Planning

Business Messages

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 1

 The Three-Step Process

Planning Writing Completing

Analyze Situation Revise

Adapt to
the Audience
Gather Information Produce

Select Medium Proofread

Compose
the Message
Get Organized Distribute

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 2

 Optimize Your Time

Planning
Planning Messages
Messages

Writing
Writing Messages
Messages

Completing
Completing Messages
Messages

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 3

 Analyze the Situation

Define Your
Define Your
Purpose
Purpose

Profile Your
Profile Your
Audience
Audience

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 4

 Define Your Purpose
General
General Specific
Specific

Information
Information Outcomes
Outcomes

Persuasion
Persuasion Timing
Timingand
andRealism
Realism

Collaboration
Collaboration Acceptability
Acceptability

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 5

 Profile Your Audience

Primary Members

Size and location

Composition
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 6
 Profile Your Audience

Knowledge Level

Expectations

Probable Reaction
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 7
 Gather Information

Informal
Informal Methods
Methods

Company
Company Supervisors,
Supervisors,
Viewpoints
Viewpoints Audience
Audience
Documents
Documents Colleagues,
Colleagues,
ofofOthers
Others Input
Input
and
andReports
Reports and
andCustomers
Customers

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 8

 Provide Information

Accurate

Ethical

Pertinent
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 9
 Selecting the Medium

Oral Media

Written Media

Visual Media

Electronic Media
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 10
 Oral Communication
• Conversations
• Interviews
• Speeches
• Presentations
• Meetings
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 11
 Analysis of Oral Media

Advantages Disadvantages

•Immediate feedback •Limited participation

•Ease of interaction •May not be permanent

•Rich non-verbal cues •Reduced control

•Emotional content •No editing or revision

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 12
 Written Communication

Memos
Memos

Letters
Letters

Reports
Reports

Proposals
Proposals
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 13
 Analysis of Written Media

Advantages Disadvantages

•Planning and control •Delayed feedback

•Permanent record •Few nonverbal cues

•Audience reach •Distribution issues

•Minimal distortion •Preparation time

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 14
Visual Communication

Charts
Charts

Graphs
Graphs

Diagrams
Diagrams

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 15

 Analysis of Visual Media

Advantages Disadvantages

•Ease communication •Artistic skills

•Reduce complexity •Preparation time

•Expedite understanding •Technical requirements

•Assist the audience •Transmitting and storing

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 16
 Electronic Communication

Oral Media
Oral Media

Written Media
Written Media

Visual Media
Visual Media

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 17

Analysis of Electronic Media

Advantages Disadvantages

•Delivery speed •Easy to overuse

•Audience reach •Security threats

•Multimedia formats •Privacy concerns

•Accessibility/openness •Productivity issues

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 18
 Choosing the Right Media

Richer Leaner

Face-to-Face, Custom Reports, Memos,

Multimedia, Letters, Email, IM,
Virtual Reality Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts
Telephone, Standard Reports,
Teleconferences, Static Webpages,
Videos Mass Media, Posters

A Continuum of Media Richness

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 19
 Choosing the Right Media

Message
Message Media
Media
Formality
Formality Limitations
Limitations

Sender
Sender Urgency
Urgency Audience
Audience
Intentions
Intentions and
andCost
Cost Preferences
Preferences

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 20

 Organizing Information
Get to the Point

Omit Irrelevant Ideas

Use Logical Groupings

Include Necessary Data

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 21
Importance of Organization

Promote
Promote Productivity
Productivity

Boost
Boost Understanding
Understanding

Increase
Increase Acceptance
Acceptance

Save
Save Audience
Audience Time
Time

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 22

 Define Topic and Main Idea
General
Specific Purpose Topic Main Idea
Purpose

Teach customer service

Insurance Proper filing of claims
To Inform department how to file
Claims saves time and money.
insurance claims.

Convince managers to
Competitors outspend us on
To Persuade increase spending on R&D Funding
research and development.
research and development.

Solicit ideas for incentive Linking wages to profits

To Collaborate Incentive Pay
plan that ties wages to profits. motivates workers.

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 23

Generating Brainstorming

Ideas
Mind Mapping

Storyteller’s Tour

Journalistic Approach

Question-Answer Chain

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 24

 Time and Number of
Space Main Ideas

Limiting
The Scope

Audience Depth of
Attitude Research
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 25
 Sequencing Messages
Direct
Direct Approach
Approach Indirect
Indirect Approach
Approach
(Deductive)
(Deductive) (Inductive)
(Inductive)

Audience
AudienceReaction
Reaction

Message
MessageLength
Length

Message
MessageType
Type
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 26
 Choosing the Approach
Audience Eager/Interested/
Displeased Uninterested/Unwilling
Reaction Pleased/Neutral

Message Main idea, good Attention-getting

Neutral buffer statement
Opening news, or request statement/question

Reasons/justification,
Message Arousing interest,
Necessary details bad news, positive
Body building desire
suggestion

Cordial comment or
Message
statement about Cordial close Request for action
Closing
specific action

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 27

 Outlining Content
Alphanumeric Decimal
I. First Major Part 1.0 First Major Part
A. First subpoint 1.1 First subpoint
B. Second subpoint 1.2 Second subpoint
1. Evidence 1.2.1Evidence
2. Evidence 1.2.2Evidence
C. Third subpoint 1.3 Third subpoint
II. Second Major Point 2.0 Second Major Point
A. First subpoint 2.1 First subpoint
B. Second subpoint 2.2 Second subpoint

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 28

 Organization Chart Outlines

The
TheMain
MainIdea
Idea

I.I.Major
MajorPoint
Point II.II.Major
MajorPoint
Point III.
III.Major
MajorPoint
Point

A.A.Evidence
Evidence A.A.Evidence
Evidence A.A.Evidence
Evidence

B.B.Evidence
Evidence B.B.Evidence
Evidence B.B.Evidence
Evidence

C.
C.Evidence
Evidence C.
C.Evidence
Evidence C.
C.Evidence
Evidence

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 29

Basic Message Structure

State Main Idea

State Major Points

Provide Evidence

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 4 - 30