Solution Manual for Business Communication A Problem Solving Approach 2nd Canadian Edition by Kathry

Solution Manual For Business Communication A Problem Solving Approach 2ce Kathryn Rentz, Paula Lentz, Marco Campagna, Carleigh Brady Chapter 1-14 and Refrence(A B)

Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 1: Solving Communication Problems in the Workplace Teaching Suggestions Much of the information you will cover at the beginning of the semester is routine—introduction of yourself, office hours, course requirements, operating policies, and other business. In addition, you will probably want to introduce the subject matter of the course. Chapter 1 contains such an introduction, so you may want to start by summarizing its contents and adding illustrations from your knowledge and experience. Your overall goals should be to convince the students that workplace communication is important in business and to their personal advancement in business; to alert them to current challenges facing business communicators; to convey basic facts about the business-communication environment; and to bring out that business communication, as a problem-solving activity, requires analysis, creativity, and judgment (there are no magic formulas).

If you want to add some interest to this first meeting, try assigning a message to be written in class (but not for a grade). Make the problem a difficult one—a refusal or other bad-news situation requiring tactful handling. Without instructions on such problems, most of the students will write messages that are flawed. Save these messages until you cover this problem in the course and then give the messages back. When the students see their early writing specimens and compare them with their current work, they’ll see the progress they have made. Also, the exercise is good for a few laughs, especially if you have some students read their original messages aloud to the class.

Another idea is to present a sample message (perhaps one from a real business) and, going over each part in detail, discuss the many decisions that went into the writing of the message. For example, the writer had to decide first even whether or not to write; then he/she needed to decide what genre (or form) of message this would be, how formal to make it, how to address the reader, what to say, how to organize the contents, where to put the paragraph breaks, which wording would be best in each place, and so on. This exercise reinforces the key point that good business communication is good decision making—as well as the point that preparing any message of importance will require time, care, and revision.

Still another possibility is the “message makeover” exercise. Present a poorly written message from a real organization, with identifying details removed. A negative message is often the most relatable and entertaining to students. (One option is a memo announcing layoffs.) This also gives you the opportunity to discuss the importance of choosing the correct medium for the message. Ask students what problems they find with the tone, writing style, and information included and how they would improve these.

Then present a well-written revision, explaining that this is the kind of writing they’ll learn how to do in Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

this course. This exercise helps students become aware of how much they already know about identifying good versus bad writing, and how much they stand to learn from the course.

Connect provides instructors with a variety of ways to customize courses, create assignments, determine grading policies, and receive student work. One of the tools Connect offers is the ability to select and add interactive assignments to your course.

The following McGraw-Hill tools are also available to support your business communication instruction: SmartBook personalizes learning to individual student needs, continually adapting to pinpoint knowledge gaps and focus learning on topics that need the most attention. With SmartBook, learning is more productive and takes the guess work out of what to study in a no-fail environment. The result, students are better prepared for class and coursework. For instructors, SmartBook tracks student progress and provides insights that guide teaching strategies and advanced instruction focused on a more dynamic class experience.

Video Capture powered by GoReact embedded in Connect makes it simple for students to record presentations and practice their oral communication skills essential in the business world. GoReact streamlines instructors’ ability to provide personalized skill coaching anywhere students should demonstrate their learning. GoReact allows instructors to easily provide feedback, assign grades, and also share recordings with other students in cases where they evaluate their peers.

Writing Assignment Plus tool delivers a learning experience that improves students’ written communication skills and conceptual understanding with every assignment. Assign, monitor, and provide feedback on writing more efficiently and grade assignments within McGraw-Hill Connect®.

Writing Assignment Plus gives you time-saving tools with a just-in-time basic writing and originality checker.

Learning Objectives LO1-1 Explain the importance of skilful communication to you and to your employer.

LO1-2 Explain the ways in which communication in the workplace is a form of problem solving.

LO1-3 Describe the communication skills that are needed in today’s workplace.

LO1-4 Define professionalism and its importance to communication in the workplace.

LO1-5 Describe the three main categories of business communication.

LO1-6 Define organizational structure and describe its influence on the organization's communication.

LO1-7 Define organizational culture and describe the main factors that influence an organization's culture.

LO1-8 Describe the contexts for each act of communication in the workplace.

LO1-9 Describe the steps of a problem-solving approach to business communication.

Key Terms problem solving heuristics verbal literacy visual literacy interpersonal skills Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

computational thinking interpretive skills new media social intelligence cross-cultural competency corporate social responsibility (CSR) brand activism professionalism business etiquette internal-operational communication external-operational communication personal communication organization structure genres organizational culture larger communication context communicators’ relationship organizational contexts professional contexts personal contexts intertextual context recursive process

Text Summary & Lecture Outline

The Role of Communication in the Workplace Slides 1-2, 1-3 This chapter puts workplace communication in context. It explains the importance of business communication skills, describes large and small factors that affect workplace communication, identifies the main types of communication, and describes the problem-solving approach that is essential to effective communication in organizations.

Slide 1-4 Importance of Communication Skills Communication is important to you and to the organization you will work for. For you, good communication skills can lead to advancement.

Your performance will be judged largely by your ability to communicate. The higher you advance, the greater your need for communication skills will be.

For the organization for which you will work, communicating is important because it is a major part of the work of the business. Communication is essential for organized activity. Much of the work done involves the processing of information.

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Unfortunately, many businesspeople do not communicate well. You might share highly publicized communication blunders that companies have made, or ask students to share stories they may have about how good or poor communication in a company had a significant result, either for a particular communicator or for a company in general.

Multiple surveys find that communication skills are highly prized in job applicants (see the Communication Matters box, “Take It from Today’s Executives: What You Can Do Is Even More Important Than What You Know” for more information), along with such related traits as a strong work ethic, an ability to work in a team, initiative, and the ability to apply what they know to workplace problems. You can also ask the class in what ways they think the coronavirus pandemic may have changed what employers now seek in a job candidate.

Ask students: Can you think of a time when you were part of an unsuccessful project at school or work because of ineffective communication?

(Note: For online courses, you can create assignments via Connect in which students can respond to questions posed during class.)

Slides 1-5, 1-6 Communication as Problem Solving Almost no workplace problem can be solved without communication. But communication itself— figuring out what to say or write, and how—is a form of problem solving. This means that, for most situations, the business communicator will need to take a unique set of circumstances into account and generate a unique solution that will achieve the desired business goals.

You can take this opportunity to explain the difference between well-defined workplace communication problems (with a clear, definite answer) and ill-defined workplace communication problems (containing unknown or unpredictable characteristics). You can show students Exhibit 1-1 or Slide 1-7. Have students provide some examples of well-defined and ill-defined communication problems. During discussion, emphasize the strategic nature of problem solving: It requires planning and making good choices.

Most significant workplace communication problems are ill-defined—because they involve dealing with people, who are complex and unique. To solve these problems requires developing a solution through research, analysis, thinking, and decision-making. ● Research: to gather the relevant information about the participants and the context ● Careful analysis: to interpret the relevant information ● Thinking: to think of possible solutions ● Decision-Making: to pick the solution that will fit this situation best You might ask your class how it’s possible that, when there’s no single “correct” answer to any business communication problem, it’s still possible to say that some solutions are better than others. If you’re not lucky enough to have a savvy student who “gets” this, you can make the point by showing them different handlings of a simple business situation and discussing what makes some better than others.

You can also use the Test Your Judgment scenario to discuss these ideas with the class.

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Slide 1-7 Test Your Decision-Making Skills Let the students consider the scenario presented on the slide: Two employees have reported sexual harassment, but no formal policy is in place. As Director of HR, you need to announce a new sexual harassment policy. What would be the best medium for this message? What features of the context— for example, the number of males and females in the company, their rank of employment, the type of business the company is, the culture of the company, the way employees are used to receiving important message—could influence the choice of medium?

You may want to use Exhibit 1-1 to help the students determine their answers—that is, before they start to consider structure and content, you can steer them through a process that includes brainstorming and defining the problem, generating options and considering the possible audiences of the message, and considering what prior knowledge and context should be considered before crafting the message.

Once they have moved through these steps, instructors can allow them to evaluate options by discussing the structure and medium of a policy message and identifying the style and tone features of a formal communication of this type.

Slide 1-8 Communication Skills The scenario presented on this slide will help students consider how to use communication skills to work successfully together with partners of very different backgrounds. This discussion is a good lead-in to the types of communication skills discussed in the chapter. In response to this scenario, you may look for students to offer discussion about the types of interpersonal/collaboration skills that would be important for these colleagues to work together. Cultural awareness and cross-cultural competency are also essential for success communicating across cultures. Students may identify that social intelligence may be more difficult for these colleagues, but developing the skills mentioned above will help.

Slide 1-9 Types of Communication Skills Ask students to explain and give examples of how each of the following skill areas is involved in communication.

Verbal literacy: The greater your vocabulary and familiarity with language, and the stronger your knowledge of grammar and mechanics, the better you will be able to communicate with a variety of people.

Visual literacy: Thanks to the Internet, readers are now used to graphics-rich content that is inviting and easy to read. Studies have shown that visually enhanced text produces more effective learning than text alone.

Interpersonal skills: Of particular interest to employers these days is employees’ ability to work on a team. The respondents to the latest NACE survey ranked this trait second in terms of the skills they like to see indicated in a résumé.

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Analytical ability: Ask students what kind of thinking is especially valued by employers for processing data. Besides interpreting data, what other interpretive skills are useful in figuring out business solutions?

Media literacy: All the forms of communication that comprise what is known as new media require employees with social intelligence. Ask students to talk about the analogy of the organization as a brain with employees as sensors. What kinds of things do employees have to be aware of?

Cultural awareness: Different kinds of diversity impact the workplace and business communication in different ways.

Ethics and social responsibility: Ethical scandals have hurt many businesses, and social responsibility has become a buzzword and marketing strategy for many companies. Let students discuss the reasons companies need to provide new transparency regarding their business practices. What are the pros and cons of this situation? How does this play out in the individual worker’s performance? What impact does that have on the workplace as a whole? The next slide focuses more on ethical awareness.

More questions for discussion: Expanded media literacy: How are apps, Skype, tweets, social networking, and virtual meetings changing business? How are telecommuting situations, where your first meeting takes place over email and you never meet in person, changing business interaction? How does this change “the stakes” of your first email and subsequent emails? Is it really possible to form a professional relationship over email? Have you ever experienced a business relationship like this? Was it successful? How would you prepare for an online interview vs. an in-person one?

Increased globalism and diversity: Diversity can happen on many levels. Consider the differences between a Baby Boomer who has been in a business for decades and a Millennial who was recently hired into a similar position as the older employee. Does growing up with technology give the Millennial an advantage in the workplace? Why or why not? How might being a digital native affect that person’s view of doing business in the world? What might these two employees be able to gain from one another?

Increased need for strong analytical skills: Your book mentions that many work tasks now require “the ability to determine the deeper meaning or significance of what is being expressed” and that “high-value work . . . has an imaginative component.” Do you agree? Can you recall a project at work where you were required to add value through deep thinking and imagination, even if it was analyzing and presenting a simple report?

Follow-Up Activity: Students could be asked to correct any “bad advice” with helpful suggestions for achieving success in the workplace, and offer their reasoning for those suggestions.

Slides 1-10, 1-11 Will AI Take Your Job? Students can discuss if they believe that AI will take their jobs in the future.

Tom Davenport, an expert in AI, does not believe AI will take most people’s jobs because of what he describes as “uniquely human skills” that we possess. Machines will never have: Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

1. The “ability to imagine new ways of solving problems.”

2. Communication that requires more than data transfer.

3. Comprehension of the bigger picture.

4. The ability to use good judgment in cases where sufficient data can’t be collected.

5. The ability to “tap into the human condition.”

Slides 1-12, 1-13, 1-14 Professionalism Professionalism comes into play in every business interaction. Remind students that professionalism is the set of behaviors that’s expected of them as an employee when they’re in social situations, whether with colleagues, superiors, or such outsiders as partners and customers.

Students can look at the You Make the Call box and discuss when they have observed unprofessional behaviour.

Have students check out “How Professional Is This Email?” and share what they think about the level of professionalism presented in that message. Remind them not to judge the actions of the person being addressed, but to judge the text and tone of the email itself.

Let students discuss the possible factors that influence their assessment of this email. What about this email is professional? What qualities, if any, seem less professional? Just from reading this email, what conclusions would you draw about the nature of the working relationship between these two people?

Let students rework the email in two different ways (you could divide the class into two groups for this exercise): 1) rewrite the email in a much more professional tone; 2) rewrite the email in a less professional, friend-to-friend tone.

The Business Communication Environment Slides 1-15, 1-16, 1-17 Categories of Communication Despite all the changes we’ve seen in the last 25 years or so, most communications in business still fall into one of three basic categories.

Internal-operational communication is all the communication that occurs in conducting work within the business. It is the work done to carry out the operating plan (the business’s plan for doing whatever it was formed to do).

It takes many forms—orders and instructions from superiors; oral exchanges between workers; written reports, emails, messaging platforms, memos, proposals . . . and the list goes on.

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Much of it is conducted through the business’s computer network. (Here you can call attention to the intranet example provided and discuss other contemporary communication media that businesses are using internally.)

External-operational communication is all the communicating businesses do with people and groups outside the business. Because businesses are dependent on outside people and groups, externaloperational communication is necessary for success.

This category includes direct selling (sales presentations, advertising, public relations activities, mailings), social media marketing, correspondence with other businesses, and communication with external parties such as community representatives, nonprofit and/or government organizations, and more.

Nowadays, much of this communicating is technology assisted. Ask students what types of computerassisted messages businesses are sending out these days, besides email, and for what purposes.

Personal communication is the exchange of information and feelings among the workers. Remind students that this is an important type of communication in the workplace as it can help employees build relationships.

People will talk when they come together. Much of this talk is personal. But explain to students that this communicating can affect the workers’ attitudes—and thus their job performance.

The You Make the Call box allows students to discuss examples of personal communication that would be inappropriate in the workplace.

Slides 1-18, 1-19, 1-20, 1-21, 1-22 Organizational Structure The structure of an organization affects communication in a number of ways. The distribution of authority, the allocation of responsibilities, and the lines of communication all contribute to the organization’s structure.

Referencing Exhibit 1-4, you can explain that the most formal structure is that of the traditional hierarchical, or bureaucratic, organization. Formal structures have a rigid chain of command, clear boundaries for each person's responsibilities, and highly restricted lines of communication.

At the other end of the spectrum is the organic or flat structure, which has few levels of authority and reporting, loose boundaries around the different employees' responsibilities, and open channels of interaction among the employees.

In between are many different configurations, the most common of which is the matrix structure, in which employees report not only to their functional bosses (e.g., finance VP or IT director) but also to a project supervisor.

It would be good to introduce students to the notion of genre or stable forms of communication within organizations. This is discussed further in Chapter 4, but it would be good to note that the way a

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

message is composed and sent is often shaped by the expectations of those within an organization, which are heavily influenced by the organization’ structure.

Slide 1-23 Organizational Culture What is organizational culture? People coming together in an organization and spending many hours a day there form a social world with its own goals, values, behaviors, and idiosyncrasies. Learning a workplace’s culture is essential to successful communication in that environment.

Look at the following list of characteristics that help us understand organizational culture. Have students discuss what some of these might tell them about a company’s culture, structure, or other factors. What would they expect or what conclusions might they make about communication within that company based on each of these factors?

• The purpose of the organization.

• The customers or clients whom they serve or with whom they do business.

• The organization’s size and structure.

• The geographical and physical characteristics of the organization.

• How diverse the organization is.

• The values and management style of the organization's leaders.

These characteristics are translated to day-to-day workplace operations and communication in many different ways. You can relay that if the company culture is formal—for example, you need to set up an appointment to see the CEO, rather than dropping by his or her office—you can probably assume that the communication will be formal as well (perhaps having strict communication channels you must follow and not as much access to information). If the CEO is wearing jeans when you meet him or her— now common in many industries, especially if the company is a start-up—you’ll probably find that the company has an informal and conversational writing style, particularly internally and possibly externally.

For discussion, you can draw on students’ own experiences as employees and consumers to help them understand the significance of these factors. Compare students’ experiences working for large and small companies and companies in different industries. Get them to volunteer stories about the organizational culture of places where they’ve worked or shopped and to discuss how the culture probably influenced, and was influenced by, the company’s communication practices.

You can reiterate that, as the chapter says, such official representations of a company’s values as their mission and vision statements and their websites and other branding materials can give you a good picture of the culture the company would like to have, or be perceived as having. But the “unofficial culture”—what the employees really believe and what they’re really doing/saying behind closed doors— is typically considered the true culture. When the company-sanctioned culture and the unofficial culture are aligned, you often have success. When they aren’t, the company struggles more. You may ask students if they’ve ever worked for an organization where the official culture was different from the unofficial culture.

You may also want to ask students what they feel are “tip-offs” to a company’s culture. Invite them to share their experiences with the characteristics provided in the Communication Matters feature titled Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

“How to Scope out an Organization’s Culture” or offer new characteristics to describe places in which they have worked or are working.

You can also share the following signs of an organization’s culture recognized by researchers: What kind of stories does the company tell about its past—the living history? What a culture chooses to share says a lot about its values.

• Do they have certain “heroes” that they elevate (or even make fun of in a friendly way) because they’ve had such an impact on the success of the company? This says a lot about the professional contributions the company values.

• Do they have rituals? Burgers or happy hours on Friday? Battle of the bands every year?

Community clean-up day? When the company gives employees tickets to events are they tickets to NASCAR or tickets to the ATP? This says a lot about the type of culture it is.

• Does the team seem like a cohesive group with shared values or are they “doing their own thing” and confused about where the company is going?

The Business Communication Process Slide 1-24 Workplace communication brings many elements into play, in terms of both process and contexts.

Exhibit 1-5 in Chapter 1 shows how these elements relate to each other.

As the model shows, the business communication process involves two communicators trying to solve a particular problem. For the purpose of solving the problem, the communicators occupy the same sphere, which can be defined as their relationship. The sphere of their mutual relationship occurs within the larger socioeconomic historical context.

It is important to point out that texts composed in professional settings draw on--and are shaped by-other texts in a variety of ways. This may include other documents or communication exchanges, collaboration with colleagues, or organizational professional communication practices (e.g. templates, practices, traditions).

You can also point out that the communication process represented here is likely to be one exchange in a larger problem-solving process, in which the two communicators work together to achieve businessrelated goals through ongoing conversations.

Slide 1-25 Let students role-play the situation as described in the slide. Then discuss the different kinds of communications that occurred and what contexts were influencing those different interactions.

(Encourage online students to role-play this situation with a friend and then report on the results.)

Slides 1-26, 1-27

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Now take a look at the actual communication process, as represented in the model. As you go through the steps, you can point out that while these are in chronological order, the sender may need to revisit an earlier step before moving forward. (For example, when students are preparing a message, they may decide, even as late as when they’re drafting, that they need to rethink an earlier decision.) You can also point out that the main goal of the message is for the recipient to interpret the message the way the sender intended and to respond in the desired way. If that goal isn’t achieved, communication has been, at least partially, unsuccessful.

To review, you may ask students to consider the “You Make the Call” question (“Think about a recent communication situation that you handled that didn’t go well. Where did your problem-solving process go wrong?”). Encourage students to consider all parts of the process and identify where and how they may have misunderstood the communication problem.

Slide 1-28 The last slide suggests the three key features of business communication: it’s about sharing information, it’s about building relationships, and it’s about solving workplace problems. This would be a good opportunity to emphasize that all business communication is crafted around audience with common goals in mind.

Slides 1-29, 1-30 These slides provide a summary of the learning objectives outlined in the chapter.

Chapter 1 Activities and Exercises Power Charge Your Professionalism: Use the Right Word 1. The performance of our stock will (affect/effect) our shareholders’ willingness to continue investing in our company.

2. Roy, Sydney, and Ming have all applied for the promotion. We will have a difficult time choosing (among/between) the three of them.

3. Jeanette knew she had to raise more (capital/capitol) before starting her new business.

4. We will be conducting interviews on (cite/sight/site) next Thursday.

5. Jorge and Mira work well together because their skills are (complimentary/complementary).

6. The CEO asked for everyone’s (cooperation/corporation) as we moved through the software conversion.

7. Guests always receive (deferential/differential) treatment when they visit our company.

8. Good team members do not (desert/dessert) their teams just because the work isn’t going well.

Critical-Thinking Questions 1.

Why do you think employers value transferable skills more highly now than in the past? What changes in business over the last 20 years or so might account for this change? (LO1-1)

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Changing technology and an increasingly connected global marketplace means that employees need to be more adaptable and able to interact with a broader range of people and tools. Employees can be trained fairly easily on new equipment or software—it’s much harder to train people to be good communicators, to have good judgment, and to solve problems with critical and creative thinking.

2.

“If there’s no definitive solution, then all ways of handling a workplace communication problem are equally good.” Using the discussion of communication problem solving in this chapter, explain why this statement is false. (LO1-2) True, there are no guarantees that even the best-planned, most carefully designed message will succeed. But one that is not well thought out and well executed will almost certainly fail.

3.

In what ways is imagination important in workplace communication? (LO1-2, L1-O3)

Any act of communication will require the ability to imagine how the recipient is likely to respond to different communication choices. Students should also consider the creativity aspect of the business communication process in their response. Each student’s answer should be evaluated on its merits.

4.

Think of a time when insufficient verbal skills on the part of someone in the workplace or in the public sphere led to a negative result. What kind of wording mistake did this person make, and what kind of damage did it cause? (LO1-O3) Each student’s answer should be evaluated on its merits.

5.

Think of or find an example of a time when someone used a visual effectively to make a point.

Why does the visual work so much better than words, or words alone? (LO1-3) Each student’s answer should be evaluated on its merits, but should include reference to the fact that visuals are critical to conveying information, that research shows 80 to 85 percent of perception is mediated through vision, and that visually enhanced text has been proven to generate more effective learning than text alone.

6.

Think back through your work history and any team projects you’ve been on, and identify someone who, in your opinion, was a great team player. What qualities and skills made this person skillful at working with others? (LO1-3) Each student’s answer should be evaluated on its merits but should include some of the skills mentioned in this chapter.

7.

To get a feel for the importance of media literacy on the part of business communicators, make a list of all the information technologies (devices, media platforms, and applications) that you’ve used over the last two years. What kind of knowledge is required to be able to use these technologies well? (LO1-3) Each answer should be evaluated on its own merits. The answer to the question could include such concepts as problem solving and social intelligence.

8.

“People need to leave their cultures and values at the door when they come to work and just focus on their jobs.” Discuss the possible merits and flaws of this attitude. (LO1-3)

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The main flaw of this attitude is that business communication is still human communication, and humans cannot divorce themselves entirely from their cultures and values when they walk through the company door. Another flaw is that many employers value an employee’s ability to evaluate problems in light of their cross-cultural competency—they want employees who are able to understand and communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds. However, it’s important and worthwhile for employees to remember that their words and actions will be perceived as a reflection of their company. So, though they cannot “leave their cultures and values at the door,” they will need to be able to assess in what ways their personal values do or do not line up with those of their employer, and remember that the business environment is not the place for them to broadcast their own opinions with no limits.

9.

How might people’s definition of “professional behavior” depend on which industry or type of company they’re in? (LO1-4) The part of professional behavior that is concerned with business etiquette will change somewhat depending on the industry. What is considered good manners, suitable conversation topics, and appropriate attire can vary from one kind of workplace to another. But professional behavior also refers to the concept of being “responsible, conscientious, and cooperative in every area of your work”— values that will remain fairly consistent across industries.

10.

“Never mix business with personal matters—it just leads to damaged relationships, poor business decisions, or both.” In what ways might this be a fair statement? In what ways is it unwise advice? (LO1-5) The statement has merit in that getting too personally involved with a business associate can lead one either to neglect the business goals or to risk damaging the personal relationship in the interest of business. Furthermore, divulging personal information within such a relationship can sometimes be damaging professionally. Developing a personal relationship just to exploit it for business reasons is also not ethical. On the other hand, even in business contexts, people are still people. They cannot leave their humanness at the door—and, arguably, business would not be rewarding and worthwhile if they could. The good business communicator always remembers that communication is a human activity and takes care to foster goodwill between the communicators.

11.

Describe the formal communication in an organization, division, or department with which you are familiar (preferably a simple one). In what ways do you think the organization’s structure has determined who communicates with whom? Do you think these lines of communication are successfully meeting the needs of the organization or do you think they need changing? (LO1-6) Each example should be evaluated on its merits.

12.

As noted in this chapter, companies develop specific forms of communication, or genres, that enable them to get their work done. In a place where you have worked or in another organization you have been a member of, what were the main forms of communication with the employees or members? To what extent were these uniquely adapted to the needs of the organization? (LO1-6) Each answer should be evaluated on its merits.

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13.

At the end of The Business Communication Environment section, review the Communication Matters box to see what management scholar Gareth Morgan has to say about types of workplace cultures. Then think of an organization you know well and decide what its dominant cultural metaphor is. Is it one of Morgan’s? Or is it a family? A team? A community? A prison? A mixture of several kinds? Once you settle on your metaphor, be prepared to explain how this organization’s culture affects, and is affected by, its communication practices. (LO1-7) Each answer should be evaluated on its merits.

14.

Think of a recent transaction you had with a businessperson or with a staff person at your school. Describe the contexts of your communication, from the larger context (business-economic, sociocultural, and historical) down to the personal (to the extent that you know them). How did these likely influence the outcome of your communication? (LO1-8) To get students thinking, you might invite those who have tried to argue a parking ticket or library fine or to resolve a registration or payment problem to reflect on the contexts that helped determine the nature and outcome of the communication.

15.

Using this chapter’s discussion of communication, explain how two people reading or hearing the same message can have a very different response. (LO1-8) The explanations should note that our specific contexts give us different mental filters (storehouses of experience, knowledge, biases, and priorities). Thus, when two people interpret a message through their unique filters, the meanings given the message are likely to differ. For example, assume that John has worked for companies in which the human resources department was poorly run, while Bill has seen firsthand that well-run HR departments can make important contributions to the morale and bottom line of a company. Their responses to a message announcing an additional hire in the HR department would differ sharply.

Skill-Building Exercises 1. Interview a successful professional in an area of business you’re interested in to find out how they feel about the importance of communication skills. See how this person defines such skills and their importance. Ask for a positive and a negative example of a time when communication helped determine an important outcome. (LO1-1) Each answer should be evaluated on its merits. It would be good for students to ask about the communication environment/process that exists at the interviewee’s company.

2. You purchased two pairs of expensive shoes (or substitute another product) about six months ago at a specialty store located 20 kilometres from where you live. One of the pairs needed to be ordered from the manufacturer because the store did not have the color you wanted. The manager told you that he would call you when that pair came in, but three months passed, and you heard nothing. So you called the store and left a message. The manager called you back to say that those shoes wouldn’t be available for another three months and asked if you wanted to wait for them. You said yes—but then four more months passed, with no word from him. You called again and left a message, but, so far, no one has called you back. Use

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Exhibit 1-5 to help you decide how to use communication to solve this problem. Explain which communication solution you think would be best and why. (LO1-2, LO1-8, LO1-9) Each student should use critical thinking to consider what questions need to be asked to get at the heart of this problem. Are there cultural differences that make the store manager avoid talking on the phone? What are the lines of communication like at the store? Since the phone calls have not achieved the desired effect, one could surmise that a letter might also provide similar unsuccessful results. In this case, a personal visit might be necessary in order to make your desires clearly known and to impress upon the management what you expect to happen.

You could also exchange further information, write down the manager’s name, and get the name of the owner of the store. Often just collecting such information in an obvious way will communicate the seriousness of your position and result in more attentive service.

3. Choose a certain regional culture, ethnicity, or generation—one different from your own—and find out what values the people in this demographic are generally known for. Consult several sources, and, if possible speak with someone in the group you choose. How might working or doing business with a person from this group require you to adapt your own values and communication style? (LO1-3) The main things to encourage in this exercise are use of details and honesty. Help students realize that there may be a downside to working with those unlike themselves—but that the gains are usually greater.

4. Using the Internet, find a company that has a corporate social responsibility program and study what the company’s website says about that program. What kind of image as a corporate citizen is the company trying to project, and how? How convincing is this effort, in your opinion, and why? (LO1-3) The public face of almost any major company will have some kind of corporate responsibility dimension. Look for evidence in the students’ responses that they have tried to analyze and assess the bases on which the company claims (explicitly or implicitly) to be a good citizen. You might ask students to attach or share sample web pages from the company to support their observations.

5. What do you think would be the most professional and effective way to handle these situations? (LO1-4, LO1-5) a. You’re the lead student employee of your school’s technology help desk. Each day, you field questions from faculty, staff, and students about their email accounts, the Internet, and other tech topics. The volume of calls and emails is high, so you’re worn pretty thin by the end of your shift each day. Today, late in the day, you get an email from a faculty member expressing interest in having her students design a tutorial to help faculty and students learn one of the school’s tech tools better and asking which IT person would be best to contact about this idea.

You have no idea. How do you answer?

Consider each student’s answer on its merits. A good answer will include a polite explanation of the student employee’s position and also some questions to clarify the skills the person is looking for. The person could point out that their current role does not allow much time to Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

assess the skills of the other employees, but if the faculty member could reply with more specifics about what role they will want the IT person to take, what software/systems will need to be known, and what outcomes they expect, then that information would be helpful in talking with the team (and any supervisors) to select the best person for the task. b. You’re the chair of the employee volunteerism committee at your workplace. After three years in this role, you’re ready to step down. At your latest meeting, one of the committee members eagerly volunteered to be the next chair. The thing is, this person actually hasn’t done much of the work, and you suspect that he wants the job just to make himself look good to the company’s leaders. You didn’t say anything right then, but now the HR director, in whose area this committee falls, has come to your desk to ask if the person who wants the job should be appointed to it. What do you say?

Consider each student’s answer on its merits. Some students might suggest a bold response— just being honest about their opinions of the person. However, the assessment of the potential chair’s motives cannot necessarily be verified. A better response might be to stick to the facts: Explain that the potential chair has not been present for much of the work of the committee and therefore may not understand the time commitment and responsibilities involved. One might also recommend that the HR director go over the job description with the candidate to be sure they understand and agree to all of the position’s responsibilities. c. You recently served on a team that prepared an important proposal for your company. During the presentation of the proposal to management, one of your teammates indicated that she had done most of the work, when in fact she had done very little compared to you. Do you say or do anything in response or just let it slide?

Students may suggest a few possible approaches here. One could be to confront the person directly and suggest they apologize to the team for taking the credit. But that could result in strained relations and more bad feelings, especially if the person won’t agree. One could be to simply ignore the behavior, but that could also result in strained relations—particularly if others on the team are irritated with their coworker. Another proactive response could be to send out an email memo to the team, thanking each member for the specific work they did, and copy management on that memo. That corrects the misinformation in a trackable yet understated way, and does not directly contradict the other teammate’s words. d. You’ve had a long, successful relationship with the supplier of some of the materials that your company uses in its products. The company is reliable, and the quality of their products is solid.

But the sales rep you usually dealt with at this company was recently replaced by someone who isn’t very pleasant. She seems to regard each phone call or email from you as an annoyance and is quick to become defensive when you call any little issue to her attention. What, if anything, would you do about this situation?

Students’ answers should include acknowledgment of the skills needed to deal with this problem. First, the employee needs to consider the sales rep as a member of their team in these negotiations—the two of them need to work well together in order to complete their transactions in an effective manner. The employee will need to use his or her interpretive skills and social intelligence to consider the other person’s point of view; for example, the sales rep has been put into a new position and may feel pressure to prove herself in this new role, or perhaps management is putting pressure on the sales reps to handle deals more quickly. The Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

employee should not stop pointing out issues or asking questions—his or her first responsibility is to make sure the company gets the materials it needs. But the employee could call the sales rep to touch base, acknowledge the new business relationship, and ask what the employee could do to help with these transactions or whether the sales rep has a preferred way of being notified about issues or questions that may arise.

6. Find an instance of brand activism on the Internet or social media, analyze it, and assess it.

What cause is the organization supporting? What makes its support "activism"? Did the organization choose an appropriate cause to support? How big a risk do you think the organization took in weighing in publicly on this issue? Do you think the benefits of this activism outweighed or are outweighing the costs? (LO1-3) Consider each student’s answer on its merits. A good answer will look beyond the issue itself to focus on the implications for the CEO, brand, employees, and customers.

7. After noticing that some workers were starting work late and finishing early, a department head wrote this message to subordinates.

It is apparent that many of you are not giving the company a full day’s work. Thus, the following procedures are implemented immediately: After you clock in, you will proceed to your workstations and will be ready to begin work promptly at the start of the work period.

You will not take a coffee break or consume coffee on the job at the beginning of the work period.

You will wait until your designated break times.

You will not participate in social gatherings at any time during the workday except during designated break periods.

You will terminate work activities no earlier than 10 minutes prior to the end of the work period. You will use the 10 minutes to put up equipment, clean equipment, and police the work area.

You will not queue up at the exit prior to the end of the work period.

The message was not well received by the workers. In fact, it led to considerable anger and confusion.

Using the discussion of communication planning in this chapter, explain where the department head’s problem-solving process went awry. What did they fail to take into account? (LO1-8), (LO1-9) Student responses will vary. Ideally, responses will focus on contexts of communication as well as a problem-solving approach to business communication.

8. Find an article in the business press or general news about a recent incident involving a company—for example, a merger or acquisition, a scandal or crisis, or the launching of a new product. What kinds of communication challenges might this event have posed for the company, both internally and externally? What kinds of messages probably needed to be written, and to whom? (LO1-1-LO1-9) Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

This is a relatively easy research project that can get students thinking about the communication efforts—and challenges—involved in running a business.

Problem-Solver to the Rescue: Arranging a Consultant's Visit When critiquing and/or rewriting the message, students should use Exhibit 1-6, “Planning Your Communication Strategy: A Problem-Solving Approach,” to inform their answer. Not all questions in the exhibit apply to this specific scenario, but the problem-solving heuristic will provide them with a starting point to understand the questions they will need to consider in this scenario. You may want to tell students to select questions that apply to this situation. Also, you may want to explain to students that they might need to make some inferences about what the sender and receiver know and the context of the message.

Teachers are encouraged to have students critique the message, rewrite it, or both. Below is a summary of the key points students will need to consider in their critique and one example of how students may rewrite the message.

Critique: While this message seems like it is communication between two individuals, it is actually much more complicated. One of Jeff’s major problems is that he fails to realize that the message he is sending is situated within a larger sociocultural and organizational context. Instead of a message between two individuals, Jeff needs to understand that this message is an official message from the human resources department of a company to an esteemed job candidate, an accomplished medical professional. Thus, anything he writes should represent the company appropriately, consider the secondary audiences within the company, and treat the recipient with due respect.

The following sections describe more specific breakdowns in his problem-solving process.

Defining the Problem Jeff did not think enough about why he needed to communicate—to deliver complete and clear details to Dr. Harmon and to present himself and his company in a positive light. Jeff does not seem to have leveraged prior knowledge. It seems that human resources for a company would have sent this type of routine message to job candidates before. Even if Jeff is new to the company, he probably has access to previous emails sent to candidates or possibly a template to use. His first step should have been to look for previous examples of visit itineraries that had been emailed to candidates to ensure that he knew every facet of the situation. Jeff’s problem/situation, then, is that he has to create a thorough, somewhat formal message to his audience that tells her everything she needs to know and represents the company well.

Generating Options Jeff does not seem to have clearly identified his main goal: to deliver clear, thorough information to his audience(s). The original email lacked details about the travel and itinerary that would be useful to the candidate. For example, the names of meeting attendees and locations of meetings are of use to a job candidate, as they will want to know where they will be and who will be in the meeting. Including this information would allow the candidate to better prepare for the meetings. With today’s technology, Dr. Harmon might want to do an online search to learn more about the people she will be meeting with Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

(and those people would expect her to do so). Finally, Jeff does not provide the details that his reader needs to feel comfortable and confident about getting to the interview. If Dr. Harmon worries about the interview, she may not be as focused as she could be on making it a success.

Jeff did evidently consider another important goal for this message: to create a positive relationship between himself and Dr. Harmon. But, as discussed further below, his efforts to achieve this goal are undermined by his inappropriate informality. Plus, he does not do a good job of considering and representing his secondary audiences. Those who participate in the interview are depending on Jeff to get Dr. Harmon to the interview smoothly and on time. In addition, the secondary audiences are depending on Jeff to get them off on the right foot with Dr. Harmon. If she thinks the message is disorganized, incomplete, and unprofessional, she may wonder if this is how others at the company operate as well. Also, like Dr. Harmon, key internal people in the company will need all the visit details.

Evaluating Options Not including the right level of detail is potentially dangerous because it can get the interview off to a poor start. The same goes for not formatting the details readably. Jeff doesn’t seem to have asked himself what structure would be best for this type of message. Making information accessible is critical in an email like this. To achieve greater clarity, Jeff should have done a better job of formatting his email to draw attention to important points.

Jeff’s original message does not clearly choose the best message strategy for this message. It would be useful to include a summary of the itinerary in the email (see revision). It would also be useful in a situation like this to attach an agenda with contact information and other details that may not be included in the email summary.

Building the Solution Jeff’s message needs to include details about travel, a schedule for the meeting, and the names of the people Dr. Harmon will meet during the day. Jeff also needs to include people in the message who will also need to know the schedule for the day.

In addition, the original email doesn’t demonstrate a close attention to style and tone. In a situation regarding a visit by a high-level professional, a more formal tone is appropriate. This would include greeting the candidate with the title “Dr.” and using more formal language.

Attachments, headings, and short paragraphs would be helpful in making the message easy to comprehend, and, given the genre and medium, Dr. Harmon will expect to be able to quickly find the information she’ll need. Hyperlinks might also be useful in connecting her directly to additional information.

Finally, the message also needs proofreading: It contains a wrong-word error (“grate” instead of “great”). Messages to external individuals or groups require an extra level of attention to detail because, as mentioned above, the quality of the written message reflects on the organization.

Delivering the Solution Dr. Harmon needs to receive the information early enough to allow her time to prepare for the interview. Combining this message with an agenda will be helpful, too. Because this is an email, the Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

writer can attach a “read receipt” to the email. (Instructors: Students many not know what a “read receipt” is, but this would be an opportunity for them to learn.) Jeff could also request a reply.

Rewrite: The sample rewrite below demonstrates effective use of the steps in communication problem-solving.

To: Sally Harmon <sharmon@biomed.org> From: Jeff Saluda <Jeff.Saluda@hcsn.com> Cc: Janice Johnson <Janice.johnson@hcsn.com>; Elias Mendez <elias.mendez@hcsn.com> Re: Itinerary for Your Upcoming Visit Dear Dr. Harmon: We are looking forward to your arrival this week to interview for the position with our Consulting Team on May 6. I have been working closely with Janice Johnson, Director of Human Resources, and Dr. Elias Mendez, Head of Consulting, to coordinate the details of your visit, and I have copied them on this message. Below you will find a summary of the itinerary for your trip and, attached, a detailed agenda, including contact information.

Flights: I’ve reserved your flights to and from Toronto based on your time preferences. We book all company-related trips through American Express Global Travel, so you will receive a detailed travel itinerary from them shortly.

Arrival Transfer to Office: Corporate Shuttle will be picking you up at your gate upon your arrival. Just call (781) 555-4333, and the driver will text you details of the pickup. For your reference, our address is 2012 Riverside Plaza. When you arrive at our building, please check in at the security desk, and the attendant will direct you to our office.

Meeting Schedule for Wednesday, May 6: 10:00 a.m. (Conference Room 1): Brief welcome and refreshments with Janice Johnson, Director of Human Resources.

10:30 a.m. (Conference Room 1): Meeting with Dr. Elias Mendez, Janice Johnson, and Vice President of Operations Kara Larson to discuss their roles and operations.

11:00 a.m. (Production Level Lounge): Meeting with Leo Warner and Paige Hampstead, members of our Uninsured Product Development team, to get a sense of our new and developing medical-care facility solutions.

12:00 p.m. (Office Café): Lunch with Janice Johnson and Jeff Saluda.

1:00 p.m. (Consulting Lounge): Meeting with several members of the Consulting team to learn more about our clients and their needs.

2:00 p.m.: Brief tour of the office concluding in the Human Resources offices for a meeting with Janice Johnson about employment at Safety Net. Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

3:00 p.m.: Conclusion of the meetings.

Departure/Transfer to the Airport: Return to O’Hare via Corporate Shuttle (pickup at 3:30 p.m. in front of the building) Please reply to confirm that you have received this email. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to meeting with you.

Best, Jeff Jeff Saluda Administrative Assistant Healthcare Safety Net P: (613) 444-0411 Jeff.Saluda@hcsn.com These changes address the key issues noted in the critique: 

In the revision, you’ll notice a more formal greeting and introduction, which creates a tone more appropriate to the official nature of the message and the visitor’s respected credentials.



Information has been added to answer all of the reader’s likely questions about her travel.



The meeting agenda is divided into readable parts, and bold is used to draw attention to important headings. Also, the message indicates that a formal, detailed itinerary is attached to the email.



The revised version has the addition of the Human Resources Director and Head of Consulting in the “cc” line of the email. This will keep them up to date on the itinerary of the visit and help ensure that things run smoothly.



In the revision, the message includes a final line asking for a reply to the email as a way to confirm that he has achieved his main goal.

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 2: Getting Positive Responses to Your Communication Teaching Suggestions This chapter helps students understand how to communicate appropriately to their audience.

Appropriateness can refer to more than just being correct, however. Being appropriate can also mean using language that is respectful of your audience’s viewpoints and that seeks to be inclusive of all readers or listeners.

Illustration and demonstration will be very helpful to students’ understanding of the wording advice in this chapter. The examples on the PowerPoint® slides augment those in the book, and you can add various examples of your own.

The exercises at the end of the chapter enable students to learn by doing.

Learning Objectives LO 2-1 Use the you-viewpoint to build goodwill.

LO 2-2 Use a conversational style that has the appropriate level of formality and eliminates “rubber stamps.”

LO 2-3 Describe ways to be courteous beyond using polite expressions.

LO 2-4 Employ positive language to achieve goodwill and other desired effects.

LO 2-5 Use the three major techniques for emphasizing the positive and deemphasizing the negative.

LO 2-6 Avoid unethical communication practices.

LO 2-7 Cultivate personal qualities that promote ethical behavior.

LO 2-8 Use professional codes of conduct and established approaches to ethical reasoning to help you make ethical decisions.

Key Terms goodwill you-viewpoint you-attitude conversational language level of formality rubber stamps courtesy positive words emphasis ethics lie of commission lie of omission Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

discriminatory words credibility integrity restraint code of conduct Aristotelian ethics Kantian ethics utilitarian ethics

Text Summary, Lecture Outline Showing Consideration Slides 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5 Conveying information is not the only goal of good business communication. In today’s digital age, when messages fly back and forth at lightning speed, it’s important to make sure that the “people” content of your messages gets as much attention as the informational content. This chapter will help you communicate in a way that builds goodwill with your business associates and customers.

The first few slides provide an overview of the chapter objectives and contents.

As you review the objectives for the class, ask students to share a time when they had either a negative personal communication experience with a business or brand, or a negative impression they had after reading a business communication or seeing a particular brand message. What was it that made them feel the way they did?

Just as we found in the last chapter, the key to good communication choices is considering your audience. In this section, we’re going to look at three ways you can cultivate a positive relationship with your audience: using the you-viewpoint, employing a conversational style, and being courteous.

Slide 2-6 You-Viewpoint Writing from the you-viewpoint is a powerful technique for building goodwill.

The you-viewpoint writing emphasizes the reader’s interests and concerns—the you and the your. It deemphasizes the we and the our.

But you-viewpoint is more than just using the right pronouns. It is an attitude of mind. It places the readers in the center of things—emphasizing their interests and showing concern for them.

The next slide illustrates some ways of using the you-viewpoint at the sentence level.

Slide 2-7 Using the you-viewpoint to create the right effect is demonstrated in these contrasting sentences.

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Some claim that using the you-viewpoint is (1) insincere and (2) manipulative. The arguments have merit, for it can be used to the point of being insincere. And it can be manipulative.

But it does not have to be. The you-viewpoint can be positive if you use it with genuine sincerity—and if you use it only to achieve ethical goals.

Ask your students to look at the sentences on the slide again. Do any of these “You” sentences seem manipulative or insincere? Why or why not?

Slide 2-8 Ask students to read the message on the slide and then respond to these questions:   

How would you have felt if you’d gotten this message? Why? What wording is the most problematic in this message?

How would you revise this message to consider the you-viewpoint?

Slide 2-9 Use Conversational Style Another technique that helps build goodwill is to write in conversational language.

Many of us change character when we write. Instead of being our natural selves (warm and friendly), we become unduly formal and impersonal, perhaps under the impression that stiff or big words will impress.

In today’s ever-shifting business environment, where people often need to establish friendly relations quickly, it is a better strategy to use language that is warm, natural, and personable.

But choosing the right level of formality for your audience is important. A more formal style is appropriate in these situations:     

Communicating with someone you don’t know.

Communicating with someone at a higher level than you.

Using a relatively formal genre, such as a letter, long report, or external proposal.

Preparing a ceremonial message, such as a commendation or inspirational announcement.

Writing an extremely serious message, such as a crisis response or official reprimand.

Ask students to suggest revisions for the sentences and phrases on this slide. After gathering some answers, challenge them to provide examples of what would be too informal or casual.

For a homework assignment or class exercise, consider asking the students to develop a WhoPrint of their “writer’s persona.” A WhoPrint is an advertising term for the consumer that advertising copy targets. For this exercise, they would find an image online that matched their idea of their own writer’s persona, and list the values, style, beliefs, activities, and favorite words and phrases of this person. An alter ego of sorts, this persona can lessen the fear of writing because students have a construct in mind Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

when coming to the page. You may even include one of your own in this presentation to entertain students and lighten the mood.

Slide 2-10 Cut Out Rubber Stamps Also called clichés, rubber stamps are words we use without thought every time a certain situation occurs. That is, we use them like “rubber stamps.”

Because they are used routinely, these words and phrases communicate the effect of routine treatment.

Avoiding rubber stamps is another aid to creating the right effect. Rubber stamps convey the message that the reader isn’t special—a message that most people do not like to get.

Ask students how they feel when they receive a message that uses clichés. Invite them to offer alternatives for the phrases on this slide and to talk about why such wording is a problem.

Slide 2-11 Courteous Language Being courteous includes more than just using polite words. By courtesy we mean respectful and considerate treatment of others. What is considered appropriate will vary among situations, industries, and countries (direct students to check out the Communication Matters feature on “Business Etiquette—It Depends on Where You Are”).

One way of being courteous is to avoid blaming the reader. No one likes being accused of negligence, wrongdoing, or faulty thinking.

Remember, when you are in a situation in which you are disappointed with someone or have to provide correction, try to blow off steam before you convey your message. Take a deep breath. Or write an angry message, but then don’t send it. Sometimes getting the words out will help you realize that a calmer approach will be more helpful.

Two other helpful strategies for avoiding blaming language are as follows:  

Avoid using you.

Focus on the facts.

This is one of those situations in which passive voice can be helpful, or even desirable. Ask students: Why would passive voice be helpful in this situation? Can you provide an example of a passive voice sentence that could be helpful in this situation?

Slide 2-12

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Another way of being courteous in messages is to avoid wording that could insult your readers’ intelligence. Remember to always consider the message from their point of view. Ask yourself these questions:   

Would they already know this?

Would they want to hear this?

How would I feel if I got this message?

For an in-class exercise, ask students to get a partner. Each pair will need one sheet of notebook or blank paper (the size doesn’t really matter). One student will be the instruction giver. The other student will be the instruction receiver.

Gather the instruction givers together and tell them that they must tell their partners to do certain things to the paper—it doesn’t really matter what order they go in. But in all of the instructions they give, they have to take on the role of a parent, and treat their partners as children. (For example, they could start out by saying: “This is a piece of paper, and you can do lots of things with paper. I’m going to tell you some things to do now and you need to follow my instructions exactly. OK?”) You can write examples of directions on a board or tell online students: fold it in half, fold the lower left corner over the upper right corner, turn the paper 90 degrees, fold it in half again, tear a circular shape into the middle of the left side of the paper, fold it into thirds.

The instruction giver should offer constant corrections to the “child” and remind them of instructions.

After seven or eight instructions have been given, stop the exercise.

Use this exercise as an illustration of how the tone of communication and the types of words used can make a significant difference in the impression the audience has. (Online students can perform the exercise with a friend or neighbor at home and report on the results.)

Slide 2-13 Respectfulness—Go the Extra Mile In the hurry of today’s business world, it’s tempting to communicate as quickly and abruptly as possible.

And while getting to the point is also a way of being respectful, being thoughtful about giving your audience the time, attention, and resources they need will go a long way toward creating goodwill.

Direct your students’ attention to the From the Tech Desk feature “Courtesy in the Age of Mobile Devices.” Read through the points about cell phones and text messaging and discuss with your students.

Are any of these ideas surprising to them? Are there any they would disagree with or add to?

Remind students of other positive strategies that will help them create good impressions in their communications: supplying Internet links or other resources, providing extra information instead of leaving it to the reader to find it, attaching maps or schedules that could come in handy, and being aware of and acknowledging special achievements (such as meeting sales goals or celebrating a number of years of service).

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Accentuating the Positive Slide 2-14 In most cases, positive or neutral wording will succeed better than negative wording.

Positive words tend to put readers in a good frame of mind; they build goodwill. Negative words—such as damage, error, mistake, problem, loss, and failure—produce the opposite effect.

This does not mean that negative words are always inappropriate. They are strong, they command attention, and sometimes you will need to use them.

This slide offers an overview of ways to emphasize a positive viewpoint. The following slides provide more detail on some of these concepts.

Blooms: Evaluate

Slide 2-15 Make It Positive Ask students to offer ideas for how to make these statements more positive by getting rid of negative words and focusing on what can be done, instead of what cannot be done.

As a homework assignment, ask students to take cell phone photos of negative signs or other messages they see around campus or in other places. They can text you a photo with their revision of the sign’s language to make it more positive.

Slide 2-16 Positive Positioning This slide provides an overview of three techniques for softening the blow of negative messages through managing emphasis in the structure of messages.

Ask students: Which technique seems most effective to you? Are any of these methods more noticeable to the reader than others?

Point out that, similar to the use of the you view-point, the danger with employing positive emphasis techniques is the potential to create misleading or manipulative messages. We’ll explore more ethical issues in the next section.

Slide 2-17 This slide provides an overview of some of the concepts that are presented in the discussion of ethical communication practices.

For an in-class or homework exercise, students could survey recent news stories to find examples of unethical communication practices (of companies, brands, or individuals) being revealed or challenged.

Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Slide 2-18 Don’t Discriminate We should strive to use nondiscriminatory wording—wording that treats all people equally and with respect.

This means avoiding words that either deliberately or unintentionally make assumptions about or create impressions of groups of people based on race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

Slide 2-19 Use Gender-Neutral Language One of the more common types of discriminatory wording is sexist wording.

There are several strategies you can use to avoid using gender-specific language.   

Avoid use of masculine (or feminine) pronouns to refer to a group of people that includes both genders.

Avoid words derived from masculine words (for example: fireman, chairman, man-made).

Avoid wording that calls undue attention to a person’s gender (for example: waitress, stewardess, male nurse).

Direct students to check out the Communication Matters feature “Three Ways to Avoid Sexist Pronouns.”

Stereotyping by age and ability is also a fairly common occurrence. Remind students that people with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the world—almost one in every five persons in the United States has a disability of some kind. Being respectful to this group means finding out what terminology each person prefers and also generally putting the person first before mentioning the disability. For example, you could say “those who have hearing impairments” instead of “hearing impaired persons,” or say “people who are blind” instead of “blind people.”

For a homework or in-class assignment, instruct students to look out for examples of discriminatory language in advertising or other prominently displayed wording. They can copy the wording or photograph the examples and send them to you, including a way of correcting the wording.

Slide 2-20 Qualities to Cultivate To be an ethical communicator, you can cultivate certain personal qualities that make ethical behavior the natural choice. Trustworthiness, restraint, bravery, and communication savvy are all qualities that can help you come to ethical decisions in your work and personal life.

Slide 2-21

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Ethical Challenge—You Make the Call For an interesting exercise, break the class into groups and let them role-play this situation. Some groups can be the ones who speak up and others can be the ones who are talking unfairly and then respond to the ones who are speaking out.

Slide 2-22 These are good words to consider: “Write as though you were addressing intelligent people you understand and respect.” Even when writing to someone with a low level of education or someone who has made an angry complaint, you will almost always get the best result if you bring out the best in them.

Slides 2-23, 2-24 These slides reiterate the learning objectives of the chapter and lesson.

Power Charge Your Professionalism: Make Your Pronouns and Antecedents Agree in Number First identify the antecedent. Then select the pronoun that agrees with its antecedent. Identify which pronoun-antecedent agreement guide from Reference Chapter A you used in making your choice.

(Correct answers are marked in bold.)

Some of these examples ask students to choose between two possible correct answers: creating agreement between his or her and a singular antecedent or creating a gender-neutral construction.

Consider using this exercise as an opportunity to talk to students about which is a better choice in a certain situation. You may even ask your students to rewrite the sentence to avoid pronoun use altogether.

1.

All employee received (his or her/their) performance review last week. (singular antecedent) 2.

The staff gave (its/their) recommendations. (collective antecedent acting as individuals) 3.

Joe and Sam shared (his/their) thoughts on Facebook. (plural antecedent) 4.

All staff members should focus (its/their) energy on attracting new clients. (plural antecedent) 5.

Whenever employees sign up for one of the company intramural sports teams, (he or she/they) must sign a form releasing the company from any liability. (singular antecedent) 6.

If the committee votes “yes,” (it/they) will be the first committee to have a unanimous vote. (singular antecedent) 7.

The membership dues and maintenance fees are two separate assessments; (it/they) must be paid for your membership to be activated. (plural antecedent) Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

8.

The condominium association publishes (its/their) bylaws in the January newsletter. (collective antecedent acting as one) 9.

Rogers and Associates, Inc. offers health and dental insurance to (its/their) employees. (singular antecedent) 10.

When a businessperson gives a professional presentation, (he or she/they) should speak clearly and use visuals to maintain the audience’s interest. (singular antecedent) For further practice, see the “Pronoun and Antecedent Agreement” activity in the Adaptive Learning Assignments, under the heading "Grammar and Common Sentence Problems.”

Critical-Thinking Questions 1.

Discuss this comment: “Using the you-viewpoint is ethically shady since the real purpose of business communication is to advance the writer or speaker’s goals. Your communication should be honest about that.” (LO2-1) If it is used insincerely, the you-viewpoint can be dishonest. But it can and should be used sincerely.

There is nothing dishonest about one person having a genuine interest in another person, which is what the you-viewpoint is all about.

2.

In what way, if any, could using the you-viewpoint when writing to someone you don’t like (for example, someone who has complained unreasonably about something) be justified? (LO2-1) Using the you-viewpoint requires you to get into the mind of your reader and consider his or her needs and wants. Writing to people you don’t like could help you understand why they are upset and what they need to resolve the situation.

3.

“A message can’t sound official unless it has an impersonal style and uses business jargon.”

Discuss. (LO2-2) Answers will vary, but should acknowledge that this statement is false and that in most cases using a conversational yet courteous style will actually communicate a more professional tone, besides helping the message to be effective. If a message is so filled with jargon that the average reader can’t understand it, it will fail to communicate.

4.

“If common business phrases apply to a situation, why not use them? Rubber stamps save time, and in business time is money. Plus, people are used to these expressions.” Discuss. (LO2-2) The effectiveness of business writing is enhanced by giving the impression of individual treatment.

Rubber stamps leave the impression of routine and general treatment. Perhaps using them would save time for some people, but the loss in effectiveness of the message would more than offset any gains.

5.

“Please submit your payment at your earliest convenience.” Is this a courteous sentence?

Why or why not? (LO2-3)

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This question may produce various viewpoints and the answer could depend on the context of the message. However, though the statement uses courteous language, it could be improved by placing the consideration of the reader before the request: “As soon as it is convenient for you, please submit your payment.”

6.

What would be a way of doing more than would be necessary in the following situations?

(LO2-3) Individual answers will vary in each case. Judge each on its merits, but see sample answers below.

You work as a sales clerk in a retail store. A customer asks you if your store carries a brand that it doesn’t carry.

After telling the customer that you do not carry that brand, you could offer the customer similar brands that the store does carry and show them where they are in the store.

You have invited someone to give a talk at your company, and he has just sent you an email in which he said yes. You email him back to say thank you.

After thanking him, you could provide information about places to stay, directions to the event, and any other details that would help him be comfortable coming to speak, such as information about the demographics of the audience.

You’ve just finished doing a team project, for which you were the leader, and you were really impressed with the members’ work.

Thank the team, but also call out the specific contribution each member made and acknowledge their achievements. You could email the boss, with your teammates copied on the message, praising the team. You could even consider giving a small, meaningful gift to each person.

7.

“I’m nervous about deliberately employing positive wording. I think people like writers who shoot straight, and I worry that they’d think I was being deceptive.” Discuss. (LO2-4) Answers will vary for this question. Certain personality types prefer directness at all times. But most people do not like directness when the situation is negative. Many of us are offended by blunt and harsh treatment and prefer to hear positive statements delivered in a conversational tone. It may take practice to strike a tone that feels comfortable to the writer but will also be effective to the reader.

8.

You work for a mail-order business, and you’re emailing a customer to say that the item she wants is not only out of stock but also discontinued. How might you use the three ways of deemphasizing negative news in your message? (LO2-5) Answers will vary, but should make use of these three methods: using positive words, focusing on what can be done (instead of what can’t), and managing emphasis—through the structure of the sentences and paragraphs and through using cushioning language—for positive effect.

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9.

Imagine that a customer has written to complain about the lack of attention that she received when visiting a paint store. The manager’s responding message explains why the sales staff was so busy, offers to make a special appointment with the customer to discuss her decorating needs, and then ends with the following paragraph: We do apologize again for any inconvenience that this situation caused you. We thank you for your understanding. Please do not hesitate to contact us again if we ever fall short of the superior service that you have come to expect from us.

If the manager asked for your feedback on this message, what would you say? It’s full of polite expressions. Is it a good concluding paragraph? (LO2-1-LO2-5) Although well intended, this ending is negative. Inconvenience and fall short are negative words. And the apology brings to mind the negative situation that brought about the complaint. The positive information presented earlier in the message is offset by these negatives.

10.

Consider each of the following communication-related behaviors and decide whether or not you think it is ethically defensible. Could any of the established approaches to ethical reasoning help you make your decision? Would the circumstances influence your answer? (LO6–LO8) 1. Referring to a female staff person by her first name (e.g., “See Joan at the front desk”) but to the higher-ranking employees by their first and last names (e.g., “Jim Smith in Tech Support can answer your question”).

2. Sending a male member of the sales team (or an Anglo-American) to give an important presentation because you know the client is gender (or racially) biased.

3. Using your company email account to plan a family reunion.

4. Using your company’s instant messaging platform to comment on a coworker.

5. Boning up on hockey (even though you have no interest in it) before meeting with a potential client (or having a job interview with a potential boss) who loves the sport.

6. Waiting to see how everyone else weighs in on a dicey issue (e.g., whether someone should be fired) before giving your opinion.

7. Telling your boss that your coworker held up her end on a team project when she really didn’t.

8. Complaining about the boss to your coworkers rather than discussing the issues directly with him or her.

9. Criticizing your current or past workplace on Facebook, X, or an Internet site.

10. Letting others do more than their share on a group project (but still getting full credit) because you had unavoidable family issues to deal with.

Answers will vary; judge each on its merits. Answers should take into consideration the three main approaches to ethical reasoning: •

Aristotelian: What would the virtuous person do in this situation?

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• •

Kantian: What if everybody did it?

Utilitarian: What will yield the greatest good for the greatest number?

Skills-Building Exercises Using the You-Viewpoint (LO2-1) Rewrite the following using the you-viewpoint. You may need to add additional material. (Answers will vary, but should demonstrate understanding of and effective use of the you-viewpoint.)

1.

As required by company policy, I am denying your refund request because you needed to have submitted the warranty agreement within two weeks of your purchase.

Thank you for your support of our products. As noted on the warranty agreement, company policy requires that agreement to be submitted within two weeks of your purchase date in order for refund requests to be accepted. Though we cannot provide a refund at this time, we would be happy to exchange your purchase for another product of equal value that better meets your needs. Please contact Bill in Customer Service and he will be glad to help you with your situation.

2.

We will be pleased to deliver your order by the 12th.

Your order will arrive by the 12th.

3.

We have worked for 37 years to build the best lawn mowers on the market.

Need a lawnmower you can depend on? Buy one from a company that has spent the past 37 years building the best lawn mowers in the market.

4.

Today we are shipping the goods you ordered February 3.

Your order from February 3 has shipped today!

5.

Instead of stopping us in the hallway to ask for IT support, send us an email, or else we will have trouble keeping track of your service request.

IT support is available for you whenever you need it. Simply send an email to the helpdesk detailing your issue. This will allow us to track your request and service it as soon as possible.

6.

(From an email to employees) We take pleasure in announcing that, effective today, the Company will give a 20 percent discount on all purchases made by employees.

Effective today, all employees will receive a 20 percent discount on all purchases from the Company.

Thank you for your service.

7.

We are happy to report approval of your application for membership in our club.

Your membership has been approved. Welcome to the club!

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8.

We do our best to provide the best customer service possible.

Your support is important to us, so we strive to provide the best customer service we can.

9.

Since we no longer stock this item, we must give you store credit instead of a refund.

We are happy to provide you with a store credit for the item you are returning, since we no longer stock that particular item.

10.

We give a 2 percent discount when payment is made within 10 days.

If you make payment within 10 days, a 2 percent discount will be credited to your account.

11.

I am pleased to inform you that I can grant your request for payment of travel expenses.

Your request for travel expenses has been granted.

12.

We cannot permit you to attend classes on company time unless the course is related to your work assignment.

You may attend work-related classes on company time as part of your employee benefit.

Using a Conversational Style (LO2-2) Rewrite the following in a conversational style. (Answers will vary, but should demonstrate effective use of conversational style wording.)

1.

I hereby acknowledge receipt of your July 7 letter.

Thanks so much for your letter of July 7.

2.

Please be so kind as to reply at your earliest convenience.

We’ll look forward to receiving your reply.

3.

Attached please find the receipt requested in your May 1st inquiry.

Inside you’ll find the copy of the receipt you requested on May 1.

4.

In reply to your letter of July 13, permission to quote from our report is hereby granted.

Thanks for your July 13 letter. You may quote from our report, as requested.

5.

I would deem it a great pleasure to accept your kind offer to chair the committee.

I’d be pleased to chair the committee. Thank you for the offer.

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6.

Please be advised that, with regard to above invoice, a payment of $312 has been credited to your account.

Regarding this November 2 invoice, $312 has been added back to your account.

7.

Kindly advise the director as to your availability for participation in the program by May 12.

Please let the director know by May 12 if you plan to participate in the program.

Using the Right Level of Formality (LO2-2) Reword the following sentences to achieve a more appropriate level of formality. (You may need to recast the whole sentence.) (Answers will vary, but should reflect an understanding of the proper tone.)

1.

(In a report that several managers will read) The customers’ evaluations of our service were pretty mixed, with some being really positive and others not so positive.

The customers’ evaluations were mixed, ranging from very positive to somewhat negative.

2.

(In an email message to your division head—whom you do not know well—to congratulate her on receiving a prestigious award from a professional society) Way to go, Melissa! You do us all proud!

Congratulations on your award, Melissa!

3.

(In a sales message) Our products are awesome, and they don’t cost a lot of money.

Our products use the best materials available, and they are highly affordable.

4.

(In a response to a proposal from a vendor who wants to be your company’s HR contractor) I got your proposal. I’ll give it a look-see and get back to you ASAP. Thank you for your proposal, which we received today. I’ll review the details of the proposal with the team and get back to you directly.

5.

(In a complaint letter to your health-insurance provider) No way should I have to pay this bill out of my own pocket!

Due to the circumstances described, this procedure should be covered fully by my policy.

6.

(In an email to an employee about missing a deadline) I need your information, Jane! Our project is gonna be a fail if we can’t pull it together by the end of the month.

Jane, it’s important for the project and for the team that you send your information to me by the end of this week so we can include it in the final report.

7.

(In a thank-you message to a CEO for letting you interview him for a class project) Thanks again, Mr. Adams, for the super-useful information.

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Thank you, Mr. Adams, for providing such useful information.

Rewriting for Courtesy and a Positive Effect (LO2-3–LO2-5) Underscore all negative words in these sentences. Then rewrite the sentences for a more positive effect. Use your imagination to supply situation information when necessary. (Negative words have been underscored. Rewritten sentences will vary—judge answers on their merits.)

1.

Your misunderstanding of our January 7 email caused you to make this mistake.

2.

We hope this delay has not inconvenienced you. If you will be patient, we will get the order to you as soon as our supply is replenished.

3.

We regret that we must call your attention to our policy of prohibiting refunds for merchandise bought at discount.

4.

Your negligence caused the damage to the equipment.

5.

You cannot visit the plant except on Saturdays.

6.

We were disappointed to learn from your July 7 email that you are having trouble with our Model 7 motor.

7.

Our Stone-Skin material is less weak than the fabric used by other brands.

8.

Even though you were late in paying the bill, we still allowed the discount.

9.

We were sorry to learn of the disappointing service you have had from our salespeople, but we feel we have corrected all mistakes by firing the incompetent personnel.

10.

We have received your claim that our product was defective and have thoroughly investigated the matter.

11.

We have received your undated letter, which you sent to the wrong office.

12.

I regret to have to say that I will be unable to speak at your conference, as I have a prior commitment.

13.

Do not walk on the grass.

Avoiding Unethical Communication Practices (LO2-6–LO2-8) Prepare a short report for your instructor on a company or other type of organization that was recently involved in an ethical scandal. What behavior caused the scandal? What pressures, if any, were on the organization to behave this way? How easy/desirable would it have been for them to have avoided this behavior? Was this a cut-and-dried case of bad ethics, or do you think it was more complex than that? Be sure to cite your sources in the report.

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Judge answers based on merit.

Avoiding Discriminatory Language (LO2-6) Change these sentences to avoid discriminatory language. (Suggested changes are marked below.)

1.

We are collecting money for a gift for our postman, who’ll be retiring this month.

We are collecting money for our postal worker, who will be retiring this month.

2.

A successful writer adapts his communication style to different audiences.

Successful writers adapt their communication styles to different audiences.

3.

The committee consisted of a businessman, a banker, and a female lawyer.

The committee consisted of a businessperson, a banker, and a lawyer.

4.

A good administrative assistant screens all telephone calls for her the boss and manages the boss’s his schedule.

A good administrative assistant screens all telephone calls for the boss and manages the boss’s schedule.

5.

If Ms. Adams is not in, Joe at the front desk can help you.

Please see either Ms. Adams in reception or Mr. Brown at the front desk for help.

6.

Any worker in violation of this rule will have a letter of reprimand put in his personnel file.

Workers in violation of this rule will have letters of reprimand placed in their personnel files.

7.

Two company representatives attended the conference: a Hispanic engineer and one of our younger managers.

Two company representatives attended the conference: an engineer and one of our managers.

8.

Three people applied for the job, including a Baby Boomer and a Gen Xer.

Three people applied for the job.

9.

These parking spaces are strictly for use by the handicapped.

These parking spaces are strictly for use by those with disabilities.

10.

He is one of the best gay designers in the city.

He is one of the best designers in the city.

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11.

As a Gen Yer, she is very social-media savvy.

She is very social-media savvy.

12.

The position was filled by a well-educated housewife who was returning to the workforce.

The position was filled by Karen Smith, who has relevant experience in this industry.

Using Resources for Ethical Reasoning (LO2-8) Find the code of conduct for professionals who work in the area you hope to work in or the code of conduct for a company you’d like to work for. Read it carefully, and then write a short report for your instructor in which you summarize and comment on its contents. Did anything about it particularly impress or surprise you? Was anything left out that you thought should be included? Do you think it would actually help people in the field or the company behave in the right way? Attach a copy of the code of conduct to your report.

Judge each report on its merits.

Problem Solver to the Rescue: Selling Your Company's Services to Professors Students should reference Exhibit 1-6, “Planning Your Communication Strategy: A Problem-Solving Approach” and the advice in Chapter 2 to inform their answer. Not all questions in the Chapter 1 exhibit apply to this specific scenario, but the problem-solving heuristic will provide them with a starting point to understand the questions they will need to consider in this scenario. You may want to tell students to select questions that apply to this situation. Also, you may want to explain to students that they might need to make some inferences about what the sender and receiver know and the context of the message.

Teachers are encouraged to have students critique the message, rewrite it, or both. Below is a summary of the key points students will need to consider in their critique and one example of how students may rewrite the message.

Overall Critique: Due to the lack of information provided by the anonymous writer, the specific goal of this message is not entirely clear to the reader, Professor Kathy Rentz. From what we can tell, the writer seems to be trying to reach out to Dr. Rentz in order to sell her a product or service from his online course production company.

Like the scenario in the problem solver case in Chapter 1, the writer does not demonstrate a complete understanding of the audience or situation, and the result is a message that, at best, does not meet the needs of the audience and is not effective, and at worst, wastes the reader’s time and could potentially anger or frustrate a potential client.

The following sections describe more specific breakdowns in his problem-solving process and highlights how the writer demonstrates a lack of consideration for his message recipients.

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Defining the Problem The writer doesn’t seem to have conducted an adequate amount of research to understand why Dr. Rentz is an appropriate audience. Specifically, the writer doesn’t seem to have a sound understanding of why Dr. Rentz might need the services of this particular company. The writer clearly doesn’t understand every facet of this situation because their second section asks a critical question of the reader: “I wanted to ask you if you have an online course based on your work in Project Management & Writing area?” Before reaching out to Dr. Rentz, the writer should have consulting college registration records or college websites to determine whether or not Dr. Rentz teaches online courses and if there is an online course related to project management and writing. An employee at an online instructional company marketing to college professors should have these research skills. If the answer to this question is no, then this entire email has been a waste of time. When reaching out to individuals or groups of whom a writer has limited knowledge, writers must take the time to conduct general research on the nature of the audience, situation, and problem.

The writer does not appear to have leveraged prior knowledge when writing this sales email. One could assume that cold sales emails like this one have been sent by employees of this organization before, so the writer should have consulted previous messages of this type or reached out to other employees to determine if there is a message the writer could use as a template.

Generating and Evaluating Options The writer does not seem to have chosen an appropriate main goal: to begin a conversation with a potential client about how the company’s products or services could solve a specific problem. In a cold communication like this one (a communication situation where the writer and recipients do not know each other and have little to no connection) the main goal is to initiate dialogue. The writer needs to understand that the likelihood of making the reader a client with one email is very low; instead, the writer should view this email as the first communication toward a larger goal of making this person a paying customer. To this end, the writer should consider this email as a first step, with a potential second communications including further emails or phone conversations. As you can see in the revision, the goal has changed. Instead of asking the reader to take initiative and “ping” him, a better approach would be to ask the reader to set up a 10-minute phone call to discuss their products.

When approaching a stranger, a writer needs to build their credibility. In this case, the writer here needs to answer an important question: Why should Dr. Rentz trust you? In business relationships, trust is essential, so the writer needs to build that trust through demonstrating competence and providing some supporting evidence for the good work that they do. In the revision, you’ll notice the writer address their own work and their reputation.

The writer does not have a clear and effective structure for this message. As written, these thoughts don’t seemed to be organized coherently (in relationship to each other) with a purpose in mind. The message reads like the reader wrote the ideas as they came into their head instead of considering the needs to the reader as they organized their thoughts. In the revision, each section has a clear goal and like ideas are grouped together. As mentioned in Chapter 2, restraint is important in communication and the original email does not project a feeling that the reader was controlling their ideas.

Building the Solution and Designing the Message Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

The writer does not take the time to design an effective message and, as a result, the message demonstrates a lack of attention to the you-viewpoint. The design of the message is one that puts the onus on the reader to interpret the message and to act on the message. As mentioned above, the message is written in a structure that the reader needs to work to find information they need.

In addition, the original email doesn’t demonstrate a close attention to style. In a situation when the writer does not know the recipient, a more formal tone is appropriate in order to show the reader respect and courtesy. There are several elements of this email that are too informal for this type of situation and audience: 

  

“Ping me” is a jargon reference to getting in touch with someone. Twice the writer asks Kathy to “ping” him which is much too informal when communicating with someone the writer does not know who is also a college professor.

“Thanks” is a less formal version of the more appropriate “thank you” Emojis like the smiley face at the end of the email should only be used in the most informal of communications (e.g. text messages with friends). “really amazing” is an informal and vague way to express quality of product. In this case, the writer is taking the advice of accentuating the positive to the extreme.

Finally, the message needs proofreading. The most glaring error is the wrong name in the greeting. The recipient is Dr. Kathy Rentz, and the greeting reads “Hi Charles.” One can imagine that the audience won’t read very far if the greeting is addressed to someone else. This error demonstrates a lack of attention and a carelessness on the part of the writer. In this case, a formal greeting of “Dr.” or “Professor” is considerate and appropriate (the writer could determine if the person had a specific title by taking the time to perform a Google search before sending). Additionally, the level of formality is too informal: the writer should use “hello” instead of “hi” in the greeting. Messages to external individuals or groups require an extra level of attention to detail because, as mentioned above, the quality of the written message reflects on the organization (not to mention the reader, a university writing professor, will be attuned to such errors).

Notice that the revision follows a much more formal style and one that demonstrates respect for the reader and her expertise. Further, the new message is concise, showing respect for her valuable time.

Rewrite: Subject: Sharing Your Knowledge Beyond the Classroom Hello, Dr. Rentz.

Have you ever thought about how to reach a wider audience with your expertise and course content?

Have you been considering how to engage different audiences with your professional writing courses?

My name is *Full Name+ and I’m a project manager for *Company Name+, a leader in online course development and production. In addition to helping hundreds of companies meet their training needs, we’ve worked with faculty at colleges and universities across the country to help them share their expertise beyond the classroom. Whether your goal is to assist other faculty in your field, enhance the skills of those in the nonacademic workplace, or build your professional brand as an influencer, we can provide solutions that will support your course development, increase the impact of your content, and Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

strengthen the overall educational experience. With our help, faculty in a wide range of academic areas have benefited more viewers than they ever thought possible. This increased exposure has also led to consulting work, speaking engagements, and more.

I’ve included a link below to a short video that will give you a sense of our services and provide some examples of our work. We have a team of professional videographers and educational technology experts on staff to design and produce high quality educational materials. You can also click here [include link to appropriate website for bio] to find out more about me and my experience as a project manager supporting educators and subject experts.

If you would like to find out more about how we can support your goals, please reply and I’ll get you on my schedule immediately.

Sincerely, [Full Name]

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 3: Communicating across Cultures Teaching Suggestions We’ve already discussed the importance of adapting one’s message to the audience, and much of this chapter builds on that concept. But we’ll also consider how a person’s culture influences and shapes their experience of communication, and we’ll think about how we can use that information to craft more effective messages. This chapter takes a two-fold approach to cross-cultural communication: the communication issues that result from working with individuals from other countries and the issues students need to consider as they communicate across cultures within Canada.

One way to begin this chapter would be to start by printing out matching clues that correspond to different cultures or locations and handing each student one clue (for example, hand one student “This country has eleven official languages” and another “South Africa”). Clues could include trivia or images like flags or notable locations. These can be important cultural icons in Canada and around the world.

Then, working as a big group, have students match the images to their correct corresponding answer.

Once all images have been matched, step back and ask students: how many of you could have completed all of these alone? So, what does this tell us? If someone got all of these correct on their Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

own, you may ask, would they have strong cultural awareness? They may answer yes, but you can use that as an opportunity to explain that cultural awareness is more than just knowing information about other cultures: it is about building cross-cultural empathy as discussed in this chapter.

Another fun exercise to start this chapter would be to divide students into teams and give them a simple task to perform (online students could use a friend or neighbour as a partner and report on their results). The task could be something such as lining up nine sheets of paper to form a solid square or cutting pieces of paper into simple shapes (such as hearts, triangles, stars, etc.). The challenge is that neither team will be able to use words of any kind. Let them take no more than five minutes to complete the task, and then discuss their experiences. What went well? What didn’t work? Were they able to complete the task? What was frustrating about this challenge? What other ways of communicating were they able to discover and use?

As we’ve discussed, good communicators are good problem-solvers. This chapter will help your students solve the problem of transferring information and building positive business relationships across cultures.

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Learning Objectives LO3-1 Explain why effective cross-cultural communication is important for today’s workplace communicators.

LO3-2 Describe three major factors that influence a country or region’s culture.

LO3-3 Describe cultural differences regarding body positions and movements and apply this knowledge when communicating across cultures.

LO3-4 Describe the impact of culture on views and practices concerning human relationships and apply this knowledge when communicating across cultures.

LO3-5 Describe language issues that can cause trouble for non-native speakers.

LO3-6 Describe ways to prepare for effective cross-cultural communication.

Key Terms back translating culture ethnocentrism high-context culture idioms low-context culture monochronic polychronic power distance stereotypes translation tools two-word verbs

Text Summary & Lecture Outline Problem-Solving Challenge

Check out the Problem-Solving Challenge at the beginning of this chapter. Ask students to analyze the interaction between the Swedish head manager and the Indian HR manager. What didn’t go well in that interaction and why? How could it have been handled better? What could you as the trainer have done to reflect an understanding of the different cultures involved?

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Importance of Cross-Cultural Communication Skills Slides 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5 Global interconnectedness is one of the major trends in business. The spread of the Internet, social media, and mobile devices has only fueled this trend.

Further, Canada is more diverse than ever and there is a growing need for students to be prepared to work with others who come from a different background.

As slide 3-4 points out, cultural awareness can help students in the workplace as they develop relationships with people from different cultures in Canada and with those from other countries.

As slide 3-5 shows, diversity in organizations is associated with the following business benefits: •

Better results on non-routine tasks (solving problems, predicting outcomes, designing policies, undertaking research)

•

Better financial performance overall

•

Higher emotional intelligence in the company overall

•

Stronger employee engagement and lower turnover

•

Increased attractiveness to today’s job seekers

•

Increased appeal to diverse customers

•

Higher cross-cultural skill

You can follow this slide with a discussion of the Communication Matters box titled “The Benefits of Workplace Diversity.”

As you review the objectives for the class (or before), consider doing one of the suggested exercises from the Teaching Suggestions section. Or ask students to share a time when they experienced another culture (whether within Canada or another country) that was very different from their own. How did Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

they feel about that experience? What did they learn? Was there anything they could have done to understand that culture better or to have made the experience more successful?

Slide 3-6 Discuss the importance of following Reconciliatory Writing Practices with your students. In addition to referring to Indigenous peoples by their preferred terms, Reconciliatory Writing Practices acknowledge the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples by capitalizing words such as Indigenous or Aboriginal when they are used for groups of nations and peoples and avoiding statements that suggest Indigenous peoples have a single culture or set of beliefs.

Dimensions of Cultural Difference Slide 3-7 Skillful cross-cultural business communication is important for several reasons: 

Canada’s population is becoming increasingly racially and ethnically diverse.



International trade is part of many business interactions—cross-cultural understanding can promote successful customer relationships.



Working well with other cultures will make you a more effective employee.



Interaction with those from other cultures will enrich your business and personal life.

As stated in the textbook, cultures are “shared ways in which groups of people understand and interpret the world.”

The spread of capitalism, advances in technology and science, and the growth of electronic media have made many distinctions between cultures begin to fade and much more sharing to occur.

The Communication Matters box titled “Your Communication Habits Aren’t Universal!” is a great way to start the conversation about cultural differences in communication. You can ask your students to contribute to the conversations with differences that they have experienced.

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Slide 3-8 You Make the Call

Ask students to read the message on the slide and then respond. Encourage them to share stories of their personal experiences of seeing differences between cultures reduced by the increased use of technology. What are their feelings on this subject?

Slide 3-9 Three Major Factors Affecting Culture

This slide presents an overview of some of the major factors that affect culture. Discuss these factors with students.

How does the geography of a country affect its culture? 

Ask students how the area in which they grew up shaped their personalities and viewpoints.

How does a country’s history affect its culture? 

Significant historical events can shape the attitudes and belief systems of the people who live in that country or region. Ask students: What are three key historical events or movements that shaped the experience of people in your home country or region?

What role does religion play in the culture? 

Think about how religious values impact the Middle East, Asian countries, or Canada. Even if many people are not strictly “religious,” how do the values of major religions affect the people living in areas where many identify as followers of a particular religion? Invite students to provide examples from their own experience or from the experiences of people they know well.

Slide 3-10 Hofstede and Cross-Cultural Communication

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You may want to ask students to come up with their own definitions of culture and ask them how they hear the term used in different contexts. As you introduce slide 3-10, offer Hofstede’s definition of cultural dimensions: “the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another.”

For slide 3-10, you may break students into groups to research Botswana. You may start by asking students in the class if they have ever visited Botswana or if they already know anything relevant for this task. Then, have students answer the questions by using the Web to research the country and culture.

The From the Tech Desk titled “Get a Snapshot of Countries’ Cultural Dimensions from Hofstede Insights” provides resources for further comparison.

Slide 3-11 Know Your Body Language

Give students time to decide which country goes with which gesture’s meaning, then reveal the answers.

Answers: 1=North America (United States / Canada) 2=Australia 3=Japan 4=Indonesia 5=China

Ask students: Have you ever misunderstood the meaning of someone’s body language? How did you find out you were wrong about the meaning? Since body language can be so different from one culture to another, can it ever be used to improve communication between cultures? If so, how?

You may also introduce the content from the Communication Matters box titled “Carefully Present and Receive a Business Card in Japan” to demonstrate how important and specific body language conventions can be.

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Slide 3-12 Views of Human Relationships

This slide features six factors of human relationships that culture influences. These factors play a big role in how people communicate with one another. Review each of these factors with students.

Time: People tend to be either monochronic (life is scheduled) or polychronic (life is more relaxed).

Space: North Americans prefer about two feet of distance between themselves and others when talking.

But other cultures do not have the same concept of personal space.

Frankness: North Americans tend to be frank almost to the point of bluntness in their relationships and communication. People from other cultures may go to great lengths not to offend others. (Check out the Communication Matters feature on “High-Context versus Low-Context Cultures: Edward T. Hall.”) How do these differences in contexts impact the directness of communication?

Social hierarchy: Some cultures have strict divisions between social classes, while in others, such as the Canada, other factors (such as type of job, shared regional identity, or education levels) tend to have a more significant impact on communication expectations. How a culture treats superior-subordinate hierarchy is known to Hofstede as “power distance” and can be reviewed in the Communication Matters box titled “Six Dimensions of Culture: Geert Hofstede.”

Workplace values: The Protestant work ethic (i.e., hard work will pay off) has greatly influenced North American workers, but in other cultures work is structured more around life instead of life structured around work.

Expression of emotions: Norms for personal expression differ widely from culture to culture— Westerners accept a moderate display of emotion within appropriate contexts. These norms mean that voice volume, facial expressions, gestures, and laughter may need to be controlled in certain contexts.

As the chapter explains, people in China, Korea, and Japan as well as those from the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany tend to avoid public displays of emotion.

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Slide 3-13 Ask students to consider the questions on this slide, then ask them to discuss the validity of this statement: “One’s age is not a significant factor at all in the shaping of a person’s work ethic.” Do they think this is true or false? Let them explain their answers. If you have some in your class who identify the statement as true and others who say it is false, let these two sides form groups and debate each other, providing arguments to support their positions. (Online students can provide their thoughts and reasoning and take a poll of ten to twenty people they know to see how they would answer this question.)

Problems of Language Slides 3-14, 3-15 Language Substitutions

We have spoken many times throughout this course about the need to adapt one’s message to one’s audience. However, it is not always possible to adapt one’s entire language to make communication easier with a particular audience. Few of us can learn more than one or two other languages well enough to communicate fluently in business relationships. Thus, misunderstandings in international communication are bound to occur.

Lack of Language Equivalency The important thing is to have an awareness of nonnative speakers of the language you are using and make every effort to communicate in a way that makes it easier for people to understand you.

You may have students check out the Communication Matters feature titled “Blundering with Words.”

Invite students to share stories of times when they made a wrong word or phrase choice to communicate something in another language.

Difficulties with English Slide 3-15 provides an opportunity for students to practice revising sentences to remove two-word verbs and colloquialisms (bolded below): 

Never give up on your employees, but never let them get to you. [Possible revision: Never stop believing in your employees, but never let them upset you.]



Before going out for the night, make sure the office is locked up tight. [Possible revision: Before leaving for the night, make sure the office is securely locked.]

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

If you need to take off from work, figure out the days you want and touch base with me.[Possible revision: If you need to be absent from work, decide which days you want and let me know.]



To get in the drawing, you must sign off on the form. [Possible revision: To enter the draw, you must sign the form.]

Divide students into four groups and assign each group a sentence to revise. Let them work on their sentences for a few minutes and then share their revisions. (Online students can pick one of the four sentences to revise.)

Slang and Colloquialisms Often students aren’t aware of the frequency with which they use colloquialisms. A good activity for you to do in class would be to take Exhibit 3-2 from the chapter and have students work in teams to provide alternatives to the examples of colloquialisms. This activity could prompt some discussion about how challenging this was for native-English speakers.

Advice for Communicating across Cultures Slide 3-16 Like other kinds of communication, cross-cultural communication involves people—and people are unpredictable. The advice in this section will help you to be as prepared—and therefore as successful— as possible when engaging in cross-cultural communication.

Research: Learn as much as you can about your business associates’ culture. Study the factors that impact culture in major ways: geography, history, and religion. Learn about the body language and values that are typical of their society. (Exhibit 3-6 lists several websites that can be helpful in performing cross-cultural research.)

Know yourself: Understand what factors influence your own culture and your company’s culture. Be aware of terminology you use that could be confusing to nonnative English speakers. Also recognize what values shape the way you look at business relationships.

Be aware of stereotypes: Related to knowing yourself, understand that there are cultural generalizations that people from other countries will make about your culture as well. And remember that although generalizations can be a helpful starting place for understanding a culture, you need to keep digging to get a more accurate viewpoint.

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Adapt: You will communicate better with nonnative English speakers if you keep your language as simple and clear as possible. Understand what kinds of sentence constructions might be tricky for people from another culture to understand and make an effort to avoid slang and other wording that could be problematic.

Be open to change: Adapting to every aspect of someone’s culture is neither desirable nor always ethical. But being open to understanding what has influenced people’s viewpoints and being willing to adapt your business practices to promote successful communication will help you to grow as a person and as an employee.

Slide 3-17 Research Exercise

Direct students to look at the websites in Exhibit 3-6 for information that will help them complete this research exercise (it can be either an in-class or a homework assignment). Make sure students consider finding out about the geography, history, and religions of the country, as well as learning the preferred style of communication and typical body language of Thai people. They will also want to know practical information such as the time zone of Thailand, Thai currency, major cities in the country, news outlets, and so forth.

Slide 3-18 You Make the Call

Take a survey of your students to see where they are originally from. Then divide the group into smaller groups based on general regions of the country where their hometowns are located. Groups can answer all of the questions on this slide or you could direct each group to come up with some familiar stereotypes of one of the other groups (online students could offer familiar stereotypes about their own home region).

Slide 3-19 Adapt Your English

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We’ve explored some of the wording and sentence constructions that are difficult for nonnative English speakers to understand. Whenever you interact with people from another country, don’t assume they will understand you easily—even if they speak English well. Erring on the side of simplicity is your best bet for clear communication.

Word questions carefully to avoid complex constructions or indirect language that may be confusing. For example, avoid negative questions such as “Aren’t you going to dinner?” or “Wouldn’t you rather come with us to the restaurant?”

Avoid slang words and job-specific terminology until you have a better understanding of their language proficiency.

Whenever possible, try to confirm that you and your communication partner are understanding one another. Some words that are either the same or similar can have very different meanings, even in countries where English is the main language. Especially where times, dates, numbers, and other such facts are important, make sure your message is clear.

Slides 3-20, 3-21 The bottom line in cross-cultural communication is this: Do all you can to send clear messages. Mutual respect is key to successful cross-cultural communication. Likewise, successful communication is key to developing mutual respect.

As you wrap up your instruction on this chapter, direct students back to the Problem-Solving Challenge presented at the beginning of the chapter. Ask students: If you knew you were going to be walking into a similar cross-cultural interaction again, what would you do differently as a trainer? What could you do before, during, or after the meeting to make things go more smoothly?

Critical-Thinking Questions

1. If you were trying to persuade your boss to implement some form of cross-cultural training in the company, what kinds of evidence might help you make a convincing case? (LO3-1) Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Evaluate each answer based on its merits. Answers might include pointing to such factors as current or potential employees who may come from other cultures, the international nature of business today, and how international events and movements shape our culture as well. Two more reasons could be that having a cross-cultural understanding will help you to become a more effective employee and that interaction with people from other cultures will enrich your business life.

2. Microaggressions are little behaviors or messages that make people feel they’re invisible or not valued (for example, not looking at or speaking to someone attending a meeting, repeatedly interrupting someone’s comments, referring to someone by the wrong name or mispronouncing the name, or showing lack of interest with one’s body language). Think of a situation in which you felt you were the victim of such treatment. What was the microaggression? How did it make you feel? (LO3-1)

Evaluate each answer based on its merits.

3. Put yourself in the shoes of the trainer described in this chapter’s Problem-Solving Challenge.

What might have been a better way to handle the situation? How might the trainer have prepared better for such a situation? (LO3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5, 3-6)

Evaluate each answer based on its merits.

4. What are the prevailing attitudes in our culture toward the following, and how can those attitudes affect our communication with those from other cultures? (LO3-3)

a. Handshakes. (Answers may vary, but generally handshakes in our culture are firm and brief. This could be confusing or offensive to people from other cultures who are used to longer or gentler physical contact.) b. When/where people sit and stand. (Canadians are often taught to stand when someone new enters a room as a way of being polite. But other cultures would remain seated, which could seem rude, even though it is not.) c. Body positions and movements during business meetings (face to face and online) Answers may vary. For example, shaking the head from side to side means no and nodding it up and Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

down means yes in Canadian culture. However, in several Middle Eastern countries, people raise their eyebrows and move their head slightly up to indicate no. Also, some hand gestures in Canada would be considered vulgar to other audiences.

5. What are the prevailing attitudes in our culture toward the following, and how can those attitudes affect our communication with those from other cultures? (LO3-4)

a. Negotiation methods. (Answers may vary, but generally will conform to these examples: In the Canadian business world, negotiation is a regular part of doing business. It’s common for business associates to work hard to get the best deal, and then to be able to socialize and relax together later. This approach would seem completely odd and possibly harsh or insulting to people living in some other cultures.) b. Truth in advertising. (Canadians place a high value on honesty and even consider truth in advertising to be a right. However, in other cultures, being deceptive could be seen as honourable if it helps your company to sell more products.) c. Company-worker loyalty. (These days most Canadians expect to change jobs at least once in their careers, often more times, and they expect their employers to hire and fire people as their needs require. In other cultures, businesses may treat their employees like family and business owners may expect loyalty from their workers.) d. Women’s appropriate roles in society. (While women are free to work as much as they want in Canadian society, and are frequently found in leadership roles, often their pay cheques do not equal those of their male counterparts. But women in some other cultures are extremely limited in what jobs they can do and how much they can even move freely from one place to another.)

6. Assume that you’ve just been made manager of a team of young employees that includes a recent hire from Asia. Many people from Asian countries feel that it is inappropriate to bother their boss or express dissatisfaction. How might you encourage your Asian team member to ask you questions, let you know when they are having difficulties, and bring any concerns to your attention? (If you’re an Asian student, what would encourage you to communicate more with your boss?) (LO3-4)

Each student’s answer should be evaluated based on its merits. Their answers might include ideas such as setting up regular update one-on-one meetings between the manager and the employee.

The manager could also provide employees with a regular survey which could ask questions about Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

their satisfaction or areas of concern. This would allow the employees a less direct way of voicing their opinions, which might make the recent hire from Asia more comfortable.

7. Is a conversational style as appropriate in cross-cultural communication as it is in Canada? Discuss.

(LO3-4, 3-5)

Evaluate students’ answers based on their merits, but the discussion should note that it depends on the culture. Some cultures might find a conversational style to be insulting because it assumes too much familiarity in the business relationship.

8. On a recent trip to India, Mr. Yang, a prominent Chinese executive, dined with his client, Himanshu Jain. Mr. Yang commented that the food was spicy, which Mr. Jain interpreted as an opportunity to discuss Indian cuisine. After lengthy explanations, Mr. Yang commented again that the food was spicy. What’s happening here? What barrier is likely getting in the way of clear communication? (LO3-4)

Each answer should be evaluated based on its merits but could include reference to the different values of these two cultures. The Chinese executive may be suggesting that the food was too spicy— using an indirect way to say so in order not to offend. But the Indian client may understand “spicy” as only having a positive meaning.

9. Think of English words or North American expressions (other than this chapter’s examples) that probably do not have precise equivalents in some other culture. How would you attempt to explain each of these to a person from that culture? (LO3-5)

Answers will vary based on the examples given. Evaluate each student’s response based on its merits.

10. Compare the two email messages below. Both were written to inform the reader that the writer’s company had been charged too much for an ad published in the reader’s magazine. The first (with both Japanese and English versions displayed) was written by a Japanese author to a Japanese reader. The second was written by a Canadian author to a Canadian reader. What differences in the two approaches do you see? What cultural differences might account for these writing differences? (LO3-4, 3-5)

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(Refer to the letters as shown in the textbook.) Evaluate each student’s answer based on its merits.

Answers should note that the tone of the message written by the Canadian author is more direct and indicates that a mistake was made on the part of the publication. However, the message written by a Japanese author to a Japanese reader is more indirect and supplies information without stating specifically the mistake that was made, but rather allowing the publication to discover the necessary correction themselves. The message written by the Canadian author is in a more conversational tone as well. In Japanese culture, significance is placed on being respectful and honouring in business relationships, so a Japanese businessperson will want to avoid blaming language and use a formal tone to denote respect. In Canadian culture, it’s considered respectful to use a conversational tone and be direct in communicating one’s needs.

11. Driving home from school, you see a thin white guy walking along with a thin white girl behind him. Both of them have unkempt hair, tattoos, metal adornments, and ragged clothes. What automatic interpretations would you make about them? Would you consider this stereotyping? If so, is it wrong? When is stereotyping bad? (LO3-6)

Answers will vary based on the examples given, but students should identify that generalizing about a group of people by the way they look is a form of stereotyping. Evaluate each student’s response based on its merits.

12. The following is a real message written from a Canadian marketing professional to a potential client in Germany. After researching German business communication on the Internet, explain why the Canadian author wrote the message the way she did for this audience. (Consider how the message might have been different had she written it to a prospective client in Canada.) (LO3-4, 35, 3-6)

(Refer to the message in the textbook.) Answers may vary somewhat depending on the amount of research a student completes; however, the answer will likely reflect the fact that typical business communication in Germany is more formal in tone than Canadian business language. Had the message been written to a client in Canada, the writing style would likely have been more conversational and direct, without so much explanation.

Skills-Building Exercises

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1. Choose a culture within Canada to research (it can be based on ethnicity, region of origin, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, or any other type of category that your instructor approves). What should people in other Canadian cultures know about this culture in order to be able to communicate effectively with those who identify with it? (LO3-1) 2. Diversity training is becoming widespread, but it is not always effective. What strategies seem to work? Which ones don’t? Why? Be ready to share your findings with the class. (LO3-1) 3. Research a company scandal that involved cultural insensitivity or dubious international business practices. What ethical principle did the company violate? What was the cost of this mistake?

(LO3-1, LO3-6) All of the above assignments are research-based, so the answers will depend on each student’s research experience. Evaluate answers based on their merits.

Understanding Cultural Differences (LO3-2, 3-3, 3-4) 1. Research Denmark or another country and analyze the likely impact of its geography on its culture.

2. Research France or another country to assess the likely impact of its history on its culture.

3. Research India or another country and analyze the likely impact of its religious background on its culture.

4. Research how Canadian geography, history, and religious background have influenced its culture.

5. Study an Indigenous nation in Canada (e.g., Cree, Dakota, Mi’kmaq) and then infer its people’s likely attitudes toward Canadian values and behaviours.

6. You’re chair of an important committee in your professional organization, and the committee has just acquired its first non-Canadian member, a citizen of the United Arab Emirates. What factors should you be aware of as you conduct your communications with the committee? (Or, do this exercise substituting Japan, Romania, or another country your instructor assigns.)

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7. Compare the use of smiling or gift-giving in three different cultures and explain why this knowledge is important.

8. Research the differences in government and culture between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, North and South Korea, mainland China and Hong Kong, or Canada and a specific First Nations people (e.g. Assiniboine, Cree, Dene, etc.). Explain how the differences would likely affect business communication practices.

9. Research the extent to which the younger adults in a country are breaking away from its traditional cultural values and practices. What accounts for the changes, and what are the implications for business communication?

10. Interview a student or business professional whose country of origin is not Canada about differences between their country and Canada. Use this person’s insights, as well as the information and references in this chapter, to write a short report on your findings and their implications for business communication.

All of the above assignments are research-based, so the answers will depend on each student’s research experience. Evaluate answers based on their merits.

Remember that another useful tool in Connect is “Writing Assignment,” which students can use to submit their homework assignments online. For more information on setting up this service, go to http://createwp.customer.mheducation.com/wordpress-mu/success-academy/create-writingassignments/.

Adapting Your Language for Cross-Cultural Communication 1. From a newspaper, magazine, or website, find and bring to class eight sentences containing words and expressions that a non-native English speaker might have difficulty understanding. Rewrite the sentences for this reader. (LO3-5) Evaluate each student’s answers based on its merits.

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2. What word choices in the following email message might give a non-native speaker trouble?

Rewrite the memo to avoid such wording. (LO3-5) Dear conference-planning team, High-fives to you for an awesome conference! I heard tons of compliments from the participants. You’ve definitely set a new high for our annual conferences!

The schedule you set up couldn’t have worked out better. The seven-minute downtime between sessions gave people plenty of time to get to the next session without having to hustle.

The receptions were great icebreakers, and the catered food was out of this world. The sushi bar was an especially big hit—I saw many people coming back for seconds at that table.

Sincere thanks to you for all the time and effort you invested in this labour of love. Your organization is in your debt.

(Problematic language is underlined. A possible revision is shown below.)

Dear conference-planning team, Congratulations on a successful conference! I heard many compliments from the participants.

You’ve definitely set a new standard for our annual conferences!

The schedule worked very well. The seven minutes allowed between sessions gave people more than adequate time. No one needed to hurry in order to make it to the next session.

The receptions were great for giving people time to get to know each other, and the catered food was excellent. The sushi was especially well liked—many people enjoyed extra servings at that table.

Sincere thanks to you all for the time and effort you invested in this event. Your organization is grateful for your service.

3. Review the cross-cultural thank-you message in the last item listed in the Critical-Thinking Questions and rewrite it as if it were going to an executive at Rogers in Toronto. (LO3-4, 3-5) Answers will vary. Evaluate each student’s revised message based on its merits and whether or not it reflects a correct understanding of typical business communication in Canada.

Exploring Ethical Issues in Cross-Cultural Business (LO6)

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Choose a country quite different from your own and, after studying its culture and business practices, write a short report on the kinds of ethical issues that might arise in doing business with those from this country. (For starters, you might read the article “Building Ethical Business Cultures: BRIC by BRIC” at http://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/?p=1930.) Which of these issues might be relatively easy to deal with? Which would be more difficult? Which might be deal-breakers?

Answers will vary based on the research and the country chosen. Evaluate answers based on their merits.

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 4: Designing the Right Type of Message: From Letters to Social Media Teaching Suggestions This chapter explores the important foundational concept that good business writing is the result of careful planning, drafting, and revising. Sometimes students may be tempted to see the brevity of many business documents as indicative of the amount of time and effort that is needed to produce the document. Showing students the importance of planning and revising, in particular, will serve them well throughout their careers.

In addition, this chapter discusses genres of business communication such as letters, memos, emails, text messaging, instant messaging, and social networking that students are likely familiar with. The focus in this chapter is on the purpose and format of these genres, while later chapters will discuss more thoroughly how to write various messages within these formats. Students may not realize how their use of these forms changes when they are in a professional setting. Providing contrasting examples, for instance, of a text sent to a business colleague and a text sent to a friend may be helpful. Students may also be encouraged to write the same message (e.g., a lunch invitation) to two different audiences, a friend and a client, so that they better see how context affects a message. This type of exercise can also help students understand the process of audience analysis and the importance of planning a message.

Connect provides instructors with a variety of ways to customize courses, create assignments, determine grading policies, and receive student work. One of the tools Connect offers is the ability to select and add interactive assignments to your course. Explanations of these assignments and how they support the learning objectives are integrated into the instructor’s manual with the relevant subject areas.

Learning Objectives LO 4-1 Understand the importance of skilful writing in business.

LO 4-2 Describe the writing process and effective writing strategies.

LO 4-3 Describe the purpose and form of letters.

LO 4-4 Describe the purpose and form of memorandums (memos).

LO 4-5 Describe the purpose and form of email.

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LO 4-6 Describe the use of computer tools to facilitate planning messages.

LO 4-7 Describe the use of computer tools to facilitate drafting messages.

LO 4-8 Describe the use of computer tools to facilitate revising messages.

LO 4-9 Understand the nature and business uses of other communication media.

LO 4-10 Describe how technology will continue to impact communication in the future.

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Key Terms planning drafting revising recursive business goals writing goals analyze the audience brainstorm direct order indirect order genres levels of edit editing proofreading letters letterhead return address conventional date form inside address courtesy title attention line salutation mixed punctuation open punctuation closed punctuation subject line complimentary close signature block information notations postscripts memorandum (or memo) email spam casual email informal email formal email project planning tools electronic calendar database tools outlining or concept-mapping program statistical programs text messaging instant messages social media Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

cloud computing cloud

Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, You can point out that this chapter will cover advice that applies to writing all kinds of documents, as well as specific advice on the shorter forms of business communication, or “messages”: letters, memos, email, text messages, instant messaging, and social media posts.

Here may be a good place to discuss the evolution of business communication genres. Email, once considered “cutting edge,” is now considered standard. Consider asking students with workplace experience which type of communication their company relied on the most.

(Note: For online courses, you can create assignments via Connect in which students can respond to questions posed during class.)

The Writing Process Slide 4-4 You might ask students, before discussing this section, to reflect on (write about) their usual process of writing. (If they have trouble doing so, ask them to think about/describe how they tackled a recent writing task.) This exercise can help them see that this chapter contains helpful advice for them—advice that will make their writing more effective and the process itself less stressful.

The writing process diagram helps students see that the process of writing falls roughly into three stages: planning, drafting, and revising.

But the arrows in the model also show that writers should allow themselves to revisit earlier stages as necessary (that is, allow the process to be recursive). To try to make the process rigidly linear is often counterproductive, especially for inexperienced writers.

As the text says, a good rule of thumb is to spend roughly one-third of the writing time in each of the three stages (planning, drafting, revising).

Slide 4-5 Planning the Message You can point out that the planning stage corresponds to the problem-solving approach represented in Chapter 1, which involved research, analysis, creativity, and judgment. What is the situation? What do those facts mean? What are some possible communication strategies? Which is the best course of action? To be able to answer these questions, the writer will perform these activities: • • • •

Determining goals Analyzing the audience Gathering information Analyzing and organizing the information

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•

Choosing the form, channel, and format

Determining Goals: In determining goals, writers should ask themselves what a reader should think, feel, do, or believe as a result of reading a message. The writer’s communication goals are very much connected, then, to the writer’s business goals.

Audience Analysis: Analyzing the audience is key to any successful business message. Writers need to break down their audience by the audience’s characteristics and then tailor a message to meet that audience’s need. Writers will ask several questions: Who is my audience? Who will be affected by what I write? What organizational, professional, and personal issues or qualities will affect the audience’s response to my message? What organizational, professional, and personal issues or qualities do I have that affect how I will write my message? What is my relationship with my reader? Am I writing to my superior? My colleagues? My subordinates? Clients? (See the Audience Analysis Checklist in Exhibit 4-3.)

Gathering information: Solving a communication problem can be viewed as part of solving a larger business problem. In other words, figuring out what to say often involves, as well, figuring out what to do. For example, in addition to going over the sample scenario provided in the text, you can ask your students the following: If, as a manager, you wanted to write an effective message to employees about leaving the parking spaces near the company’s front door available for the customers, what things would you have to figure out before you could write this message?

Students should come up with such topics as why the employees should do this, when they should start doing it, where they should park, any special incentive (or implied threat?!) that might encourage them to comply, and so forth. The point is that communicators usually cannot simply go with the information at the tops of their heads. They need to plan what goals they want to accomplish and then gather the ideas and information they will need in order to write the messages that will help them accomplish their goals.

Some activities that can help writers gather information include the following: • • • • •

Formal research (e.g., surveys, experiments, library research) Informal research (such as consulting with others, looking at previous messages for similar circumstances, and so forth) Listing pertinent ideas/information Brainstorming “Clustering” (drawing a diagram of your ideas)

Analyzing and organizing information. Once writers have collected what looks like sufficient information (though they may find later in the process that they need more), they need to analyze it and organize it.

Interpretation and logic help the writer determine what to say and in what order. Clearly, the message’s main points need to be based upon the gathered information, and they need to be arranged logically.

Adaptation is critical as well. Which comments in which order will be likely to have the best effect on the reader? The reader’s likely reaction will determine whether the message is written in the direct or indirect order and will also affect the order of the rest of the contents.

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Choosing a form, channel, and format: In many textbooks, discussions of form, channel, and format are separate from the discussion about the writing process. But in reality, planning a message is virtually impossible without giving at least some preliminary thought to these elements. The medium is not just a container for the message; whether one anticipates writing a letter, email, brochure, web page, or some combination of these, and how one anticipates they should look, will significantly affect the planning of the message.

Let students look at the Communication Matters feature titled “Do I Need to Write It?” Can they think of any other reasons for writing a message? Consider different important messages you’ve received in various ways. Maybe a student received a message about a job or about something happening to their company. Or perhaps a student received a message about a particular assignment or his or her grades. If the original message was not written, consider how the situation might have been if it had been written.

If the original message was written, consider how a different kind of communication might have been received. What are the pros and cons of the written message in either case?

Exhibit 4-4 illustrates the effect of formatting on the clarity of a message. Have students read the email from a human resources professional and ask them to consider how this email can be formatting to more effectively provide information to the reader. While students may not have experience as a human resources professional, the experience in this role is not important; the role is just a way for students to get used to playing the role of a business person while they apply chapter concepts to the exercise. You can also connect this discussion back to the Chapter 2 notion of the “You-viewpoint.”

Slide 4-6 You Make the Call Students will consider the scenario of a hotel manager having to communicate with guests about an unpleasant situation.

Consider dividing the class into teams of managers, current guests, and former guests. (For online students, consider dividing the students into groups and assigning them roles based on the first letters of their last names: A-H will play the role of the managers, I-P will play the role of current guests, and QZ will play the role of former guests.) Let some of the managers and current guests role-play their actions and responses—the managers will craft an announcement about the problem, the guests will act out their responses and/or craft complaint letters. The other managers will respond to complaint letters crafted by the former guests. Students can work together to create their respective messages.

Discuss what steps of planning a message were most important or useful to them in developing their communications.

Slide 4-7 Drafting Tips As they draft, writers work out the content, stylistic, organizational, and formatting details.

Listing students’ favorite drafting/writing strategies would be appropriate at this point.

You may want to share the following points with your students: Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

•

• • •

You must be flexible when preparing your drafts. Drafts are the first stages of a long writing process. They are not final documents, so do not distract or slow yourself down too much by trying to make the first draft perfect.

Instead, use strategies that will enable you to pull your material together fairly easily and quickly into a reasonably well-organized, complete draft.

Avoid spending too much energy perfecting the early parts of the draft. Striving for perfection can make you forget important pieces and purposes of the later parts.

Keep moving with your draft; have an understanding that you will draft relatively quickly, you can always go back and revise.

You may want to try the strategy discussed by writer Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones. It’s called Keep Your Hand Moving and is good for breaking through perfectionism. You could give students a quick in-class business writing assignment, set a timer, and tell them that they cannot put down their pens or stop writing for 15 minutes. Even if they can think of nothing to say, tell them to write down “I have nothing to say.” The idea here is to break through writer’s block and keep the hand moving, regardless of the thoughts that arise.

Slide 4-8 Revision Steps It is probably safe to say that the most common flaw in students’ writing processes is that they do not revise enough. Impress upon them the importance of devoting time to this stage. Even very experienced writers and famous authors take a good bit of time to review and polish important documents.

You may want to make the following points to your students: •

•

• •

Rewriting is a very valuable aspect of the writing process. Remember to break your rewriting down into three “levels of edit”—revision, editing, and proofreading to help you rewrite more effectively.

With revision, you look at top-level concerns. Did you include all necessary information? Is the pattern of organization logical and as effective as possible? Does the overall meaning of the message come through? Is format appropriate? Did you use basic formatting guidelines— formatting by genre and techniques such as use of white space?

Next, focus on editing for style by examining sentences and word choice.

When proofreading, make sure to pay attention to particular mechanical and grammatical elements—spelling, typography, punctuation, or any grammar problems that tend to give you trouble.

Students may not realize or know how to distinguish revising and editing from proofreading. You may bring an example or have students bring drafts and illustrate the differences among (and the necessity of) these three steps in the process.

Also point out the Communication Matters box with the heading “Why Accurately Proofreading Your Own Work Is Difficult.” Writers can improve their ability to proofread their own work by changing the type colour or font, or printing out the material and editing by hand. These changes have the effect of making the work visually unfamiliar, which helps you to see errors.

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Slide 4-9 You Revise It Let students offer suggestions for revision either out loud or in writing. As an added challenge, ask students to shorten this announcement to a 150-character text, including all necessary information for a clear message to employees.

Business Message Forms Slide 4-10 There are many different types of business messages, and each has its own unique traits and purpose.

As you’ll see, every business communication situation requires analysis to determine which type of message will be used.

Ask students to share from their own work experiences or experiences of businesses they know. Which forms of messages are used most often? Are there any that are not used at all in your work? Why?

Letters Slides 4-11, 4-12 Letters are the oldest form dating from the earliest civilizations—Greek, Egyptian, Chinese.

The genre implies a certain formality, and certainly, letters are the most formal of the business writing forms we discuss.

Before the digital method of messaging arrived, letters were the dominant form of business messaging used for external readers—the people outside the organization. Letters are relatively formal and follow standardized forms. Remember that you want to put your and your company’s best foot forward by choosing the letter format complete with an attractive company letterhead and elements of courtesy.

The format of the business letter should include: date, inside address, salutation, body, and complimentary close. While some formality is required, you should view your letter correspondence as an exchange between real people—avoid using unduly formal, impersonal writing.

Early emphasis was on a stilted word choice (the “old language of business”). Now the emphasis is on selecting an effective structure and strategy and on using wording that will build rapport between the writer and the reader. Your audience and company culture will determine what is appropriate. You may want to review courtesy titles in letters because, with changing technology and social norms, students often find themselves confused about how to address someone in writing. Review the section on letter formality with students so they are more confident about how to reach out to someone so they are doing so respectfully. Students may discuss what types of letters they receive and draw conclusions about when sending a letter might be appropriate (vs. an email or other type of communication). You may want to ask students to bring in direct mail letters or another type of letter for analysis during this class or the next.

Students may already be familiar with some kind of letter format. If not, students should review this chapter for examples. Many times students will ask which format is the “right” one. It’s important for Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

students to realize that any could be correct but that their companies may dictate format. Exhibit 4-6 presents four options for formatting a letter.

Slide 4-13 You Write It Allow students a brief period of time to construct a short letter. Then have students exchange letters (they can email each other their drafts or use Google docs to share letters) and offer suggestions for revisions.

Memos Slides 4-14, 4-15 Memorandums are internal company letters. Email has taken over much of their function; however, even though students may think that everyone in a workplace has access to an email, this may not necessarily be the case. Some employees, such as line workers in a factory, are not likely to check their email as they work throughout the day or even regularly before or after work or on breaks.

A memo posted in a highly visible location would be a better communication channel for these employees than email.

Are memos becoming obsolete as email becomes the standard?

Some companies will consider more serious information or “hot news,” such as that concerning changes in company policies or recent layoffs, more appropriate for memo than email form. In addition, some memos are actually reports.

Note that the memo format is similar in structure to an email. But traditionally, memos are on paper and more formal than an email. However, since they are internal communications, they tend to be less formal than letters.

Slide 4-16 You Make the Call: Memo or No? Challenge students to think of circumstances in which a memo might work better than email. For example, if a manager wanted to circulate a printed journal for employees to review, she might attach a memo to the cover of the journal and ask employees to initial by their names in the “To:” line when they have read the journal article in question, and then pass the item on to the next person. Sensitive material might also be distributed within a hard copy memo instead of an email, especially if there were any email security concerns. Your students may come up with other examples.

Email Slides 4-17, 4-18, 4-19, 4-20 It’s easy to see why email has remained so popular. It has several advantages: •

eliminates telephone tag

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• • • •

saves time speeds up decision making is cheap provides a written record

But there are disadvantages: • • • • •

not confidential no authentic signature can be misunderstood or used to avoid difficult conversations doesn’t communicate emotions well may be ignored

Questions for possible discussion: Ask students how they think email has changed the workplace. Can they think of other advantages and disadvantages? Are there any advantages to not using email? Should email be used by employees who sit right next to each other, in place of in-person chats or team meetings? Have they ever received a particularly unprofessional email? How did they respond?

You may also want to bring “bad” work emails in and have students evaluate them.

Discuss the typical parts of an email message and the different ways they can be used. Highlight the tips and tricks of usage of the email form that can help your communications stand out and be received well.

This could be a good time to discuss students’ pet peeves about email communications. Have you ever received annoying attachments? Or not received an attachment when you would have preferred one?

What are good uses of signature blocks? Are there any downsides to them? Describe examples of good and bad email communicators. See the next slide for more ideas.

Slides 4-21, 4-22 These slides provide practical tips to students about how to construct and use emails well (as well as how not to use them).

Ask students to add items to the Email Wall of Shame. Discuss, briefly, “hot button” words or styles that may show emotion/attitude. Ask students to brainstorm some examples of these email mistakes, either ones that they made or times when they were on the receiving end of these issues. Here are some other possible email mistakes to add: 1. Sending long emails 2. Creating long paragraphs 3. Not avoiding emotion or emailing when angry 4. Using email when it’s not the best communication channel 5. Forgetting that email is a permanent record

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Business email messages, no matter what the approach, are more effective when kept short, simple, and constructed in a top-down order (most important to least important). This way, if the reader is scanning for information, they do not need to scroll to find your most important information.

Ask students when they might use casual, informal, or formal approaches. Have they ever received a business email that seemed to be written in an inappropriate style for the content or the relationship concerned? What do they consider the most important things to remember when writing an email message in a business context?

Note that informal language shows up in many of the examples used in Chapters 7–9. Formal style is illustrated in the examples of formal reports in Chapters 10 and 11. Chapter 6 has advice about writing clear, courteous messages, and guides in Reference Chapter A speak to expressing messages correctly.

The Email Etiquette Checklist provides a helpful list of points to consider before sending a message.

Email is a sensitive medium and its quick execution and delivery time leaves it open to errors. Because it’s informal and still being defined as a genre, it’s vulnerable to etiquette errors.

Ask students if they can remember a time they made one of these errors or received an email with an etiquette error. Are there checks they would add to this list? (Also have them check the From the Tech Desk box titled “Using Good Email Etiquette Helps Writers Achieve Their Goals” for more ideas.)

Slide 4-23 You Send It Divide the class into two groups and give each group the assigned task as shown in the slide. Let the Group A members either write individual emails or work together to write the email. Then they should send their product(s) to the Group B members and let them respond via email as well.

After the exercise, discuss what factors influenced the drafting of this message? How was email helpful in this particular circumstance? How might it have been unhelpful?

To make the exercise more interesting, advise half of Group A and Group B to write particularly “bad” email examples. Or let Group A write a bad email request and Group B write a good email response.

Discuss what made the messages good or bad.

(You could set up a similar exercise between groups of online attendees, or choose the online participants to be Group A and yourself to act as Group B.)

Additional Media in Business Communication Texts and IM Slide 4-24, 4-25 Many individuals use text and instant messaging in the workplace as a quick and efficient means of communication. When using such short messages, writers must be especially careful to ensure messages are not only concise but clear. A helpful activity may be to have students write one message in two ways: once as an email and once as an instant message.

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Text and instant messaging are still used much more for non-business rather than business purposes.

But these tools are growing in business use—for quick messages to coworkers, promotions, brand awareness, customer relations, and such. Clearly, as a new generation continues to join the workforce and influence communication, the use of text messaging will increase.

Slide 4-26 Exhibit 4-25 is also featured in the textbook. Discuss which social media sites, apps, or blogs students see businesses using successfully. Ask students to volunteer to show their social media pages. Or find profiles of anonymous people on Facebook or show anonymous Twitter posts and ask the students for critique. Find profiles of business pages on Facebook or business Twitter posts. Talk about what makes a good post or a good profile in any of these accounts. Discuss what judgments you might make about a person or company based on the kinds of things they say or the pictures they post on social media.

Remind students that if an anonymous person’s life can be so easily accessed, then they, too, can be vulnerable to this level of accessibility.

To discuss usage of social media, consider asking students what activities they’ve used Facebook and other social media sites for in the workplace.

Slides 4-27 Social Media Warnings Students may be interested in discussing ethical issues involved when employers use social networking pages to screen applicants.

It may also be interesting to mention that the social site RateMyProfessor.com has been used to make hiring decisions for new faculty. Knowing this, would students change their reviews at all? This could certainly lead to rich conversation.

Slide 4-28 You Make the Call Encourage students to share their own experiences with using social media in the context of work— either as a tool for work or as a distraction from their work. What are the problems—for either the company or the employee—with using social media at work for personal use? What might be the possible benefits?

A Look to the Future Slide 4-29 Technology is changing at such a pace already, you can anticipate further rapid advancements in business use of technology to support or enhance communication.

Innovative social media sites are continually being developed and reaching out to attract new audiences. Where will Pinterest, Snapchat, and Instagram be in five years? In what ways will these sites shape how we communicate with one another, either for personal use or for business use?

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Mobile business solutions are already changing the way people access and use companies’ products and services. Reports have varied, but roughly one-sixth of all U.S. holiday retail sales last year were completed online, and that number has been increasing each year. Many people now deal with all their personal business, from scheduling doctor’s appointments to depositing checks, through websites or mobile apps. This impacts their familiarity with releasing personal information online and how they communicate about traditionally formal business transactions such as loan negotiations, insurance claims, product complaints, and more. Ask students to think of ways that the increased use of apps and websites (which often have “chat” features to enable easy access to customer representatives) for personal business transactions may affect how companies communicate with external or internal audiences.

Storing things in the cloud has become a familiar term for both businesses and individuals. What are some of the benefits to working in the cloud? What are some of the disadvantages? How do you think cloud computing has affected communication?

Note that Chapter 11 discusses more thoroughly how technology has increasingly facilitated collaborative writing in the workplace.

Slides 4-30, 4-31 These slides summarize the learning objectives of the chapter.

Power Charge Your Professionalism: Use the Right Word 1. Ling is conducting the training sessions to (assure/insure) all employees know how to use the new intranet portal.

2. Once you (except/accept) the terms of the license agreement, you can download your new software.

3. Even though the instructions did not (implicitly/explicitly) provide a deadline, everyone assumed the forms were due at the end of the month.

4. Did Rick’s email (imply/infer) that we would all be getting a raise this year?

5. Last Thursday Sonia (lead/led) the hospital’s board of directors on a tour of the remodeled emergency room.

6. Business letters are usually sent on company letterhead, but personal letters are usually sent on (plane/plain) paper.

7. Paying extra on a loan (principal/principle) each month can help you pay off the loan more quickly.

8. Even though we send most of our messages electronically, we still use (stationary/stationery) for our printed messages.

For further instruction on using the right word, see “Style and Word Choice” module in the Adaptive Learning Assignments.

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Critical-Thinking Questions 1.

Explain why writing can be more difficult than other forms of communication. (LO4-1)

In written communication, the words must do the whole job of transmitting the message of the writer clearly. The writer cannot rely on facial expressions, body language, or voice to set the tone. To be an effective business writer, you must be able to capture complex circumstances and put them into words.

This calls for diligence and creativity to do the research, critical thinking, and problem solving that is required. Writing may also be considered more difficult because the written message is often recorded and examined more closely than a message delivered orally.

2.

Describe ways in which the writing process might be recursive. (LO4-2)

The stages of crafting a written message are interconnected. You may begin drafting parts of your message while you are planning what you are going to say. Or you may have to interrupt a draft to go and collect more information. You may have to revise and edit an introductory section before the rest of the draft is complete. The writing process is a flexible one.

3.

Explain how technology can help the writer with both creative and tedious writing tasks.

(LO4-6–LO4-8)

Students should answer with several examples of both creative and tedious writing tasks and what specific technology tools help with those tasks. Technology can help with routine tasks such as creating a writing schedule on an electronic calendar or entering data into a searchable database. Technology such as RSS readers can help you gather information, but also might provide inspiration for other writing projects. Outlining and concept-mapping can seem boring, but gathering your ideas into a visual order in such a program may produce new connections and original ideas about how to approach your project.

Presentation and design software can allow you to be creative with formatting and constructing your report.

4.

Identify specific software tools that assist with constructing written messages. Explain what each does. (LO4-3—LO4-6)

Project planning tools, such as Microsoft Visio, give a writer the ability to identify all the tasks needed to complete a project and to determine how much time a task will take. They can also help track your progress and your project budget.

Electronic calendars can help you plan time for your writing and allow you to coordinate your schedule with other project collaborators by viewing shared calendars, scheduling meetings, setting appointment or deadline reminders, and so forth.

RSS readers pull content from around the web based on the subject matter you subscribe to. They can collect the information into one spot and save it for later reading.

Databases will give you a place to organize the facts and other pieces of information that you’ve gathered for your project. If the database is customized well for your project, you can search and sort the data by various relevant categories.

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Outlining and concept-mapping programs, such as Edraw, allow you to group related ideas and rearrange them into a meaningful order. Statistical programs and spreadsheet programs, such as Excel, can also let you organize raw data into simple tables or helpful visuals such as charts and graphs.

As you consider how your final message will be presented, you might use multimedia presentations such as PowerPoint or Camtasia. These programs allow you to incorporate video, images, music, and audio narration into your presentation.

5.

Word processing programs are the writer’s primary tool. Identify five basic features and two advanced features useful to business writers. (LO4-6–LO4-8)

Each student’s answer should be evaluated on its own merit, as there are many possible features they might choose to use as examples. Here are some possible responses: Five basic features that can help you craft business messages are help, find and replace, auto correct, spell check, and grammar and style check. The help feature can show you how to adjust formatting settings or learn any other part of the program you are not clear about. Find and replace will assist you in finding common or repeated errors and replacing them with your corrections. This takes much less time than trying to find them manually.

Auto correct can also be used to automatically correct errors you find yourself making over and over again. Spell check and grammar and style check can be used at the end of your writing to find typical spelling and grammar errors. Advanced features such as comments and track changes can help you to collaborate with others on a project, allowing comments and editorial changes while keeping a record of your original work. And managing the styles feature can help you designate certain themes and templates for your work that can allow you to make formatting changes easily.

6. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of spelling checkers and grammar and style checkers. (LO4-8) These checkers are very helpful in catching many incorrect spellings and structure problems. They each usually offer suggestions for corrections or give you the option of adding to the program’s dictionary or changing something in the settings of the program to deal with terminology or constructions that might be particular to that piece of writing. However, the spell checker will not catch words that are spelled correctly, but just misused, such as desert for dessert. Similarly, though the grammar and style checker can identify possible problems, it’s up to the writer to make decisions on what is being used correctly and what is not—so the writer still needs to have a good understanding of grammar. The main disadvantage to such checkers comes when the writer relies too heavily on these features to fix potential issues automatically without paying careful attention to what is being fixed. Also, proofreading is still required, due to the aforementioned problem in not being able to identify misused words.

7.

Brainstorm some practices or policies that businesses might develop for using the information rights management (IRM) tool effectively. (LO4-8)

Evaluate each student’s answer on its merits. An answer should show an understanding of the benefits offered through the use of IRM tools, such as setting reader permissions and controls, and setting expiration dates for permissions. For example, a business might have a policy that only allows editorial ability to be given to a certain level of management or certain teams. They also might come up with a set period of time for expiration dates on all documents or declare that all form templates be designated as read-only.

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8.

How have text messaging or other technologies affected your writing? (LO4-2, LO4-9)

Some would argue that text and IM-speak are causing a breakdown of the English language. But others would say that they are providing opportunities for students to gain more writing experience and are exciting examples of the evolution of language. You will have to evaluate each student’s answer on its merit. The answers will depend on the student’s personal experience; however, you may expect to see responses that talk about writing becoming less formal, more concise, written in bulleted style, utilizing more slang or abbreviated terms (text language), etc.

9.

How will technology continue to affect business writing? (LO4-10)

Evaluate each student’s answer on its merits. A typical answer might include such elements as shown here.

As email, text, IM, and social media become more and more widely used, many more messages that used to be delivered in formal, hard copy forms may convert to these new technologies. For instance, many customers no longer think first of writing a letter to complain about a product. Instead, they may hop online and send an IM via a company’s customer service chat feature, and get an immediate reply.

However, while some writing may become less formal, there will always be a place for more formal communication to be exchanged between certain parties and in certain settings.

The use of more online technology and cloud computing may change business communication in other ways, by increasing familiarity with doing business online, which may mean communicators have to become more aware of security issues and archiving issues.

Skills-Building Exercises 1.

Investigate your school and/or local libraries to determine what current (or future) electronic sources will help you find information about businesses. Report your findings to the class.

(LO4-2)

Individual answers will vary.

2.

Compile an annotated list of at least 10 websites with good links to sources of business information (e.g., labor statistics, stock market trends). Three of these links should be for local business information. (LO4-2)

Individual answers will vary.

3.

Select a multimedia technology, and as your instructor directs, write a memo discussing considerations for accommodating audiences with special needs (e.g., those with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments). (LO4-3), LO4-3)

Individual answers will vary.

4.

Choose a feature from your word processor (such as index, table of contents, templates, or citation manager) that you have not used much. Learn how to use it and create an example of its use in a business document. Write a brief description of its application and then teach your classmates to use the feature. (LO4-6-LO4-8)

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Individual answers will vary.

5. From a current business magazine or website, find an article that relates to communication in business. As your instructor directs, write a one-paragraph reaction to it and post it to a blog, post it to the Comments section of an online article, or submit your reaction in memo format.

(LO4-4), (LO4-5), (LO4-9) Individual answers will vary, but students should keep emails or memos to a maximum of 300 words.

The subject line should be clear and descriptive, and the message should be constructed with the most important point stated first.

6. Find a recent news article about a company’s unsuccessful use of social media. As your instructor directs, write a memo or email in which you describe the situation, analyze what led to the failure of the message, and offer suggestions for what the company should have done differently. (LO4-9) Individual answers will vary, but students should keep emails or memos to a maximum of 300 words.

The subject line should be clear and descriptive, and the message should be constructed with the most important point stated first.

7. You are a shift leader at a busy pizza place. It's Friday night, and you are swamped. One of your regular customers calls in an order for pizzas to be delivered to a party at 8 p.m. Another customer (a new one) orders two pizzas to be delivered at the same time. Unfortunately, something got mixed up in making and packaging the order, and the second customer's two pizzas were switched with pizzas for the regular customer. What are you going to do? This is the second time in three weeks that you have messed up the regular customer's order, and while the regular customer has been patient, you know this latest mix up will only further damage your customer's goodwill. You will have to break this news about the pizza mix up to the regular customer, the new customer, and eventually your store manager. You will also have to talk to the employees regarding the mix up to ensure they are more accurate in the future.

Analyze all of these audiences. How will you explain the news to each audience? What can you do to communicate your message, preserve each audience's goodwill, and project a professional image? What will be different in your communication with each audience? What will be similar? What channel will you use? As your instructor directs, write a memo, email, or discussion post or give a short presentation to your class that answers these questions. (LO42-LO4-4) Answers will vary, but they should include that they will need to consider the relationship with the audience. Is the regular customer someone they are friendly with? Do they know the new customer personally? What do I know about what my regular customer will think, feel, or do about this mix up?

What can we assume the new client will do, think, or feel based on this mix up. Finally, what is their relationship to their manager? What will they likely do, think, or feel about this mix up? What is the company culture around this type of mistake (knowing that at a pizza place these things have probably happened in the past)?

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Problem Solver to the Rescue: Informing Customers about a New Layer of Security for Their Accounts Keith has written a draft that gets him off to a good start; he now needs to turn on his internal editor and critique his work by challenging what he has written, looking for better alternatives, and polishing his message.

First, Keith needs to reconsider some questions about his planning and drafting: 1. Are your tone and style right for the audience, context, and purpose of your message?

As Keith indicates in his original analysis, he may have some customers who are unsure that they will be able to follow instructions to enroll or may be a bit concerned about the technical capabilities required to enroll. His tone needs to be reassuring and supportive.

Since this is a bank sending important official information to its clients, the email should have a formal tone. This email is not coming from Keith himself, but from the bank, so he needs to create some distance between himself and the reader (people he does not know).

At the same time, Keith needs to convey that the bank cares about its customers and is empathetic to their concerns.

Keith also needs to convey to his audience that these new protocols are precautionary measures to secure their accounts. His current tone and some of his choices could cause unnecessary alarm among his readers. For example, the message subject “Online Theft and Member Accounts” could make the readers think that multiple account breaches have already occurred. This email is not about online theft; it is about preventative measures the credit union is taking to prevent future breaches.

2. Did you include all of the necessary information? What did you forget?

Keith failed to include some important details about the two-factor authentication process as he was explaining it. First, he wasn’t clear about what type of phone members could use (he wrote cell phone when any phone will do), and he didn’t specify that this protocol was only for online accounts. Without these details, members could be confused about the application of this new policy. He includes these details later, but it is better for the reader to have that information as they are reading the process.

Keith mentions that he wants his audience to sign up for two-factor authentication, but he does not give them information about how to enroll.

3. Does your audience know what to do upon reading this message or where to go for help?

Keith’s original message doesn’t provide enough information about support for customers.

Many customers will be familiar with two-factor authentication when this email arrives and will not need any support. However, many of their customers may be unfamiliar with this technical language or in double-authentication practices. So, Keith needs to anticipate the needs of this part of his audience and provide them with information about how they can Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

obtain support. As mentioned above, Keith also needs to provide information in enrolling in two-factor authentication.

4. Is the document in the right format?

Keith’s original draft uses a letter format instead of email format. This is most obvious in the heading that Keith has chosen for his draft. The revision uses the appropriate email format.

Also worth noting is that any email that Keith sends to customers should include their emails in a bcc field. The blind carbon copy will prevent the privacy of customers by hiding recipients. Keith could also personalize the email by sending the message to individual customers by name using mail merge.

5. Do you see any word-choice errors?

Keith misuses a few words in this draft. For example, he uses “assure” (to make someone feel a certain way) instead of “ensure” (to make sure something happens) to convey that they will make sure accounts are secure. He uses “except” instead of “accept” Finally, he does not proofread for errors as there is a mistake “The two-factor authentication applies only to of your accounts online.” Keith is representing the credit union, and his attention to detail in revision is important.

Here is an example of a revision to Keith’s message: To: security@glenlochcu.com Bcc: <Insert Member Name> <Insert Member Address RE: Transition to Double-Authentication Security Attachments: Dear Credit Union Member: At Glenloch Credit union, the security of our members’ accounts is our priority. To maintain the highest standards of security, we continually evaluate our processes to align with up-to-date protocols to protect your accounts.

In order to secure member accounts, prevent identity theft, and protect member privacy, we have partnered with Duo Security to implement two-factor authentication. All members will be required to use two-factor authentication beginning February 1 to access their accounts online.

Our two-factor authentication process is easy and straightforward:  

Go to GCU.org/authentication Follow the instructions to enroll.

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 

Once enrolled, log in to your account.

After you log in to your GCU accounts, you will receive an alert on your phone prompting you to verify your identity.

Select “approve” to accept the notification.

Once you use your phones to accept the notification, you will have access to your online accounts.

NOTE: If you do not have a mobile phone, you can use a landline, other computer, or a free token available from GCU to access your accounts.

The two-factor authentication applies only to accessing accounts online. Members will not need to use two-factor authentication if they are accessing their accounts at teller station at a branch office or from an ATM. We understand that two-factor authentication is an added step as you access your online accounts, but it is an essential part of keeping your accounts safe. If you have any questions about this new security feature or would like one of our account specialists to walk you through the process, please contact an account specialist at 800-333-3333. You may also call or visit your local branch.

This added layer of security is one way we live the principals established in our core values: caring for our members and doing the right thing.

Sincerely, Keith Thomas Internal Communications Intern Glenloch Credit Union 5610 Main Street Lexington, KY 40510 1-800-354-0987 www.gcu.org

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 5: Communicating Your Messages Visually Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Teaching Suggestions This chapter lays the foundation for good basic document design skills that will help any person in many aspects of business life, whether that person is involved in actual design or not. Although this is not a software textbook, students will be learning and using many formatting tools that will help them more easily create professional, visually appealing communications. By the end of the chapter, they will have a better understanding of the principles behind well-constructed letters, web pages, reports, and brochures.

Though much of the class will consist of examining the nuts and bolts of good design, students will be invited to contribute to the analysis of documents and offer critique as well. They will also learn about recent developments in creating accessible, searchable, and attractive online content. Collecting samples of business letters, memos, reports, brochures, and web pages will be helpful for use with the students. You can also encourage students to bring in their own samples for discussion with the class.

This chapter also extends the discussion of message design to include visual rhetoric beyond design, specifically focusing on how to integrate visuals such as charts, graphs, tables, and other visual features into your business documents.

Learning Objectives LO5-1 Describe the four principles of document design: contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity.

LO5-2

Lay out documents effectively to enhance readability and visual appeal.

LO5-3

Choose fonts that enhance readability and visual appeal.

LO5-4

Appreciate the impact of colour on business documents.

LO5-5

Design documents for print and online reading.

LO5-6

Plan which parts of your document or presentation should be communicated or supported by visuals.

LO5-7

Explain the factors that are important in the effective presentation of visuals.

LO5-8 charts.

Select and use textual visuals such as tables, pull quotes, flowcharts, and organizational

LO5-9 maps.

Select and use visuals such as bar charts, line charts, scatter diagrams, pictographs, and

LO5-10

Avoid common errors and ethical problems when constructing and using visuals.

LO5-11

Place and interpret visuals effectively.

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Key Terms alignment analogous colours animation area chart bilateral bar or column charts bulleted lists caption cartoons clustered (or multiple) bar chart colour and cross-hatching column charts complementary colours contrast decision tree diagrams errors of format errors of scale external spacing F-pattern five Ws flowchart footnotes Gutenberg diagram high contrast HTML code icons internal spacing inverted pyramid style kerning landscape leaders leaderwork leading legend line charts missing zero beginning no uniform scale size numbered lists organizational chart orientation

physical or geographic maps pictograph pie chart primary colours portrait proximity pull quote repetition rules (lines) and borders sans serif fonts scale distortion scatter charts search engine optimization (SEO) secondary colours sentence case serif fonts simple bar charts source acknowledgement stacked (subdivided) bar or column chart statistical maps style and font sub-bullets or numbers table tertiary colours text tabulations title title case video clips visual rhetoric x-height Z-pattern

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Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 5-1, 5-2, 5-3

The appearance of a message plays a significant role in its communication being successful. This chapter will help you present attractive and appropriate documents for a wide range of situations.

As you consider the learning objectives of the chapter, ask your students to give some answers to this question, based on their experiences: What can the design of a company’s logo, letterhead, or online presence tell you about that company? Does it matter that much? You might also show them some examples of well-formatted messages or poorly formatted messages and ask them which they prefer to read and why.

Problem-Solving Challenge As a mid-level manager at Masterson Insurance Agency, you and a coworker are assigned the job of establishing standards for internal correspondence and a uniform look for Masterson’s social media platforms and website. You also have to create a company-wide webinar to inform employees about writing professional-looking documents. What formatting elements will need to be kept consistent across the board? Make a list of all the different kinds of readers who might see your company’s communications. What kind of impression do you want them to have? What design principles will you need to rely on in order to achieve this goal? What are the main things you need to communicate with your coworkers in order to motivate them to follow the new standards? The information in this chapter will help you to come up with good solutions for these issues.

Basic Principles of Document Design Slide 5-4 The basic design principles that can work to improve the visual impact of a business document are contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity.

Contrast means using conventions of typography, layout, colour, or other visual elements to make the content readily accessible.

Repetition includes the repeated use of elements to help the reader recognize where he or she is in the document.

Alignment refers to the positioning or placement of text and other elements on a page.

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Proximity is the concept of similar elements appearing together, while other elements that are not similar are separated from each other by space or other means.

The next few slides will discuss these principles in more detail.

Slide 5-5 Contrast

Contrast is one of the best tools for making a document easy to read and easy to follow. It could mean using dark text on a light background, or using bold, italics, or colour to make main points stand out. It could mean using a different font or capital letters to make headings clear.

Ask the students why the chart presented on the slide has been chosen as an example of good contrast. What elements of contrast have been employed to create a more attractive visual presentation? Is there anything they would do to improve this chart?

For another fun exercise to illustrate the power of contrast, let students go to a favourite retail clothing site and pick out elements that make a good outfit, or go to a site (such as People.com) and check out celebrity images—which ones bank on the principles of contrast to make a stunning visual impression?

Slide 5-6 You Design It Let students suggest ways to redo this report to simplify it. Discuss how too much formatting can detract from the goal of creating clear and attractive presentations.

If time allows, provide the students with a digital brochure or other business document that could use some help with contrast. Let the students use their word processing features to change headings and other important text pieces to make them stand out.

Slides 5-7, 5-8 Repetition Repetition is one of the simplest and most powerful formatting techniques to create accessible and attractive documents. Using a consistent style for headings and subheadings helps the reader recognize where the major and minor sections of the document begin and end. Icons can indicate recurring tips or other features.

Use the following exercise to help students recognize effective use of repetition.

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Slide 5-9 You Design It Bring in a selection of local takeout menus for the students to use. (Scanned in images of menus could be used for online students, or they can also find their own and scan them in.)

As the students work on this exercise, encourage them to use repetition to feature the different categories of foods, to highlight the prices, and to add warnings about any special ingredients. Ask them why it is important for menus to be clear and able to be understood quickly.

Slide 5-10, 5-11 Alignment

Alignment helps to make your document look planned. Keeping blocks of text in line, or justified, in the same way from one section to another, makes a document look more organized. Text can be left-, right-, or centre-justified. Or as the slide suggests, text can also be fully justified, but this can sometimes present awkward spacing problems.

Ask students: How could the alignment in this slide be improved to make the text look more well thought out?

Consider giving students the task of creating an interesting document with very simple images (such as solid squares and circles) and simple text (definitions of the shapes: “This is a square. A square has four equal sides.”). Let them play with three different kinds of alignment styles to see how it changes the appearance of the document: 1) everything left-justified; 2) everything aligned in the centre; 3) their own creation.

Slide 5-12 Proximity The principle of proximity is another simple principle that can be used to have a great effect in making a document easier to read and making information easily accessible. (See Exhibit 5-4 in the textbook for one solution.)

Ask students to consider how they could apply the principle of proximity to make the list on the slide more readable. Could more formatting have been used to help the reader find what they are looking for? What improvements would you make?

We’ve seen how the principles of contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity can be applied to create organized and effective documents. The following sections show more about how to incorporate these and other principles of good design.

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Layout Slides 5-13, 5-14 Common Text Layout Methods A good layout helps the reader easily move through a document.

This slide describes common ways of laying out text, using the Gutenberg diagram, the Z-pattern, or a grid. The main difference between the Gutenberg diagram and the Z-pattern is that the Gutenberg diagram assumes the reader will attend to the beginning and ending of the document more than anything else, spending little time on the content in between. Exhibits 5-5 and 5-6 in the textbook illustrate how both the Gutenberg diagram and Z-pattern can be applied to a routine message.

Grids can help you place elements of your document precisely on a page. Programs such as Microsoft Publisher let you view horizontal and vertical gridlines as you work so that you can easily map and align your text.

Slide 5-14 gives students the opportunity to use the Gutenberg diagram to decide where to put the most crucial pieces of information on a product web page.

For this exercise, students could open a document in a program such as Microsoft Publisher or an app such as Canva to create a simple mockup of a web page. Students should make certain that the two most important pieces of information for the consumer are placed in either the 1 or 4 position.

Students should also check out the From the Tech Desk box in this section, which gives steps on how to use Microsoft Word to insert visuals into a document, position them, and allow text to wrap around them. If you used the suggested alignment exercise with the simple shapes and simple text before, students could use that same document to test out their text-wrapping skills.

Slide 5-15 Spacing Both external spacing (the white space on the page) and internal spacing (the vertical and horizontal spacing within blocks of text) must be considered when setting up a document. Direct students to check out the From the Tech Desk boxes on line spacing and kerning to learn how to adjust settings that affect spacing.

Students could copy and paste a poem into a blank document and then use the kerning and line spacing features to play with the spacing and try out what makes the lines of text more or less readable.

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Let them create large margins, equal on all sides, to frame the text.

Other ways to set text apart or call attention to certain pieces of text include using bulleted lists and boxes or rules (lines). Later in the chapter students will see how many of these methods work together in a document (such as a brochure) to create an effective communication piece that leads readers right to the information they need to know.

Fonts Slide 5-16 Font Choices Choosing the right font for a document can make it look more professional.

Generally, script fonts such as Monotype Corsiva are not used frequently in business documents.

Business writers prefer serif fonts or sans serif fonts. Letters in serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, have “tails” and “feet” that can make body copy easier to read. Sans serif fonts allow for more white space, which makes letters and words stand out.

If you use more than two fonts in a document, it can look cluttered and unprofessional. However, some writers prefer to use a sans serif font for headings and a serif font for body copy. Choosing one of each kind of font means the two will complement each other.

Consider your audience when choosing the styles and sizes of the fonts you will use. Make sure the style and size of the font you choose for the majority of the text is very readable.

Research project: For an interesting knowledge exercise, give students the task of researching online to find out what fonts work best for people who have dyslexia and why. What fonts should always be avoided in order to accommodate all kinds of readers?

Slide 5-17 You Make the Call Find out which font choices students like to use for business or other communications. Do they pay much attention to the style of font that they use? Let them talk about times when their opinions of a product or company were impacted by the font choice of that company’s marketing materials.

Explain to students the importance of taking time to make the right font choice, especially when creating a company logo. Timothy J. Pritchard, senior SEO and digital marketing and e-commerce analyst for SellerDeck, says that the font you use in a logo is likely to influence your audience’s first impression.

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Imagine some ways you would go about discovering what font suited the message you were trying to create. What research would you do?

Colour Slides 5-18, 5-19 Although many times the colours in business communications are determined by the company’s brand guides, sometimes employees do have to select colours that complement the company’s logo and other styles. Other times, employees may be in charge of creating their own presentations, reports, or even email signatures that need to look professional, readable, and visually appealing. It will be useful to students to learn some basic principles of colour theory in order to be successful in creating effective presentations. Software programs often provide colour palettes to use and web resources such as Session College’s Colour Wheel Colour Calculator can help in choosing a palette that works well together.

Colour is an important tool for achieving contrast and repetition in business documents.

Understanding something about the different meanings colours carry, particularly in different cultures, can also help you in deciding what colours to use in business messages. For example, in some cultures, black signifies death, but in other cultures white carries this meaning.

You also have to be aware that nearly 8 percent of men and .5 percent of women are colour blind.

When you are using colour to create differentiation, as in charts or graphs, you need to make sure to utilize contrast and possibly patterns to accentuate the different areas. Refer your students to the Communication Matters box titled “Business Benefits of Universal Design” for more tips on accessible document design.

Slide 5-20 You Make the Call Discuss students’ answers about their attitudes towards different colours. Encourage them to look up images (company websites, Instagram marketing, etc.) to provide examples of products with colours that affect them positively or negatively. (Online students can provide screenshots or supply URLs.) Slide 5-21 Colour Meaning Divide the class into teams of 3 to 4 and let them practice their research skills. (Online students can work on this logo design assignment on their own or could collaborate with other online students

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through Google Docs.) Encourage them to come up with a font for their logo that will work well in a variety of uses—whether on company letterhead, on a product package, or on a website, for example.

Talk about what makes a logo identifiable and how important font choices can be in other areas of business communications. Just for fun, perform an online search for “bad uses of comic sans” and see some examples where the font did not match the message.

Design Considerations for Online Text Slide 5-22 The basic principles of business writing apply to both print and electronic text; that is, your text must be reader-centred, accessible, complete, concise, and accurate.

But you also have to consider that many viewers may be checking out your site or your blog on a mobile device with a very small screen. Understanding how to make your text clear and effective is critical to getting your message across in these different contexts.

Talk about examples your students are familiar with—both company web pages or blogs that have well-designed online content and those that are struggling to present content in a clear, organized way.

Slides 5-23, 5-24 Comparing Print and Online Text In order to create successful online business communications, it’s important to recognize the significantly different ways that readers view and use online text vs. printed text.

Ask your students: when you go to a web page, what are you looking for? Where do your eyes go first to find information? Where do you expect to find the tabs that will help you navigate the page? Direct students to the F-pattern image to demonstrate how reading online differs from print.

Ask students to find information to give three brief summaries of events in today’s headlines. These could be stories about world events, local happenings, or celebrity news. Students should be able to find out the basic info about who, what, when, and where something is happening. Give them only 3 to 5 minutes to complete this task as a way of showing how quickly information is scanned and gathered through web text. (For online students, instruct them to write down the start and stop time for this task.)

Slide 5-25 Organizing Content

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Online information must be organized well. The inverted pyramid style (as shown on the slide) puts the main point first, followed by supporting information and then by any historical or background information.

You also must understand your audience and what they want to get from the web page in order to create a page they are going to want to visit again. You must analyze the audience to know which information should be embedded in links and which should appear on the page.

Online information should also be arranged in short paragraphs. Headings and lists should help to create a logical structure for your writing.

Ask your students if they can think of a time when a content creator might not want to put the most important information at the top of the page. Challenge them to find online examples of such situations.

Slide 5-26 Presenting Content A writer creating content to be presented in electronic documents needs to consider several factors: •

Use sans serif font and no less than 12-point size to increase readability on screen.

•

Keep line lengths relatively short—about 8 to 10 words.

•

Use emphasis devices such as bullets, headings, bold, or italics—avoid underlining, since underlining is used to represent links.

•

Use dark text on a light background for a visually appealing look.

Ask students to analyze the page on the slide or another web page they find during class or at home.

What have the content creators done well? What have they done poorly?

Slide 5-27 SEO and Accessible Content If you write for the web, you must consider what readers see in the final published pages, but also what they don’t see. A part of search engine optimization happens behind the scenes, in the HTML code of a web page.

According to Towner and Everett, experts in web and e-communication, you can increase the chances your site will appear in a reader’s search by using the following methods:

•

Research and understand the use of key words in searches.

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•

Incorporate key words into meta-descriptions, first- and second-level headings, page titles, and even URLs, when possible.

•

Use the keywords as links on other pages in the website.

Accessibility is another important feature in writing for the web. With advances in technology, many people with hearing disabilities or visual impairments can now easily gain access to files that used to be unreachable for them. Not only is it good business practice to include these customers, but creating accessible content and accommodating disabilities is also generally a legal requirement. Here are some ways you can meet the needs of these customers: •

Incorporate text along with audio files.

•

Use voice-activated features or key commands instead of only mouse-controlled navigation.

•

Make sure web content has been adapted for the use of screen readers. o

Add alt-tags to images—alternative text that describes what an image is depicting.

o

Add descriptive captions to all images that contribute to the meaning of the text.

o

Use HTML tags for headings instead of formatting them manually. Using the HTML codes allows people using screen readers to skim through the text and find what they need.

o

Use descriptive wording for links. Instead of “Click here to contact us” use something like “Contact us now to pre-order.”

o

Use periods at the ends of items in a bulleted list so the screen reader knows when the line has ended.

o

You can learn more about writing accessible text at the Web Accessibility Initiative (WIA).

Challenge students to consider accessibility in this way. Select a typical news or business site homepage. Ask the students to view the material as if they had a hearing challenge—what parts would be difficult to understand? How could those parts be made less difficult? Then supply the text from that web page as a pdf to be read by the text reading utility in Adobe Acrobat. What parts of the page are difficult to understand now? How could the text be written or the page designed in order to be more helpful?

Slide 5-28

Communicating with Visuals

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Understanding how to use visuals in business is essential in today’s media-rich society. Students will learn how to make good choices regarding the visuals they use.

Definition: visuals are any form of illustration—charts, line graphs, statistical maps, pie graphs, diagrams, tables, photos, and more.

As an opening discussion, ask students to write down a response quickly, without thinking too much about it: I’m going to say five words. Jot down what image comes to your mind immediately as I say each word: rich, clean, big, morning, hungry. Discuss some of the images that came to the students’ minds. Were any of them products that have been marketed to them recently? Did the images come from TV or online advertising or just from real life? Why did those particular images stick with them?

Mention the fact that visuals are never neutral—they are always communicating some kind of message, feeling, or meaning.

Planning Visuals Plan visuals after you gather and organize the data.

Your planning for visuals will be guided by the goals you have for the document or presentation you are constructing, and how those fit into your business goals. Visuals can communicate complex information to your audience. They can also perform a supplementary role—adding interest or leading the reader to focus on particular points.

Constructing Visuals Size Content must drive the size of the graphic, not the need to fill space on the page (though a graphic, white space, and text must always combine to make documents visually appealing to the audience).

Visuals should be the size their contents justify. They can be too small or too large. The shape of visuals is determined by size and contents—not too tall or wide but balanced.

Orientation You should determine the orientation of the visual by size and contents. Sometimes a tall orientation (portrait) works and sometimes a wide orientation (landscape) is better. Use logic and select the one that is most easily read.

Type Consider the essentials of graphic layout.

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Consider both style (bold or italics) and font (serif or sans serif). Varying type and size convey different meanings. Consider the medium in selecting a font. New fonts such as Calibri and Cambria have been optimized for screen display. Be sure the style and font in the graphic is consistent with the style and font of the report text. Avoid mixing fonts, but if you want to use more than one, pair a serif with a sans serif.

Rules and Borders Review points for using rules and borders in graphics.

Place rules and borders around visuals to help their physical appearance. Always border a small visual; border a large visual if it needs it.

Colour and Cross-Hatching Discuss using colour and cross-hatching. Colour and cross-hatching can be an effective strategy when some readers interpret better with colour and other readers with patterns (cross-hatching). There are even some online tools now (such as candlestick chart generators) where a colour choice is included for colour-blind readers.

Used appropriately, colours and cross-hatching help readers see comparisons and distinctions.

Research has shown that use of colour improves comprehension, retention, and ease of extracting information.

Colour adds to the attractiveness of the visual. Be careful, though, if you use colour but will print (or think your reader will print) hard copies. Unless you use a colour printer, the visuals will print in black and white and may be difficult to interpret. In such a case, using cross-hatching may be a better choice.

Background Discuss guidelines for using background effectively in a graphic.

Choose background colours, photos, and art carefully. Because colours have emotional and cultural connotations, writers must be aware of the feelings that colours will evoke on the part of the reader.

A good strategy is to get feedback before making the graphic widely available. Sometimes background colours, photos, and art can also interfere with reading the text. Any background colour should provide high contrast for the text and visuals that will be placed on it.

Ask students what associations they think of when they think of blue—calming, health care-related, etc.

Numbering

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Cover the guidelines for numbering graphics.

The following visuals do not need to be numbered: •

Pull quotes

•

Clip art

•

Decorative objects

In addition, if you have only one figure or table in a document, it does not require a number.

Number all other visuals in a report, except minor in-text tabulations. Consider the following numbering schemes: •

If you have many visuals in two or more categories, number each category consecutively.

Example: Table I, II, . . . Table IV; Map 1, . . . 3; Chart 1, 2, . . . 6.

•

If you have a wide mixture of visual types, group them into two categories—tables and figures. Example: Table I, II, . . . VII; Figure (graphics other than tables) 1, 2, etc.

Titles and Captions Review the construction and placement of titles and captions for visuals.

Most visuals will need a title of some kind. Use the 5 Ws and 1 H to construct an appropriate title.

Who:

Anderson Company

What: Distribution Costs Where: Midwest and Eastern Sales Regions When: 2016–2020 Why:

For analysis/comparison

How:

Not applicable

Title:

Comparison of 2016-2020 Distribution Costs of Anderson Company for Midwest and Eastern Sales Regions

Sometimes it will be preferable to use a shorter title with a subtitle. For example: Anderson Company Distribution Costs: Comparison of 2016–2020 Costs for Midwest and Eastern Sales Regions.

Titles and captions should be treated consistently throughout a document. Titles generally appear above visuals, and captions generally appear below visuals.

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Footnotes and Acknowledgments Explain the use of graphic footnotes and acknowledgments.

Footnotes to visuals give explanation or elaboration. Place these explanations below the tables or illustrations. Key them to the visual (dagger, asterisk, etc.). Source acknowledgment gives credit to those who collected facts in the visual.

Example: Source: U.S. Department of Commerce Or Source: Primary Constructing Textual Graphics Slides 5-29

Selecting and Using Textual Visuals Let students look up different infographics and talk about how the visual presentation enhances or explains the data. Refer to the discussion of this subject in the Communication Matters box titled “Telling Your Story with an Infographic.”

Slide 5-30, 5-31 Textual Visuals: Tables This slide and the following slides should be useful in reviewing the structure of the most often used graphics/illustrations in business communications. As noted in the teaching suggestions, the emphasis should be on the proper use and selection of graphics first and their mechanical construction second.

This emphasis should dominate your discussion of graphics. In addition, you will want to remind students that graphics should be the size that their contents justify.

A table is defined as an orderly arrangement of information in rows and columns.

Tabular material can also appear within the text if it is made up of short collections of data.

Also instruct students to check out the From the Tech Desk box titled “Using Pivot Tables and Charts in Microsoft Excel,” which tells about how to handle complex and long sets of data.

Slide 5-32 Textual Visuals: Pull Quotes

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Pull quotes are useful for emphasizing key ideas while breaking up large blocks of text. They are especially useful when content does not lend itself readily to other graphics.

Slide 5-33 Vertical Lists Bulleted lists are listings of points arranged with bullets (•) to set them off.

Numbered lists are also listings of points, but their numbered order means that the order of the items is important (e.g., a series of steps that must be done sequentially).

Slide 5-34 You Make the Call Encourage students to give reasons for their answers and to find examples of either times when bulleted lists are helpful or times when bulleted lists were distracting from the message.

Slide 5-35 Textual Visuals: Charts Business professionals use a variety of specialized charts in their work. Perhaps the most common of these is the organizational chart (see Exhibit 5-20 in the textbook). Flowcharts are also fairly common—these charts show the sequence of activities in a process. A variation of the organization and flowchart is called the decision tree. These charts are largely made up of text placed into various kinds of shaped containers. In the next section, students will learn more about constructing visuals with more graphic elements.

Slide 5-36 Visuals: Bar and Column Charts In this section, we’ll consider the use of visuals such as various kinds of charts, diagrams, pictographs, and maps. Each of these visuals has specific uses and some are better choices than others, depending on the data you are trying to represent.

Simple bar charts and column charts compare differences in quantities using differences in the lengths of the bars.

Slide 5-37 Clustered (or multiple) bar charts combine up to three kinds of quantities in one chart. Colour and/or cross-hatching distinguishes the bars. A legend explains what the different bars mean. These charts can become cluttered, so it is best to limit comparisons to three different kinds of information.

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Bilateral column charts are especially good for showing percentage changes, but they can be used for any series that includes plus and minus quantities. Finally, stacked (or subdivided) bar or column charts are useful for comparing the subdivisions of bars or columns and indicating a part-to-whole relationship.

When choosing what kind of chart to use, consider your readers and what and how many different kinds of data you need to represent. The best chart for the job will be able to contain all of your relevant data in such a way as to avoid confusing your readers.

Slide 5-38 Pie Charts Pie charts show the whole of information as a pie (circle) and parts of the pie as slices. A good rule to follow is to begin with the largest slice at the 12 o’clock position and then place the other slices in descending order, moving clockwise around the circle.

There are at least three ways to distinguish the slices from each other: 

Use different colours or cross-hatching.



Put labels on the slices themselves.



Pull out a slice from the others and/or enlarge it.

Slide 5-39 Line and Area Charts Line charts show changes in information over time.

Changes in a series are shown on the vertical (y) axis and time is placed on the horizontal (x) axis.

Several series on the same chart may be shown. Generally, the maximum number is three to five, but use of colour enables readers to follow more lines easily and accurately when needed. Consider how much the various lines cross over each other when you are constructing your chart. If there is much overlap, a different kind of chart might be better for that set of data.

It is also possible to show parts of a series using an area chart. An area chart shows how multiple series change over an interval (usually time). Lines and shading are used to show how a whole is divided into its component parts and how those parts change relative to each other.

Exercise: One of the ways visuals such as line charts are helpful is that they tend to cause us to think in new ways about sets of data or they help us to understand that data in a better way. Ask students to come up with some questions that they might be prompted to ask in response to seeing the data presented in this line chart.

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Slide 5-40 Scatter Charts Scatter charts are often considered a variation of the line chart. Although they do use x- and y-axes to plot paired values, the points stand alone without a line drawn through them. While clustering the points allows users to validate hunches about cause and effect, they can only be interpreted for correlation—the direction and strength relationships as positive, negative, or non-existent.

Additionally, by examining the tightness of the points, the user can see the strength of the relationship. The closer the points are to a straight line, the stronger the relationship.

Slide 5-41 Pictographs and Maps Pictographs are column or bar charts that use columns or bars made of pictures.

Consider these things when constructing a pictograph: 

Follow procedures for constructing column and bar charts.



Make all the picture units equal in size.



Show differences by varying the number of units (not the size).



Select pictures that fit the information.



Select pictures that will be clear to your readers.

Encourage students to check out the From the Tech Desk box titled “Using Pictures to Chart Data in Excel,” which describes how Excel allows you to use pictures as data points in charts to make the charts more visually interesting and meaningful.

Maps communicate quantitative as well as physical information. Some of the most common formatting techniques for statistical maps include: •

Showing different areas with colour, shading, or cross-hatching. If this technique is used, a legend must be included to explain the meanings of the different colours or patterns.

•

Placing visuals, symbols, or clip art within each geographic area to depict the quantity for that area.

•

Placing the quantities in numerical form within each geographic area.

Remind students that one caution to using maps with different shades of the same colour is that some people may find those differences in shades hard to differentiate. Also, if the report is meant to be

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printed, you may want to consider the contrast levels of the colours or using patterns and crosshatching in order to make the distinctions stand out if printed in black and white.

Slide 5-42, 5-43 Photos and Clip Art: Considerations Various kinds of photographs, clip art, illustrations, diagrams, cartoons, or icons can be useful to show aspects of products, processes, or services in a business report or presentation. However, there are some things to consider when you are selecting what images to include.

Royalty-free photos and clip art are easily obtainable from various photo stock libraries or from within software programs themselves. However, such images (including other kinds of illustrations and cartoons) may have copyrights attached to them and so may require a permission request to be made before you can use them. Make sure you know your company’s policy on image use before you finalize your project.

As was stated earlier, no visual is neutral. Be sure to consider what meaning the image is conveying.

Get opinions from others who are not associated with the project. Consider the gender, race, age, and culture of your intended audience. If you are using many images in a project, especially images that include people, make sure those images reflect diversity.

Slide 5-44 You Make the Call Let students discuss. Students should remember that clip art may require permission (even when it is provided within a software program), that it may not be acceptable to their company’s policies, and that it needs to complement the tone and meaning of the presentation. Students should also consider basic principles of design—do the colours in the clip art go with the other colours in the presentation?

Does the clip art have enough white space around it? Is the clip art too visually distracting?

Slide 5-45 Other Visuals

Icons are visuals that can easily capture a concept: a green light to mean continue to next section, an arrow to draw attention, a big exclamation point to indicate something that is important to note, etc.

Try to select simple icons that have easily recognized meanings and will not clutter your report.

Video clips and animation are now often used in electronic documents. The same considerations hold true for these items.

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Whatever visual you use—whether it is a chart, graph, diagram, or photo—should help tell the story you want to communicate with your project. If it is distracting the viewer from your message, consider leaving it out.

Slide 5-46 Visual Integrity: Identify the Problem You can use this slide and the next one to discuss some of the common errors in constructing graphics.

You may even want to add some slides of your own here that provide discussion of these errors.

Business writers are ethically bound to present data in ways their readers can extract meaning easily and accurately.

Taking care to avoid three common errors is important: 

Errors of scale—size, distortion, and zero points.



Errors of format—chart type, grids and shading, typeface, labels.



Errors of content—framing, empathy.

Ask students to consider the image presented on the slide and decide what error is being represented.

Slide 5-47 You Make the Call Challenge students to consider the ethical issues behind selecting and constructing visuals.

Placing Visuals Slide 5-48 You can use this slide to discuss placement of graphics.

Place graphics as near as possible to the text coverage of the graphic’s contents. If the graphic is small (less than one page), place it within the text layout after first reference to it. If the graphic is large (one page), place it on the page following the first reference to it.

Place graphics in the appendix if they do not directly support the text. Do not force readers to flip to an appendix to see graphics that should support textual analysis. Omit graphics that serve no useful purpose.

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Tie text and graphics together by incidental, subordinate references to graphics. Let the main part of the sentence tell something about the graphic.

Interpret the graphic for the reader as needed, but there is no need to overexplain. If the visual carries the message on its own, just refer to it: “As Table 1 illustrates, our increased sales have . . .”

If the visual is part of a more detailed discussion, you may need to point out specific points in the visual. Or you may need to point out the exceptions to the trends represented in the visual.

Remember that often you cannot draw cause/effect conclusions from data presented in a chart or graph, but you may be able to say something significant about the data relationships that are reflected.

Slide 5-49, 5-50 Close the presentation with an emphasis on well-designed and simple graphics. Students should understand that complicated colour schemes and visuals are not the way to go in the design of business communications. Simple is always better.

Critical-Thinking Questions 1. What are the four basic principles of document design? Why is it important that you observe these principles when writing business documents? (LO5-1) Creating attractive and accurate messages in any form allows you to give an impression of competence and care, and can create credibility. The four basic principles of document design— contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity—can help you create effective, professional documents and presentations that meet your audience’s needs.

2. What strategies can you use to incorporate the principles of document design in business documents? (LO5-1, LO5-2, LO5-3, LO5-4) Answers will vary, but should include some of the following elements.

You can create contrast through the understanding and proper use of elements of typography, layout, colour, and other visual elements. Using dark text on a light background, for example, will help your message stand out. Using contrast, rather than multiple types of text formatting, can also help to simplify your document and make it easier to read.

Repeated uses of colour, placement, font styles, or other visuals can help guide a reader through a document. For example, setting a certain size, font, and style for major headings will make those jump out for the reader. The repeated use of icons can indicate tips, questions, or warnings in an informative report.

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headings left-justified will create a clean look. When creating a document, you can use a grid or the concept of a Gutenberg diagram or Z-pattern to decide where to put your most important information and align images and objects in a logical arrangement for your audience.

In the same manner, the principle of proximity can guide you to put similar content closer together, allowing white space to break different pieces of text (and any corresponding images) apart from one another. Again, using the layout patterns described in this chapter, you can decide to put important pieces of information at the beginning or end of a communication piece, and allow less important pieces to stay in the background or in areas where they won’t compete with the more important notices.

3. Why are the Gutenberg diagram and Z-pattern helpful for laying out information? (LO5-2) These patterns help us to understand how a reader’s eye moves across the page and what information areas are going to get the most attention. Both patterns tell us that the most visually critical areas of a document are the beginning and end points. With this knowledge, we can make good decisions about how to organize our information so that the reader sees the most important points easily.

4. How can writers use leading and kerning to improve readability? (LO5-2) Adjusting the spacing between lines and between words can provide a break for the eyes when reading large amounts of text. Even in cases where small amounts of text appear, a good proportion of white space to text creates a pleasing effect.

Leading allows you to adjust the space between lines so that lines of text do not end up too close together and make it hard for the reader to move from one line to the next. Some typefaces may have tall letters or long descenders (parts of the letters that descend below the line of text) that can get entangled with the other lines of text. Leading allows you to make allowances for these things.

Likewise, kerning, or the spacing between letters, can be adjusted to offset problems that occur in some fonts. For example, if some letters appear too close together, a reader might misread the combination of an “o” followed by an “l” as a “d” instead. Adjusting this spacing can also sometimes allow you to condense words so they appear all on one line instead of being broken apart in an awkward manner.

5. What are some considerations for choosing a font(s) for a business document? (LO5-3) The font choice should always match the overall tone of the document. Some other choices writers have are serif vs. sans serif, the number of fonts, and the size of the fonts. Serif fonts tend to make documents more readable, but sans serif fonts are considered better for electronic documents and presentations. Script fonts are used much less frequently and often only to produce a certain classic effect.

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Generally it is best to limit the number of fonts in a document to two. Sometimes using two different fonts can help to create contrast and also can help you to set headings apart from body text. If you decide to use two fonts, it is best to make one a sans serif font and one a serif font.

When choosing the size of fonts, you have to consider your audience, the medium (is it on paper, in a projected presentation, or online?), and the other elements that may be appearing in the document. For the sake of readability, start with a body font at 9–12 points and then choose a font that is two points larger for your headings. Remember that fonts that are too small will make your document difficult to read. Fonts that are too big tend to look amateurish.

6. How can the use of analogous or complementary colours help you choose a colour palette for your business document? (LO5-4) Both analogous (colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel) and complementary colours (colours that are across from each other on the colour wheel) generally form good colour combinations. If you have a logo or brand item to start with, you can look at the colours included in that and then choose either analogous or complementary colours to go with that item. As with other design elements, remember that simpler is better—don’t use too many different colours.

7. In what ways can social, emotional, or cultural connotations impact colour choices? (LO5-4) Colours can have different meanings attached to them depending on the audience. For example, for an environmental group, green may signify safe practices and growth. But for a group of patients, green may signify sickness and hospital care. Be aware of the emotional, social, and cultural context in which your audience is living in order to make appropriate colour choices for your documents and presentations.

8. How does writing text for an electronic medium differ from writing text for a print medium?

(LO5-5) Writing for electronic documents, like writing for print, requires you to keep your audience in mind. Online readers, as opposed to print readers, tend to read in a nonlinear pattern. Instead of starting at the beginning and going to the end, online readers will scan documents for the information they seek. The F-pattern discussed in this chapter shows a typical reading pattern of the online reader. Writing for an online reader means you have to organize information in such a way as to make it easy for the reader to find the relevant pieces of information.

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Online readers also tend to read to accomplish a specific task—to find a location, to locate a statistic, to fill out a form, etc. Online text needs to be designed in such a way as to naturally lead the reader to the desired information.

Technology allows online text to be more efficient than print text, because information, images, and videos can be embedded in links within the text. But this can also mean that the reader may be easily distracted from your message, so the online writer has to think through when and where to include appropriate links to other content.

Finally, while print content tends to be formed with complete sentences, online text often utilizes bulleted lists and short pieces of text, along with frequent abbreviations.

9. What is SEO? How can a businessperson write online text to achieve SEO? (LO5-5) SEO stands for search engine optimization and refers to strategies web writers use to ensure their sites appear in the top results of a reader’s online search. These strategies include understanding key words consumers use to search for products or services; incorporating relevant key words into the website’s HTML code, headings, page titles, and URLs; and also using those key words as links on other pages in the website.

10. For the past 20 years, Professor Clark Kupenheimer has required that his students include five visuals in the long, formal report he assigns. Why might he require this? (LO5-6) The requirement is an arbitrary one. Need should determine the number of visuals required for a given problem.

11. Because it was easier to do, a report writer prepared each of the visuals on a full page. Some of these visuals were extremely complex; some were very simple. Comment on this practice.

(LO5-1, LO5-7) The contents of a visual determine the ideal size of that graphic. It is arbitrary and illogical to make all of them the same size (unless by coincidence all just happen to have the same size requirements).

12. A report has five maps, four tables, one chart, one diagram, and one photograph. How would you number these visuals? (LO 5-7) One possibility is to number tables separately (Tables I II, . . . IV) and to group the remaining illustrations as figures (Figures 1, 2, . . . 8).

13. What types of data are best represented by tables? What can you do when you create a table to ensure that the data are easy to read? (LO5-8) Tables should be formatted according to their purpose but are generally reserved for communicating textual content (words and numerals). Using consistent units, choosing Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

asterisks instead of footnote reference numbers, and presenting clear totals and subtotals will help the reader understand the information in the table.

14. When would you use a bar or column chart? A line graph? A pie chart? (LO5-9) Bar chart and column charts compare differences in quantities and should be used to show comparison of qualities or quantities side by side.

Line charts are used to show trends or changes in information over time and should be used for information such as changes in process, sales, employment or production over a specific period.

A pie chart is used when comparting the subdivisions of a whole. They should be used only when presenting sections as part (or percentage) of a whole unit.

15. Discuss the techniques that may be used to show quantitative differences between areas on a statistical map. (LO5-9) There are four: (a) Use of color, shading, or cross-hatching; (b) Chart placement (bars, pies, etc.) within the geographic areas; (c) Quantities placed within the areas; (d) Dots, each representing a quantity, placed within the geographic areas.

16. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using pictographs. (LO5-9) Although not specifically brought out in the text, the disadvantages are implied in the two rules mentioned. First, drawings often do not convey the precise meanings of a bar or line. Second, it is easy for the imagination to produce picture arrangements that are clever but do not immediately convey the meanings intended. An advantage is that they add interest to a graph, drawing the reader into them.

17. The following graph uses a scale break. Discuss how the scale break might affect a reader's interpretation of the graph. (LO5-10) This scale break minimizes the difference between sales in December and sales for the other months of the year. The measurements on the Y axis go up in regular intervals of 250 units— except for the scale break, which jumps from 1,000 units to 35,000 units (a 34,000 unit increase!). The December sales are approximately 14 times higher than the combined sales of all the other months, but due to the scale break, this magnitude of difference is not accurately represented in the graph.

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18. “I have placed every visual near the place I write about it. The reader can see the visual without any additional help from me. It just doesn’t make sense to direct the reader’s attention to the visuals with words.” Evaluate this comment. (LO5-11) Not all readers use and understand graphics the same way. Thus, the report should carry the entire story in words. The graphics serve to reinforce the words to help them out when necessary.

Skills-Building Exercises 1. Lisa Richards, owner of Lisa’s Childcare Centre, has submitted an ad for Sunny Day Travel Agency’s quarterly Travel Adventures magazine. The ad will appear in both the print magazine and on Travel Adventures' website. You have reviewed the ad and know that it needs a lot of work if it is to attract potential customers. Plus, you have standards for the look of the material that appears in your publication, so you rewrite and redesign the advertisement to reflect the basic principles of document design. In a letter to Lisa, explain your design choices for the Web and print documents. When you write the Web document, be sure to think critically about which information appears on the page the reader sees and which information you will link to other pages. Be sure to indicate to Lisa that you have enclosed the revised advertisement for her review (LO5-1, LO5-2, LO5-3, LO5-4, LO5-5, LO5-6, LO5-7, LO5-8, LO5-9) Individual answers will vary, but should include mention of each of the four basic principles of document design and show how those were used to revise the ad. Students should also indicate that they understand the differences in how people read print text versus online text: specifically, people use the Z-pattern for print texts and the F-pattern for online texts; that print texts generally require complete sentences with occasional lists while online texts tend to use sentence fragments and frequent lists; and that online texts benefit from sans serif fonts in at least a 12-point size and shorter line lengths (8-10 words). In addition, the text of the ad should be free from errors.

2. You have recently assumed the responsibility of assembling your company’s team for a citywide summer softball league. You inherited last year’s form, and you don’t want to use it in its current format. Redesign the form so that the layout, fonts, and visual elements conform to the principles of document design. (LO5-1, LO5-2, LO5-3, LO5-4) Individual answers will vary, but should include mention of each of the four basic principles of document design and show how those were used to revise the form.

3. Construct a complete, concise title for a line chart representing employment placement rates for graduates in your major at your school from 2018 to the present. (LO5-2)

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Although there is no one best wording, this one meets the requirements: “Graduate Employment Placement Rates at X University, 2018-201X.”

4. The chart prepared in Exercise 3 requires an explanation for the academic years 2018 and 2019. In each of those years, data were collected in January (mid-academic year) rather than June (end of the academic year). Provide the necessary explanation. (LO5-6) A footnote is appropriate here. It might appear as follows: “Data from 2018 and 2019 were collected in January (mid-academic year). Data in all other academic years were collected in June at the end of the academic year.”

5. For each of the types of information described below, which form of visual would you use?

Explain your decision. (LO5-8, LO5-9, LO5-10, LO5-11) a. Record of annual sales for Kenyon Company for the past 20 years.

A line chart or a simple bar chart would be good for displaying this continuous series. b. Comparison of Kenyon Company sales, by product, for this year and last year.

Probably a multiple bar chart would be best here. For each of the products there are two variables (years), and the multiple bar chart is good for such comparisons. c. Monthly production of the automobile industry in units.

As this chart shows only one measure (units) over a period of time, a simple bar chart or a line chart would be appropriate. d. Breakdown of how the average middle-income family in your province disposes of its income dollar.

Probably a pie chart, or perhaps a subdivided bar chart (with only one bar), would be best. These two arrangements are best for showing proportionate makeup of a whole. e. How middle-income families spend their income dollar as compared with how lowincome families spend their income dollar.

A subdivided bar chart (with two bars equaling 100 percent) would be a good choice.

This form is good for comparing proportionate makeups of two wholes. f.

Comparison of sales for the past two years for each of B&B Company’s 14 sales districts throughout Canada, the United States, and Puerto Rico.

A statistical map, with sales districts drawn in and quantities indicated within each district, would be appropriate. Such an illustration graphically emphasizes the different places. Another possibility is a simple bar chart. A1though this form does not emphasize location, it does a better job of comparing quantities (as quantities are brought together, they are more easily compared).

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g. National production of trucks from 1950 to present, broken down by manufacturer.

A subdivided bar chart or a multiple bar chart would likely work. The former does the better job of showing totals by year. Both show quantities for each year by manufacturer. h. Relationship between list price and gas efficiency of alternative- and gasoline-fueled cars.

A scatter diagram plotting each of the cars with two data points—price and gas mileage—would be a good choice.

6. For each of the following sets of facts, (a) determine the visual(s) that would be best, (b) defend your choice, and (c) construct the visual. (LO5-6, LO5-7, LO5-8, LO5-9, LO5-10) a. Average (mean) amount of life insurance owned by Mutual Life Insurance Company policyholders; classification is by annual income A simple bar chart is probably best here since the data consist of a single series (value of insurance) classified on one basis (income). b. Profits and losses for Organic Whole Foods Stores, by store, 2017–2021, in dollars As both positive and negative values are involved, a bilateral bar chart is appropriate. It would require multiple bars to show each of the cities for each year. c. Share of real estate tax payments by ward for Ottawa, 2023 and 2024, in thousands of dollars A subdivided bar chart would work here. This chart shows the makeup and comparison of totals, which is what is needed in this case. d. Percentage change in sales by employee, 2023–2024, District IV, Abbott, Inc. As both plus and minus percentages are involved, a bilateral bar chart is appropriate.

7. Determine what percentage of each type of registered vehicle is owned in Canada. Choose an appropriate visual type and create it to convey the data. Consult Transport Canada for statistics. (LO5-6, LO5-7, LO5-8, LO5-9, LO5-10, LO5-11) Visual: Pie chart (best for showing percentages of a whole) Data: Specific data will vary depending on the source and date of information consulted. Below is a sample pie chart.

Data Source: Vehicle Registrations, by Type of Vehicle and Fuel Type, Statistics Canada, 2021 VEHICLE TYPES

AMOUNT

PERCENTAGE

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Light duty (<4,535 kg)

24,097,365

91.9%

Motorcycles and mopeds

816,443

3.1%

Heavy duty (>4,535 kg)

1,245,857

4.8%

64,206

0.2%

Buses Total Vehicles

26,223,871

100%

8. Through research, find the approximate milligrams of caffeine in the following items and create an appropriate visual for Affiliated Food Products, Inc., to illustrate your findings.

(LO5-6—LO5-11) a.

5-oz. cup of coffee (drip brewed)

b.

7-oz. glass of iced tea

c.

6-oz. glass of soda with caffeine

d.

1-oz. dark chocolate, semisweet

Visual: Bar Chart (best for side-by-side comparison of quantities) Data: Specific data will vary depending on the source and date of information consulted.

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Data source: International Food Information Council, 2014.

Coffee

115 mg

Iced Tea

70

Soda

20

Chocolate

20

Figure 2. Amount of Caffeine (mg) in a Serving Source: International Food Information Council, 2014.

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Problem-Solver to the Rescue: Lining Up the Photo Shoots for Your Next Catalog Here is one possible revision, although responses will vary. See the design principle notes at the end for further details.

To: <jim.eckes@msrhcorp.com> From: <casey.storm@msrhcorp.com> Subject: Winter Catalog Photo Shoot Details Hi, Jim: Thank you for meeting with me this afternoon to discuss the Winter catalog photo shoots. Please review the notes and project schedule detailed below. Action items are italicized.

Pre-Shoot Logistics Meeting Let’s meet in Conference Room 430 on Tuesday, May 5, at 7:30 a.m. to review the logistics and confirm the list of photos for the shoots. I’ve sent a meeting invitation with this message for you to confirm your availability.

Winter Catalog Photo Shoot The following sections outline the major planning notes. Plan to let me know after each photoshoot whether all photos were shot. If we need to, we’ll adjust the schedule at the end of each day for the next day.

Men’s Shoots These photoshoots are for the men’s line only. We will photograph a total of 55 styles between the two days (the 29th and 12th).

May 29 we will  Use live models for this shoot.  Shoot 25 styles.  Complete shoots for the first 5 styles.  Shoot 40% of the line.

June 12 we will  Shoot clothing only (no live models)  Shoot 60% of the line.

Women’s Shoots These photo shoots are for the women’s line only.

May 30 we will

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 

Shoot clothing only (no live models).

To make the best use of the models on the 13th, shoot 60% of the line.

June 13 we will  Use live models for this shoot.  Shoot the first 8 photos.  Complete the remaining 27 styles.

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Important Editing Review Deadlines: Action Items  June 15: Final images for the first 5 Men’s styles are due to editing on June 15.  July 1: Second set of Men’s shoot due to editing.  July 5: Final images from this shoot are due to editing.  July 8: All photos are due to editing.

Important Production Deadlines: Action Items  July 12: Editing promises photos for review.

Check your July Schedule and send me a meeting request for a time we can meet to review edited photos and select the ones we want for the Catalog.  

September 1: Images online for our customers September 15: Print catalogs in the mail.

Thank you for your work on the catalog. The production schedule is demanding, but I know we will have a great holiday season once our customers see our incredible winter line.

Regards, Casey Production Editor First Line Fashion Office: 422 Phone: 919-999-9999 A few notes on the revision related to the design principles from Chapter 5: Contrast: Notice the use of bold for headings and italics for the action items.

Proximity: similar elements should appear together. Notice the reorganization to put ideas in chronological chunks (each phase of the process is presented together).

Alignment: Notice the schedule is formatted so all of the times are left aligned so the reader can skim through them and access information quicker.

Repetition: Notice the repetition of bold headings to indicate hierarchy of information.

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 6: Crafting Effective Sentences and Paragraphs

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Teaching Suggestions This chapter contains a great deal of advice about writing and crafting effective communication. One foundational point deserves special emphasis: what counts as a good style or even clear writing depends on the situation. Every word, sentence, and paragraph needs to be judged in light of the writer’s goals and the readers’ likely reactions. That is why we focus on adapting style for readers at the start of this chapter.

Illustration and demonstration are essential to students’ understanding of the word-choice advice in this chapter. The examples on the PowerPoint® slides augment those in the book, and you can add various examples of your own.

Learning Objectives LO 6-1 Simplify your writing by selecting familiar and short words.

LO 6-2 Use slang and popular clichés with caution.

LO 6-3 Use technical words and acronyms appropriately.

LO 6-4 Use concrete, specific words with the right shades of meaning.

LO 6-5 Avoid misusing similar words and two-word expressions.

LO 6-6 Prefer action verbs.

LO 6-7 Write short, clear sentences by limiting sentence content and economizing on words.

LO 6-8 Manage emphasis with sentence structure.

LO 6-9 Keep sentences unified by omitting irrelevant points and unnecessary detail.

LO 6-10 Word sentences logically.

LO 6-11 Keep paragraphs concise.

LO 6-12 Make sure each paragraph has one main idea.

LO 6-13 Make paragraphs coherent.

LO 6-14 Give each paragraph a strategic job to do.

Key Terms plain language concrete words abstract words specific wording denotation connotation two-word expressions (idioms) dummy subject active voice camouflaged verb stock phrase inefficient wording redundancies main clauses Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

coordination subordination short sentences unity mixed construction incomplete construction dangling modifier misplaced modifier faulty parallelism topic sentence coherence transitional devices says/does chart

Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 Use this and the following slides to preview the chapter contents. You can point out that the main goals here are to (1) select appropriate words, (2) construct clear sentences and paragraphs, and (3) achieve the desired effect on readers.

Problem-Solving Challenge You receive an unhelpful and unclear message as part of the staff of a local hotel. Read over the message in the Problem-Solving Challenge box.

Challenge students to rewrite this message. They can complete a rough draft of the rewritten message at the beginning of the class, and then, as they learn about adapting messages to audiences and crafting effective communication, they can present a final draft at the end of class. What specific features need to change about the message to make it more effective? What language needs to be improved? Are there certain words or phrases that need to be left out?

Adapting Your Style to Your Readers Slides 6-5, 6-6 The key to good writing choices is considering your reader. You should learn everything you possibly can about your audience and consider what relationship you (or your company) have built with them.

You can point out that “adaptation” of one’s writing to the readers goes all the way down to the word level. Good judgment on the word level is key to communication success. One ill-chosen word can alienate readers, thwarting one’s purpose—while an especially well-chosen one can strengthen the cooperation between writer and reader.

Begin the writing task by visualizing the reader or readers (get a mental picture).

Consider such things as educational level, how they think, what they know, and what they value.

Then write to this person.

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Getting to Know You With their permission, pick two students (ideally, one male and one female) in your class to be your guinea pigs. These two students will represent the typical audience for this exercise.

Then divide the class into two groups and have each group come up with a) a plan for how they would gather information on their audience, b) as much information as they can gather (or guess) about their audience, and c) an advertising message aimed at selling new, high-end gas station coffee drinks to this audience.

After the exercise, ask students to consider how their messaging would change if their audience were thirty years older.

(Online students can collaborate via Google Docs in one group to learn about the in-class “audience” pair, or you could designate a different “audience” for them to examine.)

Selecting Appropriate Words Slide 6-7 Use Familiar Words See if your students can supply simpler, shorter substitutes for the examples on this slide. As you do so, you might ask at times when the longer word might be preferable. For example, “bad” is a substitute for “harmful.” But “bad” is a harsh, blunt word that would rarely be the best choice.

Slide 6-8 Prefer Short Words Short words communicate things more clearly than long words. Make this point to students. Ask them if they can come up with other examples beyond the slide.

Slide 6-9 Use Cliches with Caution Discuss with your students the meaning of these expressions and see if they can find good substitutes.

Ask them to give additional examples of their most hated clichés. You may want to direct them to the Communication Matters box titled “The Most Annoying Business Clichés.”

When advising students to use slang and popular clichés with caution, point out that such phrases can be especially troublesome for nonnative English speakers.

Sometimes a fun way of learning about what not to do is actually to do that very thing to the extreme.

You could, for example, ask your students to construct a message that is filled with as many business clichés as they can possibly pack in there. Give them the task of creating an invitation to a local business awards party. The invitation letter must be no more than one page, double-spaced, and must include all the standard elements of a professional letter. But in the body of the letter, they must try to pack in as many clichés as possible. Give out prizes for the best cliché master. Or put students in teams and award the best team.

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Slide 6-10 What Do These Mean?

Challenge your students to give the meanings for these common acronyms. (Check out Exhibit 5-2 for additional examples.)

Initialisms and acronyms are not likely to be understood by people outside a specialized area. Big companies such as Procter & Gamble are often known for relying on shorthand “acronym speak” internally. You might want to ask students what they consider to be the advantages and disadvantages of this practice. Why might the use of acronyms be a problem in cross-cultural communication?       

ROI = Return on Investment FTC = Federal Trade Commission CFO = Chief Financial Officer IPO = Initial Public Offering IT = Information Technology RFP = Request for Proposal EOD = End of Day

Slides 6-11, 6-12 Use Precise Language Concrete language adds specificity and vigor to writing.

Concrete words stand for specific things that the reader can see, feel, taste, or visualize. They relate to experiences.

They are the opposite of abstract words—the words that refer to broad and vague concepts.

Examples: Concrete: John S. Simmons, bagels and coffee, Ms. Levi, oil stains.

Abstract: human resources, nourishment, management, damage.

Concreteness also involves being specific, as in the following examples: A significant loss vs. a 53 percent loss The majority vs.

62 percent In the near future vs. by noon on May 1 Substantial amount vs. $3,751,321 Use the contrasting abstract and concrete sentences on the slide as a demonstration exercise.

You Try It Invite students to propose revised wording for the examples on the slide.

Here are some examples of revisions: 

Each of the branch managers will receive a 15 percent pay raise.

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

This process requires a constant temperature of 10 degrees Celsius.

Slide 6-13 Be Precise Selecting words for precise meanings is critical to clear writing. It means choosing the word with both the correct denotation and the desired connotation. It also means getting expressions idiomatically correct.

Use this slide as an exercise in word precision. Ask students to choose the correct word in parentheses to complete the sentence. The answers are as follows: 1.

Affect is correct. Affect is to influence; effect is a result.

2.

Noted is correct. Notorious suggests a bad repute.

3.

Enable is more precise here, as it implies a reasoning process. Cause suggests a more direct effect.

4.

Of is the accepted idiom here, a more direct effect.

5.

Complement is correct. Complement is something that completes; Compliment is words of praise.

You can find more examples of often-misused words in the Communication Matters feature “Don’t Be Hoodwinked by Homophones” and in the “Wrong Word” section of Reference Chapter A. Ask students to share which homophones have tripped them up in the past.

Slides 6-14, 6-15, 6-16 Use the Appropriate Word To ensure your writing sounds professional, use the appropriate word for your meaning. Many pairs of words are confused in English and cause problems for writers. Consider less vs. fewer, affect vs. effect, and continual vs. continuous, to name a few.

This slide reveals inappropriate usage of some of the most commonly confused word pairs. The last sentence illustrates the problem of faulty idioms. You may want to ask students if they can think of additional word pairs and faulty idioms that are common problems in writing.

Here are the sentences with the correct word usage:     

The retailer needs to change its marketing plan.

We have contacted our ad agency about their billing.

I could use some advice on how to handle this client issue.

That was a nice compliment—thank you.

You will be the authority on business writing.

You can find more examples of often-misused words in the Communication Matters feature “Don’t Be Hoodwinked by Homophones” and in the “Wrong Word” section of Reference Chapter A.

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Make It Active Use this slide to show the advantages of active voice.

In most cases, one should prefer the active voice to the passive. Active voice is stronger and more direct.

In active voice, the subject does the action: “Joan examined the equipment.”

In passive voice, the subject receives the action: “The equipment was examined by Joan.”

Invite students to offer corrections to these sentences to change them to active voice.

You Make the Call Before you leave this topic, ask the class in what kinds of situations the passive might actually be preferable. Here are some good answers:    

When the doer of action is unimportant: “Sports shoes are manufactured in Korea.”

When one wants to avoid accusing the reader of an action: “The maintenance instructions were not followed in this case.”

When the doer of action is unknown: “During the past year, three automobiles were stolen from this parking lot.”

When the writer does not want to name the doer of action: “Seventeen accounts were lost in the Portland area last month.”

Ask students if they can come up with other guidelines for using “there is” constructions.

Students can see more details about active and passive voice in the Communication Matters feature “Everything You Wanted to Know about Active and Passive Voice.”

Slide 6-19 Spot the Camouflaged Verbs Avoiding overuse of camouflaged verbs adds clarity and vigor to writing. Use this slide to demonstrate verb strength.

A verb is camouflaged when the verb describing an action is changed to a noun—for example, when one changes the verb “eliminate” to the noun “elimination,” which results in a long, passive sentence like this: “Elimination of the deficit was accomplished by Thornberry.”

A better sentence is one that uses the verb: “Thornberry eliminated the deficit.”

Invite students to name the camouflaged verb in each of these examples and then construct a sample sentence with that verb. For example: “classify” is the verb in the phrase “make a classification.” A sample sentence could be: “Classify the eggs by the established quality levels.”

Writing Clear Sentences

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Slide 6-20 Here is an overview of the advice on writing sentences (the following slides provide more detail on each of these concepts). Business audiences tend to prefer simple, efficient sentences over long, complex ones. Everyone at all levels of business is busy—one way to respect their time is by writing messages that are clear and concise.

Slides 6-21, 6-22 Limit Sentence Content Limiting sentence content means keeping sentences relatively short—not packing too much information into one sentence.

Readability studies tell us that the more words and relationships there are in a sentence, the greater is the possibility of misunderstanding.

These illustrations show how long, involved sentences may be broken up into short, effective sentences.

One way to use the illustrations is first to show the long sentence. Have the students work out revisions.

Then show the suggested revision.

As you can see, limiting content has not made the sentence sound any less professional, just clearer.

And no information has been lost.

One tool that can help a writer determine how complex their writing is the grammar and style checker in Microsoft Word. This checking tool can be set to reveal the readability statistics of a document. See the From the Tech Desk feature on this topic for more information.

Also see the Communication Matters feature titled “Avoiding Stringy and See-Saw Sentences” for more examples of ways to construct clear sentences and paragraphs.

Slides 6-23, 6-24, 6-25 Economize—Eliminate Surplus Words Slide 6-23 illustrates how surplus words can be eliminated. The Communication Matters feature titled “Is That a Surplus Word?” also provides tips on how to know what to cut from sentences.

Slide 6-24 invites students to demonstrate sentence economy. Here are samples of how these sentences could be rewritten: 1.

2.

3.

4.

The books are ready for the annual audit.

The four officers denied the negligence charge.

We expect the plan to succeed.

We conclude that production should stop.

Slide 6-25 shows how unnecessary repetition adds to sentence length. Direct students to Exhibit 6-4 for more examples.

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One interesting exercise for students might be to examine the wording of legislation or comments from politicians that have appeared in news articles. Have them highlight surplus words and repetitive phrases and then rewrite at least one paragraph to make it clearer and more concise.

Slide 6-26 Manage Emphasis with Sentence Design Here are some principles for students to keep in mind when managing emphasis in sentences. The following slides demonstrate a few of these principles in more detail.

Some items are more important than others—for example, conclusions in a report or the objective of a letter. Some are less important. You should make the important items stand out.

The longer sentences give less emphasis to their contents because the items combined share emphasis.

The shorter sentences tend to emphasize content because multiple ideas aren’t competing for attention.

Consider the varying emphasis in these three versions: “The company lost money last year. The loss occurred in spite of record sales.” (The two items receive equal emphasis.)

“Although the company enjoyed record sales last year, it lost money.” (One idea is subordinated; the other gets independent-clause emphasis.)

“The company enjoyed record sales last year, although it lost money.” (Emphasis of the two thoughts is reversed.)

Which is the best? The answer depends on what you want to communicate.

A warning: Subordinating some ideas helps reduce choppiness, but the subordinating needs to be logical, as the slide examples show.

Slide 6-27 Manage Emphasis—Subordination In this example, students can see both where main ideas are getting lost and how subordination is being used in a way that buries important information.

Ask students to rewrite the paragraph and turn in their revisions as part of an in-class assignment (online students can prepare the revision and turn it in via email or use the “Writing Assignment” tool in Connect).

Here is one example of a revision: The main building is large enough for the new store. This conclusion, reached by Vice President George Wills following his October 1 inspection of the building, is based on these facts: The building’s 6,500 square feet of floor space exceeded the minimum requirement by 500 square feet. The 2,400 square feet of storage spaced exceeded the minimum requirement by 400 square feet.

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When a sentence contains two or more ideas, the ideas share emphasis. How they share it depends on how the sentence is constructed. If two ideas are presented equally, or coordinated (in two independent clauses, for example), they get about equal emphasis. But if one idea is subordinated to the other (in one independent clause and one dependent clause), one idea gets more emphasis than the other.

Slide 6-28 Manage Emphasis—Short Sentences This slide shows the choppy effect of too many short sentences. Although at times you want to shorten sentences, it’s always best to vary sentence length. Varying sentence length within paragraphs creates a more natural and smooth reading experience. However, short sentences can be very effective in either drawing attention at the beginning of a message or driving home essential points toward the end of a message.

Slides 6-29, 6-30 Give Sentences Unity Good sentences have unity. For a sentence to have unity, all of its parts must combine to form one clear thought. In other words, all the elements in the sentence should have a good reason for being together.

Violations of unity in sentence construction are usually caused by two problems: (1) unrelated ideas and (2) excessive detail.

Examples of a lack of and the demonstration of sentence unity are contrasted here.

Slide 6-30 shows samples that demonstrate how using long sentences with too much detail in one sentence can work against creating a unified message.

Slides 6-31, 6-32, 6-33, 6-34, 6-35, 6-36 Sentence Logic Faults These slides invite students to identify the faults in these sentences and to correct them.

Here we have an incomplete construction, a dangling modifier, and faulty parallelism.

Incomplete construction (the “as far as” phrase is incomplete).

Possible revision: I would give Ralph high marks on being a team player.

Dangling modifier (the “Looking” phrase needs to be followed by who is doing the looking).

Possible revision: Looking into the matter, we found that the product appears to have been defective.

Faulty parallelism (items set up as equals, as in this series, need to be worded as equals).

Possible revision: I have experience resolving customer complaints, coping with supplier delays, and managing a sales team.

In Reference Chapter A, students can find more examples of rules of grammar that can help them avoid illogical constructions and write clear sentences.

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Writing Clear Paragraphs Slide 6-38 These are the main words of advice for constructing clear paragraphs. The following slides will help students dig into these key concepts.

Slides 6-39, 6-40 Shorten Paragraphs This drawing contrasts a page with long paragraphs and a page with short paragraphs. Clearly, the page with short paragraphs is much more inviting to the eye. Even without reading the text, one gets a more comfortable feeling from the page of short paragraphs.

Besides being visually appealing, breaking up text with paragraphing makes text easier to comprehend.

Another way to shorten paragraphs is to omit unnecessary detail. Every time you write a business message, it’s good to go back and read it again with this question in mind: What does the reader really need? Ask students to think of that question as they look at the next slide.

Ask students to revise this paragraph (slide 6-33), including only the details the reader needs to know to act on the message. (A revision of this example is in the textbook as well, but students should provide their own examples.)

Slides 6-41, 6-41, 6-43 Give Paragraphs Unity Like sentences, paragraphs should have unity, meaning the paragraph should be built around a single topic or idea. The subject matter included should have a reason for being together—it should be related.

When you have finished the paragraph, you should be able to say, “Everything in this paragraph belongs together because every part concerns every other part.”

Use these slides to discuss what paragraph unity is and various ways to correct paragraphs that aren’t focused.

Slide 6-44 What Are Topic Sentences?

One good way of organizing paragraphs is to use topic sentences.

Topic sentences express the main idea of the paragraph.

Ask your students: What kinds of paragraphs often do NOT have topic sentences? (introductory paragraphs, transitional paragraphs, and concluding paragraphs) Topic sentences can be in three places:   

at the beginning, at the end, and within the paragraph.

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These paragraphs show good use of topic sentences. Show each paragraph and ask students to identify the topic sentence in each. Point out how well the other sentences relate to the topic sentence.

Slide 6-45 You Make the Call Let students come up with ideas for why placing the topic sentence in the middle of the paragraph could work strategically in your favor if you are trying to build an argument for supporting your main concept.

Encourage students to come up with their own paragraph samples to illustrate their reasoning.

Slides 6-46, 6-47, 6-48 Make Paragraphs Coherent Each sentence and each paragraph should move the reader smoothly toward the writer’s goal.

Three good strategies for achieving coherence are the following:   

Repeat key words and ideas from one sentence to the next.

Use pronouns that refer back to elements of the preceding sentence.

Use transitional expressions.

Some of the strategies for giving writing coherence are illustrated here. Ask students to identify the strategies being used in these short paragraphs.

Direct students to the Communication Matters feature “Beware the Vague or Illogical This.” Ask students to give examples of times when they’ve had trouble understanding someone’s directions or a message due to not understanding what “this” refers to. For a fun exercise, have students craft text messages to send to each other (or to you) that ask the recipients to do something or give information, but have them deliberately make the messages vague by the inclusion of “this.” For example: “If you want to keep your roommates happy, doing things like remembering to change the toilet paper roll is key. This is a common goal for every new living situation.” Or: “Carly’s yoga class is happening next to the pie-eating contest today. Wearing roomy clothing is a must for this if you want to join us!”

Slides 6-49, 6-50 What’s the Purpose?

Instruct students to read the message on this slide and then create a says/does chart, including each of the paragraphs in this brief message. The chart should show what each paragraph is about and then what role it plays in the whole message.

As you wrap up this chapter, remind students that Reference Chapter A includes more detailed information to help students construct correct and clear sentences and paragraphs.

Remind students to go back to that message presented in the Problem-Solving Challenge at the beginning of the chapter and try again to rewrite it, using the strategies they have now learned.

Power Charge Your Professionalism: Make Your Subjects and Verbs Agree in Number Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Select the word that completes each sentence. Identify which subject–verb agreement guide from Reference Chapter A you used in making your choice. (Correct answers are marked in bold.)

1.

A lot of time and energy (is/are) required for this project to succeed.

(nouns in prepositional phrases) 2.

Huong, along with several members of her staff, (support/supports) the policy change.

(nouns in prepositional phrases) 3. job.

Neither the 20 vacation days nor the salary (was/were) enough to persuade Jorge to take the

(compound subject joined with or) 4.

Each of the interns (receives/receive) a monthly stipend and a parking permit.

(indefinite pronoun) 5.

The cost and the timeline of the project (makes/make) it unlikely that we will proceed.

(compound subject joined with and) 6.

The report on the costs associated with the technology updates (is/are) due next Friday.

(nouns in prepositional phrases) 7.

The jury (is/are) expected to return with a verdict this afternoon.

(collective nouns) 8.

Barr, Douglass, and Company (is/are) going out of business.

(collective nouns—this is a name of a company acting as a collective noun) Making your subjects and verbs agree is important because . . .

• Readers become disoriented, and may have to reread the sentence, when they come to the verb and it does not match the subject. This wastes their time and distracts them from the message.

• Using the wrong verb makes it appear that you don’t know what the subject of your own sentence is or weren’t careful enough to avoid the error.

For further instruction on subject–verb agreement, see the exercises in the “Grammar and Common Sentence Problems” section of the Adaptive Learning Assignments.

Critical-Thinking Questions 1.

“Using short words makes the writing sound too simple and not very professional.” Discuss.

(LO6-1) A document with too many long words leaves an impression of difficulty that hinders communication.

Also, just because a word is short doesn’t mean it’s “unprofessional.” For instance, “we are considering

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your suggestion” is a shorter way of saying “the proposed enhancement is under consideration.” The former still sounds professional, while the latter sounds stuffy and awkward.

2.

“It is important to use business clichés like best practices and leveraging our strengths to sound professional.” Discuss. (LO6-2) To some extent this can be true. For example, “thought leaders” and “best practices” are current business phrases that do seem to evoke a favorable response and make one sound in step with other business problem-solvers. But such phrases should be used sparingly and judiciously. They should never be used as a substitute for thought or concrete evidence. A communication riddled with business clichés suggests a writer who is trying too hard to impress and not working hard enough to be specific.

3.

“Because technical language typically consists of acronyms and long, hard words, it contributes to miscommunication. The best policy is to avoid such terms in business communication.”

Discuss. (LO6-3) Technical language often consists of long words, jargon, and acronyms. But these are familiar to those in the field, who understand them quickly and easily. Therefore, we should use them when communicating in such circumstances. Still, an overuse of technical terms, even when the words are understood, can make reading difficult. To make the reader’s job as easy as possible, writers should err on the side of explaining and paraphrasing too much rather than too little.

4.

List synonyms (words with similar meanings) for each of the following terms. Then explain the differences in their shades of meaning. (LO6-4) Some synonyms are listed below. They can differ in terms of formality, positive or negative connotations, the specific contexts they invoke, or other ways. a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k. l.

salesperson: sales associate, clerk, service representative, cashier coworker: team member, employee, colleague, associate old: antique, archaic, obsolete, venerable, antiquated tell: explain, say, report, extol, recount, divulge, reveal, inform happiness: bliss, felicity, blessedness, beatitude, joy, pleasure customer: client, buyer, guest, consumer, major account boss: manager, supervisor, management, superior, team leader misfortune: bad luck, mishap, adversity, mischance inquire: ask, request, solicit, question, beg, petition stop (verb): terminate, end, desist, halt, arrest, check, cease lie (verb): recline, loll, sprawl, fabricate, invent, tell a falsehood mistake: error, inaccuracy, blunder, slip-up

5.

Explain what’s wrong with this sentence: “This procedure is different than the one we use.”

What kind of error is this? Can you come up with other examples besides those provided in the chapter? (LO6-5) The phrase “different than” should be “different from”—than is a word suggesting a comparison of greater or lesser degrees of a thing (e.g., my house is bigger than yours).

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6.

Define and give examples of active and passive voice. Explain when each should be used.

(LO6-6) Active voice is the structure that has the logical subject doing the action. Passive voice has the logical subject receiving the action. You will need to judge each example offered on its merits. As a general rule, active voice is better, but there are some good uses of passive voice (when it isn’t important who does the action, when the writer doesn’t want to name the doer of the action).

7.

Take a look at this thank-you message to a new customer. Using the advice in this chapter, how would you revise it to make it more effective? (LO6-1, LO6-2, LO6-3, LO6-4, LO6-5 LO6-6) Dear [new customer], You are welcomed as a new customer and thanked for your business.

It will be seen that we have a lot of wonderful products that have gained us notoriety in our industry. Plus, our CRM is second to none. If you ever have a complaint, our customer-service girls will take care of it ASAP. We are anxious to serve you further and look forward to a harmonious and mutually profitable collaborative experience.

Judge each answer based on its merits, but a revision should correct the instances of passive voice, vague wording, use of long words, use of technical terms, and other incorrect wording. For example: Dear [new customer], Welcome, and thank you for your business!

Our top-quality [name specific category of products] are well known in our industry, and our customerservice management is second to none. If you have any questions or requests, our customer-service team will be glad to help you right away.

We are eager to serve you and look forward to a successful relationship.

8.

Discuss this comment: “Long sentences tend to be difficult to understand. Therefore, the shorter the sentence, the better.” (LO6-7) The statement is an extreme one. Shorter sentences do tend to communicate better than the longer ones. But writing made up entirely of very short sentences would be choppy, and it would be difficult to understand because the relationships between ideas would be unclear—every idea would get equal emphasis.

9.

Write a sentence with several parts that emphasizes one of the pieces of information and then rewrite the sentence to emphasize a different piece. What caused the change in emphasis? (LO6-8) The discussion should review the emphasis techniques presented in the chapter: (1) putting main ideas in main clauses, (2) using subordination and coordination to give proper emphasis to content, (3) using short sentences to emphasize content and long sentences to deemphasize content. Examples should be judged on whether or not they include these three concepts.

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10.

This chapter discusses two common causes of lack of unity in sentences: irrelevant points and unnecessary detail. Thinking about the writing process, why do you think these problems occur? (LO609) Answers will vary, but students should focus on the two common causes of lack of unity: (1) placing unrelated ideas in one sentence and (2) including too much detail.

11.

Style experts advise against monotonous-sounding writing—that is, writing that has a droning, “blah-blah” effect when read aloud. What advice in this chapter might help you avoid this kind of style? (LO6-1, LO6-9) The advice to use active verbs and precise words, remove excess words, avoid camouflaged verbs, and perhaps additional wording guidelines can help. Sentence variety also helps mix it up and enhance style, particularly when you use a combination of short and long sentences.

12.

This chapter discusses several kinds of illogical wording in sentences. Give an example of each, explain the problem, and correct it. (LO6-10) Using the discussion in the chapter, evaluate each student’s answer on its own merits.

13.

Analyze the use of paragraph breaks in several different types of business writing (e.g., a sales letter, blog post, business article, report). In what ways do these examples use paragraph breaks differently? Can you think of reasons the paragraphs would be longer in one type of document than in another? (LO6-11) As each analysis will be unique, you must judge each on its merits. All paragraphs need to organize and explain information. Writers must also anticipate the readers’ likely reactions and structure content for the desired effect. But topic sentence placement and type and paragraph length may all be influenced by genre. For example, if someone is writing a blog post meant to entertain, they may use very short paragraphs for humorous effect. But a person writing a scientific report containing large amounts of data may have to use longer paragraphs in order to summarize the information well.

14.

“Topic sentences are useful for reports and letters, but email messages don’t need them.”

Discuss. (LO6-12) Any time you divide information into paragraphs, you are likely to need topic sentences for the body paragraphs to help your key points stand out. Emails, in particular, benefit from “bottom line” topic sentences, where the most important, reader-benefit-driven information is shared first. This is partly because emails don’t hold the reader’s attention as much as other genres and must be shorter.

15.

Describe and illustrate the three main transitional devices. (LO6-13)

As each example given will be unique, you must judge each on its merits. The devices are (1) repetition of key words, (2) use of pronouns, and (3) use of transitional words.

16.

“Fill in a says/does chart for a sample blog post, email message, or letter. What role does each paragraph seem intended to play in the overall communication strategy? Could any of the paragraphs do a better job of playing its role? (LO6-14)

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Answers will vary based on the subject matter used as the sample. Judge each based on its merits and how well the student completes the says/does chart for each paragraph.

Skills-Building Exercises Using Familiar, Short Words (LO6-1) Assume that your readers have about a tenth-grade education. Revise these sentences for easy communication to this audience.

1.

Many creditable studies have ascertained that direct mail is still a viable sales technique.

Studies have shown that direct mail is effective in sales.

2.

We must endeavor to correct this problem by expediting delivery.

We must try to correct this problem by delivering earlier.

3.

A proportionate tax consumes a determinate apportionment of one’s monetary assets.

A proportionate tax takes a fixed percentage of one’s income.

4.

Many people believe that business has an inordinate influence on governmental operations.

Many people believe business has too much influence on government.

5.

It is imperative that the survey recipients be unrestrained in indicating their preferences.

Survey recipients must have the right to choose.

6.

Can we ascertain the types of customers that have a predisposition to utilize our instant-credit offer?

Can we find out which customer types would like our instant-credit offer?

7.

The preponderance of the advisory personnel we consulted envisioned signs of improvement from the current economic stagnation.

Most of our consultants think the economy will improve.

8.

The company must desist from its deficit financing immediately.

The company must stop spending more than it receives now.

Using Slang and Popular Clichés with Caution (LO6-2) Revise the following sentences to eliminate slang and annoyingly popular expressions. Would any of them be acceptable under the right circumstances? If so, which and when?

1.

We need a marketing strategy that will move us beyond the low-hanging fruit.

We need a marketing strategy that will be progressive in reaching more customers.

2.

He doesn’t have the bandwidth right now to take on another project. [In a context that has nothing to do with internet use] He isn’t available to take on another project.

3.

This design is so not what I had in mind.

This design is not at all what I had pictured.

4.

We are reaching out to you today to tell you about our new line of training products.

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We’re excited to announce that we now offer a new line of training products.

“Reaching out” has the connotation of asking for help, which doesn’t match the implied situation.5.

We should synergize our efforts to enhance our customer service.

We should combine our efforts to improve customer service.

6.

The vendors we work with are super reliable.

We work with very reliable vendors.

7.

Why don’t you two take this discussion offline and bring a possible solution to the next meeting? [In the context of an in-person meeting] Why don’t you two talk further about this topic and bring a possible solution to the next meeting?

Note: This sentence would be acceptable in the context of a conference meeting where some participants may be participating through virtual means.

8.

I would rank Tom Jenkins at the top of our list of candidates because he is crazy smart.

I would rank Tom Jenkins at the top of our list of candidates because he is very intelligent.

Using Technical Words and Acronyms Appropriately (LO6-3) 1.

Select a paragraph from one of your textbooks that would be difficult for a student with no background in the subject matter to understand. Rewrite the paragraph so that this student can understand it easily.

Answers will vary based on the material selected. It is important to determine whether meanings have been changed and whether the revised work really is easier to understand. Judge each answer based on its merits.

2.

Using examples other than those in this book, identify some business-related terms that would probably need to be defined for those outside the area of business in which these terms are used.

As each student’s examples will be different, you will need to judge each on its merits.

Selecting Concrete, Specific Words (LO6-4) Revise these sentences to make them more precise and informative.

1.

We are currently recruiting young people for internships.

We are currently recruiting 18- to 22-year-olds for two summer internships.

2.

She has a strong employment record as an accountant.

She has been a successful accountant for the same company for 15 years.

3.

I spent a lot of time each week volunteering for nonprofit organizations.

I served 20 hours each week as a volunteer for the soup kitchen and at the hospital.

4.

If we don’t receive the goods soon, we will need to cancel our order.

If we don’t receive the ten cases of cups by January 15, we will need to cancel our order.

5.

The cost of the online subscription was reasonable.

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The cost of the online subscription was only $39.

6.

There is only a little time left on our copier’s warranty.

Our copier’s warranty will expire on October 1.

7.

The findings show that a lot of our employees are in favor of working from home one day a week.

Seventy-eight percent of our employees are in favor of working from home one day a week.

8.

Please donate your clothing to Dress for Success.

Please donate your gently used or new professional clothing to Dress for Success.

Avoiding the Use of Incorrect Similar Words (LO6-5) Some of the following sentences are correct, and some are not. Indicate the correct sentences and correct the problem sentences.

1.

We have less than 25 registrants so far. (Incorrect) Correct: We have fewer than 25 registrants so far.

2.

I did not mean to infer that you had made a mistake. (Incorrect) Correct: I did not mean to imply that you had made a mistake.

3.

He is not adverse to your suggestion; he simply wants more information. (Incorrect) Correct: He is not averse to your suggestion; he simply wants more information.

4.

The handbook offers advise on professional behavior. (Incorrect) Correct: The handbook offers advice on professional behavior.

5.

Please except my apologies. (Incorrect) Correct: Please accept my apologies.

6.

A complementary breakfast is included. (Incorrect) Correct: A complimentary breakfast is included.

7.

Write in such a way that you elicit the response you want. (Incorrect) Correct: Write in such a way that you solicit the response you want.

8.

This laptop needs its’ battery replaced. (Incorrect) Correct: This laptop needs its battery replaced.

9.

There is no reason why we should refund their money. (Correct)

Using Two-Word Expressions Correctly (LO6-5) These sentences misuse two-word expressions. Make the changes you think are necessary.

1.

Based off of the auditor’s report, I recommend that we invest more of our cash.

“Based on” 2.

This strike was different than the one in 2000. “different from” Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

3.

This letter is equally as bad. “is equally bad.”

4.

She is an authority about mutual funds. “authority on” 5.

When the sale is over with, we will restock. “is over, we” 6.

The service truck collided against the wall. “collided with” 7.

We have been in search for a qualified supervisor since August. “been searching for”

Limiting Use of Passive Voice and Dummy Subjects (LO6-6) Revise the following sentences to give them action verbs.

1.

It is expected that our competition will be taken by surprise by the new ad campaign.

We expect our new ad campaign to take the competition by surprise.

2.

It is believed by most union members that their welfare is not considered to be important by management.

Most union members believe that management does not consider their welfare to be important.

3.

There is interest among our customers in a less-expensive version.

Our customers are interested in a less-expensive version.

4.

The notes taken by the secretary will be posted on the website.

The secretary will post the notes on the website.

5.

The union was represented by Cecil Chambers.

Cecil Chambers represented the union.

6.

These reports are prepared by the salespeople every Friday.

The salespeople prepare these reports every Friday.

7.

If more information is needed, the customer service department can be contacted.

If you desire more information, you can contact the customer service department.

8.

There are many obligations that we must meet.

We must meet many obligations.

Avoiding Camouflaged Verbs (LO6-6) Revise the following to eliminate camouflaged verbs.

1.

We will get back to you after we have made a determination of the damages.

We will get back to you after we determine the damages.

2.

Harold made a recommendation that we apply for a grant.

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Harold recommended that we apply for a grant.

3.

We will ask him to bring about a change in his work routine.

We will ask him to change his work routine.

4.

This new equipment will result in a savings in maintenance.

This new equipment will save in maintenance costs.

5.

Will you please make an adjustment on this invoice?

Please adjust this invoice.

6.

The committee will begin implementation of the plan in January.

The committee will implement the plan in January.

7.

Approval of all orders must be made by the chief.

The chief must approve all orders.

8.

A committee performs the function of determining the award winner.

A committee determines the winner.

9.

Verification of the amount is made daily by the auditor.

The auditor verifies the amount daily.

10.

The president tried to effect a reconciliation of the two groups.

The president tried to reconcile the two groups.

Making Sentences Economical (LO6-7) Revise the following sentences for more economical wording.

1.

Due to the fact that we financed the experiment, we received a share of the profits.

We received some of the profits because we financed the experiment.

2.

We should see the prime lending rate increase in the near future.

We should see the prime lending rate increase soon (or give approximate date).

3.

I will talk to him with regard to the new policy.

I will talk to him about the new policy.

4.

Mary is of the opinion that service has improved.

Mary believes service has improved.

5.

It is essential that we take the actions that are necessary to correct the problem.

We must correct the problem.

6.

We must keep this confidential information from being shared with others.

We must not share this information.

7.

You should study all new innovations in your field.

You should study all innovations in your field.

8.

In all probability, we are likely to suffer a loss this quarter.

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We will probably lose money this quarter.

9.

The job requires a minimum of three years of experience.

The job requires at least three years' experience.

10.

In spite of the fact that they hadn't paid their previous bill, they placed another order.

Even though they had not paid their earlier bill, they ordered again.

Managing Sentence Content (LO6-7, LO6-7, LO6-9) Make these sentences more readable, and the main points more clear, by breaking them up, tightening the wording, and/or restructuring them.

1.

Records were set Wednesday by both the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index, which closed at 8,001.40, up 27.08 points, topping its previous high of 7,986.50, and Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, which finished at 1,264.03, up 6.90, setting a five-day high.

On Wednesday, the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index and Standard & Poor’s 500 Index set new records. The New York Stock Exchange Composite Index closed at a record high of 8,001.40, up 27.08 points from its previous high of 7,986.50. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index finished at 1,264.03, setting a five-day high.

2.

Reserving this property requires a $500 security deposit, which will be refunded unless there is damage to the property or evidence that there has been smoking in the cottage or a pet on the premises or if the reservation is canceled within 30 days prior to the rental period.

Reserving this property requires a $500 security deposit. You’ll receive a full refund assuming the reservation isn’t canceled within 30 days prior to the rental period and there is no evidence of smoking or pets in the cottage during your stay.

3.

The Consumer Education Committee is assigned the duties of keeping informed of the qualities of all consumer goods and services, especially of their strengths and shortcomings, of gathering all pertinent information on dealers’ sales practices, with emphasis on practices involving honest and reasonable fairness, and of publicizing any of the information collected that may be helpful in educating the consumer.

The Consumer Education Committee has three primary duties: It (1) keeps informed of the qualities of all consumer goods and services (especially their strengths and shortcomings), (2) gathers all pertinent information on dealers’ sales practices (with emphasis on dealers’ fairness and honesty), and (3) publicizes any of the information it collects that may educate the consumer.

4.

As OHIP will not cover certain prescription drugs, or eyeglasses, or laser eye surgery, it is possible that your insurance provider will cover certain prescription drugs, or eyeglasses, or laser eye surgery for you and your children, if applicable.

OHIP will not cover certain prescriptions drugs, eyeglasses, or laser surgery, but it is possible that your insurance provider will.

5.

Given our discussion yesterday, I have decided that you may choose either to take the final exam or to have the paper for which you received your highest grade count as an additional 15 Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

percent of your course grade, but you must let me know in writing by May 1 which of these options you prefer or else the exam will be mandatory.

After yesterday’s discussion, I have decided that you may either take the final exam or have the paper for which you received your highest grade also count as your exam. If you choose the latter, the grade on the paper will replace the exam grade as 15 percent of your course grade. Please let me know in writing by May 1 which option you prefer.

6.

Although we have not definitely determined the causes for the decline in sales volume for the month, we know that during this period construction on the street adjacent to the store severely limited traffic flow and that because of resignations in the advertising department, our promotion efforts dropped well below normal.

We have not definitely determined the causes for the decline in sales for the month. We know, however, that during this period, construction on the street adjacent to the store severely limited flow.

Promotion efforts had also dropped as a result of resignations in the advertising department.

Wording Sentences Logically (LO6-10) Revise the following to eliminate illogical and awkward wording.

1.

Because the Swift Company has a service-oriented culture is the reason it supports all forms of volunteerism.

With its service-oriented culture, the Swift Company supports all forms of volunteerism.

(Or: The Swift Company supports all forms of volunteerism because it has a service-oriented culture.)

2.

Our staff is among the best as we strive for the highest level of customer service.

Because we strive for the highest level of customer service, our staff is among the best in the city. (Or: Our staff is among the best, and we strive . . . .)

3.

Thank you for your feedback that will help us continue to improve.

Thank you for your feedback. It will help us maintain our high standard of . . . .

4.

The meeting room you have reserved has a projector, Internet access, and will enable your attendees to hear the trainer easily.

The meeting room you have reserved has a projector, Internet access, and excellent acoustics.

5.

As a five-star hotel, our guests’ satisfaction is our top priority.

As a five-star hotel, we make our guests’ satisfaction our top priority.

6.

Upon review of the facts, the problem was a short in the wiring.

Upon review of the facts, we found that . . . .

(Or: A review of the facts revealed that . . . .)

7.

This streamlined process will save us so much money.

This streamlined process will save us nearly 10 percent.

(Or: This streamlined process will save us so much money that we’ll be able to purchase upgraded equipment.)

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8.

Depending on how you phrase your request will determine how the boss will respond.

How you make your request will determine how the boss will respond.

(Or: The boss’s response depends on how you phrase your request.)

9.

In order to accommodate your request, please make your reservation by the end of October.

So we can accommodate your request, please make your reservation by the end of October.

10.

On behalf of the management team, I appreciate your extra work on the project.

On behalf of the management team, I would like to thank you for . . . .

(Or: The whole management team appreciates . . . .)

11.

We need to know how many will attend, and please indicate their choice of entrée.

We need to know how many will attend and their choices of entrées.

(Or: Please let us know how many will attend and the choice of entrée for each attendee.)

12.

As a member of the marketing staff, the best person to consult on this project is Allal.

As a member of the marketing staff, Allal is the best person to consult on this project.

13.

As far as phone-call monitoring, I believe we should try other methods first.

As far as phone-call monitoring goes, . . . .

(Or: I believe we should try other methods before trying phone-call monitoring.)

14.

Through our research of three local charities we feel that each one would be a good one to sponsor.

Our research indicates that any of the three charities would be. . . .

(Or: Through our research of three local charities, we found that . . . .)

15.

Each department will now have access to update your section of the website.

Each department will now be able to update their section of the website.

(Or: Each department will be given access to their portion of the website in order to make updates and announcements.)

16.

It is such a worthy cause, but I fear the organization’s website will not attract many donors.

The nonprofit is a worthy cause, but its website may not attract many donations.

17.

This is an important message, but by placing it in a long paragraph, it is unlikely that many people will read it.

This is an important message, but placing it in a long paragraph will make it unlikely that many people will read it.

(Or: Many people will probably miss this important message buried in this long paragraph.)

18.

You can volunteer to help with publicity, set up, clean up, or you can bring refreshments.

You can volunteer to help with publicity, set up, or clean up. You can also provide refreshments.

19.

From the results of the survey, it is clear that viewers preferred the second design.

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The results of the survey clearly show that viewers preferred the second design.

Managing Emphasis, Focus, and Flow (LO6-8, LO6-12, LO6-13) Write a topic sentence for each of the following, and reword any of the other sentences as needed to create a smooth, clear paragraph.

1.

Jennifer has a good knowledge of office procedures. She works hard. She has performed her job well. She is pleasant most of the time, but she has a bad temper, which has led to many personal problems with the work group. I cannot recommend her for promotion. I approve a 5 percent raise for her.

Although I cannot recommend Jennifer for promotion, I can approve a 5 percent raise for her. Jennifer works hard, has performed well, and is pleasant most of the time, but , she has a bad temper that has led to many personal problems within the work group.

2.

Last year our sales increased 7 percent in California and 9 percent in Arizona. Nevada had the highest increase, with 14 percent. Although all states in the western region enjoyed increases, Oregon recorded only a 2 percent gain. Sales in Washington increased 3 percent.

Last year our sales increased in all states in the western region. Nevada had the highest increase, with 14 percent. Arizona and California were next, with 9 percent and 7 percent, respectively. The increase in Washington was 3 percent, and in Oregon it was 2 percent.

3.

I majored in marketing at Darden University and received a B.S. degree in 2011. Among the marketing courses I took were marketing strategy, promotion, marketing research, marketing management, and consumer behavior. These and other courses prepared me specifically for a career in retailing. I completed a one-semester internship in retailing with Macy’s Department Stores.

My B.S. (2011) in marketing awarded by Darden University prepared me specifically for a career in retailing. Among the courses I studied were marketing strategy, promotion, marketing research, marketing management, and consumer behavior. In addition, I had a one-semester internship in retailing with Macy’s Department Stores.

4.

Our records show that Penn motors cost more than Oslo motors. The Penns have less breakdown time. They cost more to repair. I recommend that we buy Penn motors the next time we replace worn-out motors. The longer working life offsets Penn’s cost disadvantage. So does its better record for breakdown.

I recommend that we buy Penn motors rather than Oslo motors the next time we replace motors. Penn motors have less breakdown time and a longer working life. These advantages more than offset Penn’s higher initial cost and repair costs. (This organization plan begins with the recommendation [topic sentence] and follows it with pro and con reasoning.)

5.

Recently China ordered a large quantity of wheat from the United States. Likewise, Germany ordered a large quantity. Other countries continued to order heavily, resulting in a dramatic improvement in the outlook for wheat farming. Increased demand by Eastern European countries also contributed to the improved outlook.

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The outlook for wheat farming has improved dramatically. Both China and Germany have recently ordered large quantities from the United States, and demand for wheat in Eastern European countries has also increased.

Managing Information in Sentences and Paragraphs (LO6-8, LO6-13) Assume that you are the assistant manager of a hotel and are describing your hotel’s meeting room to a prospective customer who is thinking of holding a seminar there. Turn the following pieces of information into coherent writing, making paragraph breaks where you think appropriate. Be ready to explain why you grouped the information and managed the emphasis the way you did. You may need to add some words or information to make the facts flow smoothly.

We have a meeting room. It will be available on the date you request. It can seat 100 people. The seating can be arranged to your specifications. It is quiet. It is on the ground floor. It is not near the guest rooms. The lounge has live music on occasion. The lounge is at the opposite end of the hotel from the meeting room. The meeting room has a lectern. It has a projector. It has a screen. It has a laptop hookup. We can rent additional equipment. We can rent it at no charge to you. The charge for the room is $300. This is the charge for one day.

One possible solution: Our interactive meeting room comes fully equipped with everything you need for a lively presentation: a screen, laptop hookup, projector, lectern, and complimentary rental equipment. The spacious groundfloor meeting room holds up to 100 guests, with seating arranged to your specifications. As it is separated from the guest rooms by the lobby, the room is quiet during business hours. After hours, you may hear the light noise of the occasional live music that plays in the lounge at the opposite end of the hotel. All-day rental is only $300 with guaranteed availability.

Each student’s work should be evaluated on its merits. The writing tips presented in the chapter should be emphasized.

Problem Solver to the Rescue: Informing Customers about Sewer Repairs in Their Neighborhood Note to the Instructor: Students should reference Exhibit 1-6, “Planning Your Communication Strategy: A Problem-Solving Approach” and the advice in this chapter to inform their answer. Not all questions in the Chapter 1 exhibit apply to this specific scenario, but the problem-solving heuristic will provide them with a starting point to understand the questions they will need to consider in this scenario. You may want to tell students to select questions that apply to this situation. Also, you may want to explain to students that they might need to make some inferences about what the sender and receiver know and the context of the message.

Teachers are encouraged to have students critique the message, rewrite it, or both. Below is a summary of the key points students will need to consider in their critique and examples of how students my rewrite each section of the message: Adapting Style to Your Readers Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Audience awareness is essential when communicating to an audience. Students should consider how this message falls short when it comes to tailoring the message to the audience, in this case residents of Metropolis. The writer should revise this message to take more of a you-viewpoint (see Chapter 2) and consider their audience needs and expectations. Showing consideration of the audience demonstrates respect for their time and energy.

Defining the Problem and Identifying the Goal A busy urban publics works offices has probably sent information like this before to residents. This message does not seem to follow a template or have other formatting characteristics of a routine notification message. The author would be well-served by going back to their organization and checking to see if previous messages of this sort have been sent to residents and using it to inform the structure of this message. In a message like this, a template format may signal to the reader that this is an official message from the town, and they may be more likely to pay close attention.

Designing the Message The style and tone of this email is not appropriate for the audience. The writer has chosen a tone that is too formal and is very complicated. This message is going to wider audience of city residents; therefore, the language should be accessible and clear to an audience of different literacy levels and familiarity with technical public works terminology.

Keeping in mind the reader’s need to find information, using formatting to highlight essential ideas will make this message effective.

Delivering the Message One strength of this communication strategy is that this written message, a letter, is supposed to be accompanied by a personal visit to their home. A good message strategy could be to send the letter in advance and then go residence to residence to follow up and see if there are questions. This strategy would give the residents time to read the letter and be more prepared to ask questions. If the City adopts this message strategy, they should include a short paragraph at the end of the letter informing the reader of the follow-up visit.

Section Rewrites and Discussion: Original: Dear resident: In order to ensure the safe and uninterrupted service of your public sewers, we have determined that certain repairs or modifications must be performed to the sewer system within the vicinity of your residence.

Rewrite: Dear Metropolis residents, Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

To ensure safe, uninterrupted public sewer service, we will be making repairs to the system near your home in the coming weeks.

First, adding the city name to the message builds a stronger connection to the specific audience.

The goal of this message should be to communicate important information to the audience about upcoming sewer work; however, the first paragraph is so writer focused that it is difficult to determine the goal and the language is not audience appropriate. In the revision, “vicinity of your residence” changes to a much more familiar “near your home.”

Further, “modifications” has been removed to make the sentence more concise. There is not much additional value to “repairs or modifications” because the reader will probably not know the difference between the two when it comes to sewer work.

Original: First and foremost, please be assured that any work performed will be funded by the sewer rates paid in conjunction with your regularly scheduled Metropolis Water Works bill. You will incur no additional cost. Please rest assured that upon completion of the work, any disturbed areas will be restored as closely as possible to their original condition.

Rewrite: You are not responsible for any costs associated with the work. The City of Metropolis will cover all required costs. Once the work is completed, city workers will make sure that the areas affected by the repair work will be returned to their original condition.

The rewrite removes unfamiliar words and replaces them with more familiar words. The explanation of funds to cover the costs are excessive details and overly complicated. Phrases like “disturbed areas” have been changed to “areas affected by the work.” Repetition of “assured” has been removed as well.

This paragraph starts with a short, bolded sentence for emphasis. The fact that there are no costs for the residents is important, so moving it to first sentence of the paragraph and creating a short and direct sentence will help emphasize this point. Using a bolded font will draw the reader’s attention to this important detail.

Original: Prior to and during the completion of the necessary work, we may post “No Parking” signs in the area with the full approval of the local Police District. While we recognize the inconvenience imposed by these restrictions, we must stress that they are important to the personal safety of our crews and the general public. Please cooperate with the posted parking restrictions.

Rewrite: During the work, you may see “No Parking” signs in the area. We recognize that these may be an inconvenience, but the Police District asks for your cooperation with these signs until work is complete. These parking restrictions are meant to ensure your safety and the safety of our city workers.

Again, this paragraph has excessive detail that makes it confusing. Also, the revision limits sentence content and economizes on words resulting in a clearer message. Bolding is used to highlight another important idea: that readers must follow the new parking signs until work is complete.

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Original: Due to the large extent of the Metropolitan Sewer District’s service area, the number of identified repairs often exceeds our available repair crew compliment. Out of necessity, we must occasionally secure a sunken area or cave-in with appropriate barricades, steel street plates, or placement of fill material until a crew becomes available to complete the work. The interim safety of these sites is of the utmost importance to the Metropolis Sewer District. If you feel that such a site is becoming hazardous in any way, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please contact our office immediately at (523) 555-1515.

Rewrite: In addition to observing parking restrictions, please be aware of barriers and other equipment used to secure work sites during or between work hours. If you notice any potentially hazardous areas, please avoid the site and call our Metropolis Sewer District at (523) 555-1515.

The strategic purpose of this paragraph is unclear. The revision makes the main idea clear to the reader. Again, we see excessive detail in this section which obscures the overall goal and may confuse or even alarm the reader. Residents don’t need to know why equipment is there to secure the area, they just need to know what to look out for and what to do if something looks dangerous.

Including a transitional phrase at the beginning of the paragraph ties the ideas from the previous paragraph (the parking signs) to the new paragraph (the barriers).

Original: Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Rewrite: Thank you.

Another possible strategy, especially for a longer communication of this type, would be to use informative headings, with perhaps the most reader-focused type being likely reader questions, such as “When will these repairs take place?” and “Will I Be Charged for These repairs?”

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 7: Writing Good-News and Neutral Messages Teaching Suggestions This chapter introduces students to one of the standard organizational approaches in business writing: the direct organizational pattern. Because this pattern is used most frequently in situations in which the reader will react positively or neutrally, Chapter 7 discusses the direct pattern in this rhetorical context.

But many of the following suggestions for teaching Chapter 7 will also apply to teaching students to write the other types of messages discussed in Chapters 8 and 9 (e.g. negative-news messages, persuasive messages).

Lecture-Discussion Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

You can begin with a brief lecture that presents an overview of the direct approach and the contexts in which a direct approach is appropriate or not appropriate. You can tell students that most messages they write will use a direct approach. Students may be asked to assess either in an online or face-toface discussion their own communication style. Are they direct communicators? Indirect communicators? Although you will discuss the indirect approach more thoroughly in Chapter 9, you may also ask students to reflect on a time when they received a message directly that should have been communicated indirectly or vice versa.

Lecture notes for Chapter 7 to accompany the Chapter 7 PowerPoint presentation appear below.

Instructors should emphasize that the text suggestions are not formulas; students must use the skills they learned in Chapter 7 to understand their writing goals and audiences and adjust their messages accordingly. Emphasis should be given to developing logical approaches to problem solving so that students see their communication goals as tied to their business goals.

Illustration After presenting the lecture, you may want to refer to the good and bad message examples in the Chapter 7 PowerPoint and have students analyze and articulate what happened in the writing that makes the good message better than the bad message (e.g., the main point is at the beginning, the writing is more complete and the language more precise). You may also want to create good/bad examples from the problem-solving cases at the end of the text as additional discussion and illustration opportunities.

Criticism of Student Messages Students should write a direct message as an assignment for this chapter. After writing a draft, students can bring their work to class for peer editing. As a guide for peer editing, you may want to develop a form based on your grading rubric for the assignment. Students should be reminded that a peer editor is not a “fixer” or copy editor. The peer editor is simply to react to the format, content, and correctness.

The writer is ultimately responsible for the content. If the writer disagrees with the peer editor, the writer is not obligated to make the editor’s changes.

Before beginning the one-on-one editing, you may want to discuss a few drafts as a class, identifying strategies that have better promise than others. After assignments are returned, you can show examples of individual sentences or entire messages that were done well or that could still use work.

Writing Contests Another option to motivate students to produce good messages is to hold writing contests. The judges are the students. They read the messages, grade them, and determine the winners. A prize may be bonus points.

Specifically, this plan works as follows. Divide the class into groups of five or six students. Each group grades the messages of another group—making detailed comments on papers in the process. Each grading group selects the best message in the group being graded. Give bonus points to the writer of these messages. The grades given on all messages are the grades you record but permit anyone who is

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not satisfied with his or her grade to submit the message to you for reevaluation. Usually no more than 10 percent do so.

We like this plan because it gives the students a view of the other side of the fence. They learn to appreciate the problems in grading. Also, we think grading is a very productive learning experience.

Recognition of Good Work Another effective means of increasing student interest is simply to recognize good work. If you have a class website or use a class management tool such as Canvas, Blackboard, WebCT, or Desire2Learn, you can post the best messages as examples for current students. Equally good results come from showing the best papers on a screen if students agree to have their work shown.

Learning Objectives LO 7-1 Assess the reader’s likely reaction to your message.

LO 7-2 Describe the general plan for direct-order messages.

LO 7-3 Write clear, well-structured routine inquiries.

LO 7-4 Write direct, orderly, and favorable answers to inquiries.

LO 7-5 Write order acknowledgments and other thank-you messages that build goodwill.

LO 7-6 Write external-operational messages that build relationships with clients and customers.

LO 7-7 Write clear and effective internal-operational communications.

Key Terms direct organizational pattern objective routine inquiry true question form favourable response order acknowledgment external-operational messages internal-operational messages

Text Summary, Lecture Outline Approaches to Good-News and Neutral Messages Slides 7-1, 7-2 This chapter introduces students to one of the standard organizational approaches in business writing: the direct organizational pattern. Because this pattern is used most frequently in situations in which the reader will react positively or neutrally, Chapter 7 discusses the direct pattern in this rhetorical context.

This chapter overview (on this and the following slide) introduces the objectives to be discussed.

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Directness is appropriate in most messages such as routine inquiries, favorable responses, order acknowledgments, and thank-you messages, direct claims, adjustment grants, and operational communications.

You can begin with a brief lecture that presents an overview of the direct approach and ask students to consider contexts where a direct approach is more appropriate. Students may be asked to assess either in an online or face-to-face discussion their own communication style. Are they direct communicators?

Or are they indirect communicators?

Slide 7-3 Approaches to Good-News and Neutral Messages Whether a writer chooses the direct or indirect approach (discussed in the next chapter) depends on the reaction of the audience. This illustrates the importance of audience analysis.

Begin preparing for a message by assessing the reader’s probable reaction.

If the likely reaction is positive or neutral, directness is in order.

If the likely reaction is negative, indirectness is in order.

The General Direct Plan Slide 7-4 The general plan for direct order is as follows.

Begin with your objective: Whatever your key point is, lead with that point. You may want to provide brief background information before presenting your main idea.

Cover the remaining part of the objective: Whatever else must be covered to complete your objective makes up the bulk of the remainder of the message. Cover your information systematically—perhaps listing the details or arranging them by paragraphs. Include any descriptions or explanations that will help your reader understand.

End with goodwill: End the message with some appropriate friendly comment as you would end a faceto-face communication with the reader. Include a closing that is relevant to the topic of your message and that helps your reader either respond to your message or know that the discussion has concluded.

Routine Inquiries Slides 7-5, 7-6, 7-7, 7-8, 7-9, 7-10 Routine inquiries are those where the writer expects a positive response from the reader.

Begin with the objective. In doing so, you may ask a question or give an answer to a question the reader has previously asked you. These beginnings save time for writer and reader. After you have done that,

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you can present any necessary explanation, ask additional questions, or give additional answers. To close, end with a goodwill message that is relevant to the reader.

Many students may have difficulty with this. One of the most common errors we see is the ambiguous thank you. You can explain to students that they would not be wrong to end with “thank you,” but the thank you should be specific to the topic. Many students will, as an example, write a favorable response that answers a reader’s many questions. After answering all of the questions, the writer will type “thank you.” “Thank you” for what? Encourage students to finish the thought in a way that is specific to their audience: “Thank you for your interest in ACME products.”

The following slides show examples of a routine inquiry letter. The first is a bad example and the second is a good example. Note that whenever we display bad examples, they will be marked by the red icon of a message with a line through it. When we display good examples, they will be marked by a green icon.

You may want to divide students into small groups to analyze what makes the bad message bad and the good message good and then have the groups articulate their analysis to the rest of the class.

Opening Begin directly.

Use either a specific question that sets up the entire message (“Is your Karatan line of leather goods sold on an exclusive dealership basis?”) or a general request for information (“Will you please answer the following questions about your dealership policy for your Karatan line of leather goods?”)

Note how both of the openings above are faster and more interesting than indirect openings such as this one: “I saw your Karatan products advertised in this month’s Marketer Guide and am considering stocking the line. But first I need to know the answers to the following questions:” Content Usually an audience will need some explanation of the situation. Such information helps the reader in answering. Most often this information fits best after the opening. When a number of questions must be asked, sometimes explanations are needed within the questions. The point is to tell the reader whatever is needed to enable her or him to answer.

If your inquiry involves asking a single question, the message is short—a direct opening followed by any necessary explanation and a friendly closing comment.

Sometimes a number of questions need to be asked. Slide 7-6 provides an overview of how to effectively ask questions.

In such cases, make each question stand out. Do this by 1. making each question a separate sentence, Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

2. organizing a paragraph around each question (especially if some questions require explanations), 3. ordering the questions (1, 2, 3, etc.), and 4. wording each as a question rather than as a hint for information (“Please send me . . .” rather than “I would appreciate your sending me . . .”).

Generally avoid questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.”

“Do long periods of freezing temperatures damage Gardex?” vs. “What are the effects of long periods of freezing temperature on Gardex?”

Close End with a goodwill comment, preferably using words that fit the one case: “As we must decide about using Natvac by next Monday, please have your answers to us by that date” rather than “Thank you in advance for your help.”

Slide 7-8 shows a bad example of a routine inquiry.

Ask students to point out the problems in this message.

This message begins slowly and gives obvious information, such as “Because we are interested, we would like additional information.”

The information request is buried in the text rather than listed and formatted in true question form.

The close could be interpreted as rude. Ask students why this is.

Ask students what the writer did well in the message presented on 7-8 and 7-9. Here are some examples:   

The beginning asks for information directly. The explanation is brief but complete.

The questions are listed and formatted as questions.

The close is appropriate and has a call to action.

Slide 7--11 You Make the Call Let students respond to this question, naming the potential benefits the reader might be able to see in this routine inquiry message.

Many students need help with formatting and organization, so here are some important tips. These are four different strategies for making questions stand out within your inquiry letter.

Students can study the annotated examples shown in this section of the textbook for more ideas about how to craft a well-structured routine query.

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Favourable Responses Slide 7-12 Favorable responses are those that give the reader what he/she has requested. For example, giving a customer the information they requested and responding to a job candidate’s inquiry about an open position are both favorable responses.

Favorable responses use a direct approach to tell the reader what they want to know. Because they are messages that answer inquiries favorably and convey good news, and because they do what the respondent has asked you to do, the direct order is appropriate. The indirect order would get the job done, but it would be slower, and it would waste time.

This slide shows how favorable responses are generally organized. Many students find deemphasizing the negative tricky. They may also not have enough experience or context for knowing how many “extras” are too many and give the customer an excessive amount of free merchandise or discounts.

Special attention to these topics may be warranted.

Opening Directness here means beginning by giving the reader what is wanted—which is the information requested.

So a good beginning is the one that starts answering.

If the inquiry concerned is one question, the beginning is the answer to that question: “Yes, Chem-Treat will prevent mildew if used according to instructions.”

If the inquiry concerns a number of questions, the opening is the answer to one of them, preferably the most important. An alternate possibility is to begin with a statement that you are giving the reader what is wanted. Although this beginning really is not direct, it is positive. Also, the opening avoids the abruptness that directness sometimes conveys: “The following information should tell you what you need to know about Chem-Treat” or “Here are the answers to your questions about Chem-Treat.”

Somewhere at the beginning, identify the correspondence you are answering.

One good way is to use a subject line of a message or in the subject identification of an email message: “Subject: Your April 3 inquiry about Chem-Treat.”

Another is to refer to the prior correspondence incidentally in the opening: “. . . as requested in your April 3 inquiry. . .”

Content If you are answering just one question, you have little else to do. You may include any explanation or other information you think is needed. Then you close the message. If you must answer two or more

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questions, you answer them in succession. Work for a logical order, perhaps using the order used in the reader’s inquiry. You may choose to number the questions or to distinguish them by bullets.

If some negative information must be given with the good, handle it carefully. You may choose to deemphasize it—placing it in a position of little emphasis or giving it less space. Be sure to avoid language that is unnecessarily negative (e.g., unfortunately, disappointed).

For the best in goodwill effect, you may consider including the “extras”—something nice that is not required (additional information, comments, or questions).

Close End with friendly, cordial words that show your willingness to serve. Make these words fit the one situation: “If I can help you further in deciding whether Chem-Treat will meet your needs, please write me again.”

Slides 7-13, 7-14 In your role as assistant to the vice president for operations of White Label Industries (WLI), your task is to respond to a customer’s message.

Check out the Problem-Solving Challenge within the Favorable Responses section for more details on this customer message. The following slides lead students through this challenge.

Find the Questions Before answering an inquiry, you may want to list all the questions directed toward you. This will help you to order the information you include in your response.

In this case, you can answer the question positively: yes, the paint is safe to use around animals and is environmentally friendly. The response will be primarily a good-news message. Because the reader is a potential customer, you will work to create the best goodwill effect.

Slides 7-15, 7-16, 7-17 Ask students to point out the problems in the message shown on 7-14.

The message is written indirectly. The language is wordy and imprecise and violates many of the conventions discussed in previous chapters. Students could be asked to identify these violations. In addition, the message is visually unappealing. The order of the sentences doesn’t make sense. This message doesn’t have a strong conclusion, and the ending feels rushed and abrupt.

For the good example shown on 7-15 and 7-16, ask students which positive emphasis and favorable response strategies were applied here. How does the author emphasize the positive?

This message begins directly with the most favorable answer. Then it presents the other answers, giving each the emphasis and positive language it deserves.

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The close is goodwill talk with some subtle selling strategy included.

Students can check out the annotated examples of two other favorable response letters found in the text for more practice in understanding the parts of this kind of message.

Order Acknowledgments and Other External-Operational Messages Slides 7-18, 7-19, 7-20, 7-21, 7-22 Acknowledgments are sent to people who order goods—they are principally a way to report the status of the order. They simply tell when the goods are being shipped. Many companies use form messages for this; some use printed notes. But individually written messages can be used, especially for important orders or to welcome a new customer (as is the case outlined in the Problem-Solving Challenge in this section).

Opening As this is a routine, good-news message, you can begin it directly—getting to the point right away: “Your April 4 order for Protect-O paints and supplies will be shipped Monday by Blue Darter Motor Freight.”

Content The individually written acknowledgment message frequently includes various goodwill information (e.g., reselling, appreciation for the order). Sometimes not all the items ordered can be sent. Some may be out of stock and must be back-ordered. Sometimes the information in the order needs to be cleared before shipment can be made. In such cases, shipment must be delayed—a negative happening. This information also must be handled in the message. If the delay will be taken as routine, it can be reported directly. If it will be bad news to the reader, you should handle the situation with a minimum of negative wording and implication.

For example, if the reader failed to give complete information in the order, say: “So that you can have the right color of leather on your master chair, will you please check your choice on the enclosed color chart?”

For an item that must be placed on back-order, say: “We will rush the Shannon master chair to you just as soon as our stock is replenished by a shipment due May 4.”

Close End with a friendly, forward look. For example, comments about enjoyable (or profitable) use of the product or a wish for continued opportunities to serve.

Direct students to look at the annotated examples of order acknowledgments and thank-you messages provided in this section to become more familiar with the structure of these messages.

Thank-You Messages

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Thank-you messages are written for many occasions as a way to practice good etiquette, build goodwill, and present a positive professional image of the writer and the writer’s company.

The tone in thank-you messages should be informal and friendly, but judge how familiar to be based on your relationship with the audience. Likewise, whether you hand write the thank-you, send an email, or use company stationery depends on the audience. If you do write out the note, make sure to doublecheck your spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Opening The opening should be direct and include an expression of thanks.

Content The content should be personal and speak directly to the reason for the thank-you note.

Close The writer need not thank the reader again given that thank-you messages are very short and the writer will have said “thank you” only a few sentences earlier. However, the closing should be relevant to the topic of the message. This might be a statement regarding future business between the reader and writer or wishes for success for the reader and his or her company.

Slide 7-18 provides an overview of external-operational messages:  Organize in the direct order in which you establish the context of and purpose for your message. 

Use a tone and style that helps you build a relationship with the reader.



Provide all of the relevant details.



Order the information logically and in a way that is visually appealing.



Use a goodwill ending that clearly explain any action steps.

This pattern can be used for messages sent to clients, customers, and other audiences outside of the organization in order to try to provide information about products and services; to update them on changes of policies and practices; or remind them of benefits or resources available to them. These types of messages are different from the persuasive messages you’ll see in Chapter 9 because the primary purpose is not to sell something. While this may be a secondary purpose, the ultimate goal of external-operational messages is often to build and maintain relationships.

Slide 7-23 You Make the Call Check out the Communication Matters feature titled “A Workplace without Email? One Company’s Strategy” about one company’s solution to making communication more productive. Challenge students to go one day without using email at all (they can use instant messaging, texting, or other means of communication instead). How much difference does it make to them?

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Internal-Operational Messages Slides 7-24, 7-25 These are the internal communications necessary in conducting the company’s business—those needed to get work done on a regular basis.

They range widely in formality—from the brief, informal exchanges between employees to formal documents. The informal messages do not require our study. They are simple, direct, frank exchanges of information between workers. The more formal ones resemble the messages we have reviewed in this chapter.

The suggestions for writing these messages are much the same as for those types previously discussed.

The need for clarity, correctness, and courtesy should guide these efforts.

Take a quick poll of your students. How many say that most of the internal-operational messages they receive from their employers come via email? How many say that most of these messages come via a printed, written note? Which do they think is more effective?

Slide 7-26 To write a formal internal-operational message, writers should follow a plan that is similar to the routine inquiry plan mentioned at the beginning of the chapter. The main difference here is that you will often have a better idea of who your audience is than when you are writing a routine inquiry to a business outside of your own.

Ask students: When constructing an internal-operational message of a formal nature, you may be very familiar with much of your audience (your coworkers). What kinds of problems or mistakes might you need to look out for in such a situation?

Ask students to refer to the bad and good examples of internal-operational messages in their textbook.

What in particular makes the good example work well?

Slide 7-27 Remember that it is often most important to get to the main point of the message as quickly as possible when constructing good-news and neutral messages.

Slides 7-28, 7-29 In this chapter, we’ve covered the most common direct message situations. Using the strategies outlined here will help you to be successful in crafting direct messages for any routine business situation.

The next chapter will look at writing indirect messages, often used in bad-news situations. But the same concepts of writing courteous, concise, and clear messages will help you create a professional image and promote goodwill in those situations as well.

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Power Charge Your Professionalism: Commas with a Series, Phrases, and Clauses Insert commas as needed in the sentences provided. Indicate which comma guide you used from Reference Chapter A to determine the punctuation for each sentence. If the sentence is correct, leave it as is. (Correct answers are shown in bold and comma guides are given in parentheses.)

1.

Our company was founded on the principles of trust honesty and ethical business practices.

Our company was founded on the principles of trust, honesty, and ethical business practices.

(Cma 2–1) 2.

Our employees volunteer because they believe in serving their community.

3.

The shareholders asked several questions at the annual meeting and they seemed happy with the answers they received.

The shareholders asked several questions at the annual meeting, and they seemed happy with the answers they received.

(Cma 1) 4.

All employees who are interested in health savings accounts should attend the information session at 3:00.

5.

After we talk to our representatives we should know the reasons for the drop in sales.

After we talk to our representatives, we should know the reasons for the drop in sales.

(Cma 5–2) 6.

Ramone remembered to contact the vendor about our order but forgot to confirm the new delivery date.

7.

At our advisory board breakfast we will launch our new corporate sustainability program.

At our advisory board breakfast, we will launch our new corporate sustainability program.

(Cma 5–2) 8.

The new printers which were purchased last May are much faster than our old printers.

The new printers, which were purchased last May, are much faster than our old printers.

(Cma 3) For further instruction on using commas, see “Phrases and Clauses” in the “Grammar and Common Sentence Problems” module and the “Commas” in the “Punctuation and Mechanics” in the Adaptive Learning Assignments.

Critical-Thinking Questions 1.

When is the direct order appropriate in inquiries? When would you use the indirect order?

Give examples. (LO7-1, LO7-2) Directness is appropriate when the reader is likely to receive the message positively or neutrally.

Indirectness is appropriate when the message is likely to be received negatively. As will be noted in Chapter 8, however, some exceptions occur (for example, when a negative inquiry will be accepted routinely or when one feels the reader will appreciate directness). The examples the students give will have to be judged on merit.

2.

“Explanations in inquiries merely add length and should be eliminated.” Discuss. (LO7-3)

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Explanations often help the reader to answer the inquiry.

3.

Discuss why just reporting truthfully may not be a sufficient strategy for handling negative information in messages answering inquiries. (LO7-4) A true but negative statement presented without concern for its effect may get more emphasis than it deserves. Negative information stands out. The effect would be to give a wrong impression. For example, to report that “John Smith once spent a night in jail” might overshadow all else that is reported about him. If John Smith is basically a good person, the writer might choose to deemphasize this negative point by positioning and wording it carefully.

4.

Defend a policy of doing more than asked in answering routine inquiries. Can the policy be carried too far? (LO7-4) Doing the “extras” is really just being friendly and behaving as most of us like to behave in our personal relationships. The result can pay off in goodwill benefits. After all, treating people the way they like to be treated creates goodwill. In business, goodwill is worth money. Yes, the policy can be overdone, but only if taken to extremes and the “extras” become tiresome.

5.

What can acknowledgment messages do to build goodwill? (LO7-5)

One can build goodwill by writing friendly, considerate, and helpful acknowledgment messages. In such messages one can use warm and personal language and can do the “extras” that make customers like the company. One can express appreciation for the order, welcome a new customer, and include resale material in the message (to enhance the customer’s opinion of the company’s products).

6.

Discuss situations where the following email forms of an order acknowledgment would be preferred: form message and a special message. (LO7-5) A form message would be preferred when the order is a standard one, fitting all factors covered in the message. The special letter would be preferred for unusual circumstances that need explanation, such as substituting merchandise, changing shipping dates, or other complications.

7.

Discuss how problems (vague orders, back orders) should be handled in messages acknowledging orders. (LO7-5) Vague and back orders can be handled directly when the information is likely to be accepted as routine.

When you believe that the customer likely will be upset by the news, tact should be used. When tact is required, the negative news usually is subordinated by position and by words. That is, it is not placed in a position of emphasis; and the words used are carefully selected so that they do not emphasize the negative aspects of the situation.

8.

In what situations do companies send external-informational messages? What are the goals of an external-informational message? Give at least three examples of topics for an externalinformational message.(LO7-6)

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External-operational messages are sent to clients, customers, and other audiences outside of the organization for a variety of reason: to try to provide information about products and services; to update them on changes of policies and practices; or remind them of benefits or resources available to them.

External-operational messages could be sent to   

Notify a customer of a new loyalty program Provide information about a new client appointment system Provide information about the current status of the company: during the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies sent these emails to inform clients and customers about operations changes.

These types of messages are different from the persuasive messages you’ll see in Chapter 9 because the primary purpose is not to sell something. While this may be a secondary purpose, the ultimate goal of external-operational messages is often to build and maintain relationships.

9.

Discuss the use of directness in internal-operational communications. Why is it desirable? Can this strategy be overdone? When might indirectness be appropriate? What does it mean to be direct in a casual message? Informal message? Formal message? (LO7-7) Most of these messages concern the company’s work. The participants know that their messages will be interpreted impersonally. Thus, they can engage in straightforward but courteous communication. This strategy can be overdone if one becomes too frank—that is, if courtesy is not apparent. Indirectness is in order when the reader’s reaction to the message is likely to be negative. In casual messages, the direct approach is used to provide information quickly. They may seem blunt if read out of context, but these are sent with the understanding of all participants that the focus is on the common goal. In a formal message, the direct order is used to help arrange information in the most logical order for quick understanding.

Skills-Building Exercises 1.

Point out the shortcomings in this email response to an inquiry about a short course in business communication that Casey Webster’s company offered to its employees. The course was taught by a local college professor. Mr. Braden’s initial inquiry included five questions: (1) How did the professor perform? (2) What was the course format (length, meeting structure)? (3) What was the employee evaluation of the instruction? (4) Was the course adapted to the company and its technical employees? (5) Was homework assigned? As your instructor directs, rewrite the message. (LO7-1, LO7-2, LO7-4) Subject: Course evaluation Mr. Braden: Your January 17 inquiry addressed to the Training Director has been referred to me for attention since we have no one with that title. I do have some training responsibilities and was the one who organized the online course on clear writing. You asked five questions about our course.

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Concerning your question about the instructor, Professor Alonzo Britt, I can report that he did an acceptable job in the classroom.

Some of the students, including this writer, felt that the emphasis was too much on grammar and punctuation, however. He did assign homework, but it was not excessive.

The class ran online for eight weeks and require students to work about two hours each day on the course. The instructor used a mix of video lectures and interactive online activities to disseminate content.

He was a good lecturer but sometimes talked over the heads of the students. This was the main complaint in the evaluations the students made at the end of the course, but they had many good comments to make also. Some did not like the content, which they said was not adapted to the needs of a technical worker. Overall, the professor got a rating of B- on a scale of A to F. We think the course was good, but the content could have been better adapted to our needs and our people. I also think it was too long—about an hour per day would have been enough. Also, we think the professor spent too much time lecturing and not enough on application work and feedback.

Please be informed that the information about Professor Britt must be held in confidence.

Casey Webster The shortcomings are as follows: a.

The opening is indirect. It is slow—a full paragraph of obvious and unnecessary explanation. The organization throughout is bad. The answers to most of the questions are scattered throughout the message. More specifically, the information concerning the professor’s performance appears in paragraphs 2, 3, and 4, the information on format of the instruction is in paragraphs 3 and 4, the answer to the question on employee evaluation appears in paragraphs 3 and 4, and the response to the question about adaptation is in paragraphs 4 and 5. Only the question about homework is answered in one place (paragraph 3). b.

Unnecessary shift from “we” to “I.” c.

“Please be informed…” These words from the old business language are unnecessarily harsh and overly formal. d.

The close is not the friendly goodwill comment it should be.

2.

List your criticisms of this email message inquiring about a convenience store advertised for sale. As your instructor directs, rewrite the message. (LO7-1, LO7-3) Subject: Store details needed Mr. Meeks: This is in response to your advertisement in the May 17 Daily Bulletin in which you describe a convenience store in Clark City that you want to sell. I am very much interested since I would like to

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relocate in that area. Before I drive down to see the property, I need some preliminary information.

Most important is the question of financing. I am wondering whether you would be willing to finance up to $50,000 of the total if I could come up with the rest, and how much interest you would charge and for how long. I also would like to have the figures for your operations for the past two or three years, including gross sales, expenses, and profits. I also need to know the condition of the building, including such information as when built, improvements made, repairs needed, and so on.

Hoping that you can get these answers to me soon so we can do business.

Criticisms of the message to Mr. Meeks are as follows: a.

“This is in response to…” —a slow, indirect opening, obvious b.

“I am very much interested…” —obvious c. “…I need some preliminary information.”—hints that information is needed but doesn’t ask for it d.

“Most important is…” —names the information wanted but is not in question form e.

“I am wondering…” —another hint for information needed, not in question form, and too much in one sentence f.

“I also would like…” —also a hint for information needed; too much in one sentence g.

“I also need to know…” —another hint for information; and too many items of information wanted in a sentence h.

“Hoping that you can get…” —an old-style rubber stamp close 3.

Criticize the following thank-you message from a college student to a professor who has sent her a job lead. (LO7-1, LO7-5) Subject: Thanks Dear Prof. Smith, Thanks for the hot tip on the job! I’m interviewing there tomorrow!

Sarah Criticisms of the message to Professor Smith are as follows: a.

The subject line is vague—doesn’t identify why the student is thanking Prof. Smith. b.

The message is vague. Prof. Smith has many students and may not remember which hot tip she gave or where the student is interviewing. c.

The message has a casual tone. Depending on how friendly the student’s relationship with the professor is, the message’s tone may need to be more formal.

4.

Point out the shortcomings in this external-informational message from a high-end spa announcing that it is moving from postcard appointment reminders to electronic appointment reminders. Think about whether the direct or indirect approach would be appropriate. As your instructor directs, rewrite the message. (LO1, LO6).

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Dear Mr. Hicks: July 1 we will be using electronic appointment reminders. We won’t send appointment reminder postcards in the mail anymore. You can get your reminders by email or by text. We are moving to electronic appointment reminders because it’s easier, saves us postage, and it’s faster than snail mail. If you don’t have a computer or cell phone, we can still mail them to you, but our preference is that we send them electronically, so if at all possible, please use the electronic option. Thank you.

Rena Oliver Shortcomings of the message to Mr. Hicks are as follows: a.

The opening is confusing because it doesn’t reference the need for the new system or the system they are moving from. b.

The message contains no discussion of what this new system can do for the reader. e.

If you don’t have a computer or cell phone, we can still mail them to you, but our preference is that we send them electronically, so if at all possible, please use the electronic option. –Puts the writer’s preferences above the reader’s f.

No goodwill closing.

5.

7)

Criticize the following internal-operational message from a restaurant manager: (LO7-1, LO7-

Wait staff: It has come to my attention that our customer service is substandard. We will therefore hold mandatory training sessions over the next three weeks. See your shift supervisor to plan your work schedule so that you can attend.

Criticism of the operational message from a restaurant manager is as follows: a.

This message is frank but negative. Its language is unnecessarily harsh—substandard, mandatory training. Probably not all members of the staff are at fault, but the message suggests that everyone’s service is standard. Also, the vague language only makes the situation more confusion: what part of customer service has had issues? b.

The tone does nothing to raise morale, only lower it. Chances are, this kind of message could lower service standards even further. c.

Vague language: what kind of training? What are the goals of the training?

Sample Solutions to Problem-Solving Cases Routine Inquiries, Case #4 This case is a good exercise in critical thinking and writer analysis. Aside from basic information regarding costs and legal issues, students should consider the types of needs, fears, goals, and questions

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that a manager in this situation is likely to have. These will help form the basis of the writer's questions.

For instance, given the situation, the writer will probably want to know the impact personality tests have on promotion/hiring success and the extent of JobFit’s experience with manufacturing clients.

Brainstorming possible questions based on the situation and the writer's goals is one way to begin solving the problem and generating content for the body of the message. The beginning of the message should reference the voice mail and provide some background about the issue without revealing too much proprietary company information.

The close should include a deadline for the information, worded politely without being demanding. The writer may even mention the possibility of an in-person, follow-up meeting and inquire about Ms. Dawkins’s availability.

Example As a follow-up to the voice mail I left this afternoon, I’m sending further details regarding contracting your personality testing services. Our uniform manufacturing company would like to explore new ways of assessing the managerial potential of our employees, and we think personality testing may be the solution. Could you answer the following questions so we can make an informed decision?       

Have you had success using personality testing as a hiring/promotion tool? Could you provide some examples of this?

Do you have experience working with the manufacturing industry? In what areas?

What, if any, legal issues are involved in personality testing?

What are the upfront and long-term costs of contracting your services?

What types of personality testing are available? Which would you recommend for our industry?

Are there other services that would be better than personality testing for assessing our employees?

Receiving your response by 2 p.m. tomorrow will enable me to include JobFit's information in the report to my team. Could you also let us know your availability for a meeting in the next three days, in case we decide to investigate further?

Favourable Responses, Case #15 As with most favourable responses, this is a fairly easy, straightforward message. The message should begin by referencing Kaya's request and the information that follows.

The body of the message should present the details in a logical, visually appealing order. The writer should also analyze her supervisor's needs, values, interests, and fears. For instance, explaining that the videos are entertaining, current, and highly relevant to sales representatives, and why, will go a long way toward alleviating her supervisor's fears and pre-presentation stress.

The close might be a friendly offer of additional help on the presentation if Kaya needs it. You might want to have the class brainstorm other possible closes.

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In response to your request for presentation videos, I’ve found four that I think would be perfect for sales reps. The first two illustrate effective oral communication and the last two ineffective communication. All of them are lively, current, and highly relevant to reps.

Effective Communication: News on Relevant Science: 10 TED Talks That Will Change the Way You Communicate I've reviewed all of these and the one to lead with seems to be Nancy Duarte’s “The Secret Structure of Great Talks.” The first five minutes would be sufficient to capture the message. The next is Laura Trice’s speech emphasizing the importance on saying “thank you” to build communication, particularly valuable to a sales team. Both are available here: http://newsonrelevantscience.blogspot.com/2012/08/10-ted-talks-that-will-change-way-you.html Ineffective Communication: The first video is Julian Treasure’s TED Talk on “How to Speak So That People Want to Listen,” in which he talks about the seven deadly sins of speaking. The second is a brief, humorous look at several mistakes in making a cold call: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIho2S0ZahI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCQvdsm6nsg&list=RDYCQvdsm6nsg#t=4 Let me know if you’d like me to find additional videos or if I can be of help in any other way. I just finished the McKenna project, so I have capacity and would really enjoy helping you prepare for the presentation.

Internal-Operational Messages, Case #36 Company leadership needs to maintain employee confidence and trust. One of the ways to do that is through the use of clear, accurate information presented directly and in a timely manner, especially when rumors may be traveling around the company grapevine. The example below illustrates how this can be done.

Anticipate the questions and compose your answers based on realistic information that you find, for example, at this page on the website of the Society for Human Resource Management: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/hr-qa/pages/includedinpersonnelfile.aspx.

Students may want to consult websites such as the U.S. Department of Labor (www.dol.gov), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (www.eeoc.gov), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/index.html) for information related to this case. More helpful information regarding employee privacy issues can be found at http://www.fairmeasures.com/issues/privacy/.

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You may want to discuss with students the value of transparency in the workplace and how appropriate communication forms can help or hinder employee/employer trust.

Example It has come to my attention that some questions have arisen recently regarding the handling of information kept in our company’s personnel files.

In accordance with company policy and state and federal regulations, all private employee information (including address, social security number, wages, medical records, and performance records) is kept confidential and access to this information is restricted to the appropriate parties, which may include the Human Resources Director, the employee, the employee’s manager (in some cases), and myself (for employee performance evaluation purposes only).

At no time will this information be shared with anyone other than the parties named above without the employee’s knowledge and written consent, unless required by law. These policies remain in effect during and after employment.

If any of you have further questions regarding the personnel files, please contact Janet Bloom, our Human Resources Director, who will be happy to meet with you.

Problem Solver to the Rescue: Informing Your Customers about the Acquisition of Another Company Audience Checklist (from Chapter 4): What is my relationship to my audience?

Customer or client.

What is my relationship with my audience?

This exercise gives students the freedom to assume the role of the businessperson writing the message on behalf of the company of the students’ choice. Keep in mind that these assumptions also impact how you write your message. We do know that the audience is customers, and so we can assume the relationship is most likely formal and friendly.

What is my audience’s likely reaction to my message?

This audience will likely react with interest and some concern for the acquisition. We can assume their biggest concern would be “how will this affect me?”

What do I want my audience to think, feel, do, or believe as a result of my message?

We can assume that the writer wants the audience (clients) to understand the need for change, to be comfortable with the acquisition, and to see the advantages and benefits to them.

What does my audience need to know?

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The audience needs to know that this acquisition is happening and hear a bit about how they will benefit. Further, the audience needs to know that their current services will be uninterrupted (that Wright is “open for business.”)

What does my audience already know?

Unclear.

The following revision eliminates most of the jargon and punctuates the sentence to maintain its original meaning and clarify the main ideas. Further, the new draft increases the formality of the message in order to better represent the relationship between the writer and the audience.

Students will make different assumptions about what the audience knows and doesn’t know. This is a good place to take a step back and ask them to state their assumptions about the reader. Why do they think this?

What is the company culture and background?

Again, students will probably make some assumptions here as they approach this case. Ask them to explain some of what they have assumed based on what is provided. Why do they think this? What about the message tells them this?

One note about audience: The revised version has suggested that students use a mail merge instead of a generic greeting. Direct them to the Communication Matters box titled “Personalizing Form Letters” for instruction in using mail merge to create more personalized greetings for emails like this one.

Message Revision Dear [Customer Name]: I’m excited to share the news that Wright Technology has completed the acquisition of SKE software.

We know that adopting digital technology used to be optional, but today technology is essential for any business that wants to maximize its ability to connect with customers. To continue growing, businesses need to provide a complete customer experience. We’re committed to leading by combining SKE software with Wright Technology’s cloud-based systems.

With Wright’s acquisition of SKE, you’ll benefit from the following services:    

Combination of data analytics Personalized content marketing capabilities Account-based marketing Revenue attribution technology

We know that this represents a transition for many of our customers, but the ways we will be able to improve your marketing efforts will benefit all of us.

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The addition of SKE allows us to combine our expertise and build on our strengths to help you achieve greater business growth. We are excited about the possibilities and look forward to many conversations with you. Our operations will be uninterrupted. We are here to help, so please reach out to your Wright Technology representative to learn more.

Regards, Gabe Siegelman Executive Vice President, Global Marketing Operations Wright Technology

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 8: Writing Bad-News Messages Teaching Suggestions The teaching techniques for this chapter are the same as for the preceding chapter.

Learning Objectives LO 8-1 Determine which situations require using the indirect approach.

LO 8-2 Write messages following the general plan for an indirect approach.

LO 8-3 Use tact and courtesy when refusing a request.

LO 8-4 Write claim messages that address errors while building goodwill.

LO 8-5 Write adjustment refusals that minimize the bad news and overcome negative impressions.

LO 8-6 Write negative announcements that maintain goodwill.

Key Terms indirect approach buffer refused request claims direct claim indirect claim adjustment refusals negative announcements

Text Summary, Lecture Outline Approaches to Writing Bad-News Messages Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

Slides 8-1, 8-2, 8-3 When introducing this chapter, you can ask your students to give examples of times when they received some bad news. How was that message delivered? Did the method or tone of delivery make the situation worse or better? How? Also ask the students to brainstorm times when a business writer might need to give unwelcome news.

Help them see that this is a very common situation—and that the advice in this chapter will be very helpful.

The goal of this chapter will be to prepare students to, as Joan McCarthy put it, “communicate bad news in a way that preserves your company’s credibility and keeps employee trust and morale intact.”

You may ask students to consider what the quote on slide 8-3 means. Let them explain their responses, and revisit their answers again when you come to the last slide. At the last slide, mention that a key mistake people make in their thinking about bad news is that they can somehow make people think the bad news isn’t really all that bad. The goal of bad news is not to turn the bad news into good news. If writers could do that, they would be writing good-news or routine message. They still have to deliver bad news but have to do so in a way that leads the readers to think that they would have made the same decision or that the decision is a good business decision.

Slides 8-4, 8-5 Here is an explanation of why indirect order is usually right for bad-news messages. See if students can come up with these on their own before revealing them.

Exceptions to indirect order for bad news are listed on slide 8-5. Here, too, you might see if the students can generate these on their own before revealing this slide.

Let your students brainstorm bad-news messages that might best be delivered through a direct approach.

Get students talking: If someone is breaking off your relationship, would you rather hear the direct approach or the indirect approach? Why?

The General Indirect Plan Slide 8-6 This slide presents the general plan for bad-news messages. Note that this plan will be adapted to specific situations in following slides.

Begin with a strategic buffer. Use it to introduce your strategy to overcome the reader’s resistance. It might be an explanation, a review of justifying facts—whatever you think will work. The next slide highlights characteristics of good buffers.

Set up the news. Continue what the beginning set up. Present your reasons for saying “no” before you deliver the news. Make your case in such a way that the reader will see your point and consider it reasonable—perhaps even in his or her best interest.

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Present the negative. It should be the logical outcome of the preceding strategy, and it should be worded as positively as the situation permits. Using first or third person and linking the news with a benefit to the reader are two useful techniques when presenting bad news. Students should recall the positive word emphasis discussed before. However, point out that the negative news needs to be clear, so there is no misunderstanding.

Offer an alternative. When you say “no” or announce negative news, you’ve left your reader with a problem. Help him/her solve it to the best of your ability.

End with goodwill. Close the message on a forward-looking note, shifting the focus to happier things— just as you would do at the end of a face-to-face meeting. Avoid ending with an apology.

Slide 8-7 Buffers This slide outlines important elements of the strategic buffer in bad-news messages. Ask students to think of opening lines that have helped them or could help them to receive bad news. Emphasize the importance of relevance and neutrality in writing a buffer.

Slide 8-8 Apologizing When delivering bad news, the first thought is often to apologize. This slide outlines when apologies are useful and when they may not be.

It may be useful at this point to have students think of examples of rubber stamp phrases or other wording (e.g., “I’m sorry to say” or “We regret to hear”) that can have an apologetic tone, without being an actual apology. Discuss how making an insincere apology or using unnecessary apologetic language can have a negative effect on the reader.

Refused Requests Slide 8-9 This slide summarizes the thought process for writing a refused request.

This scenario is a very common business situation. Such messages are almost always negative, although they vary in their degree of negativity. The goals of the message are to 1) refuse clearly and 2) maintain goodwill.

To write this message, you will follow the indirect plan (discussed in slide 9-6), but see the You Make the Call challenge in the next slide.

Perhaps you must refuse because of company policy. In this case, justifying the policy is a better strategy than just saying you are refusing because company policy requires you to. The facts of the case likely justify refusing. When this is the case, you can review the facts and appeal to fair play. In all cases, study the facts and work out as convincing an explanation as you can.

Students can compare two versions of a refused request in the following slides.

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Slide 8-10 You Make the Call Let students consider reasons that would call for a direct approach in this situation. For example, what if this request comes every year, and you know every year it will be denied? What if the organization was not one the company wanted to support?

Slides 8-11, 8-12 Ask students to critique this message. What language should be avoided? What kind of approach is being used here? Does it work or not? Why? The problem: In this case, the writer must refuse a request made by Ms. Cangelosi for a donation.  

Harsh and blunt treatment has a negative impact on the reader. The reader may be less likely to accept the explanation that follows.

The explanation is clear, but there is an unnecessary use of negative words (exhausted, regret, cannot consider).



Have the students assess this message in light of the guidelines for refusals.

 

How does a compliment help buffer the news?

How does the writer “sell” the reader on White Label, saying something positive about the company to balance the negative news that follows?

How sound is the reasoning? Describe the tone.

Why does the closing work? It further supports the reader and his efforts.

 

Slide 8-13 Delivering Bad News: Who Did It Well?

For an in-class or at-home assignment, challenge students to look for stories in the news that display leaders delivering bad news. They can bring in the news story or video clips or online students can send them to you. Discuss who shows courage in leadership by delivering bad news well.

Slide 8-14, 8-15, 8-16, 8-17, 8-18, 8-19 Claims: Direct or Indirect?

Most businesses want to know when something is wrong with their products or services so they can correct the matter and satisfy their customers. Many times the easiest and quickest way for you to address these claims is simply to call the company directly to settle the matter. Sometimes, however, it is good to have a written record of the claim.

If you expect to have your request granted, a direct claim is appropriate. If you anticipate that your audience’s reaction could be negative or if you know the topic is sensitive, you will want to write an indirect claim.

The next several slides examine the structure of these written messages.

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Because you anticipate the reader will willingly grant your request, a direct claim begins with the claim, moves to an explanation, and ends with a goodwill closing.

Beginning. The direct claim should open with the actual claim. This should be a polite but direct statement of what you need. If the statement sounds too direct, you may soften it with a little bit of explanation, but the direct claim should be at the beginning of your message.

Explaining the issue. The body of the direct claim should provide the reader with any information they might need to understand your claim.

Providing a goodwill closing. Your close should end with an expression of goodwill. Keep it simple.

Ask students to identify the issues with this message on 8-26 (which continues on the next slide).

The message starts slowly with a long explanation of the situation. Some of the details in the beginning sentence are helpful, but they do not deserve the emphasis that this position gives them. And though the message begins on a positive note, it quickly turns to negative and accusatory language.

The problem is not described until the second paragraph. The wording here is clear but much too strong.

The words are angry, insulting, and emotional, and the writer talks down to the reader. Such words are more likely to produce resistance than acceptance. The negative writing continues into the close, ending with a threat and leaving a bad final impression.

Ask students if they think the message presented on slides 8-28 and 8-29 is more effective. If so, why?

The second message follows the plan suggested for direct claims. A subject line quickly identifies the relevant order. The claim message begins with a clear statement of the problem that needs to be solved.

Next, in an objective tone and avoiding blaming language, the writer provides explanation and important details about the problem. The ending is rational, not demanding, and shows that the writer is interested in resolving the issue in a helpful way.

Indirect Claim Slides 8-20, 8-21, 8-22, 8-23, 8-24 When you anticipate the reader will not want to grant your request or may have a negative impression of your claim, an indirect message is appropriate. Be sure to choose the right tone. You want to make your reader feel respected so that they will in turn respect your claim. Avoid using emotional or blaming language.

Beginning. The indirect claim should open with the actual claim. This should be a polite but direct statement of what you need. If the statement sounds too direct, you may soften it with a little bit of explanation, but the direct claim should be at the beginning of your message.

Explaining the issue. The body of the direct claim should provide the reader with any information they might need to understand your claim.

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Providing a goodwill closing. Your close should end with an expression of goodwill. Keep it simple.

Ask students to identify the issues with the message presented on 8-32 (which continues on the next slide).

The message starts with a direct statement of the issue, but the language is negative and too emphatic, and it doesn’t give enough details (such as the date) about the party for the company to recognize it quickly.

Many details are given about the complaints, but too much space is given to this negative emphasis. The message would be better if problems were listed simply, without a lot of extraneous information.

The negative wording continues into the closing. Also, the author gives no chance for the company to reply or offer a solution. Instead, the closing statement seems to cut off further communication.

Ask students if they think the message on slide 8-34 (which continues on the next slide) is more effective. If so, why? What would they would change about this message?

The second message follows the plan suggested for indirect claims. A subject line quickly identifies the relevant invoice and date of the event. The message begins with a clear introductory statement of the claim.

The next two paragraphs provide details of the issues, including specifically stating what was expected and how the experience did not meet expectations. Throughout the explanation, the writer sticks to the facts without using emotional language. Instead of being negative, the writer compliments the company and indicates that he considers them to normally have good service.

The ending draws a logical conclusion based on the supporting details, and the writer offers a reasonable solution to dealing with the claim and asks clearly for a response.

Adjustment Refusals Slide 8-25, 8-26 Slides 8-25 and 8-26 summarize the considerations and procedure for writing an adjustment refusal.

In this case, the reader likely believes they are right and that you are wrong, although some readers know their claims are weak. Your goal is to present the bad news in a way that will allow for continuing a positive relationship with the reader.

A good beginning step in working on the letter is to decide how to explain your decision. Your decision should be based on the facts of the case; after all, you have good reasons on your side. (If you do not, then you have a very difficult message to write indeed—and should reconsider the refusal, if possible.)

So you review the facts, and you determine the explanation that will be most likely to convince the reader that right is on your side.

Note that slides 8-27, 8-28, and 8-29 present bad and good examples of adjustment refusals.

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Beginning. Acknowledge the request to which you are responding. You can do this by a date reference early in the message or just by referring to the situation. After that, there are two useful techniques for setting up your message: 1) Begin on a point of common agreement, then explain how this situation differs; or 2) Build the case that the adjustment being requested goes beyond reasonable expectations.

Making your case and refusing. Call the reader’s attention to the facts or policies that pertain to the case. Avoid any wording that questions the reader’s honesty or intelligence. Your refusal should follow logically from your explanation and should be clear. If appropriate, offer a compromise.

End with goodwill. Close with an appropriate, positive comment that shows you care about the reader’s business and the quality of your products or service. Avoid recalling the problem.

Slides 8-27, 8-28, 8-29 The problem: In this case, the writer is refusing to reimburse a customer for fabric that faded.    

How effective is the opening?

How effective is the body of the message? How sound is the reasoning behind the refusal?

Tone?

Does “regret” work in this case? Considering the tone of the message, do you believe the writer really regrets the refusal?

Get the students to describe the good strategies that the writer uses at each point of the message in slide 8-17. Are any strategies the students discussed in the previous brainstorm included in this improved version?

Students can also look at the Case Illustration for another example of a skillful refusal.

Negative Announcements Slide 8-30 Sometimes a company may need to announce bad news internally and externally. Much of the time it is handled indirectly, especially when you expect your readers to be surprised, disappointed, or even angered by a direct presentation.

Negative announcements follow the general construction of other bad-news messages. Due to the nature of the content that such announcements commonly carry, the main goals of the negative announcement are to 1) present the bad news as accurately and positively as possible and 2) leave your readers feeling that you have carefully considered their interests.

Beginning. Begin the explanation that justifies the announcement. You could start simply with a complimentary or cordial statement focusing on the relationship you have with the reader or present justifying information.

Justification and details. Continue with background reasons or explanations before presenting the negative news—this allows you to position the news in a less prominent place. Since this is an announcement, make sure to cover all the necessary details and answer anticipated questions. Address any actions the readers must take.

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Next steps. Many times change comes with negative announcements. Call attention to any new benefits that may result from these changes, positive expectations, or the good aspects that have not changed.

When possible, help resolve any problems the bad news creates.

End with goodwill. Close with positive, forward-looking words that emphasize your concern for the readers.

Slide 8-31 You Make the Call Let students consider reasons that could call for an in-person delivery. For example, letting a specific group of employees know their jobs are being cut. Or maybe, due to federal regulations, you would need to address people privately if changes to the healthcare plan affected them in particular due to their health conditions. What other scenarios can your students come up with?

The following slides show bad and good examples of negative news announcements for your students to examine.

Slides 8-32, 8-33, 8-34 The following slides show good and bad examples of negative news announcements.

Get the students to describe the unsuccessful aspects of the “bad” message. What doesn’t work? What could cause problems with the employees?

Get the students to describe the good strategies that the writer uses at each point of the “good” message on slide 8-22 Get the students to describe the good strategies that the writer uses in the last paragraph on slide 8-23.

Slide 8-35 In some situations, negative announcements can be handled directly. See if your students can come up with examples before showing them the following slides.

Slide 8-36 Negative announcements follow the general construction of other bad-news messages. Due to the nature of the content that such announcements commonly carry, the main goals of the negative announcement are to 1) present the bad news as accurately and positively as possible and 2) leave readers feeling that the writer has carefully considered their interests.

In these instances, the writer begins by thinking, “What can be said that will cushion the shock of the bad news?”

The beginning should set up the justification of the announcement and ease the reader into the discovery of the bad news. This can be done with a cordial statement that focuses on the relationship of the writer to the reader(s) or a set-up of the justifying information to follow.

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The background reasons for and explanation of the news should be offered next, using the techniques for positive effect. Take care to cover all the necessary details. Anticipate the readers’ questions and answer them. If the bad news creates problems, try to help solve them.

The negative news should be presented as positively as the situation justifies. But it must be crystal clear. As in the other negative messages, the words must be carefully chosen.

Often change is a part of negative announcements. Use this message to assure your readers of positive elements that are remaining in place, to call attention to potential benefits that may result from the changes, and to help resolve any problems that come from the changes.

End on a note that affirms the good relationship between you and your readers and perhaps looks ahead to something positive.

Ask the students to put themselves in the place of Ms. Cato and describe how they feel after reading this message. Were there any negative points? Was the message too negative? Was it clear? Could it have been presented in a negative way? How? Ask them to describe the setup of the message and the strategy behind it.

Slide 8-37 This slide can serve as an end to your lecture. Understanding the goal of delivering negative news is important. Revisiting the first slide, ask students to reconsider this quote.

The point of this quote, of course, that the goal is not to make bad news good news, or to hide bad news with an overly-positive message, but to strive to deliver a balanced and thoughtful message.

Power Charge Your Professionalism: Colons and Semicolons Insert colons, semicolons, and commas as needed in the following sentences. Indicate which punctuation guide you used from Reference Chapter A to determine the punctuation for each sentence.

If the sentence is correct, leave it as is. (Corrected portions are marked in bold and references are included in parentheses.)

1. Many companies allow employees to work from home however other companies question whether these employees can be productive if they are not working from the office.

Many companies allow employees to work from home; however, other companies question whether these employees can be productive if they are not working from the office.

(SC 1, Cma 4–3) 2. As we moved through the review process, we never lost sight of our goal We needed to identify our best employees and gain their support for culture change across our organization.

As we moved through the review process, we never lost sight of our goal: We needed to identify our best employees and gain their support for culture change across our organization.

(Cma 5–2, Cln 2)

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3. Our customers tell us their favorite features of our Internet service are its speed reliability and cost.

Our customers tell us their favorite features of our Internet service are its speed, reliability, and cost.

(Cma 2–1) 4. We have hired four new staff members Brenda Stevens a human resources generalist Joe Kingsley an IT specialist Thomas Dorsett an accountant and Zoe Hinz a purchasing agent.

We have hired four new staff members: Brenda Stevens, a human resources generalist; Joe Kingsley, an IT specialist; Thomas Dorsett, an accountant; and Zoe Hinz, a purchasing agent.

5. Over 300 patients visited our office last week this this week however only 225 patients scheduled appointments.

Over 300 patients visited our office last week; this week, however, only 225 patients scheduled appointments.

(SC 1, Cma 4–3) 6. Rick Allie Yu and Lou are scheduled to lead four of the training sessions on Tuesday and Robert Julie Evelyn and Leslie are scheduled to lead the sessions on Wednesday.

Rick, Allie, Yu, and Lou are scheduled to lead four of the training sessions on Tuesday, and Robert, Julie, Evelyn, and Leslie are schedule to lead the sessions on Wednesday.

(Cma 2–1, Cma 1) 7. Dale Carnegie is known for this quote “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”

Dale Carnegie is known for this quote: “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”

(Cln 2) 8. Over a million copies of our fitness app have been downloaded making it the most popular app among our customers ages 20–40.

Over a million copies of our fitness app have been downloaded, making it the most popular app among our customers ages 20–40.

(Cma 3) For further instruction on using commas, see “Colons” and “Semicolons” in the “Punctuation and Mechanics” module of the Adaptive Learning Assignments.

Critical-Thinking Questions

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1. Give examples of times (or situations) when indirectness or directness would be appropriate for responses giving negative information. (LO8-1) The indirect approach is effective when the writer must say “no” or convey other disappointing news.

Directness can be appropriate when the message is likely to be considered routine or when the writer feels the reader prefers a direct response, regardless of the message. The students’ examples should be evaluated on their merit.

2. Writing in the indirect order usually requires a buffer, making indirect messages longer than direct messages. Since conciseness is a virtue in business writing, how can the indirect order be justified? (LO8-2) Conciseness means using the minimum of words consistent with achieving the goal. In situations requiring the indirect order, the goal involves more than just giving the negative message. It also concerns keeping the reader happy. To illustrate, one could answer a request with one word—“no.” But if the reader’s feelings are of concern to the writer, additional words would be needed to explain or justify the answer.

3. What strategy is best in a message refusing a request when the reasons for the refusal are in the writer’s best interests and not in the reader’s? (LO8-3) This is a thought question and may have no one best answer. One logical response is to present the explanation forthrightly, perhaps suggesting that “this is what you would do if you were in my shoes.”

4. “Apologies in refusals are negative because they call attention to what you are refusing. You should avoid using them.” Discuss. (LO8-3) This also is a thought question and should produce various viewpoints. Apologies do call attention to the negative events they pertain to. But they are expressions of courtesy, and their effects may be quite positive. Perhaps a good rule to follow is to make them when they truly are needed and expected—that is, when something has been done for which an apology is due.

5. Why are claims usually written in a direct approach? (LO8-4) Usually, we can anticipate that a company will want to know the nature of the claim and the problem so they can correct the matter and satisfy their customer. Starting with the direct statement of what you need provides them with the issue up front.

6. Some business writers explain an adjustment refusal simply by saying that company policy did not permit granting claims in such cases. Is citing company policy adequate? Discuss. (LO8-4) This argument is weak. Hiding behind company policy may clear the writer of blame, but it does not clear the company. The goodwill goal of the message requires that the company also be represented positively. Also, any good policy can be explained and justified; and this is what should be done in the message. Just saying “this is the way we do it” is not likely to get a desirable response.

7. Negative announcements usually need to include much more than the announcement.

Explain. (LO8-5)

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The announcement needs to be explained and justified. Also, the announcement may raise questions or create problems for the readers. In the interest of goodwill and good you-viewpoint, these need to be anticipated and addressed.

8. Give examples of negative announcements that would be appropriately written in the direct order. (LO8-5) These examples should be judged on their own merit. One example is news that has already been leaked to the employees or the news media. Another is an announcement of a price increase that the customers know is long overdue.

Skills-Building Exercises 1. Point out the shortcomings in the following email message from a sports celebrity declining an invitation to speak at the kickoff meeting for workers in a fundraising campaign for a charity.

(LO8-3) Subject: Your Request for Free Lecture Ms. Chung: As much as I would like to accept, I must decline your request that I give your membership a free lecture next month. I receive many requests to give free lectures. I grant some of them, but I simply cannot do them all. Unfortunately, yours is one that I must decline.

I regret that I cannot serve you this time. If I can be of further service in the future, please call on me.

Sincerely yours, 2. Critique the following message refusing the claim for a defective riding lawn mower. The mower was purchased 15 months earlier. The purchaser has had difficulties with it for some time and submitted with the claim a statement from a local repair service verifying the difficulties. The writer’s reason for refusing is stated in the email. (LO8-5) Subject: Your May 12 Claim Mr. Skinner: Your May 12 claim of defective workmanship in your Model 227 Dandy Klipper riding mower has been reviewed. After considering the information received, I regret to report that we cannot refund the purchase price.

You have had the mower for 15 months, which is well beyond our one-year guarantee. Even though your repair person says that you had problems earlier, he is not one of our authorized repair people. If you will read the warranty you refer to in your letter, you will see that we honor the warranty only when our authorized repair people find defects. I think you will understand why we must follow this procedure.

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If you will take the machine to the authorized service center in your area (La Rue Lawn and Garden Center), I am confident they can correct the defect at a reasonable charge.

If I can be of additional service, please contact me.

Sincerely, 3. You work for an online mail-order company, Nonsensicals, which sells such novelty items as tshirts with clever sayings, unique toys and games, and such household accessories as framed posters and retro table lamps. Most of the employees are young, somewhat quirky, and very Internet savvy. Now consider the following email sent to everyone from the company president. (LO8-6) Subject: No More Social Networking during Work Hours It has become obvious to me that people are spending too much time doing social networking and not enough time actually working while on the job. From now on, you must do your networking (whether on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or any other such network) on breaks or during other personal time. Especially for those of you who are now working from home, remember that "working from home" means just that: "working," not spending time on your social media. Anyone found using these websites on company time will receive an official reprimand.

Considering the advice in this chapter, what would be the main ways to improve this negative announcement?

For the first three exercises, the main problem is the same: The messages are selfish and insulting, completely lacking any evidence of the you-viewpoint. Enough details and explanations are not provided, and the strategic buffers are not well developed. You can invite students to go through each message line by line, pointing out poor wording decisions. Then have them assess the content overall to generate ideas for additional or different content that would be likely to get a better response and to serve the writer’s goals better.

4. You own a small new- and used-book store and café with free wireless Internet access. You enjoy the calm, quiet atmosphere of your store and like that your customers choose your store to conduct business, socialize with friends, or just enjoy a good book and a cup of coffee.

Increasingly, many customers are talking on their cell phones—very loudly and in places where they shouldn’t be. They hold up the order line by talking on the phone when they should be talking to the cashier. They disrupt others who are enjoying the quiet atmosphere to work or read. Sure, customers who are working on the computer may need to talk on the phone, but must these customers be so loud and disruptive that those across the room who are trying to read can hear their conversations? Many customers have actually complained.

You want to make these customers happy but not at the expense of making your cell phone users unhappy. Write a cell phone use policy to post in your store. (LO8-5) In exercise 4, students will need to write an example of a negative announcement regarding limiting cell phone use. Evaluate students’ answers based on the guidelines for writing indirect negative announcements.

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Sample Solutions to Problem-Solving Cases Refused Requests, Case #2 The purpose of the message is to turn down an employee’s request for an organization’s inclusion in a company volunteering program. Due to the organization’s politically charged stances, you need to take care in the wording of your message to explain the reason for your refusal while supporting the employee’s participation in the volunteer program.

Students should discuss what kind of opening statement and explanation would best prepare the reader, Janet Robbins, for the rejection of her request. The director might thank Ms. Robbins for her involvement and support of the new program and express enthusiasm about the benefits that the program has already brought to employees and to the company in general.

As the message moves into explanation and presentation of the refusal, students could discuss the need for the HR director to not just rely on the excuse of “it’s against company policy,” but to explain the reasoning behind the policy requirements. The refusal needs to be written in such a way that the reader clearly understands the reasoning before the refusal is even explicitly stated. Wording such as “As you are probably aware” could be used to introduce the discussion of the company policy. The writer could also compliment the employee on her work in support of the company’s programs and draw a comparison to supporting this program as well by holding to the policy requirements, which were put in place in order to protect the company’s relationships with its broad range of clientele.

The message should end in a positive way that will encourage the employee to continue to participate in the program and show that the writer values her input, and values the program itself. Refer Ms. Robbins to the list of more than 30 organizations which she could currently serve as part of the volunteer program and perhaps acknowledge how many of these organizations have improved the quality of life for families in the area—since family values are apparently an interest of Ms. Robbins.

Related discussion or assignments: Have students bring in or recall various denials that they have received for jobs, schools, credit cards, etc. and discuss what they liked or did not like about them. Have students recall and discuss times when they have felt insulted or upset in a business dealing. Share some of your own experiences with them.

Adjustment Refusals, Case #21 Like most messages that refuse to make a requested adjustment, this one needs both to say “no” and to somehow re-sell the reader on the value of the company’s products or services. More specifically, the purpose of the message is to courteously but clearly refuse Ms. Hornung’s request for a refund while also maintaining her goodwill.

Students should anticipate that the reader’s reaction will be, at the very least, disappointment and perhaps even anger. They should thus use the indirect approach by beginning the message with a buffer, fully explaining and justifying the reasons for the decision, presenting the bad news as positively as possible, offering an alternative solution, and ending on a positive note.

The first paragraph should begin with a buffer that gets the conversation started. This may include an acknowledgement of the request, appreciation for Ms. Hornung’s business, or a statement about the

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company’s willingness to be of assistance. It should not, however, mislead the reader into thinking the request will be granted and should not reveal yet that the adjustment request is being denied. It may open with something like “As always, we are willing to do as much as we reasonably can to make things right.” The explanation that will follow should then justify why what was requested is not “reasonable.”

In this case Ms. Hornung is not entitled to a refund because, in violation of your stated return policy for defective items, she waited too long to make her claim. You can use two good strategies when telling her so. First, state the policy using impersonal language, not “you” and “your.” For example, instead of saying “As your packing slip stated,” say “We include a description of our return policy with each product we ship.” Then you can say exactly what the policy statement said. Second, try to give a good reason for the policy. Perhaps it can start with “This policy has become standard in our industry because . . .,” or perhaps it can be linked to keeping the prices of your fine products as low as possible for your customers. Be careful not to imply any bad motives on the part of the customer for returning the item.

Instead of overtly stating the refusal, you can imply it clearly by moving on to what you can do for Ms. Hornung. Listing some authorized repair shops in her area would be helpful. Assuring her that their work is guaranteed can also be a positive touch. Perhaps students can think of additional ways to help this customer.

The closing paragraph should end on a positive note that is forward looking and acts as if the relationship between the two parties is still intact. It should not refer to the refusal again. If skillfully done, it may convey the message that the company’s products are of high quality, thus restoring Ms. Hornung’s confidence in this fact. Or it might thank Ms. Hornung for her business. Or students may think of, and evaluate, other closing strategies.

Negative Announcements, Case #34 Students may be familiar with the situation outlined in this case—when coworkers are not all keeping up with their responsibilities to each other and may be taking advantage of company policies. Before addressing the case, talk with students about experiences they may have had similar to this one at Edwards Manufacturing. Have them discuss the effectiveness of angry messages left in shared spaces.

In contrast, the negative announcement needs to be worded in such a way as to avoid angering the readers or expressing disdain on the part of the writer. The goal here is to make employees aware of the problem and to foster goodwill among the employees by providing a convincing argument for returning equipment to the appropriate places. Though this can be seen as a trivial problem, the state of the common meeting areas could have a detrimental effect on outsiders’ perceptions of the company and also is wasting employees’ time by making people go search for chairs and other equipment needed to conduct meetings.

Have students brainstorm different strategies for setting up this message. For example, the message could start with appreciation for the fact that the conference rooms provide helpful spaces for collaboration.

Then the writer could begin presenting an explanation for the case by commenting on the company’s overall image and the attention to detail that the employees usually show in their work. Then present the problems in a logical and objective manner, without focusing too much on the negatives. For example, say, “The management team has been made aware that the equipment for the conference Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

rooms is sometimes being borrowed for use in other areas, but then is not returned immediately after use,” instead of saying “The conference rooms are a mess and people are constantly taking equipment and not bringing it back.”

Instead of giving employees an order to clean up, outline suggestions for dealing with the problem, avoiding using accusatory second-person wording.

Example In order to maintain the usefulness of our meeting rooms and support our coworkers, here are simple ways we can all do our part: 1.

If you need to borrow equipment for a meeting, first check the room reservation calendar in Outlook to see if anyone is using the room where the equipment resides.

2.

If the room is in use, check with the person in charge of that meeting before borrowing any equipment.

3.

Any time you remove equipment from a room, please use the signout sheet available in each conference room.

4.

When you are finished with the equipment, please return it immediately to the room from which it was taken and sign it back in on the sheet.

Close the message by looking forward to more productive meetings and less delays and encourage everyone to feel free to direct questions about the new policy to the facilities management team. And if there are shortages of equipment, please also make the facilities management team aware of this issue so it can be corrected appropriately.

Problem Solver to the Rescue: (Partially) Denying a Request from One of Your Managers Step 1: Analyze Your Audience 1. What is your relationship to Carla?

Carla is a manager of one of your company’s stores, so she is essentially a colleague of equal or maybe slightly superior rank.

2. What is your relationship with Carla?

Your relationship as Carla’s co-worker likely makes it friendly and formal.

3. What is Carla’s likely reaction to your message?

We can assume Carla will be disappointed by the news. However, the addition of the alternate style of capri (and the fact that you have taken initiative to provide an alternative) should garner some goodwill.

4. What do the answers to questions 1-3 lead you to conclude about your tone, style, and organizational approach for your response to Carla?

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The style should be formal and the tone conversational and friendly. Of course, this does not mean that you should be casual or use colloquial language or slang. Instead, this situation calls for a respectful tone and natural language.

This particular scenario could use an indirect approach. As a manager, Carla will benefit from understanding some of the factors that influence this partial denial. She will probably be disappointed (We can imagine she would like to have those hot-selling capris in her store!), so an indirect approach will help you be sensitive to Carla’s needs and provide some information that will help her receive the bad news.

Step 3: Edit Your Message The following example is the revised message: We have received your request of 32 pairs of additional women’s denim capris sizes 0–14 for Store 010. They have been one of our company’s sellers this summer at all of our store locations.

The unseasonably warm spring weather led to excellent early sales on capris when they were initially shipped to all our stores. The buyer has been able to secure additional quantities of capris, but the manufacturer does not have enough product for all stores to have their requests filled for additional stock. Because of the limited supply and large demand, we are distributing the remaining stock based on the following criteria: store size, store location, sales volume, and the order in which we received the requests. You will receive 16 pairs of capris by the first week of July (Purchase Order # 2013-010). Due to the high demand and a shortage of raw materials, the manufacturer anticipates mid-August will be the next opportunity to ship capris to us.

You will, however, receive Purchase Order # 10388298. This order contains six cartons of Wallflower shorts to feed your excellent sales of all our summer lines. These will ship on June 27 and will arrive on July 9.

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Thank you for your efforts to drive sales in our women’s department; we look forward to a successful summer season.

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 9: Writing Persuasive Messages and Proposals Teaching Suggestions The teaching techniques for this chapter are the same as for the preceding two chapters.

Learning Objectives LO 9-1 Describe important strategies for writing any persuasive message.

LO 9-2 Write skillful persuasive requests that begin indirectly, develop convincing reasoning, request action, and close with goodwill.

LO 9-3 Show awareness of common ethical concerns regarding sales messages.

LO 9-4 Describe the planning steps for direct mail or email sales messages.

LO 9-5 Compose sales messages that gain attention, present persuasive appeals, use appropriate visual elements, and effectively call for action.

LO 9-6 Integrate the Internet and social media into your sales efforts.

LO 9-7 Write well-organized and persuasive proposals.

Key Terms persuasive messages overtly persuasive messages indirect order content marketing direct order demographic information psychographic information tangible rewards intangible rewards reader benefits product benefits added-on benefits product features scenario painting

logic (logos) emotion (pathos) character (ethos) persuasive requests common-ground persuasion technique sales message spam permission-based email integrated marketing communications content marketing brand equity live video (streaming) social-media stories social media plan

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proposals internal proposal external proposal solicited proposals unsolicited proposals requests for proposals (RFPs)

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Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 9-1, 9-2, 9-3 The chapter overview is presented here. The chapter will begin with advice for all kinds of persuasive messages. A brief discussion of ethical issues in sales messages follows, then more detailed steps for planning and composing the most common types of persuasive business messages will be provided.

Point out that everything you write on the job will have some kind of persuasive purpose, but in some situations persuasion will be the main goal.

According to entrepreneur and sales guru Daniel Pink, about one in nine people identify as salespeople in the United States (based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), but the rest of us spend about 40 percent of our time “persuading, influencing, and convincing others in ways that don’t involve selling.”

You can use these slides to discuss the importance of persuasive writing in business. Such messages are frequently written both internally and externally. Ask students to give examples of both types.

Point out that persuasive messages are often written in the indirect order. Ask students why—and lead them to the answer: that you are moving the reader from one position or attitude to another. This effort usually means starting with something the reader cares about and moving to what you care about—in other words, getting to your point indirectly.

You do not want your reader, at any point, to think “no.” This means writing the message so that his/her interests and values are the focus from beginning to end.

General Advice about Persuasion Slides 9-4, 9-5, 9-6, 9-7, 9-8, 9-9 Slide 9-4 highlights fundamental advice for preparing any kind of persuasive message. These points will be discussed individually in the following slides.

Following are some important concepts, terminology, and advice that can help you have good class discussions about persuasion, both when analyzing it in general and when analyzing and evaluating a specific persuasive case or message.

Slide 9-5 highlights the importance of learning about the needs and values of one’s target audience.

Knowing your readers is always important in any kind of writing, but especially so in persuasive writing.

Before revealing this slide, ask the students to come up with some ways of finding out about readers on their own (through both formal and informal methods).

You can formally gather information about your readers (study marketing reports, conduct surveys and focus groups, etc.).

Or you can informally gather information about them (speak with sales, service, and marketing personnel; look at prior messages that have succeeded; collect your memories and thoughts from previous interactions; etc.).

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For a fun exercise, let students use you as their target audience. Students have to find out enough about you and the market you represent to pitch the benefits of a new video streaming service, Cinehome, to you. They’ll want to find out enough about your demographics and the kinds of TV/movie entertainment you like to entice you with a listing of premium shows and movies that are aimed directly at your interests. Divide students into one to three “marketing firms” to see who can come closest to getting you to sign up for the service. Online students can collaborate through Google Docs or a Facebook group page and form their own firm as well.

Slides 9-10 Slide 9-10 will help students think about the range of benefits that they can highlight in any given persuasive message. Ask them to think of examples of each of the four kinds.

Tangible benefits could mean measurable things such as saving time, money, or trouble (a product that makes a task physically easier, for instance).

Intangible benefits could mean making the reader feel good, gain prestige, or have more freedom.

Intrinsic benefits are those that automatically come by complying with the request. This could be something that is a part of the product being sold or the service being offered.

Extrinsic benefits are benefits that are not the main feature, but are added on or tied to the main product or service. They tend to be more short-lived.

One exercise you could try with the students is to have them pick an object in the room and describe its benefits in terms of these four types. Be sure that your students understand the difference between product features and product benefits. Saying that a certain washing machine can clean a large load of laundry in 25 minutes is describing a feature; saying that it enables you to “do your laundry in half the time” or “gives you more time with your family” is bringing out a reader benefit. Also, all benefits should sound realistic enough to be believable. In addition, most benefits are followed by a reason to believe, known as RTB in the advertising industry. If you claim that a washing machine does your laundry in half the time, that would be backed up by a brief description of the product feature that makes this possible.

Slide 9-11 This slide also describes a useful strategy for developing reader benefits: scenario painting. This is writing that depicts the reader using and enjoying the benefits. Inviting readers to imagine themselves in a specific positive situation brought about by doing as the writer asks is a powerful persuasive technique.

It’s a common technique in sales messages but can also be a good tool for other persuasive messages.

Slide 9-12 Here again, students have a range of appeals to choose from. All persuasive messages essentially use some combination of these appeals, but the writer must decide which to foreground, and with what supporting details, for any given situation.

You can help students understand what these are by asking them to describe television commercials they’ve seen that, in turn, rely mostly on logic (ads that rely on science and/or numbers, such as a carRentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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insurance ad that focuses on its low premiums and deductibles), emotion (such as tire commercials that focus on babies’ safety or commercials for sexy jeans), or the spokesperson or character of the company (such as ads featuring a popular sports or movie star, or ads that make the company seem funny and “cool”).

You may ask students which appeal they find most persuasive and ask them to explain.

Slide 9-13 Finally, students should be careful to devote sufficient thought to planning the action part of the message. They need to • •

make the desired action clear, and make it as easy as possible for the reader to perform.

You might discuss a sample scenario in which graduating seniors are being asked to submit information about the jobs they’ve been offered (the hiring company, salary, etc.) to their university’s career counseling office. What are several ways you might consider having them submit the information? How could you make the requested action as simple as possible?

Answers can range from creating an easy-to-fill-in paper form, to having them submit the information at the bottom of something else they’re turning in, to having them click on a web link and put the information into form fields. Clearly you would have to think about the options and choose/develop the option that seemed best under the circumstances.

Persuasive Requests Slides 9-14, 9-15 This and the following slides describe the procedure for and give examples of writing a persuasive request.

Students will be asked to write persuasive requests at many points in their careers—from job search cover letters, to fundraising messages, to letters to coworkers to prepare for meetings, to appeals for changes in behavior in fellow employees or even friends.

In all these situations it is important to 1) determine what you want, 2) figure out your readers’ likely reactions, and 3) decide on a strategy to evoke a positive response.

Use imagination and reasoning in figuring out how to gain attention. You might want to arouse curiosity with a question, or offer a reader benefit.

Use convincing details and the you-viewpoint to develop the desire or need in the reader’s mind. Be specific and make every word count.

Make your request clearly and positively. Avoid wording that could put images in your reader’s mind to detract from your message and work against you.

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End the message in a way that will make your request memorable—emphasize a benefit to the reader or remind him or her of an appeal you used in the body of your request.

The Opening As with other types of indirect messages, the beginning of this type of message should set up the explanation. But the beginnings of persuasive messages have an additional goal: to gain attention.

You are writing to someone who probably does not agree with your goal. They have little or no interest in receiving what you have to say. Thus, you need to gain their attention.

Determining how to gain attention requires both imagination and logic; it requires being able to imagine yourself in the reader’s shoes and to find a logical link between the topic of the message and the reader’s likely interests.

For example, for the beginning of a message seeking to persuade medical doctors to give you their opinions, you might write, “What, in your opinion as a medical doctor, is the future of the private practice of medicine?”

Or to take another example, for a message requesting contributions for orphaned children, you might write, “While you and I dined heartily last night, 31 orphans at San Pablo Mission had only dried beans to eat.” However, avoid sounding overly sentimental or dramatic in tone. In general, keep it real.

The Body Following the attention-gaining opening, you present the reasoning this opening has set up. To do this, you do more than just list points—you persuade. You use words that convince. You use the youviewpoint. And make your words travel fast, for slow-moving messages lead the reader to become impatient.

Then, when you have persuaded the reader to accept your proposal, you ask for what you seek. If you have done the persuading adequately, this part follows naturally. Choose the words that make your request with care, for the request is the riskiest part of your message. Avoid any wording that detracts from the request. And avoid words that bring to mind pictures and things that might work against you— such as reminders of reasons for refusing.

For example, do not write it like this: “I am aware that businesspeople in your position have little free time to give, but will you please consider accepting an assignment to the board of directors of the Children’s Fund?”

Instead, write something like this: “Because your organizing skills are so desperately needed, will you please serve on the board of directors of the Children’s Fund?”

The Close The request can end the message. But sometimes it helps to follow it with additional words of explanation.

This plan is especially effective when a long persuasion effort is needed, and it is not practical to present it all before stating your goal.

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Sometimes you may choose to follow the request with a reminder of an appeal you used in your persuasion—to emphasize a benefit the reader will receive by complying.

Slide 9-16 You Make the Call Encourage students to provide responses. If needed, prompt them with more questions: For example, would you still use the letter format? Would you use a different beginning and ending? Would you change anything in the middle?

Slides 9-17, 9-18, 9-19, 9-20, 9-21 Persuasive Strategy The slides contain good illustrations of persuasive requests that follow the previous advice.

As you move through the different parts of the messages, have students discuss what strategies are being used and how these strategies help or hurt the persuasive request. Talk about what the writer is offering to the reader and the kinds of feelings the writer is trying to draw out of the reader. Also discuss how the writer makes it easy for the reader to give a positive response.

The writer of this message wants Mr. Williams to donate to the Junior Achievement League. As Mr. Williams may receive requests like this often, and may have limited resources to share, the writer feels the request must be persuasive. In addition to convincing Mr. Williams to donate money, the writer must clearly explain the mission and purpose of the organization. The opening strategy provides a compelling point to grab the reader’s attention and make them care about the issue. This opening puts the reader in a receptive frame of mind by describing an important need, one that the reader can fill.

Ask students: What do you think of this opening? What would you do differently?

The body of the message follows up on the opening by illustrating the purpose of the organization by providing examples of the work that the young people were involved in.

The body then further reinforces the opening strategy, pointing out that Mr. Williams can fill this important need. The appeal used is altruism, which is the good feeling one gets by helping others. What is wanted is clearly explained.

Then comes the request— which provides both a specific amount and a description of the resources that the reader’s contribution will provide for young people.

In the closing, the request is reiterated in the form of a clear, strong statement that explains how the reader can act and provides a link to complete the contribution form.

The final words provide a reminder of the positive impact of the reader’s donation.

Sales Messages Slide 9-22

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Your students may never write a professional-quality sales message. But you can tell them that practice in sales writing can benefit them. It will help them write other types of messages, for in a sense every message sells something—an idea, a line of reasoning, your company, yourself.

Slide 9-23 Use this slide to conduct a frank discussion about the downside of sales messages.

What ethical challenges can be made to sales messages? Have students come up with answers to this question before revealing the answers on this slide.

The text provides several examples of ethically dubious sales techniques, and you can invite students to share experiences they have had with “phishing,” targeted Internet ads, misuse of private information, and so forth.

Talk with your class about what qualities are characteristic of an ethical sales approach. Concepts such as truthfulness and enabling readers to make reasoned decisions should come out, and your discussion may generate others. You may refer them to the Communication Matters box titled “Cialdini’s 7 Principles of Persuasion: Effective of Manipulative?” to reinforce the important factor in persuasion: you must care about your audience.

Slide 9-24 You Make the Call Encourage students to discuss these scenarios. What is the ethical choice? Is it wrong to leave out some information when selling items? How many people would have to report a negative experience before you felt compelled to tell that information? What about your duty to your employer—how does that come into play?

If desired, divide the class into two groups to debate both sides of this issue. One group could be for total truth; the other group could say omitting certain kinds of information is not wrong. (Online students could debate these issues with each other in an online forum such as a Facebook group, via Google Docs commenting, through Tweets with the hashtag #salesethics, or in other suitable ways.)

Slide 9-25 The preliminary steps for sales writing are reviewed here.

Stress that you cannot sell a product that you do not know and have not spent time considering—its good and bad sides, how it’s made, how it works (or doesn’t), and what it will or will not do for the reader.

Equally important, as stated before, is learning about prospective readers, or customers. You may want to gather psychographic and demographic data.  

Psychographic—What do they read? What websites do they go to? How do they think? What do they care about? What scares them? What do they worry about?

Demographic—What are their ages and genders? What is their income level? Where do they live?

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In large businesses, much of the information about prospects is gathered by marketing research departments. Invite your students to discuss market-research techniques that they are familiar with.

What types of techniques do they think are used to understand a target audience? You may direct students to the Communication Matters box titled “Take It from Web Developers: Personas Rock!” to see how companies develop personas to help them better understand and communicate to their audience.

You may ask students to consider the different types of media they can use when communicating to their audience (e.g. email, social media, live streaming video, social media stories, blogs) and how they would choose between them.

Slide 9-26 The Central Appeal Determining sales appeals is the subject of this slide. Ask students to generate examples of each kind of appeal.

Logical or rational appeals are appeals to reason—for example, saving money, saving time, safety, durability. Ask students: What products naturally lend themselves to rational appeals?

Emotional appeals involve the non-thinking mind. They are based on love, fear, taste, desire for acceptance, the need to feel good about oneself, appreciation of beauty, and the like. Ask students: What aspects of advertising create an emotional response?

Character-based appeals invite compliance based on the authority and personality of the spokesperson—such as a celebrity, professional, or projected image of the company. Ask students: What qualities establish someone as a voice of authority in a persuasive appeal?

Slide 9-27 The Makeup of the Mailing Here you can call attention to the various pieces that make up many of today’s professionally prepared sales messages. The text shows some examples of message pieces. These are generally known in advertising as direct-mail packages.

A part of your planning is also to determine the makeup of the mailing. So determine what the package will consist of—what links, attachments, brochures, leaflets, and so forth you will include.

You can also think about special components of the main message. For example, if you are writing a letter, will it be individually addressed (most sales letters are mass produced), or will it have an impersonal salutation (Dear Homeowner)? Will you use any kind of attention device, such as color, lines, diagrams, boxes, and cartoons? A logo? A photograph? A special font or layout for the text?

Prior to this class, you could ask students to collect interesting bits of junk mail and bring them to class (or take pictures of them with their phones and send the images via email or text). Discuss how the different pieces of a mailing/message can have a positive or negative effect on the reader of the message.

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This is also a good time to remind students that their sales efforts begin before the actual message does.

They may consider using an attention getter on the envelope or a clever subject. Also, tell students to be sure to review the strategies such as writing from an email address that identifies the company in order to avoid their message being sent to spam folders.

Slide 9-28 Once students have determined the makeup of the mailing, they will be ready to write. Various patterns may be used, but there is a conventional order.

The Opening The opening must gain attention and motivate the reader to keep reading. If it does not, the message has failed. If it is a letter, it will go into a wastebasket. If it’s an email, it will be deleted.

How you gain attention is a part of your creative effort, so use your imagination.

Whatever you decide on, it must also assist in your sales plan. It should lead smoothly into the sales presentation that follows.

One often-used plan is to begin with a statement or question that introduces a need that the product will satisfy. Examples:  

“Here is a proven best-seller—and with a 12 percent greater markup!” or “Can you use an employee who not only works free of charge but also pays you for the privilege of serving your clientele 24 hours a day?”

The Main Message The structure of this part will vary with your imagination. But it will present your product or service using the reader-based appeals you have selected.

Remember that the you-viewpoint is extremely important in sales writing and should be used throughout. Compare these examples: “Star mixers will be advertised in People for the next three issues.” vs.

“Your customers will read about the new Star mixer in the next three issues of People.”

“We make Aristocrat hosiery in three shades.” vs.

“You may choose from three lovely shades: . . .”

“Lime-Fizz tastes fresh and exciting.” vs.

“You’ll like the fresh, exciting taste of Lime Fizz.”

Make certain you present enough information to complete the sale. This means answering all the questions the reader might ask. And it means presenting enough information to convince the reader.

Also, as the book mentions, reader’s today (thanks, in part to the Web) are visually oriented, so be sure to consider how visuals (e.g. photos, tables, boxes, graphics) can add to your message’s appeal.

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Much of this information can be supplied by other enclosures. But be careful that you do not shift too much of the sales presentation to the enclosures. As a general rule, the letter should carry your basic sales message. The enclosures present the supporting details.

The Close (request for action) After you have convinced the reader of the desirability of what you’re offering, you will make your sales request. How you do this will depends on your chosen strategy, but however you do it, you will need to make the request itself specific, clear, and easy.

For good results, you may choose to take the reader through the motions: “Just check your preferences on the enclosed stamped and addressed order form. Then drop it in the mail today.” In an email, this could mean including a clearly visible link to an order form.

Because readers may forget if they leave the message, you may want to add a reason for their action now. Here are some examples: . . . to take advantage of this three-day offer . . . so that you can be ready for the Christmas rush . . . . so that you can immediately begin enjoying. . .

A good closing technique is to recall the basic appeal, associating it with the benefits the reader gains by having the product or service. They may look at the Healthy Lawn Analysis box in the TruGreen annotated example in the book to see how to effective reiterate main points in the closing.

Postscripts (P.S. messages) sometimes are a planned part of the sales letter. They can be used effectively to urge action, to reemphasize a major appeal, to invite attention to enclosures, or serve any other purpose that will add a persuasive touch. Examples: “P.S. Don’t forget! If you decide Action is not for you, we’ll give you every cent of your money back. We are that confident that Action will become one of your favorite magazines”; “P.S. Hurry! Save while this special money-saving offer lasts.”

Slides 9-29, 9-30, 9-31 The slides present two sample sales messages that follow the advice in this chapter. Discuss the effectiveness of the openings, bodies, and closings of each of the different messages. Have students identify which methods and kinds of appeals are being used and why the writer might have chosen them.

Teaching Ideas A fun homework assignment for this section is to ask students to write a sales letter selling themselves as if they were products. This is helpful brainstorming for the job search. Ask them to use all three types of appeals, benefits, and strong calls to action. You could also ask them to write dating profiles using these techniques. Both are lively introductions to sales writing. The final assignment could be a sales letter selling a favorite product or service. Students often enjoy these assignments because of their familiarity with advertising and their love of particular products and brands.

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One entertaining way to introduce persuasive strategies is to use old commercials or vintage print ads.

Students are usually amused by dated advertising and quickly learn the difference between successful and unsuccessful persuasive strategies. You can also use vintage ads to discuss the importance of staying current with the culture in order to effectively persuade. That culture may be popular culture, current business culture, or a particular organization’s culture. Magazines such as Fast Company are excellent ways to help students catch up with business culture. Consider assigning reading as part of the course.

Multimedia Selling Slide 9-32 This slide highlights the importance of having an integrated marketing strategy.

Refer students back to the Communication Matters feature “Are Sales Letters Becoming Extinct?

Absolutely Not!” Ask: Are you surprised that direct mail still outperforms digital channels in response rates? Why do you think it still does so well in today’s digital age?

Why is it important to have an integrated marketing strategy instead of just focusing on one kind of communication? Wouldn’t it be better to focus on one channel and do that well?

You may also want students to review the From the Tech Desk feature “Learn about e-Selling from Chief Marketer and MailChimp” (in the “Sales Messages” section) and take a quick look at these companies’ websites to see what kinds of sales media and integrated marketing efforts these sites discuss.

Slides 9-33, 9-34, 9-35, 9-36, 9-37 Integrated Marketing Even if you aren’t planning on becoming a marketing professional, you need to be aware of your company’s multimedia marketing efforts because you may be called on to help supply information, post material, or add links to your communications to connect them with other efforts.

Exhibits 9-5, 9-6, and 9-7 show different kinds of communications and how they provide links to other communications. Including web links and social media buttons in every digital communication has become standard practice for many companies. As pointed out in the From the Tech Desk feature “QR Codes Are a Great Way to Drive Traffic to Your Business” and illustrated in Exhibit 9-4, QR codes are yet another way to link customers to your content.

Of course, another way companies use multimedia is through posting content online. The next few slides take a closer look at this kind of multimedia selling and the phenomenon of content marketing.

Slides 9-38 Content Marketing and Its Benefits A sales strategy that has become hugely popular, thanks largely to social media is content marketing. As defined by the Content Marketing Institute, “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience—and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”

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In other words, companies provide useful information for free as a way of drawing potential customers and turning them into actual buyers. Some forms of content marketing—for example, research-based white papers that companies distribute to share their expertise—have been around for a while, but the use of blogs and social media has caused a massive increase in this kind of promotional writing.

Content marketing is a way of building brand equity—a way of promoting a positive image of the company and gaining name recognition.

Ask students: What is the key thing to remember when creating content marketing in order to drive sales? (There must be a connection between the free content and the company—either via a bio, a Twitter handle, a URL, etc.)

Can you think of examples of content marketing that have drawn your attention or maybe even converted you into a customer?

Which of the five outlets discussed in this section of the chapter—blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube--do you think is most useful for marketing? Are there other ones that you’d add to this list as essential places for businesses to have a footprint?

The next few slides show good and bad examples of content marketing in the form of a blog post. Let students point out the strong and weak points in each example.

For example, in the bad example: The title is bland, the writing is boring and not distinctive, there’s no visual interest, and the writer fails to make a personal connection with the reader.

In the good example: The “five reasons” title catches the eye, the first line immediately engages the reader, the writer talks to the reader in a personal and entertaining style and provides useful tips, and a photo adds interest.

Something students should come away with is that good content marketing comes down to having good content—good information and advice, good writing, and good visual interest.

Slide 9-39 You Make the Call Once students review the policy, have them discuss their opinions on this issue of employees posting work-related material on social media. You might also want to direct students to the From the Tech Desk feature on “Rogue Marketing: When Going Social Gets Out of Hand.” In this article the author highlights the various problems that can occur when a company does not have good control of its social media accounts.

Take a poll: How many students have ever posted something about their jobs online? Was it mostly favorable or mostly unfavorable? What was their motivation in posting?

Proposals Slides 9-40, 9-41, 9-42 Use this and the next slide to point out the important similarities and differences between reports and proposals. Like reports, proposals are based on research and can range widely in format, length, and Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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formality. They can also be directly or indirectly organized. But unlike reports, proposals are overtly persuasive.

Proposals may be internal or external. Internal proposals will be a major means by which you will get what you need in order to do or enhance your job (such as more/better equipment, more personnel, and so forth). External proposals are written mainly to acquire business for a company or money from a grant-awarding organization.

They may be solicited or unsolicited: A solicited proposal is invited (usually through an RFP—Request for Proposals). An unsolicited proposal is uninvited (it therefore needs to resemble a sales message).

You can use examples from the book and from your own knowledge to further illustrate the differences.

Proposal Topics Most proposals have some version of these parts, presented in roughly this order. These proposal elements have become common because they answer proposal readers’ likely questions. Still, variations on and combinations of these abound, so be sure to adapt this list of possible topics to your particular situation.

Writer’s purpose (shows understanding of reader’s need) Background (contextualizes the problem and proposed solution) Need (elaborates on why the proposed solution is needed) Description of plan (presents what the writer intends to do) Benefits of the proposed plan (convinces readers of proposal’s worth) Particulars (covers any costs, delivery information, etc.)

Evidence of ability to deliver (establishes writer’s ability to carry out what is proposed) Concluding comments (stresses taking action on the proposal) When creating any proposal—long or short, formal or informal, internal or external, solicited or unsolicited—consider the three main criteria that readers of business proposals bring to the evaluation process:   

Desirability of the solution (Do we need this? Will it solve our problem?)

Qualifications of the proposer (Can the author or his/her company really deliver?)

Return on investment (Will the benefits of adopting the proposal outweigh the costs?)

Slides 9-43 Here is a sample solicited proposal. As the slide notes say, you might point out that the writer of this proposal chose economy (saving money) as the primary appeal. Other writers might have chosen having a more harmonious workplace or some other goal as the primary reader benefit. It’s up to the writer to choose the appeal that will enable him/her to create the best argument—and then to follow through with the details that will support that argument. You may point out to students the way in which the writer connects the proposal back to the context of the invitation (the July 10 meeting).

You can use the excerpts from the sample proposal letter in Chapter 9 to illustrate the main moves in a solicited proposal—which, though direct in organization, still needs a carefully chosen persuasive strategy. Here, the writers are responding to an RFP from RT Industries.

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Slides 9-44 These slides show the more indirect approach taken by an unsolicited proposal. After analyzing how the writer grabs and maintains the readers’ interest in the introduction, see if students can anticipate a logical structure for the rest of this proposal. Slide 9-39 provides one logical plan.

Ask students what this writer has done well in the opening.

You can emphasize that the writer opens with the relevance to the company and benefits that will appeal to the target readers. Then she shows the link between these benefits and what she is proposing.

Given the topic and purpose of the proposal being discussed, ask students what the main sections of the body would probably be. Help them see that, while some moves in proposals are relatively standardized, they have to be adapted to the particular case.

Slides 9-45, 9-46, 9-47 Whatever you’re writing—whether a proposal, request, sales message, content-marketing post, tweet, or some other kind of message—the art of persuasion can be one of your most valuable assets. Adding the tips in this chapter to your general problem-solving approach will help you prepare for all those times in your career when you will need others’ cooperation and support.

Power Charge Your Professionalism: Make Logical Comparisons When making comparisons in your writing, be sure they are logically worded. Keep these points in mind: Be sure your comparison is complete. If you use a word like “more,” “faster,” or “easiest,” be sure to say or clearly imply the rest of the comparison (“more” or “faster” than what? “easiest” out of what group of things?).

Be sure your comparison is logical. Things being compared must be the same kinds of things. Consider this sentence: “Unlike Gap’s Facebook page, Athleta uses models of many different ages.” It contains an illogical comparison because it compares Gap’s page to the company Athleta. The sentence should read “Unlike Gap’s Facebook page, Athleta’s (or “Athleta’s page”) uses models of many different ages.”

Make comparisons that use more/less/-er and most/least/-est correctly. The rule is to use “more,” “less,” or “-er” when comparing only two things. When comparing more things, use “most,” “least,” or “-est.”

Assess the comparisons in the following sentences. If the sentence contains a comparison error, correct it. If you think the sentence can be left as is, explain why.

1.

This smartphone, offered only by Rogers, is the fastest.

(Correct—comparing phone to all the others.)

2.

CrudAway will clean your engine better, and at a fraction of the cost.

CrudAway will clean your engine better than other cleaners, and at a fraction of the cost.

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3.

In a blind taste test with the other leading brand, consumers rated Tums the highest.

In a blind taste test with the other leading brand, consumers rated Tums higher.

4.

This campaign was less successful than last year.

This campaign was less successful than last year’s campaign.

5.

Our toothpaste now has even more whitening power!

(Comparison to how the toothpaste was before is clearly implied.)

6. city.

Our technicians and service managers are the most honest and ethical auto-repair shop in the

Our technicians and service managers are the most honest and ethical auto-repairpersons in the city.

7.

Our competitive pricing makes us one of the more popular landscaping firms.

Our competitive pricing makes us one of the most popular landscaping firms.

8.

We will need more donations to be able to create the child-care centre.

(Correct as is. “More” is modifying donations.)

For additional instruction and practice, see the “Faulty Comparisons” activity in Adaptive Learning Assignment under McGraw Hill Adaptive Reading, Grammar, and Research Assignment in the Module “Style and Word Choice.”

Critical-Thinking Questions 1. Explain why a persuasive request is usually written in the indirect order. In what kinds of situations might the direct order be appropriate? (LO9-2) Persuasive requests are written when we assume the reader is likely to oppose the request. If we were to assume otherwise, we would use the direct approach. The indirect approach has developed over time as the best to use in such cases. It has been tested by experience (primarily in sales) and has the support of logic. A direct approach would produce negative reactions which would have to be overcome. An indirect approach permits one to justify and explain and thereby condition the reader to receive the negative message. Of course, one could use the direct approach for persuasion, but it would be hard to support the choice with reasoning.

2. What does it mean to use the you-viewpoint in persuasive requests and sales messages? (LO92, LO9-5) Most people react favorably to words that emphasize them and their interests or needs. Youviewpoint writing does this. Thus it is a vital part of the persuasion that must be used in these messages.

3. Compare persuasive requests and sales messages. What traits do they share? Can you point to some general differences? (LO9-2, LO9-5)

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Both messages have the goal of persuading the reader to do something the writer wants done.

The sales message attempts to persuade the reader to buy a product or service. The persuasive request attempts to persuade the reader to comply with the writer’s request.

Sales messages tend to be much flashier, in terms of both wording and visual elements. People have probably come to expect the degree of impersonality that this quality imparts to the message (even to ones that seem “personal”). They expect persuasive requests, generally, to be less glitzy, more genuinely personal.

4. Consider ads that you have seen on television, in magazines, or on the Internet. Which ones rely heavily on emotional appeals? Which on logical appeals? Which on character-based appeals? Do the chosen appeals seem appropriate given the product, service, or cause that is being promoted? (LO9-1, LO9-5) Some examples follow, but answers will vary based on each student’s experience.

Emotional: Perfume, make-up, clothing, humanitarian causes Logical: Investment services (though these more and more rely on emotion), toothpaste, medicine (though these often use emotion, too), Internet service providers, cell-phone plans Character-based: toothpaste (usually features a “dentist”), pet-care products (often feature a “veterinarian”), any commercial relying heavily on a spokesperson, any commercial in which the company projects a striking personality (eg., Geico, 7-Up, Gap, Apple).

5. Think of or find a television, radio, print, email, or web-based sales message or persuasive request that you regard as especially effective. Explain why you think it was well designed.

(LO9-2, LO9-5) Evaluate each student’s analysis based on the concepts and advice in this chapter.

6. What appeals would be appropriate for the following products when they are being sold to consumers? How might the appeals differ depending on the age and/or gender of the target audience? (LO9-1, LO9-4) The answers will vary somewhat, and any answer that can be defended logically is acceptable.

Following are some logical suggestions of specific appeals (rather than the broad categories of emotional and rational): a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j.

Shaving cream or razors—smoothness of shave, aroma, invigorating effect Home repair tools—durability, quality of craftsmanship Vegetables delivered by a delivery service—freshness, quality, flavor, price A wireless service provider—performance, time-saving, ease of use, price A video-streaming service—speed, performance, reliability, amount of content Tires—durability, price, performance Shampoo—price, quality Candy—flavour, assortment of flavors Breakfast cereal—price, flavour A video game—features, quality of optics, price

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k.

Medicine for a health condition—effectiveness, price, improvement in quality of daily life 7. Assume that you’re preparing a sales mailing that won’t use the reader’s name. Would you still use a salutation (e.g., “Dear Neighbor”)? If so, what would you use? If not how would the message begin? (LO9-5)

Personal addresses are more effective, but they cost more to use. They should be used whenever the potential market consists of a part of the total population and when you have a list of names of people in this market. It is a specialized technique—a means of selecting a specific market.

However, generic salutations such as “Dear Valued Customer” or “Dear Policy Holder” can be effective.

You may ask students to consider some generic greetings they have seen (perhaps from your institution)—what was they response or feelings about these greetings?

8. “Any fundraising or sales message that is longer than a page won’t be read.” Discuss this statement. (LO9-2, LO9-5) Most of the sales letters written today are longer than a page. Many are four pages or longer.

The feeling among professional writers appears to be that an interested reader will read the whole message. Thus the emphasis should be on building interest and conviction rather than on length.

9. If you were helping to design an email message to sell solar panels, would you include visual elements? If so, what kind? If not, why not? (LO9-5) This is a tough question. Evaluate each student’s answer based on the concepts and advice in this chapter. If research has shown that one vivid picture or story can sway a reader more than statistics, how would that shape the content choices for the solar panel email message? The writer might wish to use a testimony of a solar panel user in the email, for instance, alongside a picture of a family standing next to their solar-heated house. Students could also talk about reasons for limiting the images used in an email or allowing for readers to see text only messages. Ethical considerations or technology preferences could be taken into account.

10. Discuss the relationship between the main sales message and its accompanying support information in an example you’ve seen. What was the purpose of each piece? (LO9-4, LO9-6) All the parts should be coordinated to produce a comprehensive sales effort. The sales message typically highlights the major sales points. The support material repeats these points and includes supporting details.

See if someone can bring in a sales message with several parts so that the whole class can analyze the purpose and coordination of the pieces.

11. Examine the call for action in a persuasive request or sales message you’ve received. Do you think it would get results? Why or why not? (LO9-2, LO9-5) The strength of the request and any persuasive elements the request uses will vary with the intended readers and with the sales strategy used. But in all cases, the requested action should be clearly stated and easy to perform. It may also be appropriate for an “act-now” strategy to be coupled with the request.

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12. Think of a sample persuasive request or sales message that you regard as ethically questionable. Discuss the nature of the ethical problems. (LO9-3) Evaluate each student’s analysis based on the book and class discussion of this topic.

13. Many fundraising messages show pictures of children in poverty or with obvious health problems. In what way can the use of such emotional visuals be justified? In what way might they be ethically questionable? (LO9-3) Evaluate each student’s analysis based on the book and class discussion of this topic. The use of such pictures could be justified to provide information and context about the need for the funding. However, such pictures are also often (if not always) used to manipulate the reader, and can end up creating a stereotype about those who live in certain poverty-stricken areas.

14. Both fundraising and sales mailings are often “signed” with a signature that looks handwritten. Sometimes there even appear to be handwritten personal notes in the mailings.

What do you think of this practice? Does it add to the messages’ effectiveness? Could it be considered ethically shady? (LO9-1, LO9-5) Evaluate each student’s answer based on its merits and the student’s ability to support his or her opinions.

15. For what kinds of situations would you prepare email sales messages that have a fair amount of text versus messages that are almost all graphics? Why? (LO9-5, LO9-6) Messages that are heavy on graphics could be appropriate to send out to a broad range of readers, including those who are and are not already customers. The graphics attract attention and help draw people in to learn about a product. Plus, many recipients will be reading their email on their phones and will prefer clickable graphics to text. Messages with almost all graphics could also be helpful for communicating across cultures, where not every reader may speak the same language as the sender.

Messages with a fair amount of text might be needed for clients that you are already doing business with, or to explain complex services, or when you know the readers are accustomed to reading a lot of text.

16. How does the need to be persuasive make a proposal different from a report? (LO9-7) Proposals are persuasive documents aimed at procuring resources for a particular situation.

Every part of a proposal is crafted toward persuading an audience to accept the proposed action.

Reports can be broader in purpose and are generally aimed at providing information that will help decision makers solve a particular problem.

17. Discuss the differences between solicited and unsolicited proposals. (LO9-7) Solicited proposals are invited via RFPs or notices of available grant money. They can therefore begin directly, and they should follow the specific contents and format guidelines in the solicitation.

Unsolicited proposals need to be more creative. Like sales messages, they need to gain attention up front and then hold the readers’ interest throughout. The writer thus has more latitude about what to say, when, and how.

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18. For what kinds of situations might you select email format for your proposal? Letter format? A longer, report-like format? (LO9-7) Certainly, short internal proposals can use email format. Longer internal proposals for high-ranking staff, however, may need to be written up in report format and then either physically delivered or emailed as an attachment. Letter format would be most appropriate for relatively short proposals to external audiences. Longer reports to these audiences would be more appropriately put in report form, with a letter of transmittal at the front.

19. “I don’t need to discuss my readers’ needs in my proposal. They know what their needs are and don’t want to waste time reading about them.” Discuss. (LO9-7) As the chapter says, it can be very effective to describe the readers’ needs in a proposal. First, these can be worded so that the readers’ understanding of them is shaped in such a way that the solution you are offering will seem like the best answer to the problem. In other words, you can state the needs so that they lead logically to what you are offering. But clearly stating the readers’ needs also shows that you understand them. This gives you credibility.

20. What kinds of content-marketing blog posts might be appropriate for each of the following organizations?

A. A real estate firm B. A lawn care company C. A foundation raising funder for cancer research Answers will vary.

21. Imagine that you want to publicize a campus event on social media. Which of the five platforms discussed in this chapter would you use to get the word out? What kind of material would you post on each platform? (LO9-6) Answers will vary.

Skills-Building Exercises 1. Assume that, as a volunteer for a nonprofit organization in your town, you have been asked to write the next fundraising letter for the organization. In what ways might you gather enough information about the intended readers to write a successful message? (LO9-1, LO9-2) Students can offer a variety of answers here. They could interview the organization’s key employees, study any documents that profile the organization’s supporters (such as annual reports and grant proposals), study previous fundraising strategies that the organization has used, talk with some of the organization’s current supporters, talk with and read about people in the target audience, conduct a focus group or survey, etc.

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2. List the tangible and intangible benefits that you might describe when promoting the following items or services. What potentially negative features of your product might you need to overcome in your message? (LO9-1) a. b. c. d.

Membership in a health club A video or music streaming service A certain line of clothing Car insurance

a. Membership in a health club Tangible: get a good workout for your money, can use the most up-to-date and effective equipment, will be assisted by knowledgeable staff members who can help you create a personal training plan, and other benefits related to physical fitness and money.

Intangible: get to work out in a pleasant environment, can save time, will become more attractive to others, can socialize, can gain prestige by joining an exclusive club, etc.

Negative: subscription-based membership fees, contracts for membership b. High-speed Internet service or digital cable service Tangible: any appeal based on saving time and saving money.

Intangible: prestige gained from having the fastest streaming service or most timely and relevant content, entertainment or educational value, friendliness of customer support staff, etc.

Negative: lock-in contracts, effort to switch providers c. A certain line of clothing Tangible: appeals based on clothing quality and durability, practicality, price Intangible: appeals based on style, fun, etc.

Negative: current brand loyalty d. Car insurance Tangible: saving money, fulfilling legal requirements, coverage for car repairs Intangible: feeling of security, peace of mind, value for money, civic duty Negative: efforts to switch providers 3. List some added-on benefits you might use as an extra push if you were promoting the items in exercise 2. (LO9-1) Extrinsic benefits for health-club membership: free towel or water bottle with club’s logo, discount coupon for massage or personal training session, etc.

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Extrinsic benefits for Internet service or digital cable service: free 90-day trial of a special Internet service, free channel guide, etc.

Extrinsic benefits for a line of clothing: free tote, coupon with a certain minimum purchase, etc.

Extrinsic benefits for car insurance: free roadside assistance; free apps for insurance quotes, travel, weather alerts, etc.

4. For each item in exercise 2, list two likely product features and then turn them into reader benefits.

(LO9-1) Membership in a health club: Feature: state-of-the-art equipment Benefit: effective workout, saving time and increasing fitness Feature: Seven locations Benefit: convenient, saving effort and time and increasing the likelihood of your going High-speed Internet service or digital cable service: Feature: Internet service is fast and powerful Benefit: saves time, enables you to enjoy memory-heavy websites, enables quick posting and receiving of blog entries and other interactivity, etc.

Feature: Offer over 100 channels Benefit: get to enjoy all your favorite channels Feature: Free roadside assistance Benefit: feel safer driving 5. Choose one of the items in number 2 and write a paragraph that uses scenario painting to promote the item. (LO9-1) Sample scenario painting for health-club sales message: Only an hour for lunch? No problem. With our seven convenient locations, you can pop into the club for a quick work-out, grab a shower, pick up some healthy goodies from our snack bar, and be back on the job refreshed and alert.

6. The following request was sent to faculty who had at least one university athlete in their classes.

The response wasn’t very good (few recipients replied, and a few who did reply declined to participate). Why do you think it was so unsuccessful? What advice would you have given the writer of this email if he/she had shown you a draft? (LO9-1, LO9-2) The full text of the request is included in the textbook. Answers will vary, but most should point out that the message was too long and written in an indirect style. It was hard to find out what the writer wanted, and the action steps were buried.

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7. In almost any situation requiring persuasion, the writer can choose from several promising strategies. For one of the Annotated Examples in the sections on persuasive requests and sales messages, plan how you might rewrite the message using a completely different approach. (LO9-1– LO9-5) Answers will vary based on selection. The strategy chosen should be clear and well thought out.

8. Evaluate each of these parts of sales messages. (LO9-5) No one “correct” set of criticisms can be made of these sentences, for opinions vary on such matters.

The following comments represent the views of one competent group of critics.

Email Subject Line a) Earn BIG profits NOW!!! screams out message concisely tells main message emphasizes reader benefit urges action now b) Reduce expenses with an experienced consultant’s help. somewhat bland tells main sales message too long c) Free trial offer ends this week! vague as to nature of product or service has incentive for taking action now creates curiosity d) Your coupons are about to expire. (from a store where you shop) vague, benefit unclear e) This week’s travel deals (from a discount travel site you’ve used) vague, benefit unclear f) Tell us about your experience with us. (from your cable provider or the tech help of a major computer company) vague, benefit unclear, requires work on reader’s part—why bother? g) Evaluate our service. (from a mail-order company where you’ve shopped) vague, benefit unclear, requires work on reader’s part—why bother? h) The best electric razor on the market! vague—generic adjectives such as “best” don’t always work what makes it the best? no reason to believe benefit unclear i) Your opinion needed (from a charity you’re familiar with). vague, benefit unclear, requires work on reader’s part—why bother? j) Your account needs to be updated now. vague, what needs updated and why bother? k) Inquiry vague no reason to respond Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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Openings 1) An irresistible offer…(from a store where you shop) Vague creates curiosity Product or Service: A Credit Card That Gives Bonus Points toward Multiple Airlines a. Where would you like to go? How would you like to get there? asking a question is a good technique to gain attention questions are a little vague b. With a Blue Horizons credit card, you’ll get 5,000 sky points just for opening an account. confusing as an opening tells too much before establishing need in reader c. How does “no annual fee” sound? not a unique offer could be off-putting Product or Service: A Financial Consulting Service a. Would you hire yourself to manage your portfolio? good use of attention-getting question original approach personal could be potentially offensive b. Are you satisfied with the income your portfolio earned last year? thought-provoking question a little vague benefit unclear c. Dimmitt-Hawes Financial Services has helped its clients make money for over half a century. generic not attention-getting establishes credibility From the Body of the Message Product or Service: A Pest-Control Company a. If your home gets hit by termites while you’re covered by our plan, you won’t pay a dime for any future treatments or repairs—guaranteed. presents a negative idea first, not good good use of you-viewpoint benefit clear “guaranteed” gets attention and emphasizes a positive b. Our guarantee covers all future treatments and any needed repairs. benefit clear could quantify amount to make benefit even clearer, such as “worth $10, 000 in future treatments” or “saving you up to $30, 000 in future treatments.”

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c. Once you purchase our guarantee, all treatments and repairs will be covered for as long as your plan is active. not as appealing as previous claim leading with the negatives, purchase, instead of the positives, coverage Product or Service: A Mail-Order Food Company a. Our pasta assortment makes a great gift for your family, friends, and colleagues. bland statement—”pasta assortment” is not exciting would be better to lead with you-viewpoint no “reason to believe” why it makes a great gift b. Treat your friends and business associates to a true taste of Italy with this elegant and affordable gift. better you-viewpoint a taste of Italy is too vague to be a real benefit elegant and affordable are good benefits c. The aroma will remind you of walking into a neighborhood ristorante in Milano or Rome. good sensory detail brings benefit and product to life aroma could use an adjective or brief description Product or Service: A Unique Mattress a. Control Comfort’s unique air support system lets you control the feel and firmness of your bed simply by pushing a button. great benefits, feel and firmness shows ease of use good you-viewpoint b. The button control adjusts the feel and firmness of Control Comfort’s air support system. no you-viewpoint bland statement c. Just by pushing a button you can get your choice of feel and firmness in Control Comfort’s air support system. good to show reader interacting with product good you-viewpoint needs more follow-up detail, including sensory description Action Endings Product or Service: An Alumni Directory a. To receive your personal copy, just sign and return the enclosed order form along with your check, money order, or credit card information. weak drive for action no association with reader benefit good use of you-viewpoint “guaranteed” gets attention and emphasizes a positive Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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b. To find out what your classmates are doing now, just fill out and return the enclosed card along with your payment. emphasizes a benefit with the action weak action words, more a hint or suggestion than a request c. Don’t put it off! Now, while it’s on your mind, sign and return the enclosed card. strong action—perhaps too strong doesn’t mention a benefit to be had from taking the action and taking it now, what will happen if the reader delays?

Product or Service: A News Magazine a. To begin receiving your copies of Today’s World, simply fill out and return the enclosed card. emphasizes benefit with the action weak action language could be clearer about the benefit of receiving Todays’ World, how is it going to positively impact the reader’s life or career? b. For your convenience, a subscription card is enclosed. It is your ticket to receiving Today’s World. “your ticket”—strong action language “for your convenience”—shows ease of action c. If you agree that Today’s World is the best of the news magazines, just sign and return the enclosed card. strong call to action—perhaps too strong may be off-putting Postscripts a. You can also monogram items you order before November 1. you-viewpoint benefit tied to action a matter-of-fact statement b. If you order before November 1, you can have your items monogrammed. lacking you-viewpoint indirectly addressed to the reader provides information for action, but not a strong drive c. All orders placed before November 1 are eligible for monogramming. you-viewpoint benefit tied to action stronger construction than “a” lacks enthusiasm 9. Study the visual dimension (including the logo) of a company’s online sales messages. In what ways do the visuals add to the persuasion? What image of the company do they convey? (LO9-5, LO9-6) Answers will vary based on selection.

10. Find a series of tweets or blog posts from a spokesperson for an organization. What kind of voice does this person use? What image of the company is being conveyed? (LO9-6) Answers will vary based on selection.

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11. Evaluate a content-marketing blog post in an area you know something about or are interested in.

How effective do you think it would be? Why? (LO9-6) Answers will vary based on selection.

12. Choose a company or nonprofit organization and study how it presents itself across several media.

In what ways is a consistent brand projected? In what ways does the company present itself differently depending on the medium? (LO9-6) Answers will vary based on selection.

13. Find a local coffee shop on social media and compare it for a week with Starbucks’ social-media presence. How do the two coffee businesses’ strategies/messages compare? What can small businesses do to ensure that they are not lost on social media? (LO9-6) Answers will vary based on selection.

14. Find and study the guidelines for applying for an undergraduate research grant at your school (or study the ones at the University of Connecticut). What are the criteria (both explicit and implied) for a successful proposal? When reviewing a set of proposals that all meet these criteria, what kinds of facts might lead the selection committee to fund certain projects and not others? (LO9-7) Evaluate student responses to the first question by their accuracy and thoroughness in supplying the list of relevant criteria.

For the second question, all other things being equal, the selection committee will probably favor proposals that do the best job of meeting each of these criteria. For example, the stronger and more relevant the skills of the proposed participants, the stronger the proposal. Likewise for the significance of the community’s need, the strength of the community’s support, the creativity of the project, the carefulness of the plan, the likelihood of the plan’s working, the efficiency/economy of the plan, and so forth. A student who had accomplished other entrepreneurial projects would be wise to include this information as part of his or her proposal as well.

15. Pretend you are writing an unsolicited internal proposal to request funding for obtaining certification in an area of expertise related to your job (e.g., the Association for Talent Development’s certificate in facilitating virtual training or Cornell University’s Digital Marketing Certificate). What kinds of information will you need to include? What arguments might your supervisors or management find convincing? What kinds of objections might you need to overcome? (LO9-7) Ideas for writing a persuasive proposal in this case might include the following: Show that the hosts of/presenters at the meeting are experts in the field.

Show that this is the best resource for what you want to learn.

Show that what you’re likely to learn can be put to ready and profitable use in the company.

Show that there’s no cheaper (i.e., local or online) substitute.

Show that the certification will be a bargain (in terms of knowledge shared with others, likelihood of making lasting improvements in the company, access to additional materials online, etc.).

Show that you’ve found the most economical means to attend (i.e. remote attendance, driving instead of flying, not using a rental car).

Show that you have a track record of being frugal with company resources.

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The objections that might need to be overcome are implied in the above list.

Solutions to Sample Problem-Solving Cases Persuasive Requests, Case #4 (Persuading a Professional to Participate in an Interview) Persuasion involves convincing – getting someone else to see things the way you do or to take an action you want them to take. The key to success is to know and understand your readers well so that you can think about the subject from their point of view—and then to generate appealing details that will be stronger than the readers’ reasons for not complying.

Accordingly, students need to think first about 1) what benefit a professional might receive from you for letting you interview them and 2) why the professional might be reluctant to have you do so.

Among the possible answer for #1 above: Increasing awareness of the professional’s job Acknowledging value in the professional’s work Fulfilling a company’s volunteer policy Getting to know a potential future colleague Learning about a fresh perspective on the work Promoting goodwill in the workplace Among the possible answers for #2 above: Too much hassle Don’t have the time Work is too confidential in nature Putting these two lists together, students should be able to generate appealing material to include in the email message.

Have them work particularly hard on their attention-getting opening. It should call to readers’ minds, in a fresh and interesting way, one of the main benefits of this activity. On the other hand, one could take the approach of treating the event as a nice break from the normal daily routine.

As for the rest of the message, emphasize the importance of appealing details. Some scenario painting could work well in this message.

Sales Messages, Case #16 (Persuading Seniors to Rejoining a Gym) This problem can give students excellent practice turning product features into reader benefits.

The first step is to choose a type of membership-based business you know something about and thoroughly study all their features. Then choose either a real company or invent one to write your sales letter for.

For example, here’s a partial list of features of a gym or athletic club: Exclusive access to high-quality facilities Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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Equipment provided Year-round access Free parking Towels and lockers and changing rooms provided Group and individual exercise and sports instruction classes available Social activities and clubs (such as card games, hobbies, etc.)

Members-only access to event rooms Convenient hours Ability to reserve facilities for private events Restricted access and regulations keep club atmosphere clean and courteous Then have students turn these features into benefits that would appeal to the target audience. They should come up with those like the following: Can invest in your health and wellness Can enjoy the company of peers Can escape the routine and learn new activities Can find a time that works for you Can enjoy the club benefits year-round Can have easy access to party facilities Can support a well-run and positive community organization Can easily entertain children and grandchildren

The first paragraph should build on a central selling point, such as the high-quality and private facilities provided to members: “Looking for an oasis of wellness in your busy week?” or “Want to stay active without fighting the crowds?”

In the body of the message, students should continue to build on the activities and benefits offered by the club by using the list created above. By the time the actual drive for the sale comes, readers should be convinced that the club isn’t just for those with young children.

The class can work together on generating possible “act now” strategies. For example, is a new class about to be offered at the club, or has a facility or particular equipment just been updated? Or is a special social event just around the corner?

Of course, the message should end with a reminder of the benefits–and perhaps include a fetching P.S. Related Research/Exercises: Have students propose ways to incorporate visuals effectively into this persuasive message. Will the letter itself contain visuals? Will there be supporting pieces that do? What kinds of visuals should be included to support different types of persuasive appeals?

Problem Solver to the Rescue: Writing a Better Email Sales Message to Professors Step 1:

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Elizabeth’s first attempt at this email is not effective. Even Elizabeth doesn’t seem interested in her service! This is a weak and writer-focused message that a) does not contain enough specific information for the reader to understand the service and b) lacks enough awareness of the audience to craft a persuasive message.

Define the Problem and Generate Options The first step in writing a sales message is to know the product or service you are selling. This message doesn’t give the reader much information about this product nor does it demonstrate a strong detail about what the product does.

Determining the Central Appeal: This message does not demonstrate consideration of what this service can do for the audience. What problem of the reader are they solving? The audience needs to see how this service will make their lives better. Simply listing the uses for the product is not enough. The writer needs to identify the central appeal and choose the most appropriate appeal for this audience. When writing to a college professor, these appeals could include a mix of all three appeals, but the writer should prioritize logical appeals: Logical (primary): saves time, improves students learning Character-Based (secondary): other respected college professors and professionals use them Emotional (secondary): reduces stress of course preparation; students will like them Choosing the right medium for this message is important because this company is a providing a computer-mediated communication product. They need to show they have multimedia savvy in their messages.

Build the Solution Determine the Makeup of the Mailing and Enhancing the Message with Visuals: Since the writer works for a company that claims to create compelling video content, she should have crafted a message that shows off the company’s work. At the very least embedding a video within the message would help persuade the reader to the benefits of these animated videos for them.

Gaining Attention in the Opening: A strong sales message needs to grab the reader’s attention in the opening. The current opening is not interesting.

Stressing the You-Viewpoint: The original message does not effectively use the you-viewpoint (just look at how many times they use “we” in the message!) The writer needs to focus more on the audience’s needs and expectations. Yes, the writer needs to provide the reader with information about their company, but they should do it as part of the explanation of what they can do for the reader.

Make a Stronger Request for Action: The request for action in this message is weak. Currently, the writer asks the reader to “let them know” if they would like to use these videos. The message should request an action that is accessible and easy for the reader, but one that provides a reason to act now.

In this case, including a link for the reader to click to schedule a consultation is one option.

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Close with an Option to Opt Out: In sales messages, writers can respect their readers by providing an “opt-out” process at the end so the reader does not need to receive these sales emails in the future if they are not interested.

Postscript: There is no P.S. here to emphasize the main appeal.

Step 2: Subject: Create Engaging Videos to Share Your Expertise Dear Dr. Rentz: Are you looking for a way to make your ideas accessible and memorable to a wider audience? Do you want to use a fresh and innovative medium to share your research?

My name is Elizabeth Berlin, and as the founder of [Company Name], I lead a team of former educators and tech experts who develop animated videos to explain complex concepts and processes.. We work with clients from the non-profit sector, including higher education, government, and NGOs, topackage great ideas so that they receive the attention they deserve.

From content development to graphic design to post-production, veteran designers will work with you to turn your research, instructional content, or new initiatives into compelling visual content. We will offer expert guidance to help you identify your goals and determine the best way to connect with your audience. We encourage you to take a look for yourself: click this link to see some recent sample projects.

In addition to our design services, we are currently offering all our new clients free access to our library of templates, developed and tested by our team.

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can make your ideas resonate, please click this link to schedule an appointment with one of our designers. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely, Elizabeth Berlin Founder, [Company Name] Phone Email

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P.S. Here is a video (embedded) that demonstrates one of our most successful academic videos, viewed over 500K times in the first month of posting!

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 10: Researching and Writing Reports Teaching Suggestions

Chapter Ten provides students with the tools necessary to identify business problems and conduct research in order to gather information. The contents of this chapter may be familiar to students, but we suggest using strategies that, as much as possible, have students doing hands-on practice with these skills and tools.

Learning Objectives LO10-1 Write clear problem and purpose statements.

LO10-2 List the likely factors involved in a problem.

LO10-3 Explain the difference between primary and secondary research.

LO10-4

Use Internet search engines to gather information.

LO10-5

Use other web resources to gather information.

LO10-6 Evaluate websites for reliability.

LO10-7 Use social networking sites to gather information.

LO10-8 Use the library to gather information.

LO10-9 Explain what plagiarism is and how to avoid it by documenting sources.

LO 10-10

Use sampling to conduct a survey.

LO 10-11

Construct a questionnaire and conduct a survey.

LO 10-12

Design an observational study for a business problem.

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LO 10-13

Conduct an experiment for a business problem.

LO 10-14

Explain the uses of focus groups and personal interviews.

LO 10-15

Discuss important ethical guidelines for research.

LO 10-16

Interpret your findings accurately.

LO 10-17

Organize information in outline form using time, place, quantity, factors, or a combination of these patterns.

LO 10-18

Turn an outline into a table of contents whose format and wording are logical and meaningful.

LO 10-19

Write reports that are focused, objective, consistent in time viewpoint, smoothly connected, and interesting.

LO 10-20

Prepare reports collaboratively.

Key Terms

anonymous

credibility

area or cluster sampling

database

before–after design

decimal outlining system

blogs

descriptive statistics

Boolean logic

documentation

citation

double-barrelled questions

closed-ended questions

email subscriptions to websites and blogs

comparison-based pattern

experiments

confidential

factors

consistent time viewpoint

factors-based pattern

controlled before–after design

focus groups

convenience sampling

ground rules

conventional outlining system

grouping

correlated

hashtags

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hierarchy

qualitative research

impersonal writing

quantity-based pattern

inferential statistics

questionnaire

keyword

ranking

leading question

rating

listservs

references or bibliography section

non-probability sampling

referral sampling

observations

reliable

open-ended questions

report

ordering

report’s purpose

outline

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds

parallel

sample

past-time viewpoint

scaling

personal interviews

search engine

personal writing

secondary research

pilot study

signal phrase

place-based pattern

simple random sampling

plagiarism

stratified random sampling

present-time viewpoint

subject

primary research

survey

probability sampling

survey channel

problem

survey plan

problem statement

systematic sampling

purpose statement

time-based pattern

purposeful sampling

usability testing

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user testing valid Wikipedia

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Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4, 10-5, 10-6 While the number and length of reports you will write on the job vary with the size and nature of the business, their importance to decision making is often critical. Knowing how to write them prepares you for confidently and effectively handling them.

These slides provide an overview of the chapter objectives.

Problem-Solving Challenge As a way of introducing this topic, have students take on the role of the management intern at Mockbee’s Ice Cream. One way to begin planning the report you will need is to draft purpose and problem statements. What would those be for the report that Betsy Tippett is looking for?

Defining Reports Slide 10-7, 10-8, 10-9 As you cover this definition, call attention to and define these key words:

    

Orderly—prepared with care; organized Objective—unbiased Communication—using oral, written and/or visual media to communicate while keeping the audience’s needs in mind.

Factual information—provides facts about events, records, and other data used in business operations Informed decisions—provides information that enables key decision makers to make informed choices.

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Slide 10-10 You Make the Call

Use this slide to have students consider the type of reports they will need to write in the workplace.

You could also ask they have had any experience writing reports in their internships.

Slide 10-11, 10-12 Determining the Report Problem and Purpose Reports can take many forms and are used both inside and outside of the business setting.

Ask students if they’ve ever had to organize a lunch order for a group of people, or if they’ve ever been asked to find out what the best venue would be for a party. Have they ever been asked to tell about a movie they just saw or to review some materials and “bring their thoughts” to an upcoming meeting? If so, they’ve constructed and given a kind of informal, brief report.

Point out that sometimes reports are constructed by individuals, but more and more, reports are prepared in collaboration with others in businesses.

Slide 10-11 emphasizes getting the problem in mind, conducting an informal investigation, and stating the problem in writing.

Reports begin with a need for information. Someone in a position of authority recognizes this need.

This person will authorize the report—in writing or orally.

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After being authorized to do the report, you should take these steps:

1. Conduct a preliminary (informal) investigation. Gather facts to better understand the problem.

Consult appropriate sources (informal talks, library materials, company records).

2. State the problem in writing to serve as a permanent record. Allow others to review it. Force yourself to get the problem clearly in mind.

Direct students to look at the Communication Matters feature on “How Far Should Your Report Go?” and talk about the different kinds of needs reports may meet. Why is it important to understand what your report is supposed to do? What’s wrong with providing more than what’s needed?

While the ways to state a problem are as unlimited as report-writing situations, you can reminder your students that the problem statement can be as simple as “Sales are decreasing at Company X” or “Which cloud-based inventory-tracking system should Mockbee’s use?”

Determining the Factors Slide 10-13 Slide 10-13 introduces the student to the concept of “factors”—the parts of the problem that they are likely to need to investigate in order for the report to achieve its purpose.

Factors are usually of three types:

1. Subtopics—cover the important topic areas in informational and some analytical reports.

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2. Hypotheses—explore possible explanations or solutions in problem-solving situations.

3. Bases of comparison—used to evaluate alternatives using common criteria.

Slide 10-14 This slide and the next two illustrate the three types of factors. By covering each slide in successive parts (situation, problem statement, factor determination), you can take the student through the thinking process involved in determining a report problem.

Subtopics—cover the important topic areas in informational and some analytical reports.

Slide 10-15 Possible causes—explore possible explanations or solutions in problem-solving situations.

Purpose statement: To find out why sales at Company X have declined.

Let students work together (or on their own online) to come up with four possible causes for the decline in sales.

Click to reveal the book’s possibilities for the decline:

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

Activities of the competition



Changes in the economy



Merchandising deficiencies



Changes in the environment (population shifts, political actions, etc.)

Slide 10-16 Bases of comparison—used to evaluate alternatives using common criteria.

After you determine the initial factors for a problem, you might need to divide each one into subfactors or even sub-subfactors. Ask students to come up with some sub-subfactors of the bases listed on Slide 10-16.

Connect Assignment 10-1: Using Strong Report-Writing Strategies Summary: The goal of this click-and-drag exercise is to demonstrate students’ understanding of various aspects of successful research and report writing.

Follow-Up Activity: Students can choose three of the weaker strategies and be prepared to discuss why those strategies would be unhelpful or ineffective.

Slide 10-17 Gathering the Information You can use this slide both to show the ways to gather facts for a report and to explain the difference between primary and secondary research.

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Remember that business reports are factual, so some information gathering is always needed. You may collect facts for reports from primary (observations, experiments, surveys) and/or secondary (library, online, company records, etc.) sources.

Techniques for gathering and documenting these sources are discussed later in this chapter and in Reference Chapter B. Keep these three guidelines in mind: • • •

Gather more information than you will use.

Be resourceful.

Keep accurate notes.

Slide 10-18 Conducting Secondary Research

Use this slide to discuss the different ways to search for information via search engines and other web-based resources. Ask students to share their experiences with finding information online—what tips can they offer? What’s worked well for them in the past?

This would also be a good opportunity to review the content in the “From the Tech Desk” box titled “Boolean Searching” to provide students with the tools to effectively use Boolean logic. Students should be aware that how they search for a topic is important.

Slide 10-19 Let students use the exercise to test out different ways of finding the information about local bakeries. You could divide the class into groups and give each a certain search engine or web resource to use. (This could also be done with online participants.)

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Discuss your results. Who was able to find complete information the fastest? How do they know their information is reliable?

Slide 10-20 Websites can be an invaluable source of useful information.

It is important to know how to evaluate websites for completeness, accuracy, and reliability.

By critically evaluating the websites you use, you can ensure that the Web-based information in your reports will reflect well on your research.

Slide 10-21 Poll students to see which social networks they use and ask about their experiences with them.

Which, if any, do they think are best suited for business purposes and why?

Slide 10-22 Also discuss non-web-based resources and how those can be valuable for finding solid information.

Point students to Exhibit 10-12, “List of Resources by Research Question.”

Slide 10-23 Citing Your Sources Discuss the importance of citing sources used for secondary research. You can direct students to Appendix B for a discussion of APA, Chicago, and MLA style.

Slide 10-24 Conducting Primary Research with Surveys

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Surveys are one of the most popular primary research tools. Ask students: Why do you think that is?

For an activity, find an example of a bad survey question and present it to students (or ask them to make up their own). What makes it bad or unhelpful? Can someone improve the question?

Surveys can provide demographic information as well as information about people’s opinions, behaviours, and beliefs. Surveys can be a step toward organizing experiments and making observations.

Slide 10-25 Constructing and delivering a survey involves making many decisions. Discuss the different kinds of sampling techniques and the strengths or weaknesses of each (refer to the textbook for more information).

Slide 10-26, 10-27, 10-28, 10-29, 10-30 You may take some time to practice constructing surveys by asking students to create a hypothetical questionnaire about a dining experiences on campus. Working as a class, you could develop a purpose. You can talk them through how to determine how to test if the questionnaire is reliable (generates similar results across circumstances) and valid (measures what it is intended to). You can review the guidelines for writing survey data and then ask them what types of questions they should avoid in their survey and what their questions might look like.

Slide 10-31 Observations

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With this technique, you do not manipulate the details of what you observe; you take note of situations exactly as you find them.

One particular observation technique that can be used in business research is user testing. Also called usability testing, this research technique captures a person’s experience when interacting with a product such as a document, a mobile device, a website, a piece of software, or any number of other consumer products.

Slide 10-32 Experiments

Conducting an experiment can be a useful technique for researching a business problem.

The simplest experimental design is the before–after design, which makes a preliminary measurement of a variable, then measures what is different when the variable is changed.

Before–after design compares the results of two groups: • •

One in which there is no intervention (the control group) One in which a variable is changed (experimental group)

Connect Assignment 10-5: Matching the Research Strategy to Its Definition Summary: Students will demonstrate their ability to understand definitions of various research strategies as they complete this click-and-drag exercise.

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Follow-Up Activity: Students can choose four of the provided research strategies in this exercise and describe some of the strengths and weaknesses of each strategy.

Slide 10-33 Conducting Qualitative Primary Research The techniques for primary research that we’ve discussed thus far are (largely) quantitative.

But some primary research methods are qualitative. They begin with a more general question about what they want to learn and then study natural phenomena to gather insights into the phenomena or even to learn to ask different questions.

Whether you conduct a personal interview or convene a focus group, you need to decide how you will record the interactions since you cannot rely on your memory.

Slide 10-34 Conducting Focus Groups

While more expensive and harder to arrange than online meetings, this format tends to elicit better participation and dialog than online formats, which require the participants to know how to use the technology and be comfortable doing so.

The moderator of the discussion can structure the conversation and ask questions that will elicit useful data from the participants or can simply allow participants to voice their ideas.

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Slide 10-35 Conducting Personal Interviews While researchers conducting surveys prefer to use closed-ended questions because these force the participants to give only one possible response, when conducting interviews, many researchers favour open-ended questions because the conversational nature of the interview setting enables participants to provide detailed, rich, and varied responses.

Slide 10-36 Conducting Ethical Business Research Talk with students about the importance of gathering and presenting information in a responsible and ethical way. Besides having the potential to skew results, unethical reporting can have the effect of damaging your reputation and that of your company.

Err on the side of caution at every point of gathering and interpreting information. Provide all the results. Be the first to point out possible limitations in your findings. Avoid drawing illogical causeeffect conclusions. Don’t oversimplify. Cite sources carefully and make every attempt to attribute original sources (when data is reported within another source).

Slide 10-37 Interpreting the Findings When you examine facts and relate them to the report problem, you are interpreting the facts. To make your interpretations as valid as possible, follow the advice found in the book.

This slide illustrates a specific case of an interpretation error in a report. Show the question first and have the students write their answers. Discuss them and then talk about the answer (below).

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Answer: The education systems are not comparable. America is committed to a system of educating the masses. Many of the other countries maintain a system of highly selective education.

Slides 10-38, 10-39 Advice for Avoiding Human Error

       

Report the facts as they are—be aware of the tendency to exaggerate, to seek attention.

Do not think that conclusions are always necessary—no conclusions or modified conclusions are often desirable.

Do not interpret a lack of evidence as proof to the contrary—evidence must support every conclusion.

Do not compare noncomparable data—make sure the data you present and compare have similar relationships that are logical.

Do not draw illogical cause-effect conclusions—remember that two sets of data must be more than associated for one to cause the other. Association is not causation.

Beware of unreliable and unrepresentative data—be alert for errors in data; methodology, sample design, and such are essential for reliable and representative facts.

Do not oversimplify—give attention to all-important facts of a problem.

Tailor your claims to your data—do not generalize or recommend action beyond what your data will support.

Remind students that their data won’t mean anything in a vacuum. They need to contextualize their data for the reader by showing patterns or telling a story.

Consider your data in context and try to see patterns in it that are relevant to your readers’ interests.

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Slide 10-40 Interpreting Numerical Data Ask students if they know the difference between inferential and descriptive statistics and/or which situations call for which technique.

Answer If you’re planning on using your data to predict how the larger population from which your sample was drawn will behave, you’ll need to use inferential statistics.

There are several different methods for crunching numbers this way, and you would be wise to learn enough about statistics to interpret the results that these methods produce.

Descriptive statistics are possibly of greater use to you in writing simple reports. You can describe helpful patterns in the data just by using ordinary math—and you should, for the sake of your readers.

Slides 10-41 Organizing the Report Information

Organizing is a process that allows you to present the information to your reader in a structured, patterned way. Thus, for virtually every report, you will need to think carefully about organizing your information.

Organizing means grouping and ordering information on some logical basis. It also means determining the information hierarchy (which are main topics, which are secondary topics, and so forth). Making a plan is critical to preparing a well-organized report, and it will actually save time because it will help

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prevent major revision later. This thinking can and should start early in the report-writing process; it can be altered as needed as the report develops.

This slide identifies the purposes that outlining and organizing the report serve.

Students will likely have some familiarity with conventional outlining using Roman numerals, and you can also briefly touch on the decimal system for outlining. But as the chapter says, the writer’s outline will usually not need to be this formally prepared. The time to polish up the outline’s format is when turning it into the report’s table of contents—and even then, elaborate numbering and lettering schemes such as these are likely to be regarded by business readers as distracting.)

You may want to run a brief demo of how to use the outline feature of word processing software to create these outlines easily. You could videotape this demo to post it online for the students to review later as well.

Basic Guidelines for a Logical, Clear Structure        

You may want to review the following guidelines for organizing documents: The overall structure should be appropriate for the audience and purpose.

The structure should be discernable and consistent.

All sections on the same level of importance should be about the same size.

Each level must have two major headings.

The sections should be discrete.

Each section should be unified.

Headings and indentations should be used to break up the text and highlight structure but should be used only when necessary.

Common Patterns of Organization

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Slide 10-42 This overview slide presents various ways a writer might divide up a report based on the primary relationship among the data. Examples of each of these strategies follow.

    

Time—relationships of chronology Place—relationships of geography Quantity—relationships of units (quantitative values) Factors—relationships of major determinants Comparison—relationship of two or more things

From Outline to Table of Contents Slides 10-43, 10-44, 10-45 You can use slides 10-43 to demonstrate three different grammatical forms for making equal-level headings parallel.

Headings are important for guiding your reader through your report. When the headings are inconsistent in construction, it can throw the reader off and it presents a careless appearance.

You can use slide 10-44 to show students how to make headings parallel. Here 1, 3 and 4 are sentences, while 2 is a noun phrase. Ask students to correct the fault.

Slide 10-45 emphasizes the importance of concise headings. Ask students to brainstorm more concise headings. One possible revision is:  

Biggest Selling Point: Enhanced Personal Appearance Largest Drawback: Difficult to Use

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

Most Requested Improvement: Increased Comfort

Writing the Report Slides 10-46, 10-47, 10-48, 10-49, 10-50, 10-51, 10-52 Slide 10-46 points out a few of the major strategies a report writer should employ when writing a report. Examples of some of these strategies follow.

The actual drafting of the report need not be a daunting task if you have followed the previous advice in this chapter: writing a clear problem statement, keeping track of your interpretations, and making an organizational plan. Following the advice in Chapter 4 will also help make the report-writing process, especially the drafting stage, as painless and productive as possible.

The advice about adaptation in previous chapters will help you write a readable and interesting report. Particularly when revising, be sure to write in a way that your readers will find clear and efficient, and be sure that attractive formatting provides easy access to the contents.

Beginnings and Endings You can use slides 10-47 to discuss generally what these two important report parts need to accomplish.

The beginning and ending are critical parts of almost any report because these are likely to be the most-read parts. (While reviewing the criteria on this slide, you might look at the beginnings and endings of the sample reports in the chapter.)

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Impersonal and Personal Slide 10-48 shows examples of impersonal and personal styles.

The goal of a report writer is to seek the best information and the most reasonable interpretations. To achieve this goal, the report writer must keep an open mind and maintain a judicial attitude. These qualities should make the report as objective as possible.

Whatever style the audience prefers, remind students that their goal is always to write prose that is active, clear, and interesting.

Consistency with Time Examples of logic (and illogic) and consistency (and inconsistency) in handling time viewpoints are shown on slides 10-49, 10-50, and 10-51. The idea is to be consistent in time viewpoint. On slide 10-49 the first sentence uses a past tense and the second uses present. Both are from the same data set.

Hence, this writing is confusing and illogical.

Report writers can report events in the past tense if that is when the events occurred. Or they can use the present tense if that is when the events are happening.

Maintaining Interest You can use slide 10-52 to demonstrate how variety of expression not only prevents monotony but also helps build the reader’s interest.

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Slide 10-53 You Make the Call Ask students if they have encountered these phrases before? If so, what was their reaction to them?

And do they agree with Maddox’s assessment?

Slide 10-54 Writing Reports Collaboratively You are likely to participate in numerous team projects on the job. The shift from hierarchical to flatter, more flexible organizations over the last few decades has generated a more collaborative workplace.

Because of their length and complexity, reports are often researched and prepared by teams. Slide 1054 provides an overview of some good advice for constructing reports in a collaborative setting.

Determine the group makeup. Members will most likely be chosen based on their expertise and availability.

Create ground rules. These can range from rules about interpersonal interactions to rules governing more logistical issues, such as how to inform each other when problems arise.

Choose the means for collaboration. The bulk of the work may take place via email or online collaborative writing tools (see the From the Tech Desk feature in this section). But ideally you should have at least two face-to-face meetings.

Make a plan. Clearly outline the steps of the project, structure the tasks, and organize a timeline.

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Assign the tasks. Be detailed in thinking through all the steps of the project and decide at the beginning who is going to be in charge of what steps.

When discussing the last step above, refer to the Communication Matters feature “Three Methods of Collaborative Writing” and ask students to consider the pros and cons of each. Invite them to share their previous experience with group projects and say what did and didn’t work well (and why).

Slide 10-55 You Make the Call Use this slide to wrap up your discussion of writing reports collaboratively. Emphasize that in most cases, working together on a report will be a benefit to all, if the proper steps are taken to keep the work organized and fairly divided, and if good communication occurs between the members of the team.

Slides 10-56, 10-57, 10-58, 10-59 Summary Remind students that successful reports and effective research go hand in hand. The better you are at gathering and sharing useful information, the more successful you will be in your career.

Critical-Thinking Questions

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1. Generate a hypothetical situation relevant to your field in which a business research report would be needed. Write realistic problem and purpose statements for the report. (LO10-1).

Answers will vary but relationship to the research question should be clear.

2. What are three to five subtopics for your hypothetical research problem in Question 1? (LO102) Answers will vary but relationship to the research question should be clear.

3. Which of the following are secondary research sources and which are primary? Why? (LO10-3) a. Information from the CBC about the unemployment rate Secondary. It’s material someone else has published. b. Information from a focus group of potential customers about a new online ordering system Primary. It’s information gathered firsthand. c. Information about an industry’s use of social media collected by following a blog Secondary. It’s material someone else has published. d. Information about salaries collected from members of the listserv of a professional organization Primary. It’s information gathered firsthand. e. Information about the courtesy of the service staff gathered from a survey of the customers Primary. It’s information gathered firsthand.

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4. Assume that you’ve been given the task of writing the report on the topic you generated in Questions 1 and 2. What kinds of Internet research could you do to gather relevant information? What search terms would you use? (LO10-4, LO10-5) Answers should refer to specific databases and reputable websites related to the subject matter.

5. Find an article on the Internet that gives advice about conducting some aspect of business operations (e.g., improving teamwork, managing employees, communicating with potential customers). Using the advice in the book, evaluate the credibility and usefulness of the article.

(LO10-6) Answers will vary but should reference basic business communication principles in the text and the research methods in this chapter.

6. Explore a business-related topic on LinkedIn. What kinds of information can you find that might help solve a business problem? (LO10-7) Each answer should be evaluated on its merits.

7. Which databases or other resources would be good sources of information for each of the following subjects? (LO10-8) a. A company’s market share See the resources under “How do I find information about companies?” in Exhibit 10-12. b. Whether or not a company is being sued See the resources under “How do I find information about companies?” Business & Company Resource Centre, Lexis/Nexis, and Hoover’s Online would be particularly appropriate. c. Industry trends See the resources under “How do I find business news and trends?” and the resources under “How do I find information about particular industries?” in Exhibit 10-12. d. Successful job interview strategies See the resources under “How do I find business news and trends?” in Exhibit 10-12. e. The job outlook in a certain industry This one can span several sections of Exhibit 10-12. ABI/Inform Complete and Lexis/Nexis might have articles on this topic; so might websites for specific companies and for professional organizations.

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f.

Recent trends in business-related technology Applied Science and Technology Abstracts, ABI/Inform Complete, Business and Industry Database

g. The potential world market for a product See the resources under “How do I find out about other countries and international trade?” Of particular relevance would be Global Market Information Database h. Government regulations for incorporating your business See the resources under “How do I find date provided by the Canadian government?” i.

j.

The qualifications of a company’s new CEO See the resources under “How do I find biographical and contact information for businesspeople?”

A certain culture’s negotiation style See the resources under “How do I find out about other countries and international trade?” in Exhibit 10-12.

8. Explain the difference between a signal phrase and a citation. (LO10-9) Signal phrase: a short introductory phrase containing the author and/or title of the text: it precedes a quotation, paraphrase, or summary.

Citation: a concise way of documenting sources in the body of a text and used for quotations and paraphrases. The citation goes after the quotation or paraphrase and will contain information about the author’s last name and the page range of the quotation or paraphrase: depending on the citation style being used, the date of publication may also be included.

9. An entry in a reference or bibliography section usually contains which types of information?

(LO10-9)  Author name  Title of the work  Date of publication  Publisher name  URL for online sources 10. Explain the difference between quantitative and qualitative research, and describe a sample situation in which each would be appropriate. (LO10-10, LO10-11, LO10-12, LO10-13, LO10-14)

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Quantitative research is concerned with numeric data, statistical testing, and generalizing research findings to a larger population. Qualitative research involves verbal data and uses an interpretive approach to gain insights into a particular case, phenomena, behaviour, etc.

Qualitative research is not concerned with generalizing findings beyond the population being studied. So, if we wanted to find out how a group of students at a particular university felt about their dining service experience, we could use qualitative research. If we wanted to know whether or not college students in general felt that room and board on college campuses is worth the cost, then we would probably need to rely on quantitative research.

11. Explain the difference between random sampling and convenience sampling. Give an example of when each type of sampling would be feasible and appropriate. (LO10-10) A truly random sample would give every member of the population an equal chance of being chosen. For example, if someone wanted to get the attitudes of a larger population and want to make sure that their sample is representative of the whole. A convenience sample gives members an undeterminable chance of being chosen. The convenience sample is used because of its accessibility and usually lower cost. It is often used for pilot tests. A professor who did not need to focus on accurate representation would use convenience sampling for research since their students are accessible.

12. Point out the problems in the following sample survey questions. (LO10-11) a. How often do you shower?

This question concerns a matter of personal pride and is not likely to produce truthful answers. b. (First question in a phone survey) Which NDP candidate do you favour, Jean Adams or Seth Rubins?

This is a leading question. Survey questions shouldn’t reveal biases. c. Do you consider the ideal pay plan to be one based on straight commission or straight salary?

The question does not permit other choices. Other pay plans exist. d. What kind of gasoline did you purchase last time?

The meaning of “kind” is not clear. It could refer to brand (Texaco, Exxon, etc.), or it could refer to grade (premium, unleaded) or octane rating. e. How much did you pay for clothing in the past 12 months?

Such information is not likely to be remembered.

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13. What is scaling? What is the difference between rating and ranking? (LO10-11) Scaling measures the intensity of questionnaire respondents’ feelings about an issue. Rating provides a scale for each question that shows the complete range of possible attitudes (e.g., from “very unlikely” to “highly likely”) and assigns a number value to each position on the scale.

Ranking simply asks the respondent to rank a number of alternative answers to a question in order of preference (1, 2, 3, and so on).

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14. Define observation as a research technique and give an example of a business problem that might warrant observational research. (LO10-12) Observation is seeing with a purpose. It consists of recording data on the subject of investigation by observing physical phenomena. The physical phenomena observed are those around which the problem in question is concerned.

Students’ examples should be judged on the basis of their merits. While the problems they cite may be solved other ways, observation should clearly be the best.

15. Define experiment as a research technique and give an example of an experiment a company might conduct. (LO10-13) Experimentation is an orderly form of testing. It involves keeping unchanged all the variables of a problem except those which are the subject of the investigation. For example, a beverage company might conduct a taste test experiment in which tasters are blindfolded and given different drinks to test.

16. Why does the controlled before-after design give more helpful information than the beforeafter design? (LO10-13) The controlled before-after design helps account for other influences. In this design a control group is used along with the experimental group. Both groups are measured, the treatment is applied to one group, and both groups are measured again. This after-treatment measurement gives a clearer picture of the effect of the treatment.

17. When would you use a focus group or personal interview to gather information? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? (LO10-14) A focus group can allow for a group of individuals to generate interesting and useful data.

Generally used to determine the beliefs of a particular group, they are often used effectively when companies want to know about the experience of users of a particular product. In an interview people may share information that they are not comfortable sharing in a large group.

If an interview or focus group is conducted face-to-face, the researcher has the opportunity to immediately ask follow-up questions. Sometimes in focus groups, a few people may dominate the discussion. In focus groups and interviews it is important to find an effective means of recording data.

18. Explain the difference between closed-ended and open-ended survey questions. (LO10-14)

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Closed-ended questions force the reader into a particular response (e.g., year in school, yes/no).

An open-ended question allows for a variety of responses.

19. What are the basic ethical guidelines for conducting business research? Why are such guidelines important? (LO10-15) Treat research participants ethically and report information accurately and honestly.

20. Jim’s boss asked him to investigate why sales for the last quarter were low. Jim interviewed one of the sales managers about the problem, and she complained that the new people didn’t know how to sell. Jim then wrote a report in which he identified the new people’s deficient skills as the problem and recommended that more training be provided for them. What errors in interpretation do you see in Jim’s report? (LO10-16) Jim does not have enough data to support this interpretation and is not appreciating the complexity of business problems. He is oversimplifying and failing to tailor his claims to his data.

Using too few facts to generalize far too much is faulty interpretation.

21. You are writing a report on the progress of your local cable company’s efforts to increase the sales of five of its products through different advertising media: print and online newspapers and magazines, television, radio, email, and social media. Plan the headings for this report and explain why you’d organize the information this way. (LO10-17) One possibility is to divide based on products, discussing the effectiveness of each form of advertising under each product. Another is to divide by types of advertising, discussing the effects on the products under each form of advertising.

22. In what ways can the format of the table of contents ease readers’ comprehension of a report? Find an example of a helpfully formatted table of contents and explain what makes it effective. (LO10-18) You can use the table of contents for the sample report in Chapter 11 to conduct this discussion, but students should easily be able to find a good table of contents on their own. It does not have to be a table of contents for a report. It can be one from a textbook, a cookbook—any kind of document. The kind of helpful formatting elements they should note are size/boldness of type, use of indentation, and any numbering scheme.

23. Explain the difference between personal and impersonal writing. Which is “better”? (LO10-19) Personal writing uses personal pronouns and a prevalence of “who does what” sentences.

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Impersonal writing avoids direct references to the writer or reader and has things (“the research,” “the data”) instead of people as subjects.

Proponents of impersonal writing claim that by eliminating references to the participants (writer and reader), emphasis is placed on the facts. Emphasis of the facts, they argue, tends to give the report the appearance of objectivity.

Advocates of personal writing say the objectivity is an attitude of mind and is not affected by the presence or absence of personal references. And sentences that use personal references tend to be more interesting and direct.

The impersonal tone would be appropriate in a formal report with a very traditional audience.

Also, if you are in a workplace where impersonal tone is the convention for reports, then you should follow the standards.

24. Explain the difference between the present-time viewpoint and the past-time viewpoint. Is it incorrect to have different tenses in the same report? Give examples to make your point.

(LO10-19) With the present-time viewpoint, the writer presents as current all information that is current at the time of writing. In past-time viewpoints, the writers assume that all data collected are past events by the time the report is read. You want to maintain a consistent tense in your reports.

25. Evaluate this statement: “Reports are written for people who want them, so you don’t have to be concerned about holding their interest.” (LO10-19) Regardless of how much the readers may want to read a report, they are likely to miss essential parts unless their interest is held. For effective reports, the writing must be interesting as well as factual. Because of this, the quality of interest is as important as the facts of the report to achieve effective communication.

26. Evaluate this statement: “Collaborative reports are always better than reports written by an individual because they use many minds rather than one.” (LO10-20) Collaborative reports have the potential to be better than reports prepared by an individual, but they do not always turn out that way. Assuming that the collaborative process is properly planned and managed, that members are dedicated and committed to the project, and that they have competence in their area of expertise, then the report they prepare should be better than an individual could prepare because of the “many/multiple minds” concept.

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On the other hand, if the collaborative process is disregarded, the members have little commitment to the project, and their expertise is weak, the report could be worse than one individual could prepare alone. The key, then, is how well the “process of collaboration” is managed.

It might be interesting to explore with a class the factors (contingencies) that are needed for successful collaboration. The following items can be used for starters: competence, dedication, personality, work ethic, attitudes, commitment time, etc.

27. “Disagreements in groups are counterproductive and should be avoided.” Discuss. (LO10-20) Discourteous disagreements or those based on pure stubbornness are indeed counterproductive. But too much agreement during the report-writing process is counterproductive, too. Each group member should bring his/her own critical thinking to the project and carefully consider each proposed solution before going along with others’ ideas.

Once it is clear that a certain idea is better than another, though, each member should willingly discard the less effective idea.

A good principle is for contributors to keep their egos out of the process as much as possible; they should work together objectively for the best possible report.

The better choice would be determined by the objective of the report. If the objective is to determine sales results by product (the most likely possibility), the product division is better. If it is to determine how the sales were increased, division by form of advertising is the better arrangement.

Skills-Building Exercise 1. For each of the following report situations, write a clear problem statement and list what factors could or should be explored. (LO10-1, LO10-2)

a. A breakfast cereal manufacturer wants to attract a new demographic of customers.

Problem Statement: What are the characteristics of the consumers of Breakfast Cereal Company X? Factors:

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Age

Race

Education

Sex

Income Level

Etc.

b. A toothpaste manufacturer wants a bigger share of the toothpaste market.

Problem Statement: How does Toothpaste X compare with its competitors?

Factors: Taste

Price

Effectiveness

Etc.

c. A company wants to give its stockholders a summary of its operations for the past calendar year.

Problem Statement: To summarize the operations of Company X for 20XX.

Factors: Production

Personal Relations

Exploration

Financial Operations

Sales

Etc.

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d. A building contractor engaged to remodel an office submits a report to their client summarizing their weekly progress.

Problem Statement: To summarize construction progress for Company X for month of ____________.

Factors: (the appropriate divisions of the work done during the period) Land Grading

Electrical Work

Foundation

Plumbing

Buildings

Machinery and Equipment

e. The supervisor of the Human Resources Department must prepare a report about the need for a new staff member.

Problem Statement: What are the projects that are currently in need of work?

Factors: Number of hours needed per project

Current skill sets of employees

Number of projects in Department X

Number of staff in Department X

Employment status of current staff

f.

Etc.

Baker, Inc., is experiencing higher than normal employee turnover.

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Problem Statement: Employees are leaving Baker at a higher than normal rate because of ____.

Factors: Low Pay Bad Working Conditions Unsuitability for the Work Undesirability of the Work Etc.

g. An executive must rank three subordinates on the basis of their suitability for promotion to a particular job.

Problem Statement: Should A, B. or C be promoted?

Factors: Experience Quantity Quality Appropriateness Personal Qualifications Personality

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Dependability Initiative Ability to Do the Job Etc.

h. A restaurant manager must compare two possible suppliers of fresh seafood.

Problem Statement: Which supplier will provide the best product for the best price?

Factors: Cost of Product

Production Quality

References

Speed of Operation

Competency in Delivery

i.

Etc.

An investment consultant must advise a client on whether to invest in the development of a lake resort.

Problem Statement: Is investment in ___________ property a good investment?

Factors Cost of Investment Past, Current, and Future Development in this Resort Area National and Regional Trends in Resort Property Development

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Nearness of Population Centres

j.

A consultant needs to help a wine shop improve its profits.

Problem Statement: Profits of Wine Shop X could be increased through ___.

Factors: Improvement in Variety of Offerings Improvement in Service Improvement in Retail Operations Improvement in Buying and Storing Improvement in Marketing Etc.

2. Find a company whose website features a section on its role as a community or world citizen (e.g., its principles and practices for corporate social responsibility). How persuaded are you that the information there is complete and accurate? Check the information there against other Internet resources to see if your assessment was accurate. (LO10-6)

Each student’s answer should be evaluated on its merits.

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3. Search the relevant research databases in your school library to gather information about a current business topic, practice, or technology. Using the citation style preferred by your instructor, construct an annotated bibliography that presents and briefly describes your findings. (See Reference Chapter B for citation formats and advice.) (LO10-8) Each student’s answer should be evaluated on its merits.

4. Search your library catalogue for a scholarly article or professional report that contains citations. (You can also consult the databases listed in Gathering the Information: Secondary Sources.) Use your chosen text to answer the following questions. (LO10-9) a. What types of sources are cited? b. Are they surveys, research studies, trade magazines, government publications, popular news sources, etc.? c. What is the purpose of these sources? d. Do they provide background information? Research models? e. Are there data to interpret or analyze? f.

Do they support the writer’s argument or is the writer critiquing the source’s argument?

g. How is the source incorporated within the text? Does the writer use summary, paraphrase, direct quotations, or a combination of methods?

Each student’s answer should be evaluated on its merits.

5. Using your imagination to supply any missing facts you may need, develop a plan for conducting a survey to research these problems. (LO10-10, LO10-11) a. Pizza Marketplace, a resource for people in the pizza business, wants to give its subscribers a profile of take-out pizza customers. It needs such information as what kinds of people order take-out, how often, why, and about how much they spend.

Likewise, it will seek to determine who does not get takeout out and why.

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b. The editor of your local daily newspaper wants to learn who reads what in both the print and online editions of the paper. c. Your boss wants to hire an experienced computer webmaster for your company.

Because the company has not ever hired anyone for such a position, you were asked to survey experienced webmasters to gather likely salary figures. d. A professional organization that you belong to wants to find out how its members are using social media in their work, what types they are using, and how much they are using each type. e. You work in the human resources department of a company. The director needs to make changes to the company’s health care plan for the coming year and wants you to find out which of the three current plans employees are using, why they selected it, and how satisfied they’ve been with it.

Student answers should be evaluated on their merits. No one best solution exists.

6. Using your imagination to supply any missing facts you may need, develop a plan for conducting an observation to help solve each of these problems. (LO10-12) a. A chain of department stores wants to know what causes differences in home appliance sales across its stores. b. Your university wants to know the nature and extent of its parking problem. c. The management of an insurance company wants to determine the effectiveness of its customer-service representatives. d. The director of a community library wants a detailed study of the patrons’ use of its facilities (what facilities are used, when, by whom, and so on).

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e. The management of a restaurant wants a study of its workers’ efficiency in the kitchen.

Student answers should be evaluated on their merits. No one best solution exists.

7. Using your imagination to supply any missing facts you may need, develop a plan for conducting an experiment to help solve the following problems. (LO10-13) a. The Golden Glow Baking Company has for many years manufactured and sold cookies packaged in attractive boxes. It is considering packaging the cookies in recyclable bags and wants to conduct an experiment to determine consumers’ likely response to this change. b. A producer of expensive cosmetics wants to know whether using quick response (QR) codes in its print ads would significantly increase its profits. c. The Marvel Soap Company has developed a new cleaning agent that is unlike current soaps and detergents. The company wants to determine the optimum price for the new product. d. National Cereals, Inc. wants to determine the effectiveness of advertising to children.

Until now, it has been aiming its appeal at parents.

Student answers should be evaluated on their merits. No one best solution exists.

8. Using your imagination to supply any missing facts you may need, develop a plan for conducting focus groups to help solve these problems. (LO10-14)

a. A brand of work boots has for years sold its products through conventional retail outlets. It now wants to examine the possibility of selling through catalogues or online.

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b. The International Association of Publishers wants to gauge the current attitude toward electronic textbooks.

c. Sizemore Rental Car Company would like to add a line of hybrid cars for its business customers, but the CEO is not sure whether such cars would appeal to these customers.

Student answers should be evaluated on their merits. No one best solution exists.

9. Using your imagination to supply any missing facts you may need, develop a plan for conducting interviews to help solve these problems. (LO10-15) a. Grow More Company sells children’s clothes. The company has seen an increased rate of employee turnover this year, and your supervisor want to know why. b. Jacob’s Hardware Store recently sent out a survey to get feedback on its customer service. The management would like to follow this up with some interviews to get a better sense of what happened on one particular Saturday when customers said they’d received very poor service.

Student answers should be evaluated on their merits. No one best solution exists.

10. Assume that you plan to research the changing social media landscape (e.g., which platforms are available and how popular they are) across several time periods. How might you organize this information besides using a time-based pattern? Compare and evaluate the two possibilities as the main bases for organizing the report. (LO10-17) Each answer presented must be judged on its own merits.

11. Assume that you are writing up the results of a survey conducted to determine what kinds of groceries are purchased by female college students in Canada. What organizational patterns could work here? Which would you recommend? (LO10-17)

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Each answer will have to be evaluated on its merits, although these possibilities should be brought out: Place—As the survey covers a geographic area, a place division is a possibility (Northeast, Midwest, South, Southwest, etc.)

Quantity—Shopping habits are related to income. Thus a division of the information on the basis of income (under $30,000, $30,000-$40,000, etc.) of the respondents would be in order.

Factor—Areas to be covered in such a report include types of women (by ages, by income, by ethnic group, etc.) and household needs (living with parents, living in a dorm, managing a family, holding parties, etc.).

Any number of combinations of these relationships could be used in a logical organization of this problem.

12. For the problem described in the preceding exercise, use your imagination to construct topic headings for the outline. (LO10-18) Each student’s work should be evaluated on its merits.

13. Improve the parallelism of these headings: (LO10-18) a. Lagging Sales in Region I b. Moderate Increase Seen for Region II c. Sales in Region III Headings a and b contain verbs; heading c does not.

14. Improve the parallelism of these headings in a report about doing business in Thailand.

(LO10-18)

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a. b. c. d. e.

Historical Overview Buddhism a Strong Influence on Values and Behaviour Relaxed Sense of Time Showing Respect for Authority Avoid Open Confrontation

Here is one possible revision: a. b. c. d. e.

Rich History and Culture Respect for Buddhist Values Relaxed Sense of Time Deep Respect for Authority Strong Avoidance of Open Confrontation

15. Select an editorial, feature article, book chapter, or other relatively lengthy document that has no headings. Write headings for it. (LO10-18) Each answer should be judged on its own merits. The best will be concise, grammatically parallel headings that accurately capture the contents and are worded to maintain reader interest.

16. Assume you are writing a report that summarizes a survey you have conducted. Write a paragraph of the report using the present-time viewpoint; then write the paragraph using the past-time viewpoint. The paragraph will be based on the following information. (LO10-19) Answers to the question about how students view the proposed Aid to Education Bill in this survey and in a survey taken a year earlier (last year’s results are in parentheses): For, 39% (21%); Against, 17% (43%) No answer, undecided, etc., 44% (36%)

Present-time viewpoint:

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In a survey of students on the Aid to Education Bill, the results show 39 percent favour it this year compared to 21 percent last year. Similarly, 17 percent are against it compared to 43 percent last year. Forty-four percent give no answer or report being undecided compared to 36 percent a year earlier.

Past-time viewpoint: In a survey of students on the Aid to Education Bill, the results showed 39 percent favoured it this year compared to 21 percent last year. Similarly, 17 percent were against it compared to 43 percent last year. Forty-four percent gave no answer or reported being undecided this year compared to 36 percent a year earlier.

17. List the advantages and disadvantages of each of these different media for writing collaboratively. (LO10-20) a. b. c. d. e.

Face-to-face meetings Email Discussion board Online writing tool (e.g., Google Drive) Live online interaction (e.g., chat or Zoom)

a. Face-to-face meetings Advantages: quick give-and-take, can read facial expressions, can have everyone present at once, conducive to brainstorming Disadvantages: can be inconvenient or even impossible to get everyone together; people can blurt things out without thinking enough; hard to get writing done b. Email

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Advantages: can put things in writing; can send the message to everyone at once; easy to see if a new contribution has been posted Disadvantages: not very easy give-and-take; messages can get lost in people’s in-boxes; can have version control problems; not live, so delays can happen; can’t view others’ faces

c. Discussion board

Advantages: have a record all in one place of people’s dialogue; can put things in writing Disadvantages: have to go check the board (don’t receive notification, as with email); threads can get too long and unwieldy; can be a pain to use (several levels deep in a CMS), can’t see faces

d. Online writing tool (e.g., Google Drive)

Advantages: store and access files from anywhere; change a file one place and it updates on every device; keep files synced; collaborate on writing projects Disadvantages: no face-to-face component; perhaps a tendency to let one or two people do all the writing; have to learn the technology e. Live online interaction (e.g., chat or Skype) Advantages: usually free; available 24/7 from anywhere; can see faces with Skype if people have video cameras; quick give-and-take Disadvantages: have to get/learn the technology; hard to wind up with a usable body of text; no text formatting capabilities.

Problem Solver to the Rescue: Preparing the Opening of a Research Report* Step 1: Steve’s introduction needs to convey to the readers what he studied (the problem) and what he found out (the results). Upper management was likely unaware of the details of this study and the problem, so a statement of the problem (evaluating customer service as a

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possible cause of business drop-off) and the scope (West Union clinics) and method of the research (patient survey) is useful to the secondary audience.

Since the purpose of the report was to identify factors that may be contributing to a drop-off in business, the focus of the introduction should be on results that can help solve that problem. In Steve’s original introduction, he gives equal detail to the positive results and the negative results. In the revision, the positive results are mentioned, but the specific details are saved for the two most important results related to the problem (lack of appointments and wait time).

Other details such as the total number of survey respondents will be included in the body of the report and is not necessary for the introduction.

Step 2: Here is one possible re-write for Steve’s introduction.

In response to declining business revenue at the West Union clinics during this quarter, the management team conducted survey research of over 4,000 patients to determine if negative customer satisfaction is a contributing factor. In order to evaluate customer service at the clinics, we surveyed patients over a three-month period. Results show that the clinic is performing well in several areas; however, they also indicate that the recent decline in revenue may be related to lack of available appointment times and long wait times to see the doctors. *Based on Case 26 in Chapter 11.

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 11: Creating the Right Type of Report Teaching Suggestions

This chapter provides students with the tools they will need to identify and define a business problem and choose and compose the appropriate type of report for that problem. By breaking down the

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components of a report, this chapter will help students design a report effectively. By analyzing annotated examples of business reports, students be able to identify and apply appropriate business writing conventions.

Since reports needs to be constructed with audience and purpose in mind, showing examples of actual reports (with explanatory comments about context) will help demonstrate how reports are customized to address a certain need. We have included several illustrations of reports in the text. But you will probably want to use some of your own also. We have found that past reports we have graded, with our written comments, are especially useful.

Connect provides instructors with a variety of ways to customize courses, create assignments, determine grading policies, and receive student work. One of the tools Connect offers is the ability to select and add interactive assignments to your course. Explanations of these assignments and how they support the learning objectives are integrated into the instructor’s manual with the relevant subject areas.

Learning Objectives LO11-1

Explain the makeup of reports relative to length and formality.

LO11-2

Use helpful formatting elements for reports.

LO11-3

Discuss the four main ways that the writing in short reports differs from the writing in long reports.

LO11-4

Choose an appropriate form for short reports.

LO11-5

Adapt your general knowledge of report writing when preparing routine operational reports, progress reports, problem-solving reports, and minutes of meetings.

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LO11-6

Write longer reports that include the appropriate components, meet the readers’ needs, and are easy to follow.

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Key Terms appendix bibliography conclusions section email (or memo) executive summary facts of authorization feasibility study footer formal reports header letter report levels of headings limitations minutes prefatory pages problem-solving reports progress report recommendations section routine operational reports scope short report summary table of contents title fly title page transmittal message white paper

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Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 11-1, 11-2 You can use the first slides to talk about how frequently reports are written in business and therefore how important is it to feel relatively comfortable when writing them. This chapter will help your students with writing a variety of common types of reports.

Problem-Solving Challenge

Continue in your role as a management intern for Betsy Tippett, of Mockbee’s Ice Cream and Bakery (introduced in Chapter 10). Now it’s time to write a report about how to do usability testing to be turned in to Betsy, and you have lots of questions. (See all the questions in the Problem-Solving Challenge box.) Let students work in groups to come up with answers to the intern’s questions. They may need to refer back to Chapter 10 as well.

An Overview of Report Components

Slide 11-3 The makeup of reports is determined by their length and formality. While shorter reports are written more frequently, longer reports are also very common in business, especially those written to external audiences. Long reports are often collaborative efforts.

Slide 11-4 The influence of report formality and length on report form is depicted in the illustration. A duplicate of figure 11-1 in the text, this illustration can be useful in reviewing the overall structure of report makeup. As noted earlier, this topic is basic to understanding reports. Discussion should emphasize how parts drop out and change as formality and length decrease.

Slide 11-5 Divide students into groups to work together to create interesting and informative titles for the reports as described. Talk about what makes a good title.

Slide 11-6, 11-7 Use this slide to discuss each of these components of reports, asking students to recall what they’ve read and looking at samples in the book.

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To make full sense of the illustration on slide 11-4, students need some familiarity with the prefatory components of long reports.

The title fly is simply a page with the title of the report on it. It is included as an extra touch of formality.

The title page has more information. It typically contains the title, identification of the reader and writer, and the date. You can point out that the title needs special care, as it will form the reader’s expectations for the rest of the report. The Communication Matters box titled “Creating a Report Title with the Five Ws and One H” demonstrates how students can articulate the subject and purpose of a report when being concise.

The transmittal message is the letter that hands the report over to the reader. It describes the report’s purpose and main findings and includes any other information about the project that the writer wants to include. This piece of the report has the most personal tone of any of the parts; it typically uses personal pronouns and a more conversational style than the rest of the report. Students can refer to Exhibit 11-5 for an example combination transmittal message and executive summary.

The table of contents, of course, is a guide to the structure and specific contents of the report. It can be appropriate for reports that are as short as five pages, though usually it’s for longer reports. When writing a short report, one can embed a guide to the contents in the introductory sections of the report itself (for example, as a preview sentence or a bulleted list).

The executive summary (sometimes given other labels) is the report in miniature. In long reports, it is on a separate page or pages; in a short report, it can be the opening section of the report itself.

Whichever form it takes, it should be self-explanatory—that is, people shouldn’t have to read the report to make sense of it. You may want to remind students that executive summaries are usually written in the same order and proportion as the report. Exhibit 11-2 shows students the difference between an executive summary in the direct and indirect order.

Slide 11-8 You Make the Call

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Let students answer this as an in-class or homework assignment. They can be creative and make up the details about the company, then write the executive summary for this report in the order they think is appropriate and explain why they chose that order.

Slide 11-9

Formatting Devices for Reports Slide 11-9 provides an overview of formatting devices that they can use to organize and format their reports. Remind students that how they use these devices will depend on the length, purpose, and formality for their report.

Characteristics of Shorter Reports

Slide 11-10 Shorter reports are frequently written in business. Because of their comparative brevity and informality, they generally share the following characteristics:

   

Less need for introductory information Predominance of the direct order More personal writing style Less need for a structured coherence plan

Short reports need coherence, but they will not need as many transitional elements as longer, more formal reports.

As you reveal each of these, ask students to explain the reasons for them. These characteristics will be explained on the following slides.

Connect Assignment 11-1 (a-e): Recommending the Purchase of Email Marketing Software Summary: Students will read the scenario and then answer the questions about planning an effective short report.

Follow-Up Activity: Students can create the transmittal email that will go with the short report.

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Slide 11-11 Little Need for Introductory Information

If shorter reports need introductory information at all, it will be brief. Often the topic and purpose are articulated in the report title.

A brief reminder of the report’s problem and purpose is usually enough. Thus, the need for introductory information is slight.

Slide 11-12 Predominance of the Direct Order

Direct order means that the conclusions and/or recommendations begin the report.

Most short reports use it because readers want answers first in routine situations.

Direct order follows this pattern:

Summary/conclusions/recommendations Introduction (if needed) Body sections Recap of conclusions/recommendations

Use the direct order when readers expect an answer and when you expect them to respond positively to your main findings/recommendations.

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Use the indirect order when readers need to see the facts before the conclusions/ recommendations.

Indirect order follows this arrangement:

Introduction Body Sections Conclusions/recommendations Summary

Slide 11-13 More Personal Writing Style

Shorter reports use more personal writing (I, we, you).

They do so because short reports are prepared by and written to people who know one another and deal with routine matters.

Slide 11-14 Less Need for Coherence Helpers

Long, formal reports usually need a formal, structured coherence plan (summarizing, forward-looking, backward-bending parts).

Short reports need coherence, but not an elaborate structured plan.

Connect Assignment 11-2 (a-e): Investigating an Employee Blog

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Summary: Some shorter reports may be very specific in nature and require the employee to adapt the report to the specific situation. Students will use this analytical exercise to demonstrate their understanding of creating shorter reports for specific circumstances.

Follow-Up Activity: Given the correct answer presented in 11-2b, instruct students to create a transmittal email to go with this short report that will be appropriate to the employee’s status as a new hire.

Forms for Short to Mid-Length Reports

Slide 11-15 You can use these slides to outline the report forms discussed in the text.

Slide 11-16 The Short Report

This report consists of title page and text. It has mid-level formality. Most use the direct order, headings (but usually to the first or second division only), graphics, and appended parts.

Slide 11-17 You Make the Call Break students into small groups and ask them to brainstorm situations where an impersonal style would be appropriate for a short report: after, discuss their answers as a class. (For online students, consider creating a discussion board post.)

Slide 11-18 Letter Reports

Letter reports—reports in letter form—present information to readers outside an organization.

Although exceptions exist, letter reports are usually written personally and in the indirect order.

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If they are written directly, they use a subject line and end with goodwill closings.

See the Annotated Example of a letter report in the text.

Slide 11-19 Email and Memo Reports

Email, of course, is widely used in business, and thus so are email reports. (Email reports have largely replaced memo reports, but the criteria apply to both.)

Typically email reports are informal, use headings, and sometimes have graphics.

Slide 11-20 Research Presented in Other Forms

Research can be presented in a variety of business documents such as newsletters, thank you messages, and brochures.

You may want to direct students to the Communication Matters box titled “Some of the Most Useful, Reliable Reports are Content-Marketing Reports” and discuss how researched reports can be effective tools for companies who want to showcase data about their products or services.

Common Types of Short Reports

Slide 11-21 You can use this slide to describe common report types (based on purpose) discussed in the text.

Routine Operational Reports

These are the workhorse of business. Virtually every organization relies on them to get the information where it needs to go, and on time. They can be yearly, quarterly, weekly, or even daily.

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Most are written on a relatively regular schedule since they provide information on routine operations.

Their form can vary widely from company to company. The text mentions one innovative format—the 5-15 report. You and your students can share others that you know about. Whatever the form, the top priority is to get the information across as directly and clearly as possible.

Those who regularly write routine reports should consider creating forms or templates for them.

Progress Reports

Progress reports can be viewed as a type of routine operational report. They review progress made on an activity. They may also include problems encountered and future projections of progress.

But since you want to convey the point that you are making progress, use a positive tone whenever possible. Most progress reports are informal, narrative reports. You may use the two annotated examples in the chapters as examples.

Problem-Solving Reports

While all significant forms of business communication can be said to solve business problems of one kind or another, we focus here on reports that are specifically focused on helping decision makers figure out a course of action to take. These are often assigned (or requested by a client company), but they can also be unsolicited (as when an employee needs to bring a problem to his or her supervisor’s attention).

One common type of problem-solving report is the feasibility study. For these reports, writers study several courses of action and then propose the most feasible, desirable one.

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It is possible that some problem-solving reports won’t go so far as to recommend a solution.

Sometimes executives just want you to give them a thorough investigation of a problem. But even in these cases, your report will be helping them solve a problem.

The direct order is usually best, especially for an assigned problem-solving report, but if you will be proposing something that readers may not be immediately ready for, the indirect order (with an opening like the “common ground” opening) would probably be wiser.

Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes are an example of reports in business that do not recommend or even conclude anything—they simply describe what happened. Trip reports and incident reports also fall into this category, and you and your students may think of others.

Minutes provide a written record of a group’s activities and decisions during a meeting.

Announcements, reports, significant discussions, and decisions are usually included in summary form.

Minutes should be recorded in objective language, and only resolutions should be recorded word for word. The writer has to use their judgment when recording and preparing the minutes since there is a danger of furthering some participants’ political interests and not others.

Minutes should be formatted for easy readability; sometimes items are numbered to correspond to the numbering on a formal agenda. The annotated example in this chapter provides students with an example of the conventions of minutes.

Sample Short Report

Slides 11-22, 11-23, 11-24, 11-25, 11-26, 11-27, 11-28, Analyze this short report with students. Note that recommendation and key facts are up front.

 

Bases of comparison (factors) permit hotels (units) to be compared logically.

Short sentences and transitional words increase readability and move ideas forward.

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    

Alternate placement of topic sentences offers variety.

Talking headings (all noun phrases) make key points stand out.

Logical paragraphing helps the different points stand out.

Analysis is adapted to readers’ needs.

Repetition of the key point provides a sense of closure.

Long, Formal Reports

Slide 11-29 In this section, we elaborate further on the special features and components of long reports. The textbook provides an annotated example of a long report.

The Introduction

The introduction is the first section of the report itself, coming after all the prefatory pages, and in long reports, it can be quite elaborate. Its purpose is to prepare the readers to receive the report.

Whatever will help achieve this goal is appropriate content. Giving your readers what they need makes a good first impression and displays good you-viewpoint.

Ask yourself what you would need or want to know about the problem if you were in your readers’ shoes.

The following could all be part of the introduction: • • • • • • • •

Origin of the report: a review of the facts of authorization—who, when, and how the report was authorized Problem and purpose: description of the problem and statement of the purpose of the report Scope: the boundaries of your investigation—what you studied and what you didn’t Limitations: anything that kept your report from being an ideal treatment of the problem Background: knowledge of the history of the problem Sources and methods: how you collected the information that is in your report Definitions of special terms and acronyms: list of terms with explanations Report preview: how the report is organized

Slide 11-30 You Make the Call

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Have students do a Think-Share-Pair exercise for this question: give them a few minutes to think of an answer on their own; next, have them discuss their answers with someone sitting next to them; finally, discuss as a class.

Slide 11-31 The Report Body

After the introductory material comes the body of the report. In a sense, the report body is the report.

With the exception of the conclusion or recommendation sections, the other parts of the report are attached parts.

Slide 11-32 The Ending

You can end your report in any number of ways: with a summary, a conclusions section, a recommendations section, or a combination. Your choice depends on the purpose of your report. But whatever your choice, be sure to use helpful formatting to make the key points stand out.

The following could all be part of the ending: • • •

Summary: a review of your major findings (not to be confused with the Executive Summary, which occurs at the beginning of a report) Conclusions: analysis of the findings Recommendations: suggestions for a course of action

Appended parts in a long report could include a bibliography and an appendix.

Direct students to study the annotated example of a long, formal report provided in the book.

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Summary: Students will put the components of a report into the proper order.

Follow-Up Activity: Students can write a short definition of each of these report components.

Slide 11-33 This final quote makes clear that skillful report writing is more important in “the information age” than it has ever been.

Slide 11-34 Review the learning objectives with your students.

Critical-Thinking Questions

1. Which of the prefatory pages of reports appear to be related primarily to the length of the report? Which to the need for formality? (LO11-1)

The table of contents and executive summary clearly are related to length. The longer a report is, the greater the need for a guide to its pages. Likewise, the longer a report is, the more useful a summary is likely to be. The remaining prefatory parts are primarily related to the need for formality.

2. Describe the role and content of a transmittal message. (LO11-1) The message takes the place of the conversation that would take place if the writer were to present the report orally to the reader (or readers). It presents the report, makes appropriate comments about it, and expresses appreciation for the work and/or looks to future relations with the reader. In some cases, it can summarize the report content.

3. Why is the personal style typically used in the transmittal message? (LO11-1) Because the message takes the place of an oral presentation of the report, it logically uses the language, tone, and content of that presentation.

4. Explain how to write the executive summary of a report. (LO11-1)

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The executive summary includes all of the major points (facts and conclusions) in the report. It is the report in miniature. It is constructed by distilling each part, retaining only the bare essentials. (In addition, the students should describe the two organizational possibilities illustrated in Exhibits 11-2).

5. Why does the executive summary include key facts and figures in addition to the analyses and conclusions drawn from them? (LO11-1) The purpose of the executive summary is to present all that is important in the report; and this includes the facts and figures from which conclusions are drawn. As the chapter says, the summary should be self-explanatory; for some readers this is the only part of the report they will read.

6. Study the sample long report at the end of the chapter. What other formatting elements besides headings and page numbers help create a visually appealing report that is easy to comprehend?

(LO11-2)  Bulleted findings  White space between paragraphs  Data-based visuals (bar charts) 7. Explain why some routine report problems require little or no introduction. (LO11-2) The purpose of the introduction is to prepare the reader to receive the report. In routine and informal reports, the title and subject can provide enough information about the purpose and topic. Further, most of the readers of these types of reports are expecting the report, so the writer does not need to prepare the reader with context. The indirect order is used when the reader needs to read your supporting points in order to understand your conclusion or if you think your conclusion will not be received well.

8. Why is the direct order generally used in the shorter reports? When is the indirect order desirable for such reports? (LO11-2) Most short reports are written for decision-making purposes. Their readers want the answers foremost. Thus, direct order is appropriate for them. When the ready is likely not to accept the conclusion without first thinking through the supporting evidence, indirect order is desirable.

9. Describe a situation in which you would use short-report format rather than email format for an internal report. Why would you choose the short-report format? (LO11-3) Student answers will vary. Internally, short-report format can be used for short, moderately formal reports that are likely to be shared with other decision makers in the company. Email report format generally is used for shorter, more informal reports that are less likely to be shared. Also, a short report typically includes more research than email reports and is thus longer and more likely to include data-based visuals.

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10. Describe a situation in which you would prepare a memo report rather than an email report for an internal report. Why would you choose the memo format? (LO11-3) Both emails and memos are used to communicate internally, but memos are often necessary when computers aren’t easily accessible to the audience. For instance, if the CEO of a manufacturing company wanted to communicate a change in benefits to plant workers, they would probably use a memo.

11. What kinds of information might go into routine operational reports for different kinds of organizations? Why would these organizations need this information regularly? (LO11-4) The answers will vary depending on the kinds of companies your students are familiar with, but such reports might include sales reports (how many sales, what kinds of products were sold), financial reports, production reports, safety reports, inventory reports, personnel evaluations, customer-satisfaction reports, customer-service reports, and the like.

12. Given what you’ve learned about progress reports, suggest a general structure for these reports.

What might go into the beginning? What might the middle parts be? What would the conclusion do? (LO11-4) Of course the plan can vary with the situation, but here is a common order: The opening clearly identifies what project the report concerns and makes an overall statement assessing the progress made.

The body of the report falls into two main parts: what has been done and what remains to be done. But the middle can also contain other topics (for example, any difficulties or setbacks encountered and a plan for overcoming them, if possible). And it might make sense to organize this part by topic rather than chronologically (that is, report progress on each of several components of the project, rather than saying everything that has been done and then everything that needs to be done).

The ending should reiterate that progress has been made and look ahead to the next step. It can also request help or approval.

13. How might an internal problem-solving report that has been assigned differ from one on the same subject that an employee generated on his or her own? (LO11-4)

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The key fact here is that the latter report was not invited. This makes it much more likely that the indirect order will be more desirable than the direct order, because the intended readers are not expecting the report and may well need to warm up to the writer’s subject and their proposed solution (if any).

14. Discuss the pros and cons of including a list of absentees in meeting minutes. (LO11-4) Including the names of absentees makes the document a more complete record. And it may add an incentive for everyone to show up, motivating some to attend to avoid the embarrassment of being listed as an absentee.

However, including the names of absentees can embarrass people; and sometimes the accuracy of the minutes will be questioned when a participant states they were not notified of the meeting and should not be included as an absentee.

15. Give examples of long-report problems whose introduction could require historical background or a discussion of the report’s limitations. (LO11-5)

When the long-report is something that has been or will be on file for some time, historical background is necessary to bring new people up to speed. Limitations might be necessary to explain when time constraints did not permit full research, or when a major source of information was not available for the report.

16. Take a look at one of the reports available on the Content Marketing Institute’s website (contentmarketinginstitute.com), on Hootsuite’s website (hootsuite.com), or on the website of another leading company in its industry. How does the format of the report differ from that of the sample long report in this chapter? What conclusions can you draw from this comparison?

(LO11-6)

Answers will vary, but will likely include mention of headings, design styles, numbering of figures, and transitional words, among other items.

Skills-Building Exercises 1. Review the following report situations and determine for each the makeup of the report you would recommend for it. (LO11-1, LO11-4)

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a. A professional research organization has completed a survey of consumer attitudes toward CIBC. The survey results will be presented to the bank president in a 28-page report, including seven charts and three tables.

Answer: The formality of the situation and length of the report dictate that the long, formal report makeup be used. Prefatory parts, the report proper (written impersonally with 2nd- and possibly 3rd-level headings), and perhaps appended elements would likely be the structure of the report.

b. Juanita Ramizez was asked by her department head to inspect the work area and report on safety conditions. Her report is two pages long and written in personal style.

Answer: A memo report would be appropriate here. Headings and the direct order would probably be used.

c. Bill Wingler has an idea for improving a work procedure in his department at McLaughlin Body Company. His department head suggested that Bill present his idea in a report to the production superintendent. The report is five pages long, including a full-page diagram. It is written in the personal style.

Answer: The report to the production superintendent would likely take the form of a short report. One prefatory element—a title page—should precede the report proper. The report proper should be presented in indirect order, particularly if there was a need to persuade the reader about the value of the improvement. A somewhat formal memo report also would be a good choice.

d. Karen Canady, a worker in the corporate library of Innovapost, was asked by Doug Edmunds, its president, for current inventory information on a number of subscriptions. Her report is less than a full page and consists mostly of a list of items and numbers.

Answer: A memo or email format would probably be used. Because the report is informational, Karen should list items, number them, and group information so that the memo could be easily read.

e. Bryan Toups, a sales manager for Home Hardware, was asked by the vice president of marketing to prepare an analysis of the results of a promotional campaign conducted in Toups’s district. The report is six pages long (including one chart).

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Answer: A direct-order short report would be appropriate here. As indicated, the report was requested, so a conclusion-first presentation would be in order. At a minium, firstlevel headings should be used.

2. Making any assumptions needed, construct complete yet concise titles for the reports described here. (LO11-1)

a. A report writer reviewed records of exit interviews of employees at Marvel-Floyd Manufacturing Company who left their jobs voluntarily. The objective of the investigation was to determine the reasons for their leaving.

Who:

Marvel-Floyd Manufacturing Company

What:

Analysis of Voluntary Job Turnover

When:

Not needed

Where:

Implied (Marvel-Floyd)

Why:

Implied (determine reasons for turnover)

How:

Based on Employee Exit Interviews

“An Analysis of Voluntary Job Turnover at Marvel-Floyd Manufacturing Company Based on Exit Interviews of Employees”

b. A researcher studied data from employee personnel records at Magna-Tech, Inc. to investigate the traits of the high-performing employees. The study, which analyzed the employees’ age, education, experience, and scores on pre-employment tests, will be used to improve the company’s hiring and mentoring practices.

Who:

Magna-Tech, Inc.

What:

Analysis of Factors Affecting Performance

When:

Not essential

Where:

Not essential

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Why:

To Determine Future Hiring Practices

How:

Based on Demographic and Test Scores

“An Analysis of High-Performing Employees to Determine Future Hiring Practices: A Study Based on Demographics and Test Scores”

c. A report writer compared historical financial records (2006 to the present) of Loblaws to determine whether this grocery chain should own or rent store buildings. In the past it has done both.

Who:

Loblaws

What:

Comparison of Financial Records

When:

2006-present

Where:

Not essential

Why:

To Determine Whether to Rent or Purchase Store Buildings

How:

Not essential

“A Comparison of Financial Records, 2006-Present, to Determine Whether Loblaws Should Rent or Purchase Store Buildings”

3. Critique the following beginning sentences of transmittal messages. (LO11-1, LO11-6)

a. Here is the report on employee turnover at Jared’s that you requested on January 7.

Answer: This sentence begins directly and formally. The sentence contains an appropriate amount of contextual detail and does a good job of transmitting the report.

b. As you will recall, last January 7 you requested a report on . . .

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Answer: Of the sentences given to criticize, this one is the weakest. It begins slowly with minor details that identify the report authorization.

c. I recommend that we open a new outlet in Barrie, based on the research you asked me to conduct.

Answer: This sentence gives the conclusion immediately, with appropriate subordination of the authorization information. It is somewhat awkwardly worded though. Better wording might be “As a result of our study of possible expansion sites, which you authorized on Jan. 7, we recommend opening a new outlet in Barrie.”

d. Thank you for giving me this interesting report assignment.

Answer: This sentence uses personal pronouns (“you”) and conversational language.

However, it is vague on the report’s purpose. What is the assignment? Is this a progress report? Will the writer reveal a problem he or she is facing, which would make this a problem-solving report?

4. Following is a report that was written for the manager of a large furniture retail store by the manager’s assistant. The manager was concerned about customer complaints of late deliveries of their furniture and wanted to know the cause of the delays. Critique this report. (LO11-2, LO11-3, LO11-5) Subject Line: Delivery Scheduler Is to Blame

Over the past three weeks (October 10, to October 31, 2024), Arhaus furniture has received thee phone calls from customers whose furniture deliveries were delayed. On Oct. 10, Ms. Caroline Brooks called to find out when her new couch would be delivered, since she had waited at home all day the previous day for her scheduled delivery and no one had come or called. On Oct. 16, Jeff McCracken called at 4:00 p.m. to complain that the delivery of his dining room set was supposed to have been before noon that day. Kenny Smith called late on Oct. 31 to say that his patio furniture should have been there by now for his Halloween Party, which he’d specifically mentioned to the sales person who had scheduled the delivery.

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A study of our delivery process and an interview with Joan Kissling, the delivery scheduler, revealed that Ms. Kissling is the root of the problem. The number of delivery trucks and delivery helpers had been sufficient during this period to meet the delivery schedule, and the items that were delivered late were already in inventory and had no missing pieces. The sales people have been scheduling customers’ deliveries at appropriate times by using the scheduling software. Ms. Kissling has been short-handed over the past three weeks because her scheduling assistant, Marie Darner, took a week-long vacation and then went on sick leave. Thus far, Ms. Kissling has not hired a temporary assistant to help her keep up with her scheduling duties and with her communication with customers who are expecting deliveries.

She is clearly unable to keep up with the volume of business we are doing.

I respectfully recommend that Arhaus reprimand Ms. Kissling for allowing an unacceptable situation to develop and authorize the hire of a temporary assistant for her. Customer satisfaction is the lifeblood of our business, and any situation that jeopardizes our reputation need to be immediately rectified.

Answer: The students should find many errors and weaknesses in this report. Major ones that they should detect are these:

Subject line places blame; lacks topic Bad organization—jumbled, no logical plan Misspellings throughout Unnecessary information (Ms. Brooks waiting home all day; Kenny’s Halloween party) Lack of conciseness throughout Illogical conclusion: will a reprimand solve the problem of a busy scheduler?

Sample Solutions to Problem-Solving Cases Short to Mid-Length Reports Student answers will vary for Questions 1-10, but here is a sample answer to Question #7 to give you an idea of the steps students should take when answering these questions and creating their reports.

7. Comparing Free Online-Meeting Options: Even before the coronavirus hit, the owner of the company where you intern, Prestige Catering, had been considering integrating online meetings Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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more into her communications with staff, suppliers, and potential customers. Now that in-person contact has drastically fallen off, she really must have an online-meetings solution. And that’s where you come in. She wants you to explore the free platforms available and recommend one for the company to use. “What kind of free meeting apps are out there? What are the benefits and limitations of each? Which ones seem to work best for small companies?”

Find the answers to your boss’s questions, as well as any she didn’t think of, and then prepare an email report for her that will enable her to make a good decision. (If your instructor allows, you can choose a different type of small business.)

This report problem enables your students to practice much of the advice in this chapter and the preceding one. For starters, they need to write a problem statement (a statement of the situation that has created a need for research) and a purpose statement (a statement that captures the purpose of your research). Using one of the forms suggested in Chapter 10 they might write the following problem statement: “Should the sales staff and retailers use Skype or OpenMeetings or another tool to communicate with each other?” OR “My boss wants to know if she should advise her sales staff and retailers to use Skype or OpenMeetings or another online meeting tool.”

And a purpose statement: “To help my boss decide which online meeting application to use with her staff.”

Now you can brainstorm about possible factors to investigate. The boss has named one: security.

Others might be the following:    

Ease of setup, ease of use Reliability (Does it ever break down?)

Communication features offered/not offered (For example, can people text/chat? Can more than two people communicate at a time?)

Appropriateness to users’ likely communication tasks and needs (Are the sales staff and retailers likely to keep using what they’ve been using, or will they see Skype and OpenMeetings as a nice addition to their media choices?)

As students move into the research phase of the project, they will probably think of additional factors to consider. A good teaching idea is to require that every student download Skype and practice using it, since understanding of the technology in question is key. Another good idea is to have students do secondary research (on the Internet, in databases) to find out the extent to which other companies are using Skype and OpenMeetings and their experiences with it. The boss is likely to want such information.

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You will probably find it important for students to research what sales staff and retailers do, what they talk about, etc. Without understanding the end users in question, the students will not be able to make wise choices about information to include or about interpreting that information for the boss.

Once they have gathered their data, they will need to settle on a form and an organization plan for the report. As the case suggests, an email report is an appropriate form for this project, so they need to avoid overly casual language, use headings, and explain well, since the report may be passed on to other supervisors or executives.

The organization plan should focus on whatever factors turned out to be the most significant and should put these in a logical order. For example, if there is a “deal-breaker” factor—a feature of using Skype or OpenMeetings that makes it inappropriate for the anticipated users—that one should come early and be emphasized, with other factors covered quickly. If the boss will need to weigh several factors, the report could go from strongest features to weakest features (given the intended use), or vice versa. Or, the report could be organized according to the boss’s likely questions (e.g., What are Skype and OpenMeetings exactly? Do companies like ours use it? For what types of communication does it work best? Does it save time and money? What are the downsides, if any?).

The topics to be covered should be logically grouped so that there are no more than four or five main topics in the body of the report. With more parts than that, the information may be too chopped up, and the boss may have difficulty putting everything together in her mind. To the best of their ability, students should try to interpret the information in terms of its likely meaning for the reader. They should not just present what they found without adapting it to the reader (which is a common problem in student reports). It is possible that tables or other graphics will help the students with their presentation of information. See if any part of Chapter 5 looks useful for this problem, and, if so, explain how to integrate the visual into the text.

You will also need to advise students on citing their sources. For this relatively informal report, you might advise simply citing the sources informally in the text (as in “According to an article recently posted on Technology Watch, . . .”). Or, if you recommend that students use the short-report form, you may advise the use of footnotes and/or a bibliography—in which case you can consult the sample formal report in the chapter.

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Whichever method your students use, they need to be sure that the boss knows where the information came from. This is particularly necessary since they are playing the role of a lowly intern, not an experienced and trusted assistant to the boss.

Longer Reports Student answers will vary for Questions 11-19, but here is a sample answer to Question #17 to give you an idea of the steps students should take when answering these questions and creating their reports.

17. Reporting Marketing Data to Your Boss: You’re an event coordinator for The Phoenix, an event facility in the heart of downtown in your midsize city. The space used to be a museum for contemporary art, so it has a clean, contemporary look with wood floors, neutral-colored walls, natural light from large windows, and modern ceiling fixtures. There’s an elegant foyer and staircase when you enter, and up the stairs is the main ballroom, with several small rooms adjoining. Your boss, the main owner, has been renting out the space as a corporate event and wedding center for about three years now. Your job is to field inquiries, arrange tours, encourage visitors to rent the space, and serve as the facility’s main contact during the clients’ event planning.

Recently, three couples who toured the center declined to book their wedding receptions there, and sales in general are not what your boss hoped they would be. To find out why, you offered each of these couples a $50 gift card for a local restaurant if they would participate in an informal focus group at a coffeeshop near the center. They all agreed to participate.

All three couples are in their mid to late twenties. They all learned about the venue from The Knot, the most popular wedding-planning site on the Internet, and from The Phoenix’s own website. They plan to have 200–300 guests. Here are their bios:

Sean and Betsy live in a suburb north of downtown. They thought it might be nice to hold their wedding and reception in a downtown location for the convenience and entertainment of their many out-of-town guests. They expect to spend $4–5k on the venue and up to $25k on their wedding overall.

Andre and Kelly live downtown and enjoy the downtown atmosphere. They expect to spend up to $6k on the venue and up to $30k on their wedding overall.

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Mark and Haley live on the west side of town, which is a bit rural. They’re wondering whether to hold their reception in their neighborhood or treat their guests to something special by booking a downtown venue. They expect to spend $4k on the venue and $18–22k on their wedding overall.

You asked these questions, and got these replies: 1. What positive things had you read or heard about The Phoenix before your visit? o All had read about the beautiful space and viewed the photos on the Internet. o All had discovered, by looking at different venues’ availability calendars online, that the center had more availability on Saturdays throughout the year than most of the other wedding venues in the city. (This is because the facility is relatively new, and the corporate events it hosts happen mostly on weekdays.) o Two couples (Sean and Betsy, Mark and Haley) had read in an online review that the alcohol cost would likely be lower at The Phoenix than at comparable venues. (This is true because The Phoenix has a license to buy liquor from distributors and then mark it up themselves, which enables them to keep the cost low.) o Sean and Betsy mentioned that they thought it would be cool to hold their event in a space that had been an art museum and that still had an artsy look. (Andre and Kelly agreed.) o All the couples thought it was neat that the venue was so close to the city’s Central Square, and two couples (Sean and Betsy, Andre and Kelly) thought it was awesome that the venue was linked by skywalk to nearby hotels.

2. What did you think when you first saw the space? Here are the key comments from the conversation that ensued:

"The foyer is gorgeous” (nods all around). “Very elegant venue.” “Lovely space” (about the ballroom; nods all around). “Yes—but really plain! We were expecting more than just empty rooms” (Haley and Mark). “I loved that—I could imagine all kinds of ways to use this space!”

(Kelly). “It’d be a really special, unique spot for a wedding” (Andre, with nods from Kelly and Betsy). “We liked that you could rent only as many rooms as you needed—whether just the foyer and ballroom or all four siderooms as well” (Haley and Mark, with nods from the other couples).

3. After the tour, did you still consider booking here?

All three couples said no, giving these reasons:

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"It seemed like it would be a lot of work. I mean, all you’d supply is the space, valet parking, the tables and chairs, and setup and breakdown. You don’t even have a preferred-vendors list. We’d have to find and line up all the vendors, arrange all the decorations, plan the layout, and so forth" (Sean and Betsy, with nods from Mark and Haley). “Sounds like you’d basically have to hire a wedding or reception planner” (Haley, with nods from Betsy and Kelly).

"Yeah, and the price ($5k) seems pretty high considering that” (Mark, with nods from the other two guys). “Yes, the place is pretty and unique, but it seemed expensive for what you got” (Haley). “It also felt like we’d be nickled and dimed to death. I mean, in a way it’s good that you charge separately for each space, and that you charge for extra time (beyond four hours) by the hour, but it kind of conveys a greedy message” (Sean, with nods from Mark and Haley). “And $500 for each extra hour seems like a lot” (Kelly, with nods from Haley and Betsy).

"Also, I didn’t understand that alcohol policy. So, you buy the alcohol wholesale from a list that changes each month and the client picks from that? But the client can also special-order certain beverages? Does that cost extra?” (Sean). “And I didn’t understand the buy-back policy. So you’ll buy back all unopened products except for special orders? But not any liquor, even if it was picked from the inventory list?” (Mark, with nods from almost everyone). “Yeah, it’s very confusing. It seemed like I got a different description of the alcohol policy from each person at The Phoenix I spoke with” (Betsy).

Now it’s time to interpret these findings, write them up, and offer suggestions for improving sales. You’ll enhance the reasoning behind your suggestions by making a few comparisons to comparable wedding venues downtown. (Hint: Choose a midsize city and use the Internet to look at downtown wedding venues there.) Your boss has three business partners, and probably others, with whom she’ll share and discuss your report.

Like the previous case, this report problem enables your students to practice much of the advice in this chapter and the preceding one. Again, they need to write a problem statement (a statement of the situation that has created a need for research.

Using one of the forms suggested in Chapter 10, they might write: “Rental sales for the Phoenix have been less than expected in the last three years of ownership.” OR “Why are people not interested in booking the Phoenix for their wedding receptions and other events?” Now students can brainstorm about possible factors to investigate.

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Obviously, the interviews with the three couples who recently declined to book at the Phoenix are a key component to discovering weaknesses in what the Phoenix has to offer. And though it may be better to get a larger range of feedback before making any big changes, the opinions and information about services that the three couples were able to provide is significant.

Another factor is data. In order to support the information gathered from the interviews with the couples, you’ll want to gather information from competing venues on their pricing policies, rental terms, what services they offer included with the rental, and so on. You’ll also want to look at how those spaces are marketed and what kind of language they use (and in what medium) to explain the terms of the rental and services to potential customers.

In constructing the report for the partners, students will want to begin with a summary of the strengths of the venue, including comments from the couples about its uniqueness and artsy feel, its availability, and its location. The ending also will need to be upbeat, looking toward making changes that will increase interest in the venue in the very near future.

In the body of the report, you may want to break down the comments from the three couples and divide them into groups related to the related services, pricing, and customer service of the Phoenix.

(Since you are not sure who will be reading the report, you should consider disguising names of the couples, or just refer to them by first names only, as a courtesy to guard their privacy.) It would also be helpful to include a chart that compared the pricing and services of the Phoenix with other wedding reception and event locations in the area. Also, a chart or graph showing the rental sales figures for the last three years for the Phoenix will be required, along with data about alcohol sales and any other related services the venue has offered in the past.

Final recommendations would suggest solutions for eliminating the factors that are causing the venue to be rejected. These may include developing partnerships with vendors, changing the pricing strategy, and creating better communication pieces to describe the services the Phoenix has to offer, including training staff to be able to accurately explain those services as well.

Topics for Projects with Real Clients Student answers will vary, but they should take steps similar to the ones outlined in the previous sample answers.

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Problem Solver to the Rescue: Reporting the Results of a Market Analysis to a Hotel Manager Evaluation of Outline: Headings are an essential formatting tool for reports as they convey information to the reader about the topics that will be covered and the relationships between those topics. One strength of the headings written by your teammate is that they used capitalization consistently. (Chapter 5 has more useful document design recommendations for formatting text appropriately.)

However, these headings don’t include all of the important main topics needed in the report. Further, the current outline does not give the reader a good sense of the hierarchy of information (what ideas are sub-topics of main topics), and there is no formatting of text other than indentation, which makes it difficult to determine how ideas are related.

We know the decision maker is looking for the following: (a) if there would be a demand for such a meeting space on the part of the university and businesses in the neighboring area; (b) how these nearby organizations would use such a space; (c) what kind of features and services they’d want; and (d) who the competitive would be.

Notice the revision organizes information around Level-1 headings that provide answers to those major decision making points. Also, the revision removes redundant headings that provide information that is not essential to the reader. The decision maker at the Hampton Inn does not need to know details about the script used to conduct phone interviews. They will be more interested in the story that the data tell.

Before revising this outline, have students review the information in Chapter 11’s From the Tech Desk titled “Using and Modifying Styles in Microsoft Word.” (A brief style guide is included at the beginning of the example revision.)

The revision follows the principles of using headings in reports (from Chapter 11): 

All headings of the same level must have the same placement on the page and the same formatting. That is, all Level-1 headings must have the same format and placement, all Level-2 headings must have the same format and placement, and so on.



As discussed in Chapter 10, headings on the same level must be grammatically parallel within their sections of the report. Notice in the revision that all of the headings are parallel with other headings of their level.



If you use one of any heading level, you must have a second one within that section of the report. You can see that there are multiple headings of each level used per section.

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

Also, notice that none of the headings are underlined. Underline and ALL CAPS are generally avoided in report headings. Instead, you’ll notice the revision uses bold, indentation, and bullets to distinguish between headings.

The following list shows the styles used for this outline: Level-1 Headings Level-2 Headings Level-3 Headings Bullets The following is an example of a revised outline: Introduction Statement of Purpose Research Methods Findings: Demand from University and Local Businesses Interest in Meeting Space Likely Frequency of Use Purpose of Usage Desirability of Features Audiovisual Technology Furniture Non-Restrictive Catering Options Summary of Demand for Space Findings: Local Competition Selection of Organizations 

Size



Location



Purpose

Evaluation of Competing Venues Rental Fee Catering Options and Policies Recommendations Appendix: Complete Survey Data

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Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 12: Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches Teaching Suggestions Teaching oral communication is best done through application exercises and problems. Even so, you will probably want to review the techniques for each type of presentation presented in the text first. As you will note, many kinds of presentations and speeches exist. This chapter follows on naturally from the last two, in which students focused on written reports. In the business world, people often are called on to present information and research that starts out as written materials.

We suggest that your review of techniques be a summary of text content. The slides provided for the lecture notes can help with this review. Also, you can supplement your review with discussion, using the critical-thinking questions at the end of the chapter.

Because our students learn best by doing, we suggest you assign critical-thinking exercises. As these problems consume class time, you will likely need to be selective. You simply cannot cover all the kinds of presentations discussed in this chapter unless it is the primary focus of your course. Also, we have used videos with good success (watching TED Talks and critiquing them can be a useful exercise, for example). In addition, video recording should be used whenever possible for its feedback opportunities.

Connect provides instructors with a variety of ways to customize courses, create assignments, determine grading policies, and receive student work. One of the tools Connect offers is the ability to select and add interactive assignments to your course. Explanations of these assignments and how they support the learning objectives are integrated into the instructor’s manual with the relevant subject areas.

In our larger classes, we tend to limit individual presentation time to five minutes; in smaller classes, this time can be extended. If students are presenting in groups, we will typically allow anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes per presentation. Since the pandemic began, we have been having students give virtual presentations on Webex and other virtual-meeting/presentation platforms.. Experience with such formats not only gives students more to offer an employer but it also builds their confidence that they can handle this type of technology in the workplace, which they will likely need to do for the foreseeable future.

The following page is an evaluation form we have used. One of us combines its use with a rubric her college is using for assessment purposes. The rubric describes more fully what level of skill constitutes various numbers ranges for each category. Today’s students are generally appreciative to see these before they present.

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Oral Presentation Evaluation Presenter Topic

Date

Four aspects of an oral presentation are listed below. Under each of these headings are descriptions.

Circle aspects that are excellent; underline aspects that need improvement; do nothing with aspects that are average; cross out aspects that are not applicable. Comment on aspects that are circled or underlined; circle the appropriate rating for each aspect.

CONTENT

Comments:

HIGH

Introduction

10

9

Body

8

7

Conclusion

6

5

Explicit facts and interpretations

4

3

Preparation

2

1

Use of notes

LOW

Organization Clarity Time limit thoroughness NONVERBAL SKILLS

Comments:

HIGH

Appearance

10

9

Eye contact

8

7

Gestures

6

5

Posture

4

3

2

1

LOW VOICE

Comments:

HIGH

Voice volume

10

9

Voice variety

8

7

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Effective pauses

6

5

Rate of speech

4

3

Enthusiasm

2

1

Grammar

LOW

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Enunciation VISUALS

Comments:

HIGH

Contribution to presentation

10

9

Neatness

8

7

Visibility

6

5

Clarity

4

3

Correctness

2

1

Use

LOW

OTHER COMMENTS:

TOTAL POINTS

Learning Objectives LO12-1 Prepare the right kind of presentation for your purpose and audience.

LO12-2 Determine the appropriate topic, purpose, structure, delivery method, and means of audience interaction for a presentation or speech.

LO12-3 Plan visual aids and handouts to support your presentation.

LO12-4 Describe the personal, physical, and vocal traits that contribute to an effective presentation.

LO12-5 Use visual aids effectively when speaking.

LO12-6 Manage audience interactions skillfully during your presentation.

LO12-7 Plan and deliver compelling Web-based presentations.

LO12-8 Work constructively with a group to prepare and deliver a team presentation.

Key Terms alignment

ethos

contrast

extemporaneous presentation

duration

eye contact

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fillers

webcast

grids

webinar

handouts hybrid presentation informality informative presentation interaction memorized presentation opening remarks oral report pace personal connection persuasive talk physical staging pitch proximity read speeches repetition scope speaking voice speeches storyboard structure transitions volume Web meeting Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 12-1, 12-2, 12-3 Researchers consistently note the growing importance of oral communication skills even as technologies such as email, blogs, and social networking tools demand more of our writing skills. One heavily used form of oral communication in business is the presentation. People in business often need to give oral reports of all kinds: oral reports, speeches, proposals, sales pitches, training, conference presentations, and so on.

These slides present an overview of the chapter objectives.

Problem-Solving Challenge You have to present a special oral report to Sunfield Cereal’s executive committee concerning the results of survey your department conducted. What purposes will this speech have? Could it have more than one?

Let students make an outline for this speech, considering the audience, the purpose(s) of the speech, and what they expect to achieve for Sunfield Cereals by delivering this speech well.

Then, you can ask students to consider the second scenario: how will this speech at the award ceremony differ from the previous scenario?

Preparing the Right Kind of Talk

Slide 12-4 When you’re preparing a business presentation, a decision you’ll need to make wisely, and early, is what kind of presentation you should make. In the words of Bob Adams, publisher of a series of business guides, “defining your presentation is half the battle.” That’s because the kind of presentation you’re creating will influence a lot of your other decisions.

Direct students to look at the Communication Matters feature “10 Types of Business Presentations.” Ask students how many of these they have ever done. What kind is their favourite? What kind would be their favourite to listen to? Why? Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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Slide 12-5 There are many different kinds of presentations, but for this course we will focus on three of the main kinds, and then also look at what happens when you have a mix.

For each kind of presentation, there are special considerations and certain structures or features. The textbook offers more detail on these.

As you work through describing the different types, start off by asking your students to give ideas about what they think the characteristics of each is.

Informative: Considerations 1. What is the point of an informative speech? (to inform the audience) So, what is the primary question you need to ask yourself as you prepare this type of speech? (What do they need to know?)

2. Anticipate your audience’s information needs and be ready with the definitions, examples, data, and explanations that will answer their questions.

Structure/Features 1. In general, oral reports are delivered indirectly, with the story building up to the main point. The structural patterns for written reports discussed in Chapter 10 can also help you structure this kind of presentation.

2. Remember that your listeners must digest the information at the rate you present it, so plan your pace carefully. Helpful visual aids can help to guide your audience through the talk.

Persuasive: Considerations 1. What is the main point of persuasive presentations? (to sell) So, what question do you need to ask yourself as you prepare this talk? (What will move my listeners from lack of interest to “yes”?)

2. The same questions you need to answer when writing persuasive messages apply here (see Chapter 9). Build your presentation strategy around what you know about your audience and what will connect that with what you know about your product or service.

Structure/Features 1. Your tone will depend on what you are selling. A talk selling financial services may be serious and respectful. A talk selling a new children’s game may be filled with fun breaks, interaction, and colourful visuals.

2. In most cases, audience expect persuasive speeches to be interesting, creative, engaging, or even unorthodox. You’ll need to do whatever you can to connect with your audience and keep them connected.

Entertaining/Ceremonial: Considerations Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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1. What is the main point of these presentations? (engage the audience and reward participation) What do you need to ask yourself? (What feeling/thought/inspiration do I want my audience to walk away with?)

Structure/Features 1. For this kind of speech, most likely all eyes will be on you, with very little breaks, visual helps, or other interruptions. Your listeners don’t want to work hard to take in information in this kind of presentation—they want to relax and enjoy the experience. How can you build your material to keep them interested? See the Communication Matters feature on “Getting Your Speech Off on the Right Note” for ideas on how to open this kind of speech.

Slide 12-6 You Make the Call

Hybrid Presentations Sometimes you will be asked to give a talk that has more than one purpose. At such times, it’s more important than ever to be clear about your purposes, and to think about what your audience will need or want to get out of your talk. For example, a community health worker might be asked to give a talk to inform a group about vaccine options, while at the same time she is trying to persuade that group to visit the new clinic for their health needs.

In this challenge, students are asked to come up with situations in which they might have to give talks that serve two purposes.

You could follow up this challenge by assigning them a brief speech to present the following class period—one that would serve two purposes, taken from one of the student suggestions, if possible.

Planning the Content and Delivery

Slide 12-7, 12-8 The first step in preparing a speech or presentation is selecting a topic. In some cases, you will be assigned a topic because of your expertise and sometimes because the nature of the task requires a particular speech (example: welcoming a group). Regardless, you’ll want to analyze the audience, just as you would for a written document.

In other cases, you will need to select your topic. Three factors should guide you:

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• • •

Background and knowledge—select a topic you know and are comfortable with.

Interests of audience—choose a topic your audience can understand and appreciate.

Occasion of speech—make sure the topic fits the speech situation.

You will also need to plan your talk’s scope and duration—make sure you focus on a topic that you can cover in the time that you have. Don’t go over!

As a fun exercise, ask several students to tell their top three choices for speaking topics (ask in rapid-fire style—don’t let them think too much about it). Then pick one or two students to speak on their number one topic right then—give them two minutes each to talk, but no prep time.

Slide 12-9 This slide outlines the oral report preparation process and special features of an oral presentation’s structure. Use it to support your discussion of this topic.

For any kind of presentation, you will need to gather information. Planning an oral report or proposal can be just as involved as planning a written report or proposal. You can use the information provided in Chapter 10 to help you choose the right research methods and resources to gain information for your report. You can also follow the guidelines provided in Chapter 10 and Chapter 9 to help you prepare an outline for your proposal or report.

Select either the direct or indirect order. Usually, oral reports use indirect order. Introductory comments are needed to prepare listeners to become interested in the message and to be prepared to receive it. Time pressure, though, may force the direct order in oral reports.

Introductions in oral reports do all of the things in oral reports that they do in written ones.

Parts of the body of an oral report are comparably divided. Coherence is also a major consideration in presentation, meaning there should be a clear main idea for each section. Since your listener won’t have the full text in front of them, pacing your report and using effective transitions will help your listener follow your ideas.

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The most significant difference in written and oral reports is in the ending. The oral report is likely to have a final summary after any ending summary/conclusion/recommendation. The final summary is similar to an executive summary. It recaps the total report in miniature.

Slide 12-10 Give students two minutes to come up with their introductory remarks. If you have a large group, break the group into a few small groups and let each group choose a spokesperson. (Online students can time themselves and provide their introductory statements via a virtual-meeting platform, cellphone video clip, or through the Video Capture tool in Connect.)

The introduction has two goals: to prepare listeners to receive the message and to gain attention.

To arouse interest, introduce your speech with a human interest story, pose an unanswered question, present a surprise statement, give a startling statistic, use appropriate humour, quote a recognized expert, or appeal to solve a common problem.

Audience Interaction

Slide 12-11 In the past, presentations were largely one-way communication, with the presenter delivering a wellprepared talk and restricting audience participation to applause or questions at the end. This kind of talk is still appropriate in many circumstances, but today’s speakers often invite two-way communication while they’re speaking.

What kind of audience participation will be feasible depends somewhat on the topic and your delivery style. But no matter whether you aim for the conversational feel of an extemporaneous talk (using an outline and notes—but not planning every word) or you memorize your entire speech or you simply read a prepared report, you should still plan for some kind of audience participation—either during or after your presentation.

In webinars or live presentations, you can invite participants to be involved through taking brief polls, answering questions, raising hands, voting with clickers, or tweeting or texting a response. In some presentations you can even engage in live chat during your talk (either via a web application or through allowing time for breaks throughout your presentation).

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In training talks it’s often helpful to let your attendees participate in some act or exercise as you speak (or allow breaks for this to happen). Or you may wish to divide your audience into groups to work on some simple task together.

Even if you don’t have the ability to include audience feedback during your talk, you can certainly invite them to participate afterward by sending you questions or comments, or turning in evaluations or digital surveys.

Planning the Visuals to Support Your Talk

Slide 12-12 Audiences have become much more visually oriented than they used to be. They expect most presentations to include a visual component to help them follow along and stay interested.

Plus, as professional trainers know, visuals also aid immensely in retention of the presented information. In e-Learning and the Science of Instruction, Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E. Mayer cite numerous studies to support the point that “people learn more deeply from words and graphics than from words alone.”

Slide 12-13 Spoken words need visual support because sound is so impermanent and fleeting. Visuals help increase retention of spoken words. Visuals in a presentation should be determined by the content of the presentation, the cost, audience size, ease of preparation, and the facilities and technology available in the room where the presentation is delivered. Though visuals should look nice, they are functional, not decorative.

Good visuals will help your audience tune in. Bad visuals can turn them off. Check out this list of mistakes people make with presentation slides. Which ones have your students experienced? Are there any they would add to the list?

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

 





Too much or too small content: Slides need to be readable. If there’s too much content, or the content is too small, your audience will be straining to see the information, instead of listening to you.

Missed visual opportunities: Look for ways to use visuals to enhance meaning or even just to make a message memorable.

Unreadable or inappropriate colour schemes: Red text on a blue background is hard to read.

And some supplied colour schemes in templates are too flashy. Dark text on a pale background works best for readability. Keep the colours and the designs simple. (See Chapter 5 for review of color theory.)

Too much animation: Rule of simplicity works here too—don’t include lots of animations and transitions. These can sometimes cause problems with running your presentation and can give your audience a headache.

Inconsistent styles: Make sure your whole presentation has a consistent look. Use the same font throughout.

Remember also to keep accessibility in mind as you prepare your slides. Some who have visual impairments may need to view your presentation using a reader. If this is the case, make sure all your text can be read in this way.

Finally, remember not to just read everything on your slides. The slides should be an enhancement of your talk—they shouldn’t display your whole talk.

Ask your students to talk about which presentation software they’ve used. Prezi? PowerPoint? Google Drive’s Presentation?

What software do they find the most effective? Why?

Slide 12-14 This slide shows a sample PowerPoint slide with some good rules to follow.

For an in-class or homework assignment, have students prepare five slides to go with one of the short talks we have already used as exercises in this course—or pick one of the skills-building exercises to use as the basis for creating the slides. For more practice with presentation slides, have your students complete the Problem Solver to the Rescue case at the end of the chapter.

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Slide 12-14 You Make the Call: Handouts or No?

Ask your students to think about what kinds of topics might especially need written materials along with the oral presentation. What kinds of audiences might appreciate handouts?

Delivering Your Talk

Slide 12-16, 12-17 Slide 12-17 reviews the personal aspects that good speechmaking involves. It should serve as an outline for your review of this subject matter. Project confidence and sincerity. Prepare thoroughly; scant, hurried presentations are obvious. Audiences will also respond well to genuine friendliness.

Confidence Develop confidence in yourself and from your audience by preparing earnestly, practicing, dressing appropriately, and speaking in strong, clear tones.

Competence Audiences expect speakers to know their subject matter. Doing your homework is critical.

Sincerity Avoid any type of insincerity; be sincere throughout your speech. You cannot expect an audience to be committed to your topic if you are not. Audiences are quite perceptive when it comes to gauging a speaker’s sincerity and authenticity.

Friendliness Smile, make eye contact. Learn and use audience members’ names. It’s a simple fact: Audiences are generally more receptive to friendly people.

Direct students to look at the Communication Matters feature titled “Controlling Nervousness During Your Talk.” Ask students to share what strategies they have used to control nerves when making oral presentations.

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Slide 12-18 Audiences see many things the speaker may be unaware of during a speech.

The Communication Environment This refers to the physical setting of your speech—the stage, lighting, etc.— that is part of what your audience sees. This setting, including outside noises, should help—not hinder—your presentation.

Personal Appearance Dress appropriately for the audience and the occasion. Your personal appearance is a part of the message. Also use facial expressions and physical movements to your advantage.

Posture Posture is usually the most obvious point your audience observes. Practice good posture by having others tell you areas of improvement or by using videotape. Distribute weight evenly in your stance, and stand erect and comfortable without appearing stiff or limp—maintain your posture naturally. Do not appear artificial.

Walking A strong, sure walk to your position of speaking portrays confidence. Walk during the speech only to create the effect you want.

Facial Expressions Facial expressions are the most apparent of physical movements. Most of us unconsciously convey unintended meanings through them. Eye contact, used with discretion, shows interest. Use eye contact and facial expressions effectively.

Gestures Gestures add meaning to messages, but their meanings are vague. Use them as natural, strong supplements to speeches.

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Slide 12-19 Take time to role-play some of these situations. Let some students be speakers and others play the unruly audience. Encourage the “audience” to engage in distracting behaviours. Urge the speakers to use appropriate business behaviours to deal with the audience members.

Slide 12-20 Voice quality primarily refers to pitch and resonance of vocal sounds. Voices vary widely. Although not all voices are good, we can all work to improve our voice quality.

Slide 12-21 Whether you use physical props, charts, or maps, or you use digital slide presentations, you’ll want to make sure to follow simple dos and don’ts: • • • • • •

Make certain that everyone in the audience can see the visuals clearly.

Explain the visual if there is any likelihood that it will be misunderstood.

Organize the visuals as a part of the presentation. Fit them into the presentation plan.

Emphasize the visuals. Point to them with physical action and words.

Talk to the audience—not to the visuals.

Avoid blocking the listeners’ view of the visuals.

Slide 12-22 Managing Audience Interactions

It’s opposite day! Invite your students to correct these bad pieces of advice (on the slide) for managing the following audience interactions.

You’re asked something you don’t know. Don’t try to fake an answer. Instead, acknowledge that you don’t know the answer and invite others to share their ideas.

Someone wants to talk about a pet topic or display expertise and steer everyone away from the topics of your talk. Let the person share his/her point, but after about 30 seconds, indicate with your body language (nodding, turning your head, beginning to walk away) that it’s time to move on. Call on someone else who had a hand up; but if no one else did, ask the group a question that’s related to what you talked about. Or thank the person for their valuable comments and continue.

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Someone disagrees with you. Stay calm and objective, and when you get a chance to speak, acknowledge why the person might think that way, reiterate why you think the way you do, and then move on.

Some audience members are carrying on a distracting side conversation. Pause for a moment until the offenders’ chatter is the only sound in the room. That will usually give them the message.

Nobody says anything when you ask a question. Be ready to rephrase your question in a more provocative way.

Review the basics of oral presentations as needed. They are shown in Exhibit 12-6.

Delivering Web-Based Presentations

Slide 12-23 Web presentations require some unique planning and delivery techniques.

Before the presentation, the presenter will want to send out announcements encouraging users to pretest their systems for the technology. He or she may also want to line up an assistant to help respond in real time to questions that come in through chat boxes. Also, arranging for a technical person to be on hand to troubleshoot is a good idea for some presenters.

Also, before the presentation, the presenter may want to show a slideshow for early arrivers that tells where an archived version of the presentation will be available or that gives other announcements and promotions.

During the presentation, a speaker might do some polling. Some software allows for informal polling where the audience can indicate a yes, no, or not sure response. Or the presenter can use a more formal polling tool that can be prepared ahead of time or on the fly for more complex responses.

In addition, the presenter typically uses the highlighter and pen tools where a face-to-face presenter might point to certain items. A web presenter also needs to pay close attention to time since some systems will shut down at the end of a pre-determined timeframe.

Similar to the face-to-face presentation, the presenter of the web presentation should plan for a Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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question and answer session as well as for an evaluation of the effectiveness of the presentation. And like the face-to-face presentation, practicing is a must.

Ask students: What kind of webinars or web events have you participated in? What did you like about them? What didn’t work well?

Many people make their own presentations and post them publicly on the Internet at sites such as YouTube or on Facebook Live. Ask your students if either of these applications would ever be good to use in the business context. In what situations might posting video presentations be helpful?

Connect Assignment 12-4: Matching the Presentation Tool or Trait with the Situation Summary: In this exercise, students will match the descriptions with the presentation tools or traits provided.

Follow-Up Activity: Students should provide examples of these three tools/traits: physical staging, voice volume, and audience interaction. Students can explain how each of these can affect a presentation in either positive or negative ways.

Giving Team (Collaborative) Presentations

Slide 12-24 Team/group presentations require additional skills.

Extra planning is needed for: Presentation order—member content, time use, and possible order Supporting examples—for building continuity Physical aspects—delivery, notes, dress, visuals Transitions between speakers Physical staging—where to sit, stand, go; how to use visuals and microphones, etc.

Closing comments—who will close, what will be said, nature of question/answer if scheduled, etc.

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This slide invites students to learn about effective presentations from TED talks. Showing a TED talk at some point in your instruction of this chapter is an excellent way to illustrate good formal speaking. We recommend Nancy Duarte’s “The Secret Structure of Great Talks.”

Slide 12-26 This Herman Hesse quote appropriately captures the power of public speaking: “Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.” It ends the lecture well.

Effective presentations, whatever their form, take knowledge, preparation, and skill. But the rewards justify the effort.

Slides 12-27, 12-28 Review the learning objectives with your students.

Critical-Thinking Questions

1. As you consider your future career, think of three scenarios in which you might need to make a presentation. What would be the purpose of these talks, and who would be their audience?

In light of these factors, what kinds of content would you need to include? (LO12-1) Student responses will vary. Evaluate each on its merits.

2. Explain the principal differences between oral and written reports. What do these differences mean in terms of how you’d need to adapt a written report for presentation to an audience?

(LO12-1, LO12-2) There are three: 1) Written reports permit better use of visual design (paragraphing, punctuation). 2) The reader has more control of written messages (can proceed at their pace). 3) In oral reports, style may be less formal and incorporate colloquialisms and slang. When adapting for an oral report, you may use more visuals, make the material less complex, speak slowly, and use less formal language.

3. Give an example of a scenario in which you’d be wise to organize a presentation indirectly.

Then give one in which the direct order would be preferable. Explain the rationale behind your choices. (LO12-1, LO12-2) Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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Student responses will vary. Evaluate each on its merits.

4. Assume that you must prepare a speech on the importance of community service for an audience of business majors. Develop two attention-gaining openings for this speech. (LO12-1, LO12-2) Student responses will vary. Openings may be one of the types discussed in the chapter.

5. Assume that as a successful recent graduate, you’ve been asked to give a speech to a college honorary society or club in your area of professional expertise. Generate two good topics for your speech, and be ready to explain the reasoning behind your choices. (LO12-2) Student responses will vary but should take into account audience needs and interests. Evaluate each on its merits.

6. Assume that in the scenario described in question 5 you invite questions at the end of your talk, and an arrogant-seeming student in the audience contradicts something you said. How would you handle this situation? (LO12-6) Student responses will vary. Evaluate each on its merits and the principles of diplomacy and professional interaction discussed in the chapter.

7. Recall an effective speech you heard or viewed in which the speaker read his or her remarks.

What made the speech effective even though it was read? (LO12-2) Student responses will vary. Evaluate each on its merits.

8. Assume that your boss, the director of marketing, has asked you to prepare an oral report for the marketing team on the status of the current sales campaign. The sales messages have been designed for viewing on three different technologies: PCs, tablets, and smartphones.

List, in order of presentation, the content you might include, along with any visuals that would go with it. (LO12-2, LO12-3) Student responses will vary. Evaluate each on its merits.

9. View a TED talk (TED.com) and evaluate the projected personal qualities, use of body language, and speaking style/voice of the presenter. What techniques might you emulate?

Which, if any, would be ones you’d want to avoid? (LO12-4) Student responses will vary and should take into account appealing personal traits, appearance, and physical actions discussed in the chapter. Evaluate each on its merits.

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10. For the same TED talk or a different one, identify the strategies the speaker uses to build rapport with the audience. (LO12-2, LO12-4) Student responses will vary but should incorporate general principles discussed in this chapter, such as projecting confidence, competence, sincerity, and friendliness.

11. Find an online video or tutorial about designing effective presentation slides. Evaluate the advice being given. (LO12-4) Student responses will vary but should incorporate the principles learned in this chapter.

Evaluate each on its merits.

12. Go to YouTube.com and examine a video in which a business professional is giving advice about making oral presentations. Evaluate the advice, and also evaluate the speaker’s own presentation skills. (LO12-1, LO12-2, LO12-3, LO12-4, LO12-5) Student responses will vary. Evaluate each on its merits.

13. View a TED talk (TED.com) and evaluate both the visuals the speaker uses and how he or she integrates them into the talk. What techniques might you emulate? Which, if any, would be ones you’d want to avoid? (LO12-3, LO12-5) Student responses will vary but should incorporate general visual principles discussed in Chapter 5 and those for presentation visuals introduced in this chapter. Evaluate each on its merits.

14. Recall a presentation you attended that effectively used supporting visual material. Then recall one that didn’t. What were the differences? (LO12-4, LO12-5) Student responses will vary but should incorporate the visual advice included in this chapter.

Evaluate each on its merits.

15. If you were giving a presentation and you saw that your audience’s eyes were glazing over, what might you do to regain their attention? (LO12-2, LO12-6) Student responses will vary but should incorporate the advice about managing audience interaction as included in this chapter: A speaker could try such things as taking a poll, asking for answers, having audience members raise their hands or respond via text, etc. Evaluate each on its merits.

16. Find a videotaped webinar (e.g., those available at the Business Development Bank of Canada), and evaluate it. What were its strengths? How might it have been improved? (LO12Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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7) Student responses will vary but should touch on the webinar advice included in this chapter.

Evaluate each on its merits.

17. If you’ve taken any online courses, make a list of the presentation features (e.g., use of media, types of audience participation) that you liked about them. Then list the drawbacks that these courses had. (LO12-7) Student responses will vary. Evaluate each on its merits.

18. Assume that you and some classmates have been asked to prepare a team presentation that will be videotaped. What logistics do you need to work out before you tape the presentation?

(LO12-8) Student responses will vary but should touch on the principles of team collaboration discussed in this chapter. Evaluate each on its merits.

19. Recall the team presentations that you’ve seen in your classes. What qualities made some team presentations better than others? (LO12-8) Student responses will vary. Evaluate each on its merits.

Skills-Building Exercises The topics here can be used for various activities, including analyzing the audience and situation, planning the right kind of talk, gathering appropriate and sufficient information, organizing the talk, planning and designing visual aids, and delivering presentations. Many of the Problem-Solving Cases at the end of Chapter 11 can also serve as oral presentation topics.

Student responses will vary for each exercise. Consider using the grading rubric that follows the list of scenarios for evaluation of presentations. Follow the grading rubric are checklists students may find helpful as they prepare their reports and presentations.

1. Survey the major business publications for information about the outlook for the national (or world) economy for the coming year. Then present a summary report to your entrepreneurship class.

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2. Select a current technological innovation for business use and report it to a company’s top administrators (you select the company). You will describe the innovation and point out how it will benefit the company. If appropriate, you may recommend its purchase.

3. What changes in managers’ skills and leadership styles are necessary in today’s workplace, where rapid, disruptive change is the norm? Prepare a presentation on this topic that your boss, the HR director, can present to your company’s management team.

4. Report to a meeting of a wildlife-protection organization on the status of an endangered species. You will need to gather the facts through research, probably in wildlife publications.

5. As part of its diversity and inclusion initiative, a company (you decide what kind) will be running a series of lunch ’n’ learn talks on different cultures within Canada. The presenters will be employees who identify with the culture they're presenting about. If you identify with one such culture (for example, that of a particular religion, race, or ethnic group, or the culture of a particular region of Canada), research its history, values, and current status, and pretending to be an employee, prepare an oral report that will help your coworkers interact with colleagues and clients who identify with this culture.

6. The Future Business Leaders Club at your old high school has asked you to give a talk on what it takes to succeed in business school. You will cover all the factors that you think high school students need to know. Include visuals in your presentation.

7. You’re one of a group of students who have been selected to go to Germany (or pick another country) to represent your school at a conference. Prepare a report to give to the group that will prepare them to behave appropriately in this culture.

8. As a member of an investment club, report to the membership on whether the club should purchase shares of a certain high-tech company. Your report will cover past performance, current status, and future prospects for the short and long run.

9. Use your library’s resources and the web to find the best available information on the job outlook for this year’s college graduates. You will want to look at each major field separately.

You also may want to show variations by geographic area, degree, and schools. Present your findings in a well-organized and illustrated oral report.

10. Present a plan for improving some phase of operations on your campus (e.g., registration, housing, grade appeals, library, cafeteria, traffic, curricula, athletics, computer labs).

11. Present a report for your classmates on some legislation of importance to business (e.g., rightto-work laws, ethics, environmental controls, taxes). Take care to present evidence and reasoning from all the major viewpoints. Support your presentation with appropriate visuals.

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12. Assume that you are being considered by a company of your choice for a job of your choice.

Your prospective employer has asked you to make a ____-minute report (your instructor will specify) on your qualifications. You may project your education to the date you will be on the job market, making assumptions that are consistent with your record to date.

13. Make a presentation to a hypothetical group of investors that will get you the investment money you need for a purpose of your choice. Your purpose could be to begin a new business, to construct a building, to develop land—whatever interests you. Make your presentation as real (or realistic) as you can. And support your appeal with visuals.

14. As chairperson of the site-selection committee of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, present a report on your committee’s recommendation. The committee has selected a city and a convention hotel (you may choose each). Your report will give your recommendation and the reasons that support it. For class purposes, you may make up whatever facts you need about the organization and its convention requirements and about the hotel. But use real facts about the city.

15. Prepare a presentation about a nonprofit organization or a cause that you support. Your primary purpose will be to inform your audience, but your secondary purpose will be to gain their support for the organization or cause. You choose the audience/occasion.

16. You work for a professional speakers bureau (a company that hires out speakers). Your boss has asked you to prepare a report on incorporating TikTok, Instagram, and other audiencefeedback technologies into presentations. Your report will be recorded on video and distributed to the bureau’s speakers to advise them on the potential uses of such tools.

17. Assume again the role described in topic #16, but this time your topic is the comparative advantages of Prezi and PowerPoint. Prepare a report that will help the bureau’s speakers choose the better tool for a given situation and type of speech.

18. Prepare a speech on a school-related topic of your choice for a meeting of your school’s alumni association. You’ll be playing the role of yourself—a current student at the school.

Make the audience feel good about the state of their alma mater.

19. The career services centre at your school is conducting a series of brief presentations on companies both local and national/international that students might want to learn about as potential employees. Your business communication teacher has gotten wind of this initiative and has offered to have her class prepare and deliver some of these as their report assignments. The director of the centre has enthusiastically agreed! In this pretend scenario, you’ll be preparing an oral report about a company of your choice for students at your school who are entering the job market. Your instructor and the director of your career services centre are your secondary audiences.

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Carefully plan your report to be between 8 and 10 minutes long. Support your talk with PowerPoint slides that have the following:  An introductory slide to identify your company  An overview slide, listing the topics your talk is going to cover  A slide for each main section of your talk  A closing slide with the main point you want to leave with people The following kinds of information might be appropriate to include in your talk:          

Company’s outputs (products/services); the industry to which it belongs Company’s size (dollars in sales/revenue; number of employees), ownership, financial health Company’s plants/facilities/location Company’s history (how founded? when? by whom? main achievements and/or crises in the company’s history?)

Company’s structure (if possible, include an organizational chart at the end of the report and refer to it in your report) Company’s employees (labour force, unionized or not, kinds of expertise, values) Company’s position in its industry or main competitors; company’s market/customers Company’s culture/missions/policies/management style/work environment Current problems/challenges facing this company Any unique traits of this company or industry that are important to mention to the prospective employee

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Oral Presentation Evaluation Presenter Topic

Date

Four aspects of an oral presentation are listed below. Under each of these headings are descriptions.

Circle aspects that are excellent; underline aspects that need improvement; do nothing with aspects that are average; cross out aspects that are not applicable. Comment on aspects that are circled or underlined; circle the appropriate rating for each aspect.

CONTENT

Comments:

Introduction

HIGH

Body

10

9

Conclusion

8

7

Explicit facts and Interpretations

6

5

Preparation

4

3

Use of notes

2

1

Organization

LOW

Clarity Time limit Thoroughness NONVERBAL SKILLS

Comments:

HIGH

Appearance

10

9

Eye contact

8

7

Gestures

6

5

Posture

4

3

2

1

LOW VOICE Voice volume

Comments:

HIGH 10

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Voice variety

8

7

Effective pauses

6

5

Rate of speech

4

3

Enthusiasm

2

1

Grammar

LOW

Enunciation VISUALS

Comments:

HIGH

Contribution to presentation

10

9

Neatness

8

7

Visibility

6

5

Clarity

4

3

Correctness

2

1

Use

LOW

OTHER COMMENTS:

TOTAL POINTS

Checklist #1: Preparing Presentation Slides Questions about the presentation as a whole:      

Is there an attractive, clearly worded, readable title slide?

Does the writer make good use of an outline slide?

Is it titled effectively, and are the items in the list of topics grammatically parallel?

Do the slides seem to cover all the important information?

Do the slides seem to be in the most logical order?

Is there a final slide that sums things up or leaves people with a significant thought or finding?  Does the whole presentation have a consistent look?

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 Is there a strong contrast between the background and the text colour?  Is there any type that is too small to be read? (Remember, no typeface should be smaller than 20 points.)  Conversely, is any type too big (yelling)?  Is any typeface hard to read (as with italics or too fancy a font)?  Is there too much or too little information on any slide?  Should any slides be combined or divided up?  If a topic is covered in more than one slide, the title on the subsequent slides should include “(cont’d).” Is every slide accurately/informatively titled?  Has the writer managed the hierarchy of the information well (not using more than two levels of information and making clear which is on the top level and which is on the secondary level)?  Are all headings on the same level grammatically parallel?  Are items in all lists grammatically parallel? Is the wording on each slide clear and grammatically correct?  If there are borrowed facts or quotes, are the sources named clearly on the slides? Is each slide visually clean and attractive?  Should/could the writer add visuals anywhere?  Are all visuals appropriately used and clearly labeled?  Are the dynamic elements (e.g., slide transitions) appropriate for the topic and audience?  Should you use more or less animation at any point?

Checklist #2: Oral Presentation Basics  Be sure your report or speech has a clear, audience-adapted objective.  Organize the talk so that it leads the listeners logically to your conclusion. The situation may call for either the direct or indirect order.  Plan an engaging beginning.  Plan for appropriate audience participation.  Plan the visuals, if any, that will support your talk.  Choose your speaking method (extemporaneous, memorization, reading, or a hybrid).  Choose your presentation tools (if any), and be sure the venue is optimized for your talk.  Manage any other visual elements of your talk (e.g., your appearance, the background) to your advantage.  Project confidence, competence, sincerity, and friendliness.  Employ body language to your advantage.  Be relaxed and natural, and use appropriate gestures and facial expressions.  Articulate clearly, pleasantly, and with proper emphasis.  Avoid mumbling and the use of such fillers as ah , er , like , and OK .  Punctuate the presentation with references to well-designed, non-distracting visuals.  Field audience questions and comments with honesty, interest, and professionalism.

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 End your presentation with a striking quote, statistic, or other comment that will reinforce your communication purpose.  Provide handouts as needed to enable the audience to follow and use the information.

Problem Solver to the Rescue: Pitching an Employee-Volunteer Program to Managers Audience Checklist from Chapter 4 What is the relationship to the audience?

Katie’s audience is her manager, a small group of managers, and HR of her construction company.

What is the relationship with the audience?

Katie is a subordinate employee in this situation. Her relationship to her audience is most likely one of formality and respect. She can be friendly with this audience, but she needs to remember to keep her message formal to communicate in this business relationship.

What is their likely reaction?

We can imagine that her manager and the HR department will be interested in this message. Their declining competitiveness may contribute to their motivation to find a solution to their problem.

They know they need to do something to showcase their contributions to the community, so her audience may be listening intently to her possible solution.

What do you want them to do/think/feel/believe as a result?

Katie wants her audience to feel positively about her three-tiered program and adopt this proposal as their new working plan, putting Katie in charge of the efforts.

What about the company culture do we need to know?

We know this is a well-respected company that values philanthropy and community service and encourages employees to participate in volunteer activities.

What do they know? What do they need to know?

We can imagine they know about some of the current and past practices in employee volunteering, but they may not know much about what happens outside of the company.

Critiquing her Visuals: Based on Exhibit 1-5 and 1-6 and the Audience Checklist Overall, Katie needs to revisit the information in Chapter 12 (and, Chapter 5 too!)

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

  



 

  





The title slide is not attractive and the font is too stark and aggressive for a talk about giving back to the community. The red, ALL CAPS font has a yelling effect and contributes to a very overwhelming title. The style of the slides, while consistent overall, is not very attractive to the reader, largely because of the use of all caps and boldfaced type throughout.

While her slide titles are readable, the all caps, as indicated above, are very overwhelming.

Also, one slide title is not parallel with the others in structure.

The text on the slide under the heading is too small (text should be a minimum 20pt).

The outline slide has small font and is not helpful to the reader. “My proposal” is a vague section and does not match her corresponding slide “A Three-Tiered Program.” Also, these bullets aren’t in grammatically parallel form.

Katie’s current slides include a whole slide on “Why an Employee-Volunteer Program.” We can probably assume the audience understand the question of why and are looking ahead to the question of what kind. Information about what else is use by competitors may be more useful for her readers, so she should consider making the entire slide about the last bullet point.

Two of the slides contain a bullet point that has one subpoint. When one is adding a second level of information to a point, one needs at least two points.

The slide “A Three-Tiered Program” is presumably the kind of program that Katie is recommending. Thus, one slide is not enough information on this topic. There should be at least one additional slide, perhaps “Advantages of the Proposed Program,” that talks about why the program would appeal to the employees (e.g., they can choose the type of volunteerism they prefer), why the program would require a modest ramp-up (many employees can just keep doing the kind of volunteering they’re doing), and other points related to the expenditure of time and effort on the part of the management.

There is borrowed information on the Benefits and Conclusion slides that should be identified in source notes.

The list on the Benefits slide is not grammatically parallel.

The final slide does not provide the reader with a forward-looking summary or action steps.

Instead, it just lists the costs and benefits. And with the slide Costs followed by the Conclusion slide, Katie is not leaving the reader with a positive feeling about the project.

Much of the end of the presentation is focused on costs.

There is an overall lack of interesting or compelling visuals to enhance the meaning of points in this presentation. Katie could add slides that present data related to these programs.

Chapter 5 provides examples of the types of visuals Katie could have used to support her presentation and persuade her audience.

Katie could consider the use of some animation to make these slides more dynamic, particularly the slides where it would be appropriate for her audience to focus on one point at a time (A Three-Tiered Program, for example).

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 13: Putting Interpersonal Skills to Work in Conversations and Meetings Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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Teaching Suggestions Teaching interpersonal skills is best done through application exercises and problems. We’ve covered collaborative writing and delivering presentations as a team, but many of the skills described in this chapter are helpful for working with people in general, whether that be in formally organized groups or simply in your day-to-day interactions with people in the workplace.

We suggest that your review of techniques be a summary of text content. The slides provided for the lecture notes can help with this review. Also, you can supplement your review with discussion, using the critical-thinking questions at the end of the chapter.

We strongly encourage you to try out some of the technology mentioned in this chapter (for example, for virtual meetings) within the class time. Recently, we’ve seen a massive shift to virtual meetings, and while the outlook is unclear how much will remain in the coming years, we know that many of these changes are here to stay. Practicing using virtual meeting technology gives students some familiarity with it, which will help them when they end up in a business that uses such technology frequently. Since students may be using a small number of communication and collaboration technologies, you could also instruct online students to experiment with new and different technology as part of their assignments.

Learning Objectives LO13-1

Understand how to learn the features of an organization’s culture and to explain how these features affect communication.

LO13-2

Explain the types of nonverbal communication.

LO13-3

Explain the challenges of listening and how to overcome them.

LO13-4

Describe the strategies for engaging in conversation and small talk.

LO13-5

Explain how to handle difficult conversations.

LO13-6

Explain how to give and receive constructive feedback.

LO13-7

Describe the strategies for resolving a conflict.

LO13-8

Explain the steps for successful negotiation.

LO13-9

Describe the strategies for leading successful meetings and teams.

LO13-10

Describe good phone and voice mail techniques.

Key Terms active listening

agenda

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back-channeling body language conflict constructive feedback filtering interpersonal communication meeting minutes negotiation nonverbal communication organizational culture paralanguage parliamentary procedure remembering sensing small talk use of space use of time

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Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 13-1, 13-2, 12-3 Much of the oral communication that goes on in business is interpersonal communication, the informal, person-to-person interaction that occurs whenever people get together in meetings, over the phone, or in casual conversations. This chapter will show you how to read an organization’s culture and how to develop interpersonal skills that will enable you to be a successful business professional.

Your communication skills are critical in helping you become an integral part of your organization.

These beginning slides provide an overview of the chapter learning objectives.

Problem-Solving Challenge For an assignment for students: Consider the challenges presented at the public accounting firm, as described in the Problem-Solving Challenge. First, organize the things that have been revealed so far about the organization’s culture into a chart. Make one column a list of the actions/observations, and make the other represent what you think those actions mean. Then compose some questions that you should ask next to understand the culture better.

Communication and Organizational Cultures

Slide 13-4 You can start by highlighting the importance of audience and context to understanding organizational communication conventions. You can use the metaphor of “reading the organizational room” to help them understand they will need to pay attention to the practices of individuals and groups within an organization.

Slide 13-5 This slide presents a definition of organizational culture.

An organizational culture comprises the beliefs, values, practices, and norms that govern all aspects of organizational life, including what you can and cannot say, write, or do in the workplace.

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Slide 13-6 Once you are hired, your success depends on your ability to analyze and appropriately respond to the culture—and each organization’s culture is different.

Much of what was discussed in Chapter 4 regarding audience analysis applies here to learning about and adapting to the culture of your workplace. Ask questions such as those presented on this slide to understand more about your organization’s culture. Your ability to fit in with the organization’s culture is critical to your success in making conversation with coworkers or clients in person or on the phone, managing conflict, engaging in negotiations, or leading teams and meetings.

Slide 13-7 You Make the Call Use this slide as an exercise in thinking about the culture of the workplace. Let students give their thoughts on this issue of wearing ear buds at work. Remind them to provide supporting material to back up their arguments, if possible. And don’t forget to consider your audience. What does putting in ear buds say to the people around you at work?

Nonverbal Communication

Slide 13-8 The vocabulary for nonverbal language is broad and imprecise. The number of possible meanings is multiplied even more when we consider the cross-cultural side of communication. You need to be sensitive to what others intend with nonverbal communication, and you need to make some allowance for error in the meanings you receive from nonverbal cues.

We’ll take a look at four common types of nonverbal communication.

Body language. This includes eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, and general physical appearance, among other things. Think of someone you know who is very expressive through his or her body language or appearance. What does that nonverbal communication say?

Use of space. People create four different types of space: •

Intimate (up to 46 centimetres)

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• Personal (46 centimetres to 1.2 metres) • Social (1.2 metres to 3.6 metres) • Public (3.6 metres to the outer range of seeing and hearing) • In each of these spaces we communicate in different ways. Even how you arrange the furniture in a room can change the way people communicate.

Use of time. How you use time (or misuse it) can communicate messages to others about your values.

Paralanguage. This has to do with the way people’s voices (through emphasis, pitch, volume, speed, etc.) can add meaning to the words they are saying.

The next slide provides an exercise for students to test out their ability to use paralanguage to add meaning to words.

You might also want to direct students to the Communication Matters feature on “Introverts and Extraverts: Personality Types and Interpersonal Communication.” Understanding how personality affects communication can help you understand people better. You might want to have the class take the Jung Typology Test.

Connect Assignment 13-4: Recognizing the Types of Nonverbal Communication Summary: This activity will help students recognize the various types of nonverbal communication you can use in the workplace, including body language, space, time, and paralanguage.

Follow-Up Activity: Ask students to select one example from each of the four categories and explain what could be potentially communicated to others by taking that action.

Slide 13-9 Read these sentences together as a class or let individuals take turns trying out this exercise. Ask students to consider what meaning they can give these words simply by changing their voices. What if they add gestures to the words? What happens then?

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Listening

Slides 13-10, 13-11, 13-12, 13-13 Ask the class: Can you actually become a better listener? Or is that something that is so much a part of you that you can’t do much about it? What do you think?

Use this slide to discuss these three parts of listening: sensing the sound, filtering incoming messages, and remembering what we hear. How could active listening help us to remember messages better?

How could back-channeling help us communicate with someone better?

Slide 13-14 Improving our listening First, you must really want to improve. Determination is necessary. Then you must work to pay attention—discipline yourself. You must work to improve the accuracy of your filtering. This requires looking for likely intended meanings, keeping an open mind, and thinking carefully.

You must work to remember messages—consciously.

Slide 13-15 Have students survey this list of 10 listening commandments. You may ask if they have any that they would like to add to the list.

Conversation and Small Talk

Slide 13-16 A discussion of talking would not be complete without at least a comment about courtesy. Good talkers don’t dominate the conversation or drown out others. A good idea is to always apply the Golden Rule and accord others the courtesy you would expect from them.

Conversations in business range from informal to informal. Your ability to manage these conversations well and be professional will shape how others see you.

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Some people are naturally good at making small talk, and others have to practice and develop this skill.

When approaching a person to start a conversation, smile, make eye contact, reach out for a handshake, and introduce yourself. Check out the tips provided in the text by business expert Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick.

Role-play a business lunch situation. Let students get up and move about. Encourage them to talk with fellow students that they don’t usually talk with that much. Walk around and listen to the conversations that are occurring. End the activity after a few minutes have passed and talk with students about their impressions. Was it hard to have a conversation on demand like that? What messages did they read from nonverbal cues?

Conflict and Negotiation

Slides 13-17, 13-18 Use these slides to discuss difficult conversations, especially those where you have to either give or receive negative feedback.

Much of what was learned in Chapter 2 and Chapter 8 can also apply here and help students to frame negative messages. As Holly Weeks suggests, the success of a difficult conversation may lie in how you think of it. Try to consider the opportunities for improvement that exist, instead of focusing on the negative message.

When you are on the receiving end, remember that even though it may feel highly personal, the message is about your professional behaviour, and you should accept the message in a professional manner.

Slide 13-19 You Make the Call Let students give their thoughts on this issue. Ask them to share their experiences of either giving excuses or being given excuses. What resulted from those experiences?

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Slides 13-20, 13-21 Discuss the different strategies people use to deal with conflict. Ask the students to tell about which of these strategies is most like how they normally handle conflict. What are the drawbacks to the strategy they normally use?

As you discuss the different strategies, remind students that the strategy they choose will depend on the situation. As a good business communicator, you will need to analyze the audience, context, and purpose to ensure that communication goals and business goals lead to effective business solutions.

Slide 13-22 You Make the Call Ask students to reflect on which method of managing conflict they gravitate to in their own lives: what are the strengths of this approach? Weaknesses?

Slide 13-23, 13-24 One common type of interpersonal communication you’ll engage in as a professional is that of negotiation, the process of discussion that leads to an agreement.

As with any conversation, you want to do as we discussed earlier in this chapter regarding the timing, planning, and approach to a conversation.

Ask students what they think of Kevin O’Leary’s advice on negotiating: are there any tips or strategies that they would add to the list?

Slide 13-25 Divide students into two groups to discuss this problem for a few minutes. Then let each group nominate two people to play the parts of Riley and the Production Manager, who will then act out the discussion in the design team meeting.

After the role-plays are presented, talk about how each group handled this situation. What went well? What could be improved?

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Meetings and Teams

Slides 13-26, 13-27, 13-28 You can have one of two roles in meetings, either as the leader or a participant. If you are the leader, then it is your responsibility to conduct the meeting.

A key to conducting a successful meeting is to plan it thoroughly. You should follow the plan for the meeting item by item. You should control the agenda. When one item has been covered, bring up the next item and keep the discussion moving along.

Keeping certain people from talking too much will likely be one of your harder tasks. Your job as a leader is also to get those who talk too little to participate more.

When meeting time is limited, you should determine in advance how much time will be allotted for each item and keep to the schedule. At appropriate places, summarize what has been covered and concluded. And make sure someone is taking notes so that all the major observations and action steps are recorded.

Slide 13-29 As a participant in a meeting, you also have an obligation to follow the agenda. You should not bring up items that are not on the agenda. Participate by speaking when you have something meaningful to contribute. Do not get carried away and talk too much.

Cooperate by respecting the meeting leader and other participants.

Be courteous.

You will want to consider these meeting guidelines in virtual meetings as well. You may ask students to identify ways that virtual meetings differ from face-to-face meetings. Encourage them to review the From the Tech Desk box titled “Collaborative Tools Support Virtual Meetings” to give them a sense of the type of collaboration tools available to them in online meetings. A particular way of being courteous comes into play when participating in virtual meetings. Ask your students to brainstorm

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about or share their experience of the kinds of minor problems that can make it difficult to participate in a meeting via either phone or through a video conferencing application.

They may come up with things such as two conversations happening at once, people not speaking loudly enough, someone tapping fingers on a desk right by the microphone, etc. Also talk about what kind of language may be unhelpful to someone who isn’t in the room: e.g., saying “I like this cover” is too vague and unhelpful to someone who can’t see what you are looking at.

On the other hand, what can the participant who is out of the room do to make the virtual meeting be more successful?

Slide 13-30 We’ve addressed collaborative report writing and presentations in other chapters. The principles in this chapter apply to working in teams in the business setting in general.

See if your students can come up with some of the principles under each of these headings.

Foundational characteristics must be in place from the beginning. These include having goals, clearly defined roles, open communication, and a system for decision making.

Secondary characteristics include balanced participation, valued diversity, and managed conflict.

Tertiary characteristics include a positive atmosphere and cooperative relationships. These are not essential to getting work done, but they make the experience more enjoyable and rewarding for everyone involved.

A final characteristic, participative leadership, may evolve as the team does its work. This characteristic is reflected through teams where leadership qualities are seen or delegated among team members.

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Slide 13-31 You Make the Call Ask students if they’ve ever encountered conflict as part of a team, whether as a member of a sports team, a group work assignment at school, or some other situation. How did they handle it? Is there anything they would change about their original response now that they’ve learned about approaching difficult conversations, conflict resolution, and working in teams?

Telephone Skills

Slide 13-32 Although a discussion of using the phone may seem trivial, it cannot be overlooked.

It’s important to develop a professional voice quality for use in the business setting. Voice quality primarily refers to pitch and resonance of vocal sounds. Voices vary widely. Although not all voices are good, we can all work to improve our voice quality. You know the effect of good voice quality. Listen carefully to yourself (or even record yourself). Try to identify areas where you can improve and work on those. You can also mention that good voice quality will also benefit students in virtual meetings.

Other phone skills that you should consider are courtesy techniques, such as introducing yourself at the beginning of your call. It is also important to have effective phone procedures, such as introducing the reason for your call. As many phone calls do not result in an actual conversation, it is important to develop effective voice mail techniques.

Phone Tips   

Work to make your voice sound pleasant and friendly.

Talk as if you’re face-to-face. Even try smiling.

Introduce yourself right away and politely ask to speak to the person you are calling.

To effectively call someone    

Plan the call, using notes if necessary.

Explain the purpose of the call.

Cover points systematically.

Close with goodwill comments.

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Ask your students what phone habits they’ve experienced in the business setting that they either have found very helpful or very annoying. If students bring up negative experiences, talk about those with the class to see if people can offer ways the situation could have been handled better.

Lastly, direct students to consider the tips for courteous use of cell phones, the section that appears at the end of the chapter. Can your students think of any items they would like to add to that list?

Slides 13-33, 13-34, 13-35 Developing interpersonal skills can be challenging and intimidating, but doing so is necessary for success in any organization.

Your success in any business you work for will depend largely on your interpersonal relationships— with other employees, with managers, with service providers, with clients, and with the leadership.

Developing effective communication skills and strategies will help you work more productively and will help you to enjoy your work experience more as well.

Direct students to the quote from Zaimah Khan, founder of a management consulting firm that specializes in change management, emotional intelligence, and human capital development.

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Critical-Thinking Questions

20. What types of questions can you ask to ensure you understand your organization’s culture?

(LO13-1) Students’ answers will vary, but should include some of the questions shown on slide 13-6.

21. What might these nonverbal communication behaviours communicate? Think of at least two possibilities for each. (LO13-2) Answers will vary, but some examples are provided. a. A nod of the head Affirmation, or noting a direction you would like people to focus on. b. Avoidance of eye contact Dishonesty, or a person from another culture may consider direct eye contact rude. c. Being asked to sit on the other side of the desk from your boss This could mean your boss wants to keep his or her eye on you, or it could mean your boss prefers to see your face to give you full attention. d. Shouting “WHAT!” This could mean someone is upset. Or it could be that the noise level in the environment is high and the person is shouting to be heard. e. Showing up late for a meeting This could be a sign of disrespect. Or it could mean the person was delayed by a legitimate work concern. f. Using your computer while someone else is talking This could appear to be lack of interest. But it could also be that the listener is taking notes to digest what you say better.

22. Discuss why we have difficulty listening well. (LO13-3) Our alertness to the stimuli that surround us varies from time to time. Sometimes we are keenly alert and pick up the stronger stimuli (especially words). But sometimes we pick up little if we are thinking about something else or daydreaming.

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23. What can you do to improve your listening? (LO13-3) We can improve our listening only through conscious effort. We must want to do it first; and then we must work at doing it. In addition, we can keep in mind the ten commandments of listening discussed in the text: 1. Stop talking.

2. Put the talker at ease.

3. Show the talker you want to listen.

4. Remove distractions.

5. Empathize with the talker.

6. Be patient.

7. Hold your temper.

8. Go easy on argument and criticism.

9. Ask questions.

10. Stop talking!

24. Talking is something we do every day, so we can be confident that these everyday skills are ready for use in the workplace. Discuss. (LO13-4) Though most people do some form of talking every day, the kind of communication we use varies broadly depending on our audience, setting, and purpose. For instance, talking we do with our friends may not be suitable in tone or style for the workplace. We always need to improve our talking so that we can communicate better. If we give talking little attention, we will not improve our communication abilities.

25. Being able to start a conversation is especially important when meeting clients in social settings. Discuss the types of topics that would and would not be appropriate. (LO13-4) Most people would say topics such as politics, religion, and sex are inappropriate; however, context really plays an important role in what is appropriate in the workplace and what is not.

Family, current events, books, and movies are all appropriate topics.

26. Why is timing an important consideration in starting a conversation? (LO13-4) Being aware of timing can be a way of showing respect to your audience. For example, you should not interrupt someone unless it is an emergency. Interrupting presents the idea that what you have to say is more important than what the speaker is saying. Timing can also be essential when choosing what type of story to share, or when to make an announcement, or when to approach a difficult topic. In general, you want to consider your audience and deliver communication that is appropriate for the setting and at a time that allows your listener(s) to hear you out in a comfortable, clear way.

27. What should you do upon approaching someone to start a conversation? (LO13-4)

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Answers may vary, but should include mention of smiling, giving eye contact, extending a hand for a handshake, and introducing yourself (if you don’t know the person). Also, when approaching someone in an office, remember to ask permission before beginning to speak on your topic. Ask permission both to enter the office or the cubicle area of the person and ask permission to be seated. Always give your listener respect.

28. What are three techniques for approaching difficult conversations? (LO13-5) You can use these three techniques: 1) provide buffering language before presenting bad news, 2) remain objective—focus on facts and logic instead of feelings, and 3) incorporate some positive message (avoid negative words and negative tones).

29. What strategies should you use to deliver feedback? Receive feedback? (LO13-6) When giving feedback, follow these practices:    

Stick to the facts.

Watch your pronoun use.

Ask for clarification.

Watch your tone.

When receiving feedback, follow these practices:     

Separate the feedback from the person who is giving it.

Express your thanks.

Take the opportunity to respond.

Think carefully before you apologize.

Be aware of the power dynamics.

30. Identify which conflict resolution strategy would work best in the following situations. (LO137) a. Your team members disagree about whether to conduct a survey or hold focus groups. It’s one of your first big group decisions, so all team members must feel as though this is a win for them.

Use collaboration strategy. Talk through the pros and cons of the options to work toward your common goal. It may be that you even decide to do both things. b. Two coworkers are involved in a minor conflict about who gets to leave early and who should stay to answer the phones. They ask you for your opinion, but you don’t want to make either of them unhappy with you.

Suggest that your coworkers use compromising strategy. If one leaves early this time, the next time that person will be the one to stay to answer the phones. You might at first consider just telling them to work it out on their own—but since they came to you specifically for an opinion, Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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walking away in this instance could seem like you are uncaring or are disrespecting their concern. c. You (a staff accountant) and a senior partner both need to use the same conference room at the same time. You really want the room, but clearly you lack seniority.

Use accommodative strategy. Realize that the senior partner is likely to keep the meeting room at that time. You could acknowledge the schedule conflict and cordially offer to reschedule or move your meeting. This could help to build goodwill with the executive. You could also just use avoidance strategy and not even bring up the matter with the person. Your choice here may depend on your relationship with the person in question. d. You and your team of five are not going to finish your presentation by the deadline, so you have to work on the weekend. Your team members are not happy, but there is no alternative.

Maybe you can offer them something in exchange for getting them to work on a Saturday.

Use compromising strategy. If you are able, offer the team members flex time to cover the time they are working on Saturday, or offer them the chance to work from home one day the following week. You could also buy them lunch on that Saturday as a sign of your thanks for their willingness to work outside the normal scope of their project.

31. What can you do to ensure a successful negotiation? (LO13-8) Answers may vary, but should acknowledge a proper consideration of timing, planning, and the approach to the conversation. Answers could also include the tips from Kevin O’Leary, as included in the text.

32. The people attending a meeting—not the leader—should determine the agenda. Discuss.

(LO13-9) Chaos would result if the members of an audience were to plan each meeting. A group cannot screen, plan, and arrange topics as well as an individual. Thus, it is good procedure for the leader to plan the items that appear necessary, but the leader should generally permit the group to add items after the scheduled items have been covered.

33. As meetings should be democratic, everyone present should be permitted to talk as much as he or she wants without interference from the leader. Discuss. (LO13-9) This statement may appeal to the idealist. But such a practice is not practical. Some people talk too much, do not stay on the topic, or repeat themselves. Some control of them is necessary for a meeting to be successful.

34. Describe an annoying phone practice that you have experienced or know about (other than the ones discussed in the chapter). Explain and/or demonstrate how it should be corrected.

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Each phone practice and its correction should be evaluated on its merits.

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Skills-Building Exercises Organizational Culture (LO13-1) 1. Examining Your Workplace Culture: Using a current or former workplace as your example, answer the questions in the section of this chapter called “Communication and Organizational Cultures” about how to understand a workplace culture. What conclusions can you draw about your workplace culture regarding the “rules” for communicating in this workplace. As your instructor directs, you can present your answers in a written document or oral presentation.

Evaluate each student’s answer on its merits.

2. Exploring a Company Culture: Choose a company that you think you might want to work for someday or that hires people in your field. Interview someone at this company about the organizational culture. Is this a culture you would like to work in? Why or why not? As your instructor directs, you can summarize the culture and present your thoughts in a written document or oral presentation.

Evaluate each student’s answer on its merits.

Nonverbal Communication (LO13-2) 1. Identify the Meanings behind Nonverbal Behaviours: Find three to five pictures of men and women with different facial expressions (happiness, sadness, anger, etc.) or gestures. Ask those native to your area to identify the emotions or the meanings of the gestures the pictures convey. Then ask at least three others from different countries (preferably different continents) to identify the emotions. Report your results to the class.

Students are likely to bring in excellent examples through this assignment. You may want to have some backup examples of your own, too. One major concept these examples should bring out is that nonverbal communication meanings are often vague and misunderstood, especially between different cultural groups.

2. Observe Others’ Interactions: Go to a public place (e.g., your school’s cafeteria, the library, a park, or a mall). Observe the interaction between two people whom you can see but not hear. In a short memo to your instructor, describe the setting, the participants, the interaction, and the nonverbal behaviours. Analyze their nonverbal communication and present two possible interpretations of these behaviours. Be sure to justify your interpretations with evidence from your observation.

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students should be encouraged to think about multiple meanings for the behaviour. Students should be cautioned about being disruptive or intrusive—-they should take care to observe but not make others uncomfortable if they (students) are noticed.

3. Evaluating Your Oral Communication: Record yourself in some type of oral communication setting (e.g., the meetings described in previous exercises, a mock job interview with your school’s career services office, a conversation with a customer or coworker). Watch the recording without the sound, and pay attention to your nonverbal behaviours. In a short memo to your instructor, describe what you saw and evaluate what you do well and what you will work to improve.

This is an interesting exercise that will likely yield a lot of comments along the lines of “I had no idea that I….” As in previous exercises, students should be encouraged to think about multiple meanings the observers may have taken from the behaviours.

Listening (LO13-3) 1. Playing the Classic Game of “Telephone”: After the class has been divided into two or more teams, the instructor reads some factual information (newspaper article, short story, or the like) to only one member of each team. Each of these team members tells what he or she has heard to a second team member, who in turn tells it to a third team member, and so on until the last member of each team has heard the information. The last person receiving the information reports what she or he has heard to the instructor, who checks it against the original message.

The team able to report the information with the greatest accuracy wins.

The best way we know to demonstrate our listening limitations is to use the old party game. You start out by telling one member of the class some information, such as the following: “Research findings tell us that people do not listen well. A 2004 study found that after ten minutes students could recall less than one-fifth of the information in a sociology lecture. They could recall less than one-eighth of the information in a history lecture.” Then have the student report this information to another student—and this student to another—in chain fashion through the entire class. Unless you have an unusual class, the message at the end of the chain will differ sharply from the original message This technique demonstrates individual differences in filtering and remembering. By dramatically pointing out the need to listen better, you will alert students to their own biases and weaknesses as listeners. You can use the listening exercise in this manual, too.

2. Evaluating Your Listening Skills: This exercise is similar to Exercise #1 under Conversations, but in this exercise, you will analyze your listening skills. Reflect on a recent conversation with a friend, oral instructions you received from your boss, or a class lecture where you demonstrated what you believe is representative of your listening skills in general. Use a SWOT analysis to evaluate your listening skills. What are your strengths as a listener? What are your weaknesses?

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Identify some opportunities for improving your skills. Identify possible threats (e.g., physical limitations, lack of interest) that may hinder your ability to improve your skills. What can you do to address these threats? Present your analysis in a memo report to your instructor.

See the commentary for Exercise 1 under Conversations.

Conversations (LO13-4) 1. Evaluating Your Conversational Skills: Record yourself in conversation with three different audiences (e.g., a friend, your parents, a customer or client at work, an instructor). Conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis of your talking using the four elements of good talking discussed in this chapter. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Identify opportunities for improving your talking. Discuss threats to improving your talking (e.g., nervousness, lack of interest). What will you do to address the threats? Present your analysis in a memo report to your instructor. Be sure to explain to your audiences why you’re recording your conversation and seek permission as appropriate.

Students’ responses will vary, of course. However, this is a good exercise for integrating many of the concepts in the text such as audience analysis and memo writing. It also allows students to use a basic business strategy for analyzing a situation.

2. Making Small Talk: Approach someone you don’t know (e.g., at a social gathering, in the elevator, or in a checkout line) and make small talk. Reflect on how well you did and what you could do better. Be sure you approach people in a way that is appropriate for the context, and do not approach people if their nonverbal communication suggests that you should leave them alone.

3. Observing Others’ Conversations: Observe conversations in your workplace. Are they productive? What do people do well? What could they improve?

Conflict and Negotiation (LO13-5, LO13-6, LO13-7, LO13-8) 1. Playing “Divide the Loot”: Develop your conflict and negotiation skills by playing Divide the Loot. Instructors, before this activity, you will have to give each student a different amount of play money.  Within a group, divide into two teams: managers and employees.  Put the money your instructor gave you into the group’s employee pot or manager pot, depending on your role, but be careful not to let your team members know how much money you contributed. (You may want to put the money in an envelope.)  Your instructor will collect both pots, combine them, and add his or her own money. The instructor will count the money and let the group know how much is in the combined

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 

pot. You will still only know how much you contributed; you won’t know how much anyone else contributed.

Take 10 minutes to decide how to divide the pot among your group members.

As your instructor directs, write or present an individual or team reflection on the strategies you used to resolve conflicts and negotiate the division of the money. Were they effective? Why or why not? What would you have done differently?

Evaluate students’ answers based on their merits.

Meetings (LO13-9) 1. Solving a Campus Problem: For one of the following topics, develop a specific problem that would warrant a group meeting. (Example: For student government, the problem might be: “To determine the weaknesses of student government on this campus and what should be done to correct them.”) Then lead the class (or participate) in a meeting on the topic. Class discussion following the meeting should reinforce the text material and bring out the effective and ineffective parts of the meeting. a. Scholastic dishonesty b. Student–faculty relations c. Student government d. Library e. Grading standards f. Attendance policies g. Varsity athletics h. Degree requirements i. Parking on campus j. Tuition and fees k. Student evaluation of faculty l. Community–college relations m. Inclusivity and diversity issues on campus n. A policy for phone and computer use in the classroom The optimal way to provide text instruction on conducting and participating in meetings is to simulate a meeting. We select a hypothetical organization and give it a special purpose for meeting (for example, a campus organization meeting to discuss a current campus problem).

We appoint one person as the leader; the others are the participants. We assign special roles to some of the participants—such as persistent talker, nonparticipant, antagonist, and comedian.

After the meeting is over, we and our classes analyze the performances of all involved.

If possible, move students to a board or conference room to create a professional context for the meeting.

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2. Resolving a Problem of Your Choice: Using one of the topics in the above exercise (or another topic as your instructor directs), work in groups of four to present a solution to the problem you decide to address. You should meet at least four times. One person should be designated to establish an agenda for and lead each meeting and another to take minutes at each meeting.

Each person in the group should take a turn leading a meeting and taking minutes. After each meeting, group members should evaluate the group leader’s abilities. Let your leader know of at least one strength and one area needing improvement. Submit your agendas, minutes, and leader evaluations to your instructor as directed. Present your group’s solution to your class as a short presentation or to your instructor in a memo.

Again, a board or conference room can provide a real-life setting. A good follow-up activity would be to see if group members’ recollections differ from what is in the minutes. To avoid generic group member evaluations (e.g., “Joe did a good job; he was a good leader”), provide group members with a rubric or list of leader characteristics that they can use for evaluation.

Then attach points to the evaluations so that they are specific and helpful.

3. Debating a Current Topic: Working in groups of four or five, debate the following statement. As long as the information they provide is truthful, employers should be able to give a negative reference without fear of lawsuits or other negative effects for a former employee seeking employment with another company. Examine arguments that might lead you to agree with the statement or disagree with it, and come to a consensus. Tape the meeting and analyze the group members’ performances. You may analyze the recording as a group or individually as your instructor directs. Who emerged as the leader of the discussion? How could you tell this person was the leader? Did anyone dominate the discussion? Did anyone not participate or participate very little? Why do you think this person did not participate as much as he or she could have?

What could people in the group do to improve their skills? What did they do well?

Many students are uncomfortable seeing themselves on video. It’s important, therefore, to make sure that when group members provide feedback, they do so in a way that is constructive and not hurtful. Again, providing a checklist of behaviours to look for might be useful to group members to create a shared set of expectations and make the feedback seem les personal and more professional.

4. Conducting a Virtual Meeting: Working in groups of four or five, as a team or as your instructor directs, choose an online meeting platform such as Zoom, Skype, or Microsoft Teams and hold a virtual meeting. The topic of your meeting can be one of the topics in Skills-Building Exercises 1– 3 in the "Meetings" category or another topic that your team or your instructor decides is appropriate. To complete this activity, a) Develop an agenda. b) Hold the meeting virtually. c) Record the meeting. d) Individually or as a team, watch the recording.

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e) Answer these questions: What were some of the advantages of meeting virtually? What were some of the limitations of meeting virtually? How do you and your team members feel about your ability to participate in the meeting? Was the technology appropriate for what you need to do? Were you able to say everything you wanted to say? Or do you feel that your ideas were not heard? Were you able to accomplish the items on your agenda? Why or why not? What could you or your team members have done for the meeting to run more smoothly? What did you or your team members do well that helped the meeting be productive?

This virtual team exercise is timely and relevant for our students, many of whom have now had experiences with virtual coursework. One challenge may be to try to get them to apply their experience with virtual coursework to a workplace setting. Class discussion can also include experience students may have had in internships: how would that experience have been difference with more/less virtual work?

Talking on the Phone (LO13-10) 1. Reflecting on Bad Phone Practices: Make a list of bad phone practices that you have experienced or heard about. With a classmate, first demonstrate the bad practice and then demonstrate how you would handle it. Some possibilities: rudely putting a caller on hold, using an unfriendly tone, unintentionally insulting the caller, sounding uninterested.

This phone exercise can produce good in-class performances. We suggest assigning students to teams of two. Instruct them to explain the bad practice they will illustrate, demonstrate the bad practice, and demonstrate the corrected version. Class discussion can then bring out strengths and shortcomings of the presentation.

2. Making Sure Your Outgoing Message Is Professional: Think about your outgoing message on your cell phone or answering machine. For whom is your message appropriate? Are the voice quality, style, and word choice appropriate? Is it courteous? Is there anyone you would not want to hear this message (e.g., a potential employer)? Does the message contain sufficient detail? Is it too detailed or too long? In a memo to your instructor, include the text of your current outgoing message. If your message needs revision, include the text of your revised message.

Explain why you are revising the message and describe the audience for which you are making the message more appropriate. If you do not believe your message needs revision, explain how your message meets the needs of your current audiences. If you do not have a cell phone or answering machine, borrow a friend’s.

Many students will be thinking about their outgoing messages for the first time. This is a good start for students as they begin to cultivate their professional image—especially if they are searching for jobs or internships and are expecting phone calls from prospective employers.

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Problem Solver to the Rescue: Asking Your Boss to Let You Work from Home Student feedback to Bill and Kristen can include the following bullet points: 

The first problem with this conversation is the issue of timing. Bill has clearly caught Kristen at an inopportune time to discuss this issue (during lunch!), the conversation starts off on the wrong foot. However, Kristen, instead of telling Bill to come back at a better time, makes a sarcastic comment.



Bill should have knocked and asked Kristen if she had a few minutes to talk. He may even want to give her a sense of what it is about: his recent experiences working at the office. While catching someone at a free moment is an okay way to start a conversation, for important conversations, often setting a meeting time in advance is preferred. Bill could have emailed Kristen, asked for a meeting, and given her a brief overview of the topic so they would both be prepared to discuss Bill’s working situation. (As opposed to catching her off guard as he seems to have done.)



Since we know that the company policy is that all employees work from the office, Bill can assume that this request will not be received well immediately. So, based on the recommendations in Chapter 9, Bill should use an indirect approach to this request. His request should be preceded by an explanation of why this action is needed. He may find it useful to use this time to build goodwill, first establishing his commitment to the company and his team.



Bill seems to have taken a competitive strategy, which is not the best course of action in this situation. From the scenario, we can tell that Kristen and the rest of the team will be at a disadvantage if Bill works from home. So while Bill may “win” and get what he wants, he will be doing so at the expense of this team. The best approach is to try to take a collaborative strategy and try to determine how both sides can be comfortable with the result.



They can each do a better job of listening. The original scenario reflects that Kristen, in particular, needs to work on. You’ll notice in the revision, Kristen uses strategies to demonstrate she is listening: a cue “Hmmm, I see” and backchannelling “So if I hear you right, Bill, you need a quiet space where you can work uninterrupted. ”



The same holds true for Kristen. As a manager, her goal should be to try to come to an acceptable solution for Bill that would help him be productive while following company policy.



They both need to do their homework. Bill could have spent a few moments considering Kristen’s schedule to identify when and how he should find time to meet with her. The same is true for Kristen. You’ll notice that, in the revision, Kristen uses what she knows about Bill to try to come up with a solution.

An example revision of the conversation can be found below: Bill [knocking on door as he steps into the room]: Hi Kristen. Can I come in?

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Kristen: Yes, please, take a seat. Thanks for setting up a meeting. My schedule has been a bit busy over the last week.

Bill: I can understand that. I have heard about the new project you are working on. Sounds exciting, but like a lot of work! Thank you for making the time to meet with me.

Kristen: So, you wanted to talk about your situation working here in the office?

Bill: Yes. As you know, I’ve been with the company for five years. I’m excited about the work, and I am committed to our team and our clients. However, since we transitioned to open office space, I’ve found it difficult to adjust to the level of noise and frequent interruptions. I understand that the vision of the company is to create a collaborative space for our team, but I am finding myself distracted by the noise and action, and I am frequently interrupted. Even some of my smaller tasks have become hard to focus on in the open office space. Further, I’m finding it difficult to schedule conversations with clients due high use of the limited private spaces. Overall, Kristen, I’m worried that this setup is affecting my productivity, and I’d like to work together to try to come to a solution that can help me and still uphold the values and policies of the company.

Kristen: First, Bill, thank you for coming to me with these concerns. I would much rather have you talk to me about this than continue being frustrated by this situation. I would also like to discuss how we can come to a mutually agreeable solution. Do you have any thoughts about what that might look like?

Bill: Well, actually, I’ve been wondering if I could work from home a few days a week so that I can work from a controlled area where I can concentrate. I will attend any meetings on Skype and we can choose the days around what makes the most sense for the team. That way, I can plan all my client calls for those days.

Kristen: So, if I hear you right, Bill, you need a quiet space where you can work uninterrupted. And I agree that we need to make a change. We see you as a valuable member of our team, and we want to support you. Upper management has been happy with the way the transition to the new work space has gone, and we’ve seen productivity increase overall. That said, I think we need to identify a solution for your work here in the office because. Even if you work from home for 3 days per week, that still means you are unproductive for those other two days. I need you able to work for all five days! What can we change in the office space, instead, that would allow you to work better here?

Bill: Well, I really need some quiet space to do my client calls and the detailed-oriented work that I often have to do throughout the week. I’ve been trying to jump into the private spaces, but they are frequently taken.

Kristen: Hmmm, I see. The other issue that exists is that we can’t make exceptions to the rule for certain people and not others. I know you generally like to get work done early. I often see emails from you before 9am when your work day is supposed to start. What if we shift your hours so you

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come in a bit earlier? Then, we can block off the private room for the first part of your shift so you can work privately on important items.

Bill: That would be great. I think that would help. But I worry I still won’t be able to make client calls so early.

Kristen: Then perhaps we could reserve the room for you a few times a week later in the afternoon so you can make your client calls? In addition, perhaps we should order you a pair of noise cancelling headphones to help you focus when working from your desk. Do you think this could solve the problem?

Bill: That would help a lot, Kristen. While I will still be spending a lot of my work time distracted, I can at least plan my week better. And I appreciate the company investing in headphones for me.

Kristen: In return, Bill, I’ll schedule a meeting with Linda in HR and Tom, our COO, to see if we can make an allowance for you to work from home on Fridays. I can’t promise anything, but can to at least ask.

Bill: Thanks, Kristen, I appreciate that.

Kristen: I’ll have Kevin, my assistant, work on reserving the room for you, and I’ll notify HR that you’ll be shifting your hours. I’ll let you know the conversation goes about Fridays. Again, I’m not optimistic, but it can’t hurt to ask. Expect to hear from me on that by the end of the week.

Bill: Thanks again, Kristen.

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Chapter 14: Communicating in the Job Search Teaching Suggestions The teaching techniques for this chapter are the same as the preceding chapters. Some instructors will tackle this chapter early in the semester as a way to get to know their students. Others may want to wait until students have had more practice writing business documents. Either way, before students write their employment documents, they should review the stages of the writing process.

The relevance of the steps in the planning process may seem obvious to instructors, but many students may not see their employment documents as requiring the same level of planning as they did (or will do) with their other correspondence assignments. Many may think that just because the Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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documents are all about them, they do not need to meet the reader’s needs or cultivate a “you” view.

However, resumés and cover letters are the perfect opportunity to show how a student’s business goals and communication goals are intertwined. Of course, to do this, students must know what their business goals are, which they can do by using many of the tools this chapter discusses on identifying appropriate jobs.

Though the chapter provides several hypothetical employment prompts to which students may respond, we believe the best assignments for this chapter involve real-life situations. That is, students should be encouraged to apply for internships and other positions that actually exist and for which they are currently qualified. Students do not necessarily need to send their letters and resumés to these companies, but the authenticity of the assignment is more obvious to students when they are applying for positions they could potentially hold.

To practice interviewing skills, students may want to participate in informational interviews with people in their fields and have the interviewee rate their (the students’) performance. In addition, schools’ career services offices may offer in-person or virtual interview opportunities where students can get feedback on their skills. Incorporating these activities in teaching the chapter will be useful.

Learning Objectives LO14-1 Develop and use a network of contacts in your job search.

LO14-2 Assemble and evaluate information that will help you identify appropriate jobs.

LO14-3 Identify the sources that can lead you to an employer.

LO14-4

Compile resumés for print and electronic environments that are strong, complete, and organized.

LO14-5 Write targeted cover messages that skillfully sell your abilities.

LO14-6 Explain how you can participate effectively in an interview.

LO14-7 Write application follow-up messages that are appropriate, friendly, and positive.

LO14-8 Maintain your job-search activities.

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Key Terms accomplishments/achievements layout

thank-you message

action-oriented past tense verbs

unformatted (plain-text) resumé

applicant tracking system (ATS)

unsolicited proposal (prospecting)

behavioural interview style career fairs co-operative learning experiences cover message employment agencies executive search consultants follow-up message functional or skills layout interest inventory internships job acceptances messages refusing a job network of contacts personality tests reference sheet resignation messages resumé reverse chronological organizational layout simple present tense verbs solicited (invited) proposal statement of your objective

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Text Summary, Lecture Outline Conducting the Job Search

Slides 14-1, 14-2, 14-3, 14-4 The job search is probably one of the most important tasks you will ever complete. The job you choose is directly related to your success and happiness.

Your employment documents require the same level of planning you’ve used to create the other documents in this course. In fact, they are some of the most important documents you’ll ever write, as they can determine your future.

Although employment documents are “all about you,” they still need to meet reader needs and cultivate a “you” view. Resumés and cover letters are the perfect opportunity to show how your business goals and communication goals are intertwined. Of course, to do this, you must know what your business goals are, which you can understand by using many of the tools in this chapter on identifying appropriate jobs.

Several logical steps are involved in the job search process, from building a network of contacts and identifying appropriate jobs to finding those who offer the jobs and preparing the application documents. We also include a continuing step of keeping abreast of job opportunities and new job competencies needed.

Problem-Solving Challenge Have students create a to-do list of items they need to complete before acquiring a new job. Ask students to pick one item on that to-do list and draft a strategy or write up a draft form of the required document. Then revisit these lists and items at the end of the course and see how students have progressed.

Slide 14-5 Build a Network of Contacts

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Building a network of contacts with classmates, professors, and business people often begins long before you begin a formal job search.

Your classmates may have contacts who can help you, and in the future, they may be in positions to help you in making career changes.

Professors often consult for businesses, so they may know key executives. Be mindful of the way you present yourself and the kind of work ethic you demonstrate in class; it could help you down the road.

You can meet business contacts through college professional associations in the fields relevant to your career choices.

You can also meet businesspeople online via social media sites such as LinkedIn or by commenting on relevant blogs.

Finally, the places you frequent in your community can provide opportunities to meet people. Try volunteering for organizations that are either related to jobs you might be interested in or that might have connections to volunteer groups from companies you would like to work for.

For a fun exercise, direct students to the Communication Matters feature titled “Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch” and give students a few minutes to come up with their own elevator pitches. Once everyone has had time to prepare, let the students present their pitches in rapid-fire style, one after another. Instruct the listeners to rate the pitches from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest rating, in these categories: Amount of Information Provided, Intrigue Factor, and Relevance to a Hiring Manager. Talk about which pitches stood out (in a good way) and why they did.

Slide 14-6 Obtain an Internship

Internships are a must. Many schools’ career services centres can help students find internships, but if students want to work in a particular job, field, or industry, they should not wait for the job posting.

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They should call, send a prospecting cover letter, or otherwise contact potential companies to inquire about positions. Some students may think that an internship will delay graduation and that they don’t have the money to stay in school longer than it takes to complete their course work. However, students who do not take advantage of internships may find that it takes just as long to find full-time employment as it would have taken them to do the internship that would have provided the experience to get employment more readily. Students should see internships as investments, not as delays or added expense.

Slide 14-7 How to Identify Appropriate Jobs

Identifying appropriate jobs begins with analyzing both yourself and outside factors. This knowledge will help you effectively match yourself with an appropriate job.

In addition to analyzing your education and work experience, you should analyze your personal qualities and special qualifications. Education is usually your strongest quality coming directly out of school, but you should look carefully at the knowledge and skills you have acquired, not just courses and grades. Determine your strongest points so you can emphasize them.

Personal qualities play a key role in jobs. Some jobs demand that people be good at working independently while others require teamwork. Your friends and family can often be excellent sources for helping you identify your best qualities.

Work experience in your major area is highly valuable. But be careful not to overlook skills you have developed in other work—both paid and non-paid experience should be analyzed. Think especially about transferrable skills such as leadership, organization, training, communication, and attention to detail that any employer in any field would value.

Special qualifications can set you apart from others. For example, you might get an edge from speaking another language; using a particular computer or software program; or engaging in sports, hobbies, and other interests.

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Analyzing external factors such as current and projected job markets, economic needs, location preferences, family needs, and other limiting external factors is necessary in order to be realistic in your decision.

One way for students to learn how to identify appropriate jobs is to first identify inappropriate jobs.

Ask students to bring in job ads for positions that they simply aren’t qualified for, but would love to have one day. These could be their future “dream jobs.” Often students will respond to positions that are mid-level when seeking appropriate jobs. They need to understand that it is not likely for a recent graduate with little work experience to land a job that is beyond entry-level. Teaching inappropriate jobs first helps them understand this before they delve into the real assignment.

Slide 14-8 How to Find Your Employer

Finding your employer is the next step in the job search process. The sources best for you are usually determined by your career path as well as where you live.

Career Centres: Most schools have career centres or offices that serve both their graduates and the community. In addition, these centres often provide other services such as counselling, maintaining files on those looking for jobs, and providing company information.

Network of Personal Contacts: Because personal contacts are the leading source of finding jobs, you should be sure to include them in your search for work.

Classified Advertisements: Both newspapers and professional journals are sources for employment opportunities of many kinds. However, they vary widely in the types and levels of people they seek.

Be sure you are using the ones most appropriate for you.

Online Sources: Databases are being used more than ever as a source for job information. Large companies will post position announcements on company portals. Some will advertise positions on company Internet sites, too. And, of course, some databases containing job information can be accessed on special websites, including Monster.com and Craigslist.

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Benefits of LinkedIn: From the Volunteer Experiences and Causes section to blogging opportunities, LinkedIn gives students the opportunity to network on every level with serious professionals. Because the only purpose of LinkedIn is professional networking, it’s one of the best places for students to start developing an online presence. Consider walking students through all aspects of a LinkedIn profile and making it a core assignment of the course.

Benefits of Facebook: Facebook offers the unique ability to become connected with a soughtafter professional without an in-person introduction. As social media expert Jesse Stay says, “Sending a friend request to someone on Facebook is similar to a handshake in real life.” Stay recommends searching for people in similar fields, those working at companies you want to work for and departments you want to be in, and sending them friend requests. These requests should include notes stating that you’re looking for something in their field and why you’re friending them. “They may not friend you back, but at least now they have put your face with your name, making you stand out from hundreds of other applicants,” Stay says.

Use Facebook status reports as a mini blog to highlight your professional accomplishments.

These can act as mini blog posts, helping establish your expertise in a field.

Employment Agencies: Recruiters and agencies specializing in helping you find jobs vary widely in the services they provide and the way they operate. Fees can be charged to the company, the job seeker, or both. Temping can lead to permanent employment with a good fit.

Prospecting: Prospecting involves contacting potential employers directly either in person or by mail.

You identify where your qualifications match an employer’s needs and attempt to persuade the employer of the fit.

Connect Assignment 14-2 (a-e): Planning Your Internship or Job Search Summary: In this exercise, students will be asked to do some planning for a search for an internship or a job. To engage in the planning, students will need an understanding of contact networks, selfanalysis, and places to look to find an employer.

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places of employment.

Slide 14-9 You Make the Call Some students might have trouble answering this challenge question on the slide. To get better answers, pair up students and let them talk about their own personality traits and what they have observed in the other person.

Preparing the Application Documents

Slide 14-10 Once you have identified a job opportunity, you will need to prepare documents to help you in the job search process. Whether you are applying in person, by mail, or by email, you will need some written documents. These documents are the resumé (traditional, scannable, or digital), a reference sheet, a cover message, and any other related messages.

Constructing the Resumé

Slide 14-11 Approach preparing a resumé and cover message in the same way as you would in preparing a sales campaign (see Chapter 9). Learn everything you can about your audience—your potential employer— and then use that information to craft a persuasive message.

Selecting the background facts is the place to begin. While the resumé does not need to include all you have ever done, you should include the most significant items.

Arranging the facts into groups shows the employer your ability to organize and be logical. Most people group their facts into Education, Experience, Personal Qualities, and sometimes References.

Constructing the headings helps the reader know what follows. Your resumé needs a main heading as well as subheads. Subheads should be parallel in form. Also, they should be consistent in placement and in size and style of type.

Including contact information is critical. Not only does the potential employer need to be able to reach you, but the easier you can make it the better. Today, most people include address and

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telephone numbers (cell or land line), fax, numbers, and email addresses. However, some applicants are limiting contact information for privacy reasons to an email address or phone number. Sometimes students will have more than one address or phone number (a campus address and a home address; a home phone number and a cell phone number). Though it is acceptable to put both numbers on a resumé, the student really only needs the address or number where the employer can reach him or her. This is a good time to remind students to make sure their outgoing messages are appropriate and professional for potential employers who call.

Including a statement of objective helps the potential employer understand what kind of work you want to do. However, authorities disagree on whether or not one is essential and what should be included in it. Generally, we recommend including the objective, as it is helpful for letting your audience know where to direct your resumé, especially if the audience is a human resources specialist who sees many resumés for many different positions. In fact, some employers may look specifically to an objective for a job number, job title, or other relevant information. To write a good objective, avoid flowery, excessive language and stick to something simple that includes the type of position (e.g., full-time, part-time, internship, volunteer), the field (e.g., management, accounting), and start date (e.g., beginning immediately, Summer 2017). Some people will write an objective directly to a specific company and specific job (e.g., A Summer 2017 marketing analytics internship with Target Corporation, job code #2546).

Slide 14-12 Sample Resumé

Presenting the information depends highly on the requirements of the position. As with any business document, a resumé must be audience centred. Present yourself in the best possible light. Think about the job requirements and then tailor your resumé to show how you meet the reader’s need.

Consider the resumé an advertisement for you.

Refer to the sample resumé on Slide 14-12 to illustrate the following discussion.

Writing impersonally and consistently is desirable on resumés. Most resumés avoid the use of personal pronouns (I, we, you), and most do not use complete sentences. However, they are consistent in heading form and organization within sections.

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Take care in ordering your information and using strong action verbs to describe your experiences.

Simple present and simple past tense verbs are the standard.

Making the form attractive includes attention to layout, printing, and paper choices. The resumé should be attractive, inviting the reader to continue reading it. Students should remember that their font, paper, and layout should reflect the corporate cultures of the jobs they apply for. Accountants will want a more conservative look than, say, an event planner or marketer.

References may be listed on the resumé or on a separate reference sheet, but including references may not be necessary. Regardless, using “References available upon request” is considered outdated and unhelpful. Of course you would supply references if they were requested. You may want to fill the space with something more helpful to the reader instead.

Slide 14-13 You Make the Call Have students refer to Exhibit 14-2 in their textbooks and discuss which action verbs they would use in their resumes and why.

Slides 14-14, 14-15 References The following slides list the best practices for constructing a reference sheet, as well as a sample sheet.

Include references that will provide information that supports those qualities the employer is seeking.

Checking with the employer first is a good idea.

Plan the organization and presentation of the references to work for you. Usually this means listing your strongest reference first.

Present the reference sheet in the best possible form. Making it a coordinated component with the design of your resumé and cover message gives the documents a carefully planned look.

Remind students to ask their references for permission before giving names to potential employers.

Even if you know the person will be glad to give a reference, you should show courtesy by letting people know when you know they might be getting asked soon to provide a reference for you.

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Slides 14-16 Organizing for Strength

After you have identified the information you want to include on your resumé, you will want to organize or group items to present yourself in the best possible light. Three strategies for organizing this information are: • • •

The reverse chronological layout The functional or skills layout The accomplishments/achievements layout

Slides 14-17, 14-18 Reverse Chronological Resumé Point out required elements. Let students ask questions regarding their own resumés.

Slide 14-19, 14-20 Function or Skills Resumé Rather than showing that you developed one skill on one job and another skill on another job, this organizational plan groups related skills.

It can be an appropriate choice for those who have had many jobs, have taken non-traditional career paths, or are changing fields.

Slide 14-21, 14-22 Accomplishments/Achievements Resumé An accomplishments/achievements layout foregrounds the most impressive factors about you.

Typically, this layout emphasizes the applicant’s most impressive background facts that pertain to the work sought.

However, remind students that the majority of employers are most familiar with—and therefore, tend to prefer—the reverse chronological format for resumés.

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The Printed Resumé

Slide 14-23 You will need to determine whether to prepare the traditional print resumé, the scannable print resumé, or a digital resumé. If your interview is exclusively face-to-face, the traditional resumé format is usually preferred for its aesthetic help to create a favourable impression.

Slides 14-24, 14-25, 14-26, 14-27 Walk students through the differences between the weak and strong resumé. Let students ask questions regarding their own resumés.

Electronic Resumé

Slide 14-28 The electronic résumé is one that is submitted online. This type of resumé ranges from simple, lowend formats to complex, high-end formats.

The ASCII or text file is a low-end format that removes formatting. Files in .doc, .rtf, and .pdf attempt to retain formatting. The .pdf format does this very well across platforms while the .doc and .rtf are widely used. When one wants to include high-end multimedia components in a resumé or cover message, the .htm format provides a widely used standard.

Electronic resumés can also be displayed online on social networking sites such as LinkedIn, where members can create a profile page to showcase their qualifications, education, skills and so forth.

Slide 14-29 Electronic Resumé Example. Ask students to talk about when/why they would use this type of resumé. Ask them to identify differences between an electronic resumé and a scannable or traditional print resumé.

The main thing for students to remember is to always follow the employer’s instructions completely when submitting applications. Sometimes you will be given options for submission: Use the channel that serves you best. When speed will give you an advantage, choose email or Internet options.

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Slide 14-30 One way to start this conversation is by Googling some of your students before class to see if you can find their social media pages and if they are public. You may just mention if you found any students pages and if they were public. Sometimes this activity alone can make them rethink their social media audience. As a homework assignment, ask students to evaluate their online profiles or other information that may exist about themselves online. They can perform an online search for their own names and make a brief report about their findings.

Unformatted Resumé

Slides 14-31 Unformatted resumés require a few other considerations. When you know your resumé will likely be handled electronically, you may want to be sure to make your resumé easily readable in that form. You may use an unformatted resumé when applying via online application or sending your resumé to a company that uses an applicant tracking system.

Including keywords is a strategy that helps ensure that your resumé is retrieved when appropriate positions are being filled.

Choosing these keywords carefully means choosing words that are usually nouns, especially job titles, as well as jargon, buzzwords, and acronyms appropriate to work you want to do.

Presenting the information in a format that can easily be read by an online platform improves your chances of having your resumé retrieved when needed. Using common fonts (such as Arial) and avoiding graphics, italics, and underlining helps, as well as using white paper with black ink to increase contrast.

Slides 14-32 Sending Your Resume via Email If an employer requests that you send your resumé by email, they may specify how to submit it. In the absence of directions, you can place the resumé text in the body of the email, attach your formatted resumé to the email, or do both.

Many job candidates will attach a copy of the formatted resumé to the email. Experts recommend submitting your resumé as either a PDF or a Word document, as these file types can be opened by any computer and are easily read by applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Writing the Cover Message

Slide 14-33

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Writing a cover letter is similar to writing a persuasive sales message; in this case, the writer is selling him or herself as the product or service. Revisiting the chapter on persuasive writing may be helpful to discuss what kinds of persuasive strategies may be useful.

Gaining attention in the opening is important because the busy executive has other things to do. You need to use what works best in each case.

Selecting content should be guided by the job requirements. Of course, if you are strong in an area you know is important to any employer, be sure to emphasize those strengths.

If you are responding to an advertisement, you can address the needs mentioned directly and precisely.

If you are prospecting, you will need to use your own best judgment to access what that one company’s needs are and include content which addresses those needs.

Organizing for conviction means choosing an organizational plan that emphasizes your strengths. You may use a reverse chronological, functional or skills, or accomplishments plan. Conviction is also enhanced by careful word choice and reader-viewpoint language.

Driving for action in the close entails being clear and direct in letting the reader know what action you expect next. Normally, you request an interview, more information, or even an application.

Email cover messages take different forms depending on the document type they introduce. Their primary job is to highlight the applicant’s strengths and get the reader to review the resumé.

Examples of good and bad cover messages follow. Students can examine these and point out what areas could be improved.

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Unsuccessful and successful cover message examples. Point out the errors, organizational structure, and rhetorical strategies. Remind students of the importance of incorporating principles they learned in earlier chapters into their cover message writing.

Slide 14-39 Email Cover Messages Like other email messages, an email cover message needs a clear subject line, and like print cover messages, it needs a formal salutation and closing.

It can be identical to one you might create for print, or you may opt to introduce yourself and your purpose in a short email message and attach your full cover message.

Handling the Interview

Slide 14-40 Most successful resumés and letters of application result in an interview. Generally these are face-toface, but some use videoconferencing technology, too. While the written documents helped you get the opportunity to interview, the key to getting the job will be a successful interview.

Investigate the company before you go to the interview. Learn the nature of its business and its activities. This information will both show the recruiter you did your homework and enable you to ask questions from a solid knowledge base.

Present a professional appearance because your dress sends a message to the interviews. Pay attention to all aspects of good grooming.

Anticipate questions and prepare answers that cover such topics as your education, work experience, organizations, interests, career goals, and desired location. Be ready to answer more difficult questions, questions that give the interviewer a chance to evaluate your thinking skills. In stress interviews, you may even be asked tough or illegal questions.

Put yourself at ease so that the interviewer sees you as a calm, collected prospective employee.

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Use whatever approach works best for you to keep control of your emotions.

Help control the dialogue so that you can bring out your strong points. You can do this by extending responses as well as through your questions. Your goal is to be certain the interviewer knows what is more important to know about you.

Slide 14-41 Preparing Your Answers

Preparing answers before the interview can help put the interviewee at ease and help the interviewee present a polished, professional image. Several online opportunities also exist to practice and prepare for interviews. A school’s career services office would have access to these tools.

By carefully considering possible answers to typical interview questions, you can choose an appropriate strategy for the case at hand. This not only prevents off-the-cuff responses but also presents you in the best possible light. Students may work in small groups to brainstorm answers to some of the more common interview questions. Students can find common interview questions in the chapter as well as on their school’s career services website.

Some of today’s digital tools provide users with interactive practice on forming strategies for typical interview questions. Some even give alternative strategies and point out the strengths and weaknesses of different responses under various conditions. Some software programs also provide this kind of interactive practice.

Following Up and Ending the Application

Slide 14-42 Following up and ending the application includes such things as a brief thank-you message or telephone call. If you have not heard from a company and need to make a job decision, it is perfectly fair to inquire about the status of your application.

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Writing a thank-you message is a courteous and wise step to take. It shows the reader you are still interested in the position. It singles you out from the competition since so few others make the added effort.

Constructing a follow up to an application is necessary when you have not heard from an employer after a reasonable time. Such messages are brief and take the form of a routine inquiry.

Planning the job acceptance is important. It says “yes” directly and builds goodwill. You will also want to be sure you confirm starting date and place. The message takes the form of a favourable response.

Writing a message refusing a job requires the form of a refusal. Be sure to present the refusal clearly yet positively. Strive to maintain goodwill.

Writing a resignation message should be done with care. It should be as positive as possible.

Using this message as an opportunity to vent what you think is wrong with the company simply burns bridges. Be sure you will not later regret your statements. Most resignation messages use the indirect order required by bad news, ending with goodwill.

Slide 14-43, 14-44, 14-45, 14-46, 14-47 The following slides contain examples of these other employment communication messages.

Direct students to the Communication Matters feature titled “Do You Really Need to Send a ThankYou Note?” to show students how important following up after an interview can be.

Thank-you message example: The thank-you message gives writers a chance to set themselves apart by showing good business etiquette. It also gives writers a chance to show their continued interest in the position as well as add confirming or new information.

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Slide 14-43 shows a solid thank-you message example. It begins with a simple expression of gratitude, says something about the company and the job, and takes care of responding to a request. It ends with a forward-looking note of goodwill.

Sending a thank-you note is something many applicants fail to do, and yet a simple thank-you note can impress an interviewer and perhaps give an applicant a professional edge over others. A thankyou message can be sent over email or sent via regular mail. If the interviewee knows a hiring decision will be made before a thank-you note could arrive via regular mail, an email may be the best communication channel. Some interviewees will send a thank-you note via both email and regular mail. A thank-you note should be sent to all who participated in the interview, so interviewees should be sure to get everyone’s name.

Slide 14-44 provides example of how to follow up for a status update after an interview.

You can use this opportunity to emphasize to students that, even if they get offered a job, they still need to craft effective messages. Slides 14-45 and 14-46 provides an example of how to craft a concise message to accept or refuse a position, while Slide 14-47 offers an example of a resignation letter.

Continuing Job Search Activities

Slide 14-48 Students should understand that the resumé and cover letter are dynamic, not static, documents. The resumé and cover letter they write for this class should look different next semester (and the semester after, etc.) as they gather experience. In addition, because resumés and cover letters are tailored for each application, students will need to continually edit these documents for their audiences.

Another way to stay current with industry trends and also gain awareness of where jobs might be opening up is to read professional journals, blogs, or websites. Students may also want to consult the professional organizations relevant to their desired career choices.

As you progress through your career, you will write a variety of messages. Being able to tailor your messages to the audience and purpose will serve you well.

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Slide 14-49 You Make the Call Ask students to research the most prominent or popular professional publications in their fields: consider using their answers to create a reading list that students can consult.

Slides 14-50, 14-51 Reiterate the learning objectives covered.

Critical-Thinking Questions

1. “Building a network of contacts to find jobs seems selfish. It involves acquiring friendships just to use them for one’s personal benefit.” Discuss this view. (LO14-1) This argument can be supported, for you can “use” people in building a network of contacts. A counterargument is that you don’t have to “use” people in these efforts. In fact, you can form mutually beneficial relationships and make true friendships. Only if the contacts developed actually do harm (and most do more good than harm) should they be avoided.

Perhaps the answer depends on how you make the contacts. It is possible and desirable that these contact relationships be sincere and rewarding to all concerned.

Other logical arguments may be made.

2. Do employers who offer unpaid internships take unfair advantage of students’ knowledge and skills? Under what circumstances might it be a good idea to take an unpaid internship? When might it not be a good idea? (LO14-1) The argument that some employers who offer unpaid internships take advantage of students can be supported. Some less ethical organizations will justify hiring students for free labour under the guise of an internship, asking them to do menial tasks without giving them any meaningful professional experience. These can be exploitative situations and students should watch out for them during their internship searches. When an organization is willing to offer paid internships, it’s a sign that they have an organized internship program and take it seriously.

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to provide meaningful professional opportunities, it might make sense to take an unpaid position. In a situation like this, students will want to talk to former interns to make sure they had good, solid experiences.

3. Maryann Brennan followed a broad program of study in college and received a degree in general management.

She did her best work in English, especially in the writing courses. She also did well in history, managerial leadership, organizational behaviour, and psychology. As much as she could, she avoided math and computer courses.

Her overall grade point average of 3.7 (4.0 basis) placed her in the top 10 percent of her class.

What advice would you give her as she begins her search for a career job? (LO14-1, LO14-2, LO14-3) Although she has serious limitations in today’s job market, Maryann has marketable skills.

Especially marketable are her writing skills. She also has a broad liberal background and a good grade average, which suggests high intelligence and good analytical ability. She should apply for work that requires these abilities—for example, general management, sales, or work for which the employer provides a training program for beginning employees. In fact, she could apply for any work other than in specialized fields such as finance, accounting, or computer science. Even so, she would be advised to overcome her limitations in these areas in the coming years.

4. Discuss the value of each of the sources for finding jobs (a) before an internship, (b) right after graduation, and (c) after 20 years of work in a specialty. (LO14-1, LO14-2, LO14-3) A university career centre would be a very good source before an internship or right after graduation. In most cases, after 20 years, it would not. However, some universities are beginning to initiate services for their alumni.

A network of personal contacts can be useful before an internship and after graduation if the contacts include business executives. The network is more likely to be more valuable over time as the person’s contacts move up to higher positions.

Classified advertisements are not likely to be major sources for job opportunities before internships or at graduation time. Most employers do not use such ads to advertise internships or find new graduates.

But companies do advertise for higher positions. After 20 years in a field, a candidate should be qualified for a higher-level position.

Online databases are useful before internships, immediately after graduation and after working 20 years. They can be searched to filter the most appropriate jobs in the candidate’s area of interest and Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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expertise. Also, they are an easy way to stay abreast of the current openings and skills needed for various types of jobs. These databases can be used to locate openings either within the candidate’s current firm or location as well as openings across the country.

Employment agencies are used infrequently for internships or a college graduate’s first job. They are most used for the higher-level jobs that are open only to experienced workers.

Web page profiles are appropriate for those starting out or shortly after graduation. Initially web pages were best used by those in technical fields, but as the tools for creating web pages get easier to use, a wider variety of job seekers are using them.

Prospecting can be productive for a college student seeking an internship or a first job. The chances of finding an internship or job are reasonably good, as hiring beginning people is a common occurrence.

Prospecting for a high-level job that requires experience, however, is not likely to be productive. As such jobs are limited in number, someone 20 years out of college would waste time going from company to company.

5. The most popular arrangement of resumé information is the reverse chronological order with a three-part grouping: education, experience, and personal details. Describe two other arrangements. When would each be used? (LO14-4) Functional or skills. This plan involves identifying the major functions or skills needed for the job a candidate is seeking and explaining the experience they have in that area. This form emphasizes the candidate’s qualifications in the areas identified. Also, it is particularly useful when someone has had a number of jobs with overlapping job requirements or have skills gathered from many areas, such as class courses, extracurricular activities, and internships.

Accomplishments/Achievements. The accomplishments plan presents a picture of the candidate as a competent worker. It puts precise numbers and facts behind job skills and tasks undertaken. An achievements plan extracts precise skills from the entire set that are particularly relevant to the position being sought.

6. Distinguish between the print resumé and the electronic resumé. When would each be most appropriate? (LO14-4) The print resumé is used in situations where the candidate is face-to-face with an employer or when applying by mail. The traditional and scannable print resumés differ in format, noun and verb emphasis, and keyword sections. The traditional print resumé uses strong action verbs in describing accomplishments. It can also be prepared with a wider variety of fonts and styles than the scannable format, making it more visually appealing. The scannable format is machine Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communications A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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read and emphasizes nouns. It should use fonts that are accurately read by scanners and avoid underlining, italics, graphics, and anything scanners would have trouble interpreting accurately.

The electronic format is used in situations where application documents are submitted electronically— usually by email. Job seekers should send digital resumés in formats employers request or ones that are easily accessible by most employers. These formats allow job seekers to enhance their documents with visuals and sounds.

7. What is meant by parallelism of headings? (LO14-4) Headings are parallel in structure when they are worded in the same grammatical form. That is, they are all noun phrases or verb phrases and so on. Equal-level headings in each part of the resumé should be parallel.

8. Describe the cover message and resumé you would write (a) immediately after graduation, (b) 10 years later, and (c) 25 years later. Point out similarities and differences, and defend your decisions. (LO14-2, LO14-4, LO14-5) Each student’s description should emphasize the changing emphasis in content over time. Soon after graduation, your education usually deserves major emphasis. Then after your employment begins, experience begins to gain emphasis. Toward the end of you working career, experience deserves most of the emphasis and education is a minor point.

9. What differences would you suggest in writing cover messages for jobs in (a) accounting, (b) banking, (c) advertising copy writing, (d) management, (e) sales, (f) consulting, and (g) information systems, and (h) healthcare? (LO14-5) The students’ analyses will differ with perceptions of the work to be done. But generally their answers should reflect these job characteristics: a. accounting—conservative, knowledgeable, industrious b. banking—conservative, neat, intelligent c. advertising copy writer—analytical, creative, glib d. management—a leader, knowledgeable, personable e. sales—personable, industrious, knowledgeable f. consulting—knowledgeable, personable, experienced g. information systems—technically competent, innovative, personable, team player h. health care—conservative, analytical, knowledgeable 10. Discuss the appropriateness of beginning a cover message with these words: “This is to apply for . . .” and “I would like to. . . . ” (LO14-5)

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Such beginnings are dull and unimaginative. They belong to the stereotyped beginnings that characterized letters written in the distant past. They do little to make the message stand out from the competition and to sell the writer’s qualifications.

11. How should you end a cover message? (LO14-5) You should end the message by driving for an appropriate action in clear and direct language—in most cases, this will mean a request for an interview or an invitation to talk further or answer questions. The request for action can be made stronger by following it with words that recall a benefit to the reader: “I welcome the opportunity to speak with you further about how you could put my skills to use on one of your teams. Please feel free to contact me at …”.

12. Assume that, in an interview for the job you want, you are asked the questions listed in the text under the heading Anticipating Questions and Preparing Answers. Answer these questions. Compare your answers with your classmates’ answers. (LO14-6) Student answers will vary.

13. Discuss the steps you can take to participate effectively in a virtual interview. (LO14-6) Students should be able to identify some of the following: o

Access and test technology prior to interview.

o

Check your space (consider your background and do your best to control interruptions or noise from others in the house).

o

Know where to look (look at the web camera when talking).

o

Dress like you are attending an in-person interview.

14. Discuss some of the advantages that writing a thank-you note to the interviewer gives the writer. (LO14-7) Some of the things students should be able to bring up include being viewed as courteous and interested in the position and company. They also get their name before the employer again and in a favourable light. And it gives them an opportunity to supply additional facts forgotten in the interview as well as follow up on anything mentioned in the interview. Also, some employers expect a follow-up thank-you note and will not make an offer until they receive it.

15. Identify some of the benefits one gains from continuing to read professional journals for job information after one is employed. (LO14-8)

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Reading ads keeps one abreast of the skills in demand, the locations and pay of jobs in the field, and any new directions or changes in the field. With this information, employees can keep up their skills and knowledge, becoming more valuable both to their current employer as well as marketable should a job change be desired. This also helps keeps one’s job interesting and challenging.

Skills-Building Exercises 1. Criticize the following excerpts from resumés. (They are not from the same resumé.) (LO14-4) a. Work Experience 2017–2020 Employed as sales rep for Lloyd-Shanks Tool Company 2015–2017 Office manager, Drago Plumbing Supply, Toronto 2014–2015 Matson’s Super Stores. I worked part time as sales clerk while attending college.

1) The words don’t tell what was accomplished—what skills were gained, extent of responsibilities, etc.

2) The third job shifts from first to third person.

3) Only the second one has the location of the employer. b. References Mr. Carl T. Whitesides Sunrise Insurance, Inc. 317 Forrest Lane Port Dover, ON KF5 3W0 Patricia Cullen Cullen and Cullen Realtors 2001 Bowman Dr. Ottawa, ON K2G 7J4

Rev. Troy A. Graham Asbury Methodist Church Toronto, ON K2C 1J5

D. W. Boozer Boozer Industries Montreal, QC H0M 1H7

1) The second and fourth addresses have no courtesy titles (Mr., Ms.).

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2) Addresses not complete. Street information missing on two references.

3) Email addresses and phone numbers would be useful to the employer. c. Qualifications • Know how to motivate a sales force. I have done it.

• Experienced in screening applicants and selecting salespeople.

• Know the pharmaceutical business from 11 years of experience.

• Knowledgeable about realistic quota setting and incentives.

• Proven leadership ability.

1) Shifts from first to third person.

2) Parallelism errors are present (he knows, he is experienced, I know, he is knowledgeable, he has proven).

3) More powerful action-oriented verbs are needed (e.g., motivate salespeople, screen applicants, select sales people). d. Education 2016 Graduated from Tippen H.S. (I was in top 10 percent of class.)

2018 BS from Carleton University with major in marketing 2020 to present Enrolled part time in MBA program at present the University of Ottawa 1) The first one is in first person. Also, it is questionable information, especially if college work also is presented.

2) The second is not parallel to first and third.

3) The third entry would be better if degree status were included.

2. Criticize these sentences from cover messages. (LO14-5) Beginning Sentences a. Please consider this my application for any position for which my training and experience qualify me. b. Mr. Jerry Bono of your staff has told me about a vacancy in your loan department for which I would like to apply. c. I am that accountant you described in your advertisement in today’s Times-Record. d. I want to work for you! a) A traditional type of beginning—routine—but it’s too general and doesn’t aim for a particular type of work. b) Use of an employee’s name can be an attention getter.

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c) Mentioning the source of the posting is good, as is mentioning the position you’re applying for; however, the statement may sound over confident and too aggressive. d) The statement is too general to be helpful. Also, if you didn’t want to work for the employer you wouldn’t apply, so this statement says the obvious. It’s better to spend the space in the letter showing (not telling) your reader how interested you are.

Sentences Presenting Selling Points a. From 2015–2019 I attended Carleton University where I took courses leading to a BS degree with a major in finance. b. I am highly skilled in trading corporate bonds as a result of three years spent in the Toronto office of Collins, Bragg, and Weaver. c. For three years (2016–2019) I was in the loan department at TD. d. My two strongest qualifications for this job are my personality and gift of conversation. a) The statement is too general. What courses were taken, and how do they qualify the writer for the job? b) This statement is a good instance of the reader backing up a claim (“highly skilled”) with supporting evidence of where and how he/she became skilled. The writer could perhaps be more specific. What does “highly skilled” mean? c) This is a very matter-of-fact statement, but it does not tell indicate the writer’s job or position. It likely restates what is on the resumé and does not add to the writer’s qualification. d) These are great qualities, but they are quite generic. This could be true of many positions. The writer would need to tie these qualities to specific requirements of the position for this statement to be useful.

Sentences from Action Endings a. I will call you on the 12th to arrange an interview. b. If my qualifications meet your requirements, it would be greatly appreciated if you would schedule an interview for me. c. Please call to set up an interview. I anticipate several interviews and offers but would prefer to be with your company. a) This statement is presumptuous and high pressure; it shows aggressiveness. This statement may be appropriate where aggressiveness is valued. b) This statement is weak and pleading. This is a hint more than a request for an interview. The “it would be greatly appreciated” is awkward and impersonal. c) This statement begins appropriately but then shifts to giving too much detail. The writer makes it sound as though the employer is just one of many, which may give the wrong impression.

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Sample Solutions to Problem-Solving Cases Case #3 This case is an excellent opportunity for students to define their long-term career goals and become more strategic in their job searches. It also generates material that can be transferred to web page profiles, useful in students’ initial searches for employment.

Students will want to identify their strengths, include transferrable skills as well as specialized skills, and begin to brand themselves in a particular area of their field.

The resumé and reference sheet should reflect the formats provided in the chapter. The overall cover letter strategy should begin with an attention-getting opening, and be generic enough to appeal to a wide range of companies. However, it should be specific enough to highlight specialized skills. Clearly, before sending the cover letter to specific organizations, students should tweak it to reflect each organization’s needs.

Example Dear Ms. O’Daniel: With two student ADDY awards, an internship at Cake Advertising, and a passion for social media, I’m seeking an entry-level marketing position that will give me the opportunity to help your organization gain new Facebook fans and customers through social media marketing.

In addition to my undergraduate degree in advertising, I have a digital marketing certificate from MediaBistro that has given me extensive training in Facebook advertising and marketing. Class projects included partnering with Joseph & Taylor to create social media communities that were implemented within the company and helping two major beauty brands generate six million new fans within a few months. As my portfolio samples show, I have accomplished as much as some professionals do in their first year of employment. In addition to the above accomplishments, I also designed websites and social media communities for three local nonprofits on a volunteer basis, all while maintaining a GPA of 4.0.

Having just graduated, I am seeking an opportunity that will allow me to apply my experience and education, including my communications and design expertise. While I realize you have no positions formally posted right now, I would welcome the opportunity to interview with you so that we can discuss how I might use my skills to help your company enhance your social media presence, generate new business, and build customer loyalty.

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Sincerely,

Ray Loveland

Case #8 This case helps students take initiative in their searches for the right internships. Often, students have specific types of experience in mind when seeking internships. A prospecting letter gives them some control over the internship process and helps ensure that they get the experience they really want.

While students will want to stay open-minded, a letter such as this is a great opportunity to define their goals. When analyzing purpose and goals, students may want to define the immediate purpose as “getting a response/interview from the employer” and long-term goals as “getting a position.”

When analyzing audience, students should determine needs and benefits from their future employers’ perspective. In other words, they are the products and they need to sell themselves. How will their qualifications benefit the organization? Why should employers invest in them? The letter should be written from the you-viewpoint, not the I-viewpoint.

Example

This letter is adapted from the Chapter 14 example of a “Well-Written Cover Message.”

Dear Mr. Stark:

From time-consuming performance approvals to complex compensation packages, human resources management involves so many details that almost every HR professional could use an intern to assist with these duties.

Could you? A student in Carleton University’s human resources program, I’m currently seeking an internship where I can apply the specialized training I’ve had for the last three years in one of the country’s top human resources management programs. From courses in compensation studies and

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administration to organizational change and development, I have been formally trained in every area of the field.

My work experience, to date, has also helped prepare me for a career in human resource management. While in college I worked as a server at Boston Pizza, where I developed customer service and team skills, and I continued to develop my skills as a team lead for The Gap, where I was the top seller for four of eight quarters. From these experiences, I learned to communicate professionally and listen carefully to people.

These brief facts and the information in my resumé describe my diligent efforts to prepare for a position in human resource management. I would welcome the opportunity to talk to you about the possibility of starting that internship. You can reach me at 613.938.4449 to arrange an interview to discuss how I could fit in your Human Resource Department.

Sincerely,

Joyce Woodridge

Problem Solver to the Rescue: Helping a Friend with Her Job Application Jessi has a good start to these application documents. She has compiled much of the required content, but she needs to make a few adjustments to content, work on organization and format, and proofread these documents very carefully for correctness issues. Students may include the following bullets in their feedback to Jessi (sample re-writes of sections below): Cover Letter: 

Overall, Jessi needs to shift her focus on what this job could do for her to a focus on what skills and experience she can offer to this position. The goal of the cover letter is to show you know, understand, and can meet the requirements of the job.



Using first person sporadically to show a personal connection is fine, but Jessi needs to notice that most of her sentences begin with “I.” She needs to adopt more of a you-viewpoint.



Jessi’s opening paragraph is not very interesting and misses an opportunity to include information about herself. She should start to build a case for her qualifications by writing a first line that provides some information about herself and shows she understands the type of employee the company needs. Notice in the revision below the first line tells them she meets the basic coursework qualification of the job (which was buried in the later part of the original letter). The second line tells the reader that she meets the qualifications, but she does not include any details.

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

The body of the cover letter needs more work. Specifically, Jessi needs to show how her experience matches up with or prepares her for the responsibilities of this position. One important clue to the experience they are looking for is in their required coursework. Could she talk more about how her coursework helped prepare her for the requirements listed? As a college student, she will want to present her education as one of her strongest qualifications.

She should use it more.



While Jessi thinks her other experience is unrelated, she shouldn’t mention this. She can highlight the tasks and responsibilities of these positions and emphasize any overlap, even if she thinks these are unrelated. Often jobs have what are called “transferable skills” that can be used in many positions.



Currently, Jessi’s main body paragraph really only touches on her communication skills, and she doesn’t provide concrete examples to support these skills. In other words, Jessi needs to show not tell the reader about her fit for the position by explaining how her previous positions gave her experience that helped her build the appropriate skills.



Her final paragraph attempts to drive the action (a follow-up interview), but she is a bit too forward (don’t tell them when to schedule an interview) and ends up with several different types of ideas in this last section. Jessi needs to be reminded again that her conclusion should be about what she can offer them, not what the position will do for her.

Cover Letter Sample Sections Sample of First Paragraph Here is one example revision of the first paragraph: An honors student in accounting with previous coursework in auditing and tax, I am applying for the accounting internship at Indeed.com. My background in accounting and finance, coupled with my interest in recruiting and staffing, make me an excellent fit for this position.

Sample Body Paragraph My attached résumé shows that I have skills in many areas of tax and auditing, including completing sales tax audits and validating daily receivable reconciliations. I am also taking courses in business communication and finance have contributed my skills in communicating and documenting effectively and preparing financial reporting. The skills and knowledge I have developed would appear to be beneficial to the operation of your Vancouver Office.

Sample Concluding Paragraph The highlights of my education and experience show that I have been preparing for a career in accounting. I welcome the opportunity to meet for an interview to discuss with you how my skills can contribute to your company’s mission. You can reach me at 604-921-4113 or by email at jgeiselman@gmail.com.

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Resumé: 

Jessi does a good job ordering her work experience in reverse chronological order.



Jessi needs to think about creating an email address just for the job search that is professional.

Her current email address is not professional.



Jessie needs to add a phone number to her contact information.



Objective statement usually start with “to.”



Jessi needs to look closely at the formatting of her resume. She uses different fonts which may indicate a lack of attention to detail. The current draft has an extra space between the job at McDonald’s and the one for the State of Georgia. These types of extra spaces may confuse the reader.

Her education needs to be organized to emphasize her major and her excellent GPA. 

Also, Jessi needs to help the reader see the hierarchy of information more clearly by using bullets strategically. Right now, everything in her categories has a bullet. The excessive number of bullets makes it hard to tell what information is a heading and what follows.

Further, she does not choose effective action verbs to describe her experience. 

Jessi may want to consider a section on Computer Skills. She knows that Excel is a requirement for the position, so she can highlight that more effectively by creating a section for these skills separate from her other education.



Jessi needs to proofread all of these documents very, very closely. Good practice is to also have several other people look over the documents as well (which she is doing!) She also needs to spellcheck her documents. The following list points out a few sentence-level issues with Jessi’s cover letter: o

She spelled accounting incorrectly.

o

She repeats the word “really” a lot. This word is generally not needed.

o

She uses an unnecessary comma in the sentence “I meet all of the qualifications in your posting, and am looking to find an internship to benefit the company I work for.”

o

She uses “your” instead of “you’re” in the following sentence: “If your going to work in business, you have to like people, and I think this is one of my best strengths.”

o

Her email address is different in her cover letter and her resumé.

Resumé Sample Sections Sample of Education Section

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Education Major: Accounting and Finance University of British Columbia, Diploma in Accounting, December 2025 • Major GPA 3.6/4.00 • Relevant course work: Tax, Auditing, Accounting Information Systems I and II Sample of Work Experience Section Here is an example of how she could revise her first entry to use action verbs to better illustrate the responsibilities of her previous position with action verbs and format: General Laborer, Vancouver (June 2022–August 2022) • Collaborated with the road crew • Coordinated traffic patterns during construction • Managed hazard equipment to maintain safety

Reference Chapter Lecture Notes & Exercises Reference Chapter A: Correctness of Communication Teaching Suggestions Appendix A covers some of the most common grammar mistakes made by undergraduate college students. Consider including two or three examples of each error at the beginning or end of every lecture. This provides a quick grammar refresher for students without devoting a whole class to reviewing the basics.

The Appendix A PowerPoint® slides provide a summary of these mistakes and in-class problems you can solve together.

Key Terms standards for correct usage clause independent clause dependent clause subordinating conjunctions relative dependent clause infinitive phrase

prepositional phrase gerund phrase participial phrase possessive case contraction time value

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measurement independent clause --> enumeration formal quotation explanation coordinating conjunction series coordinate adjectives nonrestrictive clauses restrictive clauses parenthetical expressions appositive date or an address subordinate clause dependent clause --> introductory phrase clarity em dash emphasis en dash division of a word compound words proper name declarative sentence imperative statement direct questions indirect questions adjectives adverbs subject–verb agreement verb prepositional phrases compound subjects collective nouns indefinite pronoun adverbial clause noun clause awkward writing dangling modifiers participial phrases elliptical clauses gerund phrases infinitive phrases misplaced modifiers mixed construction incomplete construction

sentence fragment run-on sentence comma splice antecedent implied antecedent pronoun–antecedent agreement correct case of the pronoun nominative case objective case possessive case gerund parallel (the same) in grammatical form tense present tense past tense past participle present participle combined clauses present perfect tense rule of nine indefinite numbers amounts fraction mixed numbers

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Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides A-1, A-2, A-3 When you begin discussing grammar and mechanics with students, you may want to remind them of the importance of appropriate grammatical choices. Grammar and mechanics go beyond simply rules; in fact, correctness is tied to your credibility with your audience.

You may start with the Problem-Solving Challenge at the beginning of Chapter A and ask students for their experiences with correctness in different situations. You may ask them if they know anyone in their lives who values correctness? Do they know someone who identifies as a “grammar stickler”?

How do those people feel when they see errors in writing? How do they react? Why is it important to avoid this type of reaction from our audience in business communication?

You can also help students understand the negative impact of miscommunication in the workplace.

Prepositional fillers Slide A-3 Prepositional fillers are a common problem among undergraduate students. Some believe that more prepositions make their writing sound professional, when it only makes it unclear.

Not this: The increase in the amount of revenue this company has seen in the last fiscal year is a testament to the regard in which this company is held by our various clients.

Generally, more than two prepositional phrases per sentence is too much. Telling students to isolate each prepositional phrase; remove all necessary words; and reduce what’s left to nouns, verbs and possessives is a great strategy for cutting fillers. Also, reducing bigger words to words with less syllables improves style.

But this: The increase in last fiscal year’s revenue proves how valuable we are to our clients.

Passive vs. active voice Slides A-3 Often, students will choose passive voice over active voice, because they think it sounds more professional. Of course, the passive construction only makes their writing unclear.

Not this: For an employee to change medical coverage mid-year, an application must be completed. A meeting must also be set up with HR. There may also be a monetary penalty ascribed to your monthly premium for the delinquent change.

But this: If you want to change your medical coverage in the middle of the year, you need to set up a meeting with HR and fill out an application. You may also have to pay a fee that will be added to your premium every month.

Beginning every sentence with a human agent—you—helps students learn to change passive to active voice.

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Students should be advised that, while active voice is usually preferred in business communication, passive voice is sometimes the better rhetorical choice. If using the active voice is going to sound accusatory or blaming be (e.g., “you made a mistake”), using the passive voice may be a better way to approach the conversation (e.g., “a mistake was made”). Likewise, sometimes the actor (human agent) is not critical to the meaning of the sentence, and removing the actor front loads the important content.

For example, in the sentence “Bonuses will be distributed at the end of the quarter,” the bonuses are likely more important to the reader than who is distributing them. The passive voice allows the writer to put the content that is important to the reader first in the sentence.

Sentence Patterns: Foundational Guidelines Slides A-5, A-6, A-7, A-8, A-9, A-10, A-11 Sentence patterns are important tools for understanding how to apply standards in business English.

You may start by reviewing phrases and clauses and explain how these are building blocks to predictable sentence patterns.

Phrases and Clauses A clause is a group of words characterized by the presence of a subject + verb combination. The English language contains many types of clauses, but the three that we are primarily concerned about in this chapter include the following: independent clause: An independent clause contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence: Our company ( S ) pays ( V ) its employees well. dependent clause: A dependent clause contains a subject and a verb, but the clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. Dependent clauses start with subordinating conjunctions such as “because,” “since,” “although,” “while,” “when,” and “if,” which subordinate the clause to an independent clause.

Essentially, a dependent clause depends on an independent clause to complete its meaning. (independent clause) Because our company plays its employees well, (dependent clause) it receives many applicants for any open position. relative dependent clause: A relative dependent clause is characterized by the presence of “who,” “which,” or “that” as the subject plus a verb. Because it is a type of dependent clause, the relative dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence. In American English, “who” is used in relative clauses that refer to people; “which” and “that” are used to refer to things.

Phrases Infinitive phrase: An infinitive phrase begins with “to” and is followed by a verb. The verb does not have a subject.

We are going [to work] this weekend.

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Prepositional phrase: A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and is followed by a noun or a group of words that functions as a single noun. Prepositions are words that locate people and things in time and space.

We will meet [at 3 p.m.] [on Thursday] [in the fourth-floor conference room].

Gerund phrase: A gerund phrase contains a gerund, which is an -ing word that is used as a noun rather than a verb. One quick way to distinguish between a gerund and a verb is to look for the presence of a helping verb such as “am,” “is,” “are,” “was,” or “were.”

Gerund: [Volunteering] is one way to gain work experience.

Verb: He [is volunteering] at the food pantry this weekend.

In the first example, volunteering is a thing (an activity), not an action. In the second sentence, volunteering is the action (verb) in the sentence.

Participial phrase: A participial phrases begin with words that end in -ed or -ing (participles). These words look like verbs, but they function as adjectives (words that describe a noun or a pronoun). The difference between a participle and a gerund that end in -ing is that a gerund functions as a noun, while the participle will function as an adjective. For example, in the sentence below, “Leaving behind all of his work for Sarah” is a participial phrase that describes Leo.” [Leaving behind all of his work for Sarah], Leo took a two-week vacation.

The flowchart in Exhibit A-1 is an excellent tool to demonstrate to students how to distinguish between phrases and clauses.

Standards in Punctuation Apostrophe Slides A-13, A-14, A-15, A-16 Possessive: Use the apostrophe to show the possessive case of nouns and indefinite pronouns. Whether the apostrophe goes before or after the s depends on whether the possessive noun is singular or plural.

If the plural noun does not end in an s, add an ’s (an apostrophe and an -s).

Note: A popular practice is to place only an apostrophe at the end of singular possessive nouns that end in s (e.g., one boss’ policy). However, until you’re comfortable distinguishing between singular and plural possessives, you may prefer to use the more standard punctuation so that your meaning is clear.

If a noun is singular, you don’t have to think about putting the apostrophe inside or outside the s; just add the ’s and move on because you know that your punctuation is correct.

Use an apostrophe to mark the place in a contraction where letters are omitted. Do not use it to make personal pronouns possessive (its, hers). it is = it’s has not = hasn’t cannot = can’t

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Use the apostrophe to indicate time, value, or measurement of a noun. The placement of the apostrophe before or after the s depends on whether the possessive is singular or plural.

Colon Slides A-18, A-19 An independent clause (a subject + verb combination that forms a complete sentence) should precede a colon. Do not use the colon when the thought of the sentence should continue without interruption. If you are introducing a list with a colon, precede the colon with a word that explains or identifies the list.

Not this: We have branch offices in: Fort Smith, Texarkana, Lake Charles, Jackson, and Biloxi.

But this: We have branch offices in Fort Smith, Texarkana, Lake Charles, Jackson, and Biloxi.

Or this: We have branch offices in the following cities: Fort Smith, Texarkana, Lake Charles, Jackson, and Biloxi.

Use the colon to introduce an enumeration, a formal quotation, or an explanation. Note that an independent clause precedes the colon. An independent clause has a subject and a verb and stands by itself as a sentence.)

Enumeration: Working in this department are three classes of support: clerical support, computer support, and customer support.

Formal Quotation: President Hartung had this to say about the proposal: “Any such movement that fails to get the support of the workers from all divisions fails to get my support.”

Explanation: At that time, the company was pioneering a new marketing idea: It was attempting to sell customized products directly to consumers through its website.

Common Mistakes in Comma Usage Commas can be tricky for students because there are several standards to consider and because at times they are discretionary. You may want to highlight the following important standards for comma use.

Slides A-20, A-21, A-22, A-23, A-24, A-25, A-26, A-27, A-28, A-29, A-30, A-31 Failure to use commas for parenthetic expressions. A parenthetic expression is information that interrupts, but doesn’t alter, the meaning of a sentence.

Not this: My students not surprisingly are doing well in class.

But this: My students, not surprisingly, are doing well in class.

Setting off restrictive clauses (those that would change the meaning of a sentence if they were omitted) with commas. Students often us commas for essential information. If the meaning of a sentence is incomplete without a phrase, you don't use a comma.

Not this: The students, who spent a year abroad, showed greater improvement in their foreign language skills.

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But this: The students who spent a year abroad showed greater improvement in their foreign language skills.

The second example is correct, because the information introduced by “who” is necessary to understand the full meaning of the sentence.

Failing to use commas before conjunctions introducing independent clauses.

Not this: The business trip from Cincinnati to Vancouver was long but it was worth it when she landed the account.

But this: The business trip from Cincinnati to Vancouver was long, but it was worth it when she landed the account.

Or this: The business trip from Cincinnati to Vancouver was long but worth it when she landed the account.

This last example connects one independent and dependent clause, so it does not need a comma.

Failing to include a comma after an introductory word, such as meanwhile, however, furthermore, fortunately, quickly and suddenly.

Not this: Unfortunately, we can’t make it to your party.

But this: Unfortunately, we can’t make it to your party.

Hyphens Slides A-35, A-36, A-37, A-38 Place hyphens between the parts of some compound words. Generally, the hyphen is used whenever its absence would confuse the meaning of the words.

Compound nouns: brother-in-law, cure-all, city-state Compound numbers twenty-one through ninetynine: fifty-five, eighty-one Compound adjectives: (two or more words used before a noun as a single adjective): long-term contract, 50-gallon drum, five-day grace period, end-of-month clearance Prefixes: co-organizer, ex-chairperson, anti-inflation, self-sufficient NOTE: Many words do not require a hyphen between the prefix and the root word (e.g., reconsider).

Encourage students to consult a dictionary for the correct spelling of words with prefixes.

Two or more modifiers in normal grammatical form and order need no hyphens. Specifically, adverbs ending in -ly are not followed by a hyphen. But an adverb not ending in ly is joined to its adjective or participle by the hyphen.

Hyphen here: well-prepared chart, But not here: a poorly drawn chart

Semicolons Slides A-52, A-53, A-54, A-55 You may want to start by asking students to raise their hand if they are comfortable using a semicolon.

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without their hands raised. (You can use an anonymous survey as well if you think your class may be uncomfortable.) You can encourage those who admit not knowing by telling them that many adults don’t know how to use a semicolon. There are two major uses and they can come in very handy in business writing.

Use the semicolon to separate closely related independent clauses that are not connected by a conjunction. Although writers generally use periods to separate independent clauses, a semicolon can be used to indicate a smaller break in thought than a period would.

The new contract provides wage increases; the original contract emphasized shorter hours.

Covered by this standard are independent clauses connected by conjunctive adverbs (transitional expressions) such as however, nevertheless, therefore, then, moreover, and besides.  The survey findings indicated a need to revise the policy; nevertheless, the president did not approve the proposed revision.

Use a semicolon to separate items in a list that already have punctuation in them.

Not this: My favorite cities to visit are Tuscon, Arizona, San Francisco, California, and Jacksonville, Florida.

But this: My favorite cities to visit are Tuscon, Arizona; San Francisco, California; and Jacksonville, Florida.

Standards for Grammar Subject-Verb Agreement Slides A-56, A-57, A-58, A-59, A-60, A-61, A-62, A-63 Subject-verb agreement means that a plural subject must be paired with a plural verb form; a singular subject must be paired with a singular verb form. Remember that a verb can be either an action (e.g., work, think, write) or a state of being (e.g., am, is, are was, were, have has, had).

Nouns in prepositional phrases (i.e., phrases that begin with words such as for, of, on, with, in, about, and between) and nouns in phrases that are separated from the sentence with commas will not be the subjects of your sentences.

Not this: Expenditures for miscellaneous equipment was expected to decline. (Expenditures is plural, so its verb must be plural.)

But this: Expenditures for miscellaneous equipment were expected to decline.

In a there is or there are sentence, the subject follows the verb.

Not this: There is several reasons why we should act.

But this: There are several reasons why we should act.

Compound subjects joined by and require plural verbs.

Not this: The salespeople and their manager is in favor of the proposal. (Salespeople and manager make a compound subject, but is singular.)

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But this: The salespeople and their manager are in favor of the proposal.

When a sentence has a compound subject joined with or, the singular or plural nature of the verb is determined by the subject closest to the verb.

Not this: Either the shift supervisors or the department’s manager are allowed to alter a time card. (Even though there are two subjects, the verb or means that you need to look only at the subject closest to the verb.)

But this: Either the shift supervisors or the department’s manager is allowed to alter a time card.

(Manager is closer to the verb and is singular, so the singular verb is is correct.)

Or this: Either the department’s manager or the shift supervisors are allowed to alter a time card. (The word supervisors is closer to the verb and is plural, so the plural verb are is correct.)

Collective nouns may be either singular or plural, depending on the meaning intended.

Slides A-65 Inappropriate or awkward word choice Sometimes students will choose the most formal, inappropriate or awkward word. They need to understand that, with the exception of certain communications reviewed in Chapter 6, current business writing is conversational. Students should also understand that a failure of word choice can lead to the failure of a business relationship.

Not this: It would behoove us to ameliorate the current accounting process as its utilization is no longer a viable option.

We can fix this problem by first cutting words that don’t add meaning. Then we can translate the remaining words into more familiar and informal words.

But this: We need to improve our accounting process.

Teach students that simplifying language leads to better communication.

Often students will use the most awkward word instead of the most commonly used word.

Not this: We delivered our ideas to the CEO. These two choices would be better.

But this: We discussed our ideas with the CEO. Or this: We presented our ideas to the CEO. Familiar and commonly used words are almost always the best choice, unless the communication is technical.

Dangling modifier Slides A-66, A-67

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A dangling modifier occurs when you don’t use the correct noun or pronoun for what you’re modifying.

Not this: Pulling into the parking lot, the campus was overrun with protestors.

But this: Pulling into the parking lot, I noticed the campus was overrun with protestors.

In this case, I, not the campus, is pulling into the parking lot. It’s the pronoun being modified.

Misplaced modifier Slide A-68 Incorrect placement of a modifying phrase. Modifiers need to come next to the words they modify.

Not this: She served entrees to the guests on silver plates.

But this: She served the guests entrees on silver plates.

In the first example, on silver plates refers to guests not entrees.

Fragments Slide A-69 Helping students identify sentence fragments will help them consider understand punctuation standards better. A complete sentence contains a subject and a predicate that describes the subject. A fragment, on the other hand, lacks one of these elements and is incomplete.

Not this: We had to cancel the spring marketing campaign. Because we didn’t have the funds to launch it. to launch it in the fall.

But this: We had to cancel the spring marketing campaign because we didn’t have the funds to launch it.

You may ask students what is the problem with using sentence fragments in your writing?

Parallelism Slide A-70 Parts of a sentence that express equal thoughts should be parallel (the same) in grammatical form.

Students often fail to use the same grammatical pattern when sharing similar ideas within a sentence.

Not this: Our business writing project was successful, challenging for our team and took a lot of time.

But this: Our business writing project was successful, challenging and time consuming.

In the second example, the writer has decided to use a consistent grammatical pattern of all adjectives.

Run-on sentences Slide A-71 Students are probably familiar with the terms run-on sentences and fragments, but they are worth reviewing. When discussing the run-on example below, you may want to highlight the impact on the audience and ask why we avoid run-on sentences (beyond correctness).

A run-on sentence occurs when two or more complete sentence are joined as one sentence without a conjunction.

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Not this: She doesn’t know why she’s considering moving to another country for a job her family and friends are here.

But this: She doesn’t know why she’s considering moving to another country for a job. Her family and friends are here.

Here two separate sentences, with subject and predicate, have been properly separated by a period.

Pronouns Slides A-72, A-73, A-74, A-75, A-76 Students may need a reminder to make each pronoun agree with its antecedent. As with other standards in this section, you can go beyond the notion of correctness and explain that ailure to conform to this standard causes confusion, particularly in sentences in which two or more nouns are possible antecedents or the antecedent is far away from the pronoun.

Not this: When the president objected to Mr. Carter, he told him to mind his own business. (Who told whom?)

But this: When the president objected to Mr. Carter, Mr. Carter told him to mind his own business.

If the antecedent is singular, its pronoun must be singular (he, she, it). If the antecedent is plural, its pronoun must be plural (him, her, they). This would be a good opportunity to review gendered language use. Many people use they to refer to singular antecedents both in their speech and in their writing. The advantage of this use is that they is a gender-neutral pronoun and therefore inclusive of all gender orientations. The disadvantage is that some readers may find a message illogical or confusing if a plural pronoun refers to a singular noun. Choose the option that makes most sense for your audience or rewrite the sentence to eliminate the need to include the pronoun.

Option 1: An employee must enroll in their benefits plan within 30 days of hire.

Option 2: An employee must enroll in his or her benefits plan within 30 days of hire.

Option 3: Employees must enroll in their benefits plan within 30 days of hire.

If the pronoun serves as the subject of the verb, or if it follows a form of the linking verb be (e.g., is, are, was, were, being, have been), use a pronoun in the nominative case.  

He will record the minutes of the meeting.

I think it will be he who is promoted.

If the pronoun is the object of a preposition or a verb, use the objective case.

Not this: This transaction is between you and he. (He is nominative pronoun; in this case the pronoun is the object of a preposition between, so it must take the objective form.)

But this: This transaction is between you and him.

Shift in verb tense Slide A-81 Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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Students commonly change verb tense within a single sentence, even when there’s no shift in time.

Verbs in combined clauses should be in the same tense. For instance, when the first verb is in the past tense, you should usually also place the second verb in a past tense (past, past perfect, or present perfect).

Not this: Our teacher gives us a syllabus but didn’t follow it.

But this: Our teacher gave us a syllabus but didn’t follow it.

Wrong words Slides A-84 Several words are commonly confused by students. These include you’re/your, they’re/their and it’s/its.

Explain these differences to students.

Not this: I agree with you’re political views.

This is incorrect because you’re is a contraction of you and are.

But this: I agree with your political views.

This is correct because your is a possessive referring to political views.

Not this: Its hard being a full-time writer.

This is incorrect because its is possessive and not a contraction of it and is.

But this: It’s hard being a full-time writer.

This is correct because it’s is a contraction of it and is.

Not this: The grading system had it’s merits.

But this: The grading system had its merits.

This is correct because its is a possessive.

Standards for the Use of Numbers Slides A-85, A-86 Quantities may be spelled out or expressed as numerals. Whether to use one form or the other is often a perplexing question. It is especially perplexing to business writers, whose work often deals with quantitative subjects. You may want to explain to students that two factors influence their choices: audience preference and organizational conventions. Remind them that consistency is key.

Spelling Slides A-87, A-88

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Misspelling is probably the most frequent error in student writing. And it is the least excusable because all one needs to do to eliminate the error is to use a dictionary or a spell checker. Students need to understand that spelling errors are often read by an audience as a sign of hasty writing or low effort.

(Especially when you spell a name wrong!)

You may encourage students to try to improve their spelling by studying Exhibit A-2 and memorizing the most frequently spelled words. And, of course, to closely proofread their work and use a spell checker.

Capitalization Slides A-89, A-90 When writing texts, instant messages, and social media messages, students may forego standard capitalization in informal circumstances. In all other communication situations, standard capitalization is expected. Always capitalize the first word of a sentence, a person’s name, and the pronoun I. Usually, the more specific the noun, the more likely it is to require capitalization. You may want to remind students that consistency is important when using capitalization and to apply this to places like headings, too.

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Critical-Thinking Questions Phrases and Clauses Identify the underlined groups of words below as phrases or clauses. Be sure to specify which type of phrase and clause you have identified. If you identify a group of words as a type of clause, indicate the subject and verb in the clause. If you see a phrase or clause within another phrase or clause (e.g., a gerund followed by a prepositional phrase or an independent clause that contains a prepositional phrase) identify both types of phrases or clauses.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

After you have read the form, please initial it at the bottom. (dependent clause) We can table this item until the next meeting. (prepositional phrase) On our way to the meeting, we stopped for lunch. (independent clause) Having finished their work early, Tom and Jim went home. (participial phrase) We went to the data visualization seminar last week. (prepositional phrase) Rita was the only person who spoke in our defense. (relative dependent clause) If you want to apply for the promotion, submit your application online. (gerund phrase) We can review these numbers when Mikka arrives. (dependent clause) Engaging in conflict makes me nervous. (gerund phrase) The training seminar, which is in Toronto next June, will provide updates on the newest version of our learning management software. (relative dependent clause)

Punctuation Insert commas, colons, and semicolons as needed in the following sentences. As your instructor directs, cite punctuation standards from this chapter to support your choices.

1. If your credit card is stolen call your bank credit union or other card carrier immediately.

If your credit card is stolen, call your bank credit union or other card carrier immediately. (Cma 5–1) 2. We will develop the training course this fall but will not offer it until spring.

We will develop the training course this fall, but will not offer it until spring. (Cma 1) 3. Our company specializes in management consulting employee development and leadership training.

Our company specializes in management consulting, employee development, and leadership training. (Cma 2–1) 4. Your payment is 15 days past due please make your payment immediately.

Your payment is 15 days past due. Please make your payment immediately. (Pd 1, RO) 5. Rosa needs to submit her application immediately if she wants to be admitted for the fall semester. (Cma 3) 6. Our goal is to have branch offices in the following cities Ottawa Ontario Halifax Nova Scotia and Vancouver British Columbia.

Our goal is to have branch offices in the following cities: Hayward, Wisconsin; Golden, Colorado; and Helena, Montana. (Cln 1, Cma 4–4, SC 3) 7. New employees usually complete their hiring paperwork before they start however they have until the end of their first week at work to finish it.

New employees usually complete their hiring paperwork before they start; however, they have until the end of their first week at work to finish it. (SC 1, Cma 4–3) Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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8. In August 2020 we will begin the software conversion and we expect to complete it by October 1.

In August, 2020, we will begin the software conversion, and we expect to complete it by October 1. (Cma 4–4, Cma 1) 9. If we exceed our sales quota we receive a $1000 quarterly bonus but if we only meet our quota we receive a $500 bonus.

If we exceed our sales quota, we receive a $1,000 quarterly bonus; but if we only meet our quota, we receive a $500 bonus. (Cma 5–1, SC 2, No 7) 10. Because the bank approved our request for a loan we were able to purchase our dream house.

Because the bank approved our request for a loan, we were able to purchase our dream house.

(Cma 5–1)

Apostrophes Select the word that correctly completes the sentence.

1. Many of the (businesses, business’s, businesses’) in town are closed for the holiday.

Many of the businesses in town are closed for the holiday. (Apos 1) 2. I share my (bosses, boss’s, bosses’) opinion that he and I should get the corner office suite.

I share my boss’s opinion that he and I should get the corner office suite. (Apos 1) 3. Many (peoples, people’s, peoples’) lake homes are subject to high property taxes.

Many people’s lake homes are subject to high property taxes. (Apos 1) 4. In two (weeks, week’s, weeks’) we leave for the conference.

In two weeks we leave for the conference. (Apos 1) 5. Our (company’s, companies, companies’) policy is to let employees work from home one day per week.

Our company’s policy is to let employees work from home one day per week. (Apos 1) 6. Kyle frequently works evenings because (its, it’s, its’) not possible for him to finish his work during the day.

Kyle frequently works evenings because it’s not possible for him to finish his work during the day. (Apos 2) 7. Carolyn’s severance package included six (months, month’s, months’) salary and health insurance.

Carolyn’s severance package included six months’ salary and health insurance. (Apos 3) 8. She worked her way up to the manager of the (womens, women’s, womens’) clothing department.

She worked her way up to the manager of the women’s clothing department. (Apos 1) 9. We were all impressed by (Joes, Joe’s, Joes’) presentation.

We were all impressed by Joe’s presentation. (Apos 1) 10. According to (todays, today’s, todays’) newspaper, gas prices are expected to rise in the coming weeks.

According to today’s newspaper, gas prices are expected to rise in the coming weeks. (Apos 3)

Pronouns Select the pronoun that correctly completes the sentence.

1. Our supervisor assigned the project to Jim and (I/me).

Our supervisor assigned the project to Jim and me. (Pn 3) Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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2. Do you know (who/whom) will lead today’s meeting?

Do you know who will lead today’s meeting? (Pn 3) 3. We want (she/her) to lead the meeting today.

We want her to lead the meeting today. (Pn 3) 4. (He/Him) and Rebecca are two of the hardest workers in our office.

He and Rebecca are two of the hardest workers in our office. (Pn 3) 5. The university told (we/us) students about the tuition increase.

The university told us students about the tuition increase. (Pn 3) 6. (We/Us) employees are happy about the results of the union negotiations.

We employees are happy about the results of the union negotiations. (Pn 3) 7. Lara said, “Because the agreement between (she/her) and (I/me) is confidential, I am not comfortable discussing the details of the contract.”

Lara said, “Because the agreement between her and me is confidential, I am not comfortable discussing the details of the contract.” (Pn 3) 8. I really appreciated (him/his) telling me about the job opening.

I really appreciated his telling me about the job opening. (Pn 3) 9. Matt is the type of employee (who/whom) we want to promote to management.

Matt is the type of employee whom we want to promote to management. (Pn 3) 10. It was (she/her) who inquired about the open position.

It was she who inquired about the open position. (Pn 3)

Comprehensive Correctness Exercise Corrected sentences follow each original sentence. Correctness standards from the chapter are noted in parentheses.

Charles E. Baskin the new member of the advisory committee has been an employee for seven years.

Charles E. Baskin, the new member of the advisory committee, has been an employee for seven years. (Cma 4–2) The auditor asked us If all members of the work group had access to the petty cash fund The auditor asked us whether all members of the work group had access to the petty cash fund.

(Frag; no quotations needed with an indirect question; “whether” is a better word choice.)

Our January order consisted of the following items; two dozen Post-it pads, cube size, one dozen desk blotters, 20 by 32 inches and one dozen gel roller pens, permanent black.

Our January order consisted of the following items: 24 Post-it pads, cube size; 12 desk blotters, 20 by 32 centimetres; and 12 gel roller pens with permanent black ink. (Cln 1, SC 3, No 1) The truth of the matter is, that the union representative had not informed the workers of the decision.

The truth of the matter is, the union representative had not informed the workers of the decision.

(Cma 5–2) Sales for the first quarter were the highest in history, profits declined for the period.

Sales for the first quarter were the highest in history; however, profits declined for the period.

(CS, SC 2, inserted “however” to emphasize the contrast) We suggest that you use a mild soap for best results but detergents will not harm the product.

We suggest that you use a mild soap for best results, but detergents will not harm the product.

(Cma 1) Employment for October totaled 12,741 an increase of 3.1 percent over September.

Employment for October totaled 12,741—an increase of 3.1 percent over September. (Dsh 1) It would not be fair however to consider only this point.

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It would not be fair, however, to consider only this point. (Cma 4–3) It is the only shrink resistant antiwrinkle and inexpensive material available.

It is the only shrink-resistant, anti-wrinkle, inexpensive material available. (Cma 2–2, Hpn 2–1) Todd Thatcher a supervisor in our company is accused of the crime.

Todd Thatcher, a supervisor in our company, is accused of the crime. (Cma 4–2) Mr. Goodman made this statement Contrary to our expectations Smith and Company will lose money this year.

Mr. Goodman made this statement: “Contrary to our expectations, Smith and Company will lose money this year.” (Cln 2, QM 1, Cma 5–2) I bought and he sold.

I bought and he sold. (Cma 1) We have took several steps to ensure the security of our firewall.

We have taken several steps to ensure the security of our firewall. (Tns 3) Sold in light medium and heavy weight this paper has been widely accepted.

Sold in light, medium, and heavy-weight, this paper has been widely accepted. (Cma 2–1, Cma 4– 2) Because of a common belief that profits are too high we will have to cut our prices on most items.

Because of a common belief that profits are too high, we will have to cut our prices on most items. (Cma 5–1) Such has been the growth of the cities most prestigious firm, H.E. Klauss and Company.

Such has been the growth of the city’s most prestigious firm, H. E. Klauss and Company. (Apos 1) In 2017 we were advised in fact we were instructed to accept this five year contract.

In 2017 we were advised—in fact, we were instructed—to accept this five-year contract. (Dsh 1) Henrys goofing off has gotten him into trouble.

Henry’s goofing off has gotten him into trouble. (Apos 1) Cyrus B. Henshaw who was our leading salesperson last month is the leading candidate for the position.

Cyrus B. Henshaw, who was our leading salesperson last month, is the leading candidate for the position. (Cma 3) The sales representative who secures the most new accounts will receive a bonus.

The sales representative who secures the most new accounts will receive a bonus. (Cma 3) The word phone which is short for telephone should be avoided in formal writing.

The word phone, which is short for telephone, should be avoided in formal writing. (Ital 3, Cma 3) In last months issue of Fortune appeared Johnson’s latest article Tiger! The Sky’s the Limit for Golf.

In last month’s issue of Fortune, Johnson’s latest article, “Tiger! The Sky’s the Limit for Golf,” appeared. (Apos 3, QM 4/Ital 1, Cma 4–2) Yes he replied this is exactly what we mean.

“Yes,” he replied, “this is exactly what we mean.” (QM 1, QM 3) Why did he say John it’s too late?

Why did he say “John, it’s too late”? (QM 1, QM 3) Place your order today, it is not too late.

Place your order today; it is not too late. (SC 1) We make our plans on a day to day basis.

We make our plans on a day-to-day basis. (Hpn 2–1) There is little accuracy in the 60 day forecast.

There is little accuracy in the 60-day forecast. (Hpn 2–1) The pre Christmas sale will extend over twenty six days.

The pre-Christmas sale will extend over twenty-six days. (Hpn 2–1) Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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We cannot tolerate any worker’s failure to do their duty.

We cannot tolerate any worker’s failure to do his or her duty. (Pn 2) An assortment of guns, bombs, burglar tools, and ammunition were found in the seller.

An assortment of guns, bombs, burglar tools, and ammunition was found in the cellar. (Agmt SV, SP) If we can be certain that we have the facts we can make our decision soon.

If we can be certain that we have the facts, we can make our decision soon. (Cma 5–1) This one is easy to make. If one reads the instructions carefully.

This one is easy to make if one reads the instructions carefully. (Frag) This is the gift he received from you and I. This is the gift he received from you and me. (Pn 3) A collection of short articles on the subject were printed.

A collection of short articles on the subject was printed. (Agmt SV) If we can detect only a tenth of the errors it will make us realize the truth.

If we can detect only a tenth of the errors, this discovery will make us realize the truth. (Cma 5–1, Pn 1) She takes criticism good.

She takes criticism well. (AA) There was plenty of surprises at the meeting.

There were plenty of surprises at the meeting. (Agmt SV) It don’t appear that we have made much progress.

It doesn’t appear that we have made much progress. (Agmt SV) The surface of these products are smooth.

The surfaces of these products are smooth. (Agmt SV) Everybody is expected to do their best.

Everybody is expected to do his or her best.

Or All employees are expected to do their best. (Agmt SV, PN 2) The brochures were delivered to John and I early Sunday morning.

The brochures were delivered to John and me early Sunday morning. (PN 3) Who did he recommend for the job.

Whom did he recommend for the job? (PN 3, Q) We were given considerable money for the study.

We were given a considerable amount of money for the study. (Awk) He seen what could happen when administration breaks down.

He saw what can happen when administration breaks down. (Tns 2, Tns 4) One of his conclusions is that the climate of the region was not desirable for our purposes.

One of his conclusions is that the climate of the region is not desirable for our purposes. (Tns 4) Smith and Rogers plans to buy the Moline plant.

Smith and Rogers plan to buy the Moline plant. (Agmt SV) The committee feels that no action should be taken.

The committee feels that no action should be taken. (Agmt SV) Neither of the workers found their money.

Neither of the workers found her money. (or his) (Pn 4) While observing the employees, the work flow was operating at peak perfection.

While observing the employees, we saw that the work flow was operating at peak perfection.

(Dng)

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The new building is three stories high, fifteen years old, solid brick construction, and occupies a corner lot.

The new building occupies a corner lot and is 3 stories high, 15 years old, and solid brick. (Awk, No 1, No 3) They had promised to have completed the job by noon.

They promised to complete the job by noon. (Tns 2) Jones has been employed by Kimberly Clark for twenty years.

Jones has been employed by Kimberly Clark for 20 years. (No 1) Wilson and myself will handle the job.

Wilson and I will handle the job. (Pn 3) Each man and woman are expected to abide by this rule.

Each man and woman is expected to abide by this rule. (Agmt SV) The boiler has been inspected on April 1 and May 3.

The boiler was inspected on April 1 and May 3. (Tns 5) To find problems and correcting them takes up most of my work time.

Finding problems and correcting them takes up most of my work time. (Prl) The case of canned goods were distributed to the homeless.

The case of canned goods was distributed to the homeless. (Agmt SV) The motor ran uneven.

The motor ran unevenly. (AA) All are expected except John and she.

All are expected, except John and her. (Pn 3) Everyone here has more ability than him.

Everyone here has more ability than he has. (Pn 3, IncCon)

Instructor’s Manual for Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach Reference Chapter B: A Guide for Documenting Your Sources Teaching Suggestions Appropriately documenting borrowed material is important for business communicators. Including clear and accurate references provides a reader with information should they want to access the sources later on. Further, citing sources can increase your credibility by demonstrating you understand how to ethically conduct research. This chapter provides resources to help students appropriately acknowledge sources in their work.

The Reference Chapter B PowerPoint slides offer an overview of when to cite and how to cite in business communication.

Key Terms annotated bibliography APA style Rentz, Lentz, Campagna, Brady, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach, 2nd Canadian Edition ©McGraw Hill Ltd., 2024

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bibliography Chicago style (CMS) common knowledge discussion or substantive notes end notes footnotes hanging indentation headline style informal citation style MLA style paraphrasing parenthetical citation method plagiarism quoting subsequent citations

Text Summary, Lecture Outline Why Document Sources?

Slides B-1, B-2 This slide is an important place to start when teaching documentation in your business communication courses. Often students may associate documentation of sources with academic writing, but it is important to stop and explain why attributing ideas is convention in business communication as well.

Unlike their experiences in academic courses where they are often told which style to use, students will have to choose their own style for their workplace audience.

You could begin by asking students to look online for a sample of business communication. Ask them to focus on how the writer/presenter attributed ideas to their source? You could have some students choose an oral presentation and some choose a piece of writing, and then ask if they notice any conventional difference between the two.

You may want to reinforce the final point that students should think about their own reputation when citing sources. Appropriate documentation sends a message to the reader that they are diligent, detail oriented, fair minded, and ethical in their research.

Slides B-3, B-4, B-5, B-6, B-7, B-8 When to Acknowledge Students tend to be comfortable understanding that they need to cite a source when they use a direct quote, but they often struggle with attribution when they are using ideas, but not necessarily words.

This series of slides will help them identify the importance of citing sources even when they put things in their own words.

Slide B-6 provides a step-by-step process for paraphrasing sources. You may as students how many of them simply take the original sentence and change a few words. You may get a few hands. As you work through this slide, you can emphasize the idea that an appropriate paraphrase is not just about words,

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but sentence structure and style as well. Giving students a passage to paraphrase for practice here is a great activity (you could give them the original text on slide B-7 before showing them the slide).

Slide B-8 provides a way for students to test whether or not they need to cite an idea. You can use the Communication Matters box titles “Quotation Marks, Citation, Both, or Neither” to help students make decisions about when, and how, to cite borrowed material.

Slides B-9, B-10 How to Acknowledge As this section notes, not all documents in business communication require formal citations. You may want to introduce these slides by helping students consider the difference between formal citation and informal citation in the workplace. Giving example scenarios such as a brief progress report to a manager to help them identify types of documents where they should use informal citation styles.

Then, you can remind them that as they move into more extensive, formal documents, they will need to use more formal citation styles. You could ask them to consider the types of reports they read about in Chapters 11 and 12 and identify which types of reports (shorter, short-to-mid, and long) may require formal citation and why.

Once you review how to decide which style to use, slides B-9 and B-10 provide an overview of how to use these types of citations. The next section discusses formal citation styles in more detail.

Slides B-11, B-12, B-13, B-14 How to Cite Your Sources with Footnotes (Chicago Style) Slide B-11 provides an overview of the three major types of formal citation styles. Students may be familiar with all three. You may want to explain that Chicago is the preferred citation style in business communication CMS is the only system that uses footnotes, which as Slide B-12 explains, have advantages in business documents.

Slide B-14 explains how to use Microsoft Word to add footnotes. Since many students will have little or no prior experience in CMS, you may want to use some time in class to have students practice inserting footnotes in Word and Google Docs. You may want to emphasize the importance of consistency in footnotes.

How to Cite Your Sources Using Parentheses (APA and MLA Styles)

Slides B-15, B-16 These slides discuss the parenthetical citation method used in APA and MLA styles.

APA style uses the author-date system: its parenthetical citations usually include the author's last name and the year of publication, e.g., (Smith, 2023).

MLA style uses the author-page system: its parenthetical citations usually include the author's last name and the page number(s) of the cited material, e.g., (Smith 4).

When placing parenthetical references in your text, put them at the end of a sentence or in some other logical break in your text, and put them before any mark of punctuation that occurs there.

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The Bibliography

Slides B-17, B-18, B-19, B-20, B-21, B-22, B-23, B-24 When it comes to most business documents, notes may be sufficient. However, for some more formal business documents a separate bibliography with full citation information is required.

Before reviewing the conventions on the slide, you can tell students to consider their audience needs when deciding whether or not to include a full reference list at the end of their document. The latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style says that notes should be "preferably supplemented" by a bibliography—but we recommend considering your readers when deciding whether to include one.

Some non-academic readers may want to see a complete list of your sources at the end of your document, but the footnotes are likely to be sufficient.

Slides B-18-24 provide examples of how to format bibliographic entries for common sources in Chicago, APA, and MLA style.

Slides B-25, B-26, B-27 Slides B-25-27 provides students with an example bibliography from the three major citation styles. You could ask students what type of citation system they have been asked to use in the past in their business classes. This would be a good place to remind students that, if they aren’t using CMS, they will need to provide readers with an accurate list of sources.

Slide B-28 Citation Management Systems Many of your students are familiar with different types of online citation systems already. Some examples include RefWorks, EndNote, EasyBib, Citation Machine, BibMe, and Zotero. You can ask students what systems they use and prefer. Students are encouraged to explore citation management systems, but you may want to emphasize the following important points of caution: 

These systems make mistakes.



These systems are only as good as the information students input. If you put information in the wrong field, you’ll receive an incorrect citation.

One possible activity is to provide students with a source and ask them to use different online citation systems to create a citation. You can review these together as a whole looking for discrepancies and troubleshooting incorrect entries. You may want to suggest to students that it is in their best interest to have a citation guide handy while using these systems.

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