepared with ideas and information at meetings Working well with other group members TOTAL POINTS: Please rank all group members (including yourself) in order of overall participation, beginning with the strongest member.

Additional comments:

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USE SERVICE LEARNING TO ADD REAL-WORLD WRITING EXPERIENCE TO YOUR COURSE

by Kathy Mennen Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, Michigan WHAT IS SERVICE LEARNING? Service leaning is both a pedagogy and a philosophy; the central idea is to provide students with a setting for meaningful learning through a specific, curriculum-based community service activity.

It is a “win-win” situation for everyone because students get to apply their knowledge and skills in “the real world,” a nonprofit organization gets free help, and the service clients reap the benefits of the extra assistance.

Research shows that service learning helps students retain more information learned in class, achieve higher course grades, and have greater satisfaction with the course (Gray et al., 1998). It also shows that service learning increases students’ awareness of their community and its needs, helps change stereotypical beliefs, and increases understanding of social and cultural diversity (Eyler & Giles, 1999).

EXAMPLE PROJECT: GRANT RESEARCH AND WRITING ASSISTANCE In my Advanced Report Writing class at Baker College of Muskegon, Michigan, we worked with the local chapter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters. One particularly successful project was doing grant research and writing grant applications. Through this project, the agency received the equivalent of a part-time fund developer: Baker College students conducted more than 1,000 hours of research over 2 years.

The agency’s fund development officer provided a list of all the private and public foundations in Michigan (which numbered in the many hundreds). To find out whether a foundation was a prospective grantor, the students used Guidestar to look up the foundation’s IRS 990 form that outlines the organization’s latest financial statement, its mission, the kinds of projects that it does or does not fund, its application procedures, and more. If the information was not available on Guidestar, the students contacted the organization.

Once they had identified grant possibilities, students had the opportunity to write a grant request. The fund development officer, a seasoned grant writer, provided training. She also provided a “boilerplate” document that contained basic information about the agency and the particular program. The students then tailored the information to the grant application requirements. Big Brothers/Big Sisters received a draft, which they finalized at the agency.

The students discussed their results and experiences at the end of the term and presented the final product to Big Brothers/Big Sisters by memo with the documentation attached. The students also wrote a brief reflection paper summarizing and commenting on their experience.

The project was graded on participation, adherence to deadlines, and the quality of the final product.

At the end of the term, Big Brothers/Big Sisters presented the students with certificates of appreciation, often in the presence of the college dean or president. The students enjoyed receiving public validation of their service. Because their work was used for good, the students found this project a meaningful way to apply their research and writing skills. The project also enhanced interest in the course, as enrollments rose significantly. For the instructor, such a project involved extra work, of course. But it is worth the work to see students realize that writing really is powerful and influential “in the real world.” .

Service Learning Guides

37

HOW TO INCORPORATE SERVICE LEARNING INTO YOUR COURSE •

•

• •

• • •

•

Identify a course objective best suited to service learning. Here are some examples typical to business communication courses: “Report the results of Project X in a way that is meaningful to the target audience,” “Design a public relations campaign promoting a community event,” or “Analyze different mass communication media and their cultural impact on society.” Brainstorm ideas for service-learning projects you might develop that meet course objectives. You do not have to reinvent the wheel, though; if you find a project that has been done successfully elsewhere, try it.

A great place to start is the Campus Compact Web site (www.compact.org) that contains more than 300 sample syllabi. Identify a community agency that might need such a service or contact the local United Way to get assistance on identifying such an agency. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Work directly with the agency decision makers to identify projects appropriate for all concerned. You will need to educate the agency on just what it is you are offering. Provide a copy of your course syllabus, and bring a sample proposal project if possible. Stay focused. Focus your efforts on one agency and develop a relationship with them. Even if you “run out of things to do” for that agency, your good name will go a long way to getting referrals to other agencies in need. Start out small. Do not start out with a huge, term-long project. Even a small, 1-day or 1- week project has a lot of “kinks” that need to be worked out as you go along! Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate. If the service-learning project is not connected to a grade, students will resent the “work for nothing” and derive little from the experience. Some evaluation methods include an oral presentation, written report, journal writings reflecting on their experiences, artifacts, or products of the project. The possibilities are many. Encourage reflection. The literature on service learning emphasizes that students should be asked to think about their experience (Bringle & Hatcher, 1999; Cooper, 1998). Journal writing is especially emphasized. However, reflection can be done in many other ways, such as class discussion, progress reports (oral or written), and so on. Provide an opportunity for reflection in whatever way suits you, the course, and your students best.

REFERENCES Bringle, R. G., & Hatcher, J. A. (1999). Reflection in service-learning: Making meaning of experience. Educational Horizons, 77(4), 179-185.

Cooper, D. D. (1998). Reading, writing, and reflection. In R. A. Rhoades & J. Howard (Eds.), Academic service learning: A pedagogy of action and reflection (pp. 47-56). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Eyler, J. S., & Giles, D. E., Jr. (1999). Where’s the learning in service-learning? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Gray, M. J., Ondaatje, E. H., Fricker, R., Geschwind, S., Goldman, C. A., Kaganoff, T., et al.

(1998). Coupling service and learning in higher education: The final report of the evaluation of the Learn and Serve America, Higher Education Program.

Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.

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REAL CLIENTS, REAL MANAGEMENT, REAL FAILURE: THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF SERVICE LEARNING

By Dale Cyphert University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa As I entered the classroom, a team waited for me at the media console: “We finally have an issue!” The announcement was made with a clear sense of urgency, but also anticipation. During the various reviews, this team had been smugly disappointed to report no problems with its project. Today—the day of the event—the speaker had cancelled. It would not be an easy day, but I could sense that these women were “ready for the test.” Furthermore, it was a test that really mattered. Their first call had been to the client, who had advertised the event more widely than planned: A full lecture hall was expected at 3 p.m. this afternoon. “Great,” the caller had told the rest of her group, “now we’ll have twice as many people to be totally humiliated in front of!”

There are multiple advantages to service-learning projects across the business curriculum, but in communication classes I have found their biggest value to be authenticity. A “real-world” assignment requires the flexible, creative integration of communication skills in an environment where, “unlike exams and other typical university assignments,” there is “no single correct answer” (Bush-Bacelis, 1998, p. 21). Even more important, phone calls with potential employers, e-mails with organizational executives who do not assume the priorities of an academic semester, conversations to clarify expectations and deadlines with disgruntled clients, or, for this group, an audience of 60 or 70 students expecting a program on business etiquette creates a personal investment in the outcome of one’s own communication.

In spite of the pedagogical advantages, service learning is sometimes perceived as a major organizational challenge for the instructor, requiring institutional commitment, alliances with community agencies, student inducements, and a careful integration of academic curriculum (Gujarathi & McQuade, 2002). This team’s experience was a reminder that neither complicated administration nor significant instructor involvement is needed to create a platform that reaps the benefits of service learning. A bona fide client with a real concern for an outcome is enough to foster a learning experience that extends beyond the books, beyond the classroom, and beyond students’ comfort zone.

The service elements of this assignment have developed over several years, driven primarily by student interest in serving clients in meaningful ways. The assignment is simply to “undertake a project that will enhance the business communication skills at the university.” The organization, commitment, alliance-building, motivation, and curricular connections required for effective service learning are functions that have all been taken on by students. The key has been to make it possible for students to take on that role, which they have done within an assignment structure that encourages a continuous process of organizational learning through individual and team tasks.

Students are first required to propose a project to the class that promises to “enhance business communication skills.” They are encouraged to review an ever-expanding list of previous project ideas (Cyphert, 2005b) and required to introduce themselves to their prospective teammates with an online professional bio prior to the speech (Cyphert, 2005a). After hearing their peers’ proposals and reviewing their bios and résumés, students are asked to rank their top three choices of projects. A few projects are always oversubscribed—running the annual golf outing for the management student club is easily the most popular choice—and a few students have unusual interests, but preferences can generally be accommodated to create groups of four to six students. .

Service Learning Guides

39

The first assignment involves project planning, with teams required to submit a memo of understanding with a client, a project Gantt chart, and a budget. Some projects involve more service to the community than others, but because every team must define its deliverables to a “real” client, the element of authenticity is built into the assignment. (The instructor is also the client for teams that choose to enhance the college’s business communication Web site, http://www.cba.uni.edu/buscomm/. These tend to be selected by management information systems (MIS) majors for whom the high visibility of a live Web site creates risks and rewards comparable to those of working with an outside client.) Because project ideas spring completely from student interests, most clients have been individuals or organizations from the campus community, and most projects involve event planning or Web site development. In no case has the instructor ever made the arrangements for a service project, although a few potential clients have asked to be placed on the list. In reality, there are always more willing clients than there are teams available, and the passion of the students—along with the attendant risk— is maximized when they identify their own project.

Once projects are defined and under way, a series of tasks requires students to evaluate and adjust their own communication processes: agendas and minutes for a meeting to which the “supervisor” (the instructor) is invited, a project status memo, and an internal team review. Each team must make a final recommendation to “upper management” (the deans, faculty members, members of the business community, and the teams’ clients and invited guests) as to the viability of the project in terms of meeting the organization’s overall “business” goal of enhancing business communication skills at the university. This final meeting requires a short, softwaresupported presentation and a discussion of the project goals and outcome. Finally, each team is required to create transmittal documents to pass the project to the next team. An updated Web page for the project list will justify the project to students in the next semester, and an updated documentation binder will be passed to a team that takes it on.

Given the level of work involved in the various assignments, along with the heightened attention to quality when faced with the needs of a real client, student satisfaction with the project is heavily dependent on a perception that the team has provided an authentic service to a client.

Furthermore, it is this sense of satisfaction that garners the most response when communicated clearly on the course Web site, and these are the projects that are repeated. With their continued success, a tradition of service has evolved in a course structure that asks only that students do a team project.

As a central activity, these projects integrate virtually every assignment in the course, and students see how various communication events interact and overlap. Slides created for the initial proposal are updated and expanded for the team’s final discussion. A mission statement in the team’s memo of understanding becomes a paragraph on the team’s final Web site. Because the team projects have been in effect for several years, students who mention the course to faculty or the dean are likely to need an “elevator speech” on their projects, with a thesis that might be revisited when those same individuals attend the final presentations. These connections are only relevant, however, because the students perceive the project as a “real” one, with all the attendant risks and rewards.

To be sure, there is also some risk to the instructor and the university. Outright failure seldom occurs, but outcomes are rarely of completely professional quality. Clients are sometimes annoyed that students’ understanding of “as soon as possible” still reflects academic rather than business cultural norms. Vendor relationships are sometimes damaged by a team that fails to clarify expectations or pay bills in a timely fashion. Administrators and faculty can be appalled at students’ lack of respect for organizational authority and structure. Service learning sends students out on a limb, with the instructor not far behind. .

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General Teaching Guides

I have learned to require contact information for each team’s client, and I now contact the clients after I have collected the memos of understanding, confirming their awareness of the project, asking them to treat the team as they would any vendor or consultant, and thanking them profusely for their cooperation in an educational exercise. I occasionally find a client who has been identified by the team but has not been properly communicated with, but I have never found a client who has not understood the risks inherent in working with a student group.

The team I found at my console late this semester survived its crisis. A substitute speaker was located because the team had maintained good contacts with the campus career center during the project. The day was a hectic round of emails, phone calls, schedule coordination, and photocopying, but it was a day these students will never forget. These women realized they were working well outside of their “comfort zone,” and they delighted in their triumph. In spite of the uncomplicated structure of the assignment, its student-driven service component creates an element of risk that sparks the self-awareness of authentic learning.

REFERENCES Bush-Bacelis, J. L. (1998). Innovative pedagogy: Academic service-learning for business communication. Business Communication Quarterly, 61(3), 20-34.

Cyphert, D. (2005a). Business communication (150:113): Fall, 2005. University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved December 16, 2005, from http://www.cba.uni.edu/buscomm/buscomcourse/roster.html Cyphert, D. (2005b). Business communication projects. University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved December 16, 2005, from http://www.cba.uni.edu/buscomm/buscomcourse/projects.html Gujarathi, M. R., & McQuade, R. J. (2002). Service-learning in business schools: A case study in an intermediate accounting course. Journal of Education for Business, 77(3), 144-150.

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DIAGNOSTIC TESTS OF ENGLISH SKILLS Good English skills are vital for every business professional, and Business Communication Essentials stresses knowledge and practice of correct usage—most notably in Chapter 5, “Completing Business Messages,” and in the “Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage.”

We’ve provided two 50-question tests to help you assess students skills. The first appears on pages H-1 through H-3 of the Handbook and is also included as Test A (in photocopy-ready format) on the following two pages. The second test, labeled Test B, follows the same structure as Test A but with a different set of questions. You can use one test as a pretest and one as a posttest, or you can use the two tests for different groups of students.

The tests cover six areas of grammar, mechanics, and usage: • Questions 1-5: Parts of speech Questions 6• 15: Correct usage Questions 16-20: Flaws • in sentence structure Questions 21-30: • Punctuation Questions 31-40: Mechanics • Questions 41-50 Vocabulary • In addition, each of the 50 questions is keyed to a specific numbered section in the Handbook, so students can quickly find more information on each topic: Q

Handbook Section Q

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

1.1–1.6 1.1–1.6 1.1–1.6 1.1–1.6 1.1–1.6 1.1.4 1.2.3 1.2.4 1.2.5 1.2.6

Handbook Section Q

11. 1.3.3 12. 1.3.4 13. 1.3.4 14. 1.5.2 15. 1.6.1 16. 1.7.4 17. 1.7.3 18. 1.7.3 19. 1.7.7 20. 1.7.6

Handbook Section Q

21.

2.2 22.

2.4 23.

2.4 24.

2.5 25.

2.6 26.

2.6 27.

2.6 28.

2.7 29. 2.8 30. 2.10

Handbook Section Q

31. 3.1 32. 3.1 33. 3.1 34. 3.2 35. 3.3 36. 3.3 37. 3.3 38. 3.4 39. 3.4 40. 3.4

Handbook Section

41. 4.1 42. 4.1 43. 4.1 44. 4.1 45. 4.2 46. 4.2 47. 4.3 48. 4.3 49. 4.3 50. 4.3

ANSWER KEY FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST A (and the test shown in the Handbook) 1. F 6. A 11. B 16. B 21. B 26. A 31. 2. D 7. B 12. A 17. A 22. B 27. B 32. 3.* A B

36. A 41. A 46. B 37. B 42. B 47.

8. A 13. A 18. D 23. A 28. B 33. 4. B 9. B 14. B 19. E 24. A 29. A 34. 5. E 10. B A

B 38. B 43. A 48. A 39. A 44. A

15. A 20. C 25. B 30. B 35. *In early printings of the fourth edition, an underline is missing under the word question is correct as shown in Test A on the following page.

49. B 40. B 45. B 50. A

.

C B

A presentationin Q3 in the Handbook; the

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General Teaching Guides

ANSWER KEY FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST B 1.

C

6.

A

11.

B

16.

B

21.

A

26.

B

31.

B

36.

A

41.

A

46.

A

2.

B

7.

A

12.

A

17.

A

22.

B

27.

A

32.

A

37.

B

42.

B

47.

B

3.

D

8.

B

13.

B

18.

D

23.

B

28.

B

33.

C

38.

A

43.

B

48.

A

4.

B

9.

A

14.

B

19.

E

24.

B

29.

A

34.

B

39.

A

44.

A

49.

B

5.

E

10.

A

15.

A

20.

C

25.

A

30.

B

35.

B

40.

B

45.

B

50.

B

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Diagnostic Tests of English Skills

43

ENGLISH SKILLS TEST A The following choices apply to items 1–5. Write in each blank the letter of the choice that best describes the part of speech that is underlined.

A. noun

E. adverb

B. pronoun C. verb

F. preposition G. conjunction

D. adjective

H. article

____ 1. The new branch location will be decided by next week. ____ 2. We must hire only qualified, ambitious graduates. ____ 3. After their presentation, I was still undecided. ____ 4. See me after the meeting. ____ 5. Margaret, pressed for time, turned in unusually sloppy work.

For items 6–15, write the letter of the word or phrase that best completes each sentence. _____ 6. (A. Russ’s, B. Russ’) laptop was stolen last week. _____ 7. Speaking only for (A. me, B. myself), I think the new policy is discriminatory. _____ 8. Of the five candidates we interviewed yesterday, (A. who, B. whom) do you believe is the best choice? _____ 9. India has increased (A. it’s, B. its) imports of corn and rice. _____ 10. Anyone who wants to be (A. their, B. his or her) own boss should think about owning a franchise. _____ 11. If the IT department can’t (A. lie, B. lay) the fiber optic cable by March 1, the plant will not open on schedule. _____ 12. Starbucks (A. is, B. are) opening five new stores in San Diego in the next year. _____ 13. The number of women-owned small businesses (A. has, B. have) increased sharply in the past two decades. _____ 14. Greg and Bernyce worked (A. good, B. well) together. _____ 15. They distributed the supplies (A. among, B. between) the six staff members.

The following choices apply to items 16–20. Write in each blank the letter of the choice that best describes the sentence structure problem with each item.

A. sentence fragment

D. fused sentence

B. comma splice C. misplaced modifier

E. lack of parallelism F. unclear antecedent

____ 16. The number of employees who took the buyout offer was much higher than expected, now the entire company is understaffed. ____ 17. The leader in Internet-only banking. ____ 18. Diamond doesn’t actually sell financial products rather it acts as an intermediary. ____ 19. Helen’s proposal is for not only the present but also for the future. .

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General Teaching Guides

____ 20. When purchasing luxury products, quality is more important than price for consumers.

For items 21–30, select the best punctuation choice from among those provided.

21. A. What do you think of the ad slogan “Have it your way?”

B. What do you think of the ad slogan “Have it your way”?

22. A. Send copies to Jackie Cross, Uniline, Brad Nardi, Peale & Associates, and Tom Griesbaum, MatchMakers.

B. Send copies to Jackie Cross, Uniline; Brad Nardi, Peale & Associates; and Tom Griesbaum, MatchMakers.

23. A. They’ve recorded 22 complaints since yesterday, all of them from long-time employees.

B. They’ve recorded 22 complaints since yesterday; all of them from long-time employees.

24. A. We are looking for two qualities in applicants: experience with computers and an interest in people.

B. We are looking for two qualities in applicants; experience with computers and an interest in people.

25. A. At the Center for the Blind the clients we serve have lost vision, due to a wide variety of causes.

B. At the Center for the Blind, the clients we serve have lost vision due to a wide variety of causes.

26. A. Replace your standard light bulbs with new, compact fluorescent bulbs.

B. Replace your standard light bulbs with new, compact, fluorescent bulbs.

C. Replace your standard light bulbs with new compact fluorescent bulbs.

27. A. Blue Cross of California may have changed its name to Anthem Blue Cross but the company still has the same commitment to California.

B. Blue Cross of California may have changed its name to Anthem Blue Cross, but the company still has the same commitment to California.

28. A. Only eight banks in this country—maybe nine can handle a transaction of this magnitude.

B. Only eight banks in this country—maybe nine—can handle a transaction of this magnitude.

29. A. Instead of focusing on high-growth companies, we targeted mature businesses with only one or two people handling the decision making.

B. Instead of focusing on high growth companies, we targeted mature businesses with only one or two people handling the decision-making.

30. A. According to board president Damian Cabaza “having a crisis communication plan is a high priority.”

B. According to board president Damian Cabaza, “Having a crisis communication plan is a high priority.” .