Chapter 9 Routine Business Messages Mc GrawHill Education

Chapter 9 Routine Business Messages ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom. No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Learning Objectives Learning Objective 9. 1 Describe how delivering routine messages impacts credibility. Learning Objective 9. 2 Describe the process for developing routine business messages. Learning Objective 9. 3 Construct task-oriented routine messages, including requests, expectations, directions, responses to inquiries, announcements, and claims. Learning Objective 9. 4 Construct relationship-oriented routine messages, including appreciation, apologies, and expressions of sympathy. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Chapter Overview How routine messages affect credibility – Competence, caring, character Components of routine messages Task-oriented routine messages – Requests, expectations, directions, responses to inquiries Relationship-oriented routine messages – Apologies, expressions of appreciation, expressions of sympathy ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Routine Messages Impact Credibility (1 of 2) Your approach to routine messages strongly influences how others evaluate your: • Responsiveness • Reliability • Attention to detail • Commitment • Professionalism ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Routine Messages Impact Credibility (2 of 2) Credibility has three components: • Competence, which refers to the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish business tasks, approach business problems, and get a job done. • Caring, which implies understanding the interests of others, cultivating a sense of community, and giving to others and showing generosity. • Character, which refers to a reputation for staying true to commitments made to stakeholders and adhering to high moral and ethical values. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Developing Routine Messages (1 of 2) During any given business day you will need to produce credible messages quickly. Excellent business communicators can develop routine written messages in a matter of minutes. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Developing Routine Messages (2 of 2) Routine messages require proportionately less time for planning and reviewing. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Jump to Appendix 1 long image description

Figure 9. 1 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. The Writing Process for Routine Messages Jump to Appendix 2 long image description

Making Requests are the essence of people coordinating work efforts, buying and selling products and services, and maintaining work relationships. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Jump to Appendix 3 long image description

Figure 9. 2 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Less Effective Routine Request Jump to Appendix 4 long image description

Figure 9. 3 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. More Effective Routine Request Jump to Appendix 5 long image description

Setting Expectations (1 of 2) Setting expectations is directly tied to your credibility and ability to foster interpersonal trust in the workplace. Failure to do so can lead to lasting professional disappointments and breakdowns in working relationships. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Setting Expectations (2 of 2) Explain expectations. Describe responsibilities. Provide deadlines. Discuss coordination. State goodwill. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Figure 9. 4 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Less Effective Example of Setting Expectations Jump to Appendix 6 long image description

Figure 9. 5 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. More Effective Example of Setting Expectations Jump to Appendix 7 long image description

Providing Directions typically include specific—often step-by-step —guidelines for accomplishing particular tasks In messages with procedures and directions, make the steps stand out clearly by enumerating each one. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Components of Directions State goal. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Give step-by -step directions. State goodwill.

Figure 9. 6 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Less Effective Directions Jump to Appendix 8 long image description

Figure 9. 7 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. More Effective Directions Jump to Appendix 9 long image description

Responding to Inquiries One of the most important strategies for responding to inquiries is to set off each question so your readers can quickly identify responses to particular questions. You generally can do this using bullets or numbered lists and/or special formatting. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Figure 9. 8 Less Effective Response to an Inquiry (1 of 2) ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Jump to Appendix 10 long image description

Figure 9. 8 Less Effective Response to an Inquiry (2 of 2) ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Jump to Appendix 10 long image description

Figure 9. 9 More Effective Response to an Inquiry (1 of 2) ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Jump to Appendix 11 for long image description.

Figure 9. 9 More Effective Response to an Inquiry (2 of 2) ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Jump to Appendix 12 long image description

Creating Announcements (1 of 2) Announcements are updates to policies and procedures, notices of events, and other correspondences that apply to a group of employees and/or customers. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Jump to Appendix 13 long image description

Creating Announcements (2 of 2) To prevent employees and customers from ignoring announcements, the subject line must be specific and must create interest. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Figure 9. 10 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Less Effective Announcement Jump to Appendix 14 long image description

Figure 9. 11 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. More Effective Announcement Jump to Appendix 15 long

Making Claims (1 of 2) Claims are requests for other companies to compensate for or correct the wrongs or mistakes they have made. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Making Claims (2 of 2) As you write claims, keep in mind that your goal is to have your claim honored. Focus on facts first and emotions second, if at all. Lay out a logical, reasonable, and professional explanation for your claim. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Figure 9. 12 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Less Effective Claim Jump to Appendix 16 long

Figure 9. 13 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. More Effective Claim Jump to Appendix 17 long

Showing Appreciation A sincere expression of thanks helps achieve business goals and strengthens work relationships. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Figure 9. 14 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. Less Effective Appreciation Message Jump to Appendix 18

Figure 9. 15 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. More Effective Appreciation Message Jump to Appendix 19

Making Apologies An apology typically includes the following elements: – Acknowledgment of a mistake or an offense – An expression of regret for the harm caused – Acceptance of responsibility – A commitment that the offense will not be repeated Effective apologies should be timely and sincere. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Figure 9. 16 ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. An Apology Jump to Appendix 20 long image

Expressing Sympathy The foremost requirement of any expression of sympathy is that it be sincere. Your genuine concern will compensate for any deficiencies in the words you use. When possible, handwrite your expression of sympathy on a nice card. ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Chapter Takeaways How routine messages affect credibility – Competence, caring, character Components of routine messages Task-oriented routine messages – Requests, expectations, directions, responses to inquiries Relationship-oriented message – Apologies, expressions of appreciation, expressions of sympathy ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education.

Business Communication Chapter 9 The End ©Mc. Graw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom. No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of Mc. Graw-Hill Education.