OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 4/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS...

OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 4/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 9.1

Bad-news messagesBad-news messages

Decide when to use a direct and indirect organizational plan for bad-news messages.

Compose a message that rejects an idea.

Compose a message that refuses a favor.

Compose a message that refuses a claim.

Compose a bad-news announcement.


Prefer the DIRECT plan whenPrefer the DIRECT plan when

Writing to superiors The bad news involves an

insignificant matter The reader prefers directness The reader expects a “no” response The writer wants to emphasize the bad news The reader-writer relationship is either very

close or very poor


Prefer the INDIRECT plan whenPrefer the INDIRECT plan when

Writing to colleagues and subordinates

Writing to someone outside the organization

The reader prefers the indirect approach

You don’t know the reader


Types of buffersTypes of buffers

AGREEMENTI agree with you that full-color visual aids are more effective and attractive than black-and-white ones.

APPRECIATIONThanks, Tony, for taking the initiative to research the feasibility of purchasing a color printer for our training department.


COMPLIMENTCongratulations, Tony, on the 95% approval rating from our seminar participants. That’s a first for our department.

FACTSLast week’s approval of our Westinghouse proposal will mean a dramatic increase in the number of technical seminars we’ll sponsor next year.


GENERAL PRINCIPLEI believe in furnishing our trainers with the tools that they need to fulfill our company’s training needs.

GOOD NEWSThe new Barco projection system that I approved yesterday will enable us to produce multimedia training sessions for the first time.


UNDERSTANDINGI want you to know that I support your efforts to increase the effectiveness of our training mission.

Neutral

Relevant

Supportive

Interesting

Short


Giving the bad newsGiving the bad news

To enable us to have the funds necessary to finance our move into multimedia presentations, we’re delaying all other capital equipment purchases for six months. These multimedia presentations are projected directly from the computer itself, thereby avoiding the need to print color transparencies.

Subordinated

Positive

Impersonal


Closing on a positive noteClosing on a positive note

BEST WISHESBest wishes, Tony, as you continue your efforts to strengthen the training mission of our organization.

COUNTERPROPOSALTo help ensure the timely printing of your transparencies, I would be happy to authorize courier service to and from the print shop until we’re able to consider this matter further.


OTHER SOURCES OF HELPIn the meantime, Marc Dye has indicated that we can use the Kodak color copier in the marketing department for making one or two color copies at a time.

RESALE OR SUBTLE SALES PROMOTIONComments that I hear from my colleagues in other departments reinforce my own belief that the training department contributes substantially to the overall success of our firm. Thanks for your help, Tony.


Refusing a claim— Refusing a claim— indirect patternindirect pattern

I was pleased to learn how much you and your sons enjoy our cable service and can surely understand your frustration at not having cable available for a four-day period in June.

You and 2,500 cable customers went without service during this period while our workers installed new fiber-optic lines in your area.


Because routine maintenance and upgrading, which result in superior service to our customers, are allowed under our license with the city of Plattsburg, all customers are charged their regular monthly rates during these periods. The payoff, of course, is the increased service that will become available within the coming year.

To be more precise, three of the channels that are now priced as premium channels will become part


of the basic monthly service, and additional pay-per-view concerts and sports events will become available.

We are confident your sons will agree that the wait was a good investment the first time they are able to watch a first-run movie or a WBA boxing cham-pionship for free, in the comfort of their own home.


Key termKey term

buffer


Refusing a repeated claim— Refusing a repeated claim— direct patterndirect pattern

To ensure quality merchandise for all our customers at a reasonable price, we adhere strictly to the one-year warranty terms on all products. Because your mower stopped working after the warranty period expired, it is no longer covered under the terms of the warranty, and it will be necessary for you to pay for the repairs.


We have an authorized serviceperson on duty each day. Parts and labor to replace the self-propelled mechanism in your mower will probably be less than $75, and the mower will operate like new once repairs are completed. All repairs are, of course, guaranteed for 90 days.


We have just received notice from the manufacturer that prices will be increasing 8% the first of next month on many mower parts, including the self-propelled mechanism in your mower. If you bring your mower in for repairs next week, we can have it repaired for you before these price increases take effect.


Refusing an idea— Refusing an idea— indirect patternindirect pattern

I appreciate your concern about increasing company profits as expressed in your memo of March 15. Thanks for your enthusiasm and concern.

I have considered all kinds of options to make the sales force more productive. So that our energetic sales representatives—like you—can afford to


purchase the “extra” devices or services they deem necessary for their jobs, we pay top salaries and commissions. This policy, which was established four years ago, allows you to purchase whatever equipment you feel would be most helpful to you as an individual, for personal as well as business use.

In checking with our purchasing department, I learned that the Canon NoteJet can be bought at a corporate price of $1,850. I would be happy to have the


machine purchased through the company, thereby saving you $649. We could simply deduct the cost from your next quarterly commission check so that you wouldn’t have to make payment at this time.

Please let me know if you would like me to place the order for you.


Refusing a favor— Refusing a favor— indirect patternindirect pattern

We certainly agree that children shouldlearn the value of good nutrition at a very young age. I compliment you for making this training available to the youngsters at your school.

Lunch is, of course, our busiest time, and many businesspeople choose our restaurant because


of the fast service we provide at noon. Therefore, it is necessary for our employees to devote their full attention to their jobs during this hectic period.

If it would be possible for you to bring the children in before 11 a.m. or after 1:30 p.m. during the week of October 10 to 15, we would enjoy providing a tour of our kitchens and a free


midmorning or midafternoon snack. Our employees would then have the time to answer any questions and to give the youngsters the individual attention they deserve.

Please let me know the date and time you would like to schedule a tour. We look forward to having you with us.

1. A major educational campaign is under way to prommote dim-

2. ming, even though most designers are not using flourescent lamps

3. with a dimming range as low as eight percent. 2 recent develop-

4. ments, however, have broadened the range of possibilities for de-

5. signers—compact fluorescent lamps and electronic ballasts.

LAB 9 testLAB 9 test


SURBAN SYSTEMSU

promote (SPELLING)

fluorescent (SPELLING)

8 (MEASUREMENT) Two (FIRST WORD IN SENTENCE)


SURBAN SYSTEMSU

6. The national dimming institute, made up of leading elec-

7. trical mfrs, seeks to increase awareness of the benefits of

8. lighting controls. The group’s education 101 program has released

9. a C.D.-R.O.M. that will be widely distributed.

National Dimming Institute (PROPER NOUN)

manufacturers (SPELL OUT)

Education (NOUN PLUS NUMBER)

CD-ROM (NO PERIODS)


SURBAN SYSTEMSU

10. Advanced Lighting Concepts started the group. In a recent

11. Illuminating Engineering Society newsletter artical entitled “I

12. am dim,” Dr Steve Purdy, 1 of the group’s founders and the com-

13. pany's Director of Sales, noted, “we intend for this new organi-

14. zation to mount a national educational outreach program.”

Dr. (ABB—PERIOD)Am Dim (TITLE) one (BELOW TEN)

director of sales (TITLE AFTER NAME) We (FIRST WORD OF SENTENCE)

article (SPELLING)


SURBAN SYSTEMSU

15. Meetings have been schedualed for different regions of the

16. country, especially in the northeast, to inform the design commu-

17. nity about the many options available.

scheduled (SPELLING)

Northeast (REGION OF THE COUNTRY)

OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 4/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS...

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Transcript of OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 4/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS...