1. 4/24/2017

2. The Process Of Preparing Effective Business Messages
Chapter 06
The Process Of Preparing Effective Business Messages By
Syed Maqsood Ahmed

3. Five Planning Steps
To prepare an effective business message weather written or oral you need to
Plan
Organize
Draft
Revise
Edit and proof read
Thoughtful adherence to communication principle the 7 C’s are also essential, and awareness of legal and ethical aspects.

4. Five Planning Steps
To communicate effectively consider the following steps before you write your message
Identify your purpose
Analyze your audience
Choose your ideas
Collect data to support your ideas
Organize your message

5. Identify Your Purpose
Your first step when planning your communication is to determine your specific purpose. The objective of your message is always twofold.
The reason of message: Such as giving information or marketing your products or negotiation with the supplier
The goodwill

6. Analyze Your Audience
For effective communication always see your message form your receiver’s point of view
Their Culture
Their Needs
Their Interests
Their Attitudes
Examples

7. Choose Your Ideas
After identifying your purpose and analyzing your receiver the next step is to choose the ideas for your message.
If you answering a letter, underline the main points to discuss and jot your ideas in the margin.
If you are writing a unsolicited or a complex message, begin by listing ideas as they come to you. Examples from book

8. Collect Your Data
Be sure to collect enough data to support your ideas;
Check Names
Dates
Addresses
And Statistics for precision (Facts & Figures)

9. Organize Your Message
Organizing your material before writing your first draft can prevent rambling and unclear messages, however different approaches are followed in different cultures
Direct Approach--- US. Europe
Indirect Approach – Middle East and Asia.

10. Basic Organizational Plans
Organizational plans depends on a number of factors
How your listener or receiver will react to your message.
How much this person knows about the topic
What is his or her cultural conversations
For letters and memos one of the four basic organizational plan can be chosen
The Direct Request
Good News
Bad News
Persuasive Request

11. Direct Approach (Deductive)
Use the direct approach when your receiver is receptive to your message, or will have a favourable or neutral reaction to your message.
You begin with the main idea or best news.
After the opening, you include all necessary explanatory details in one or two paragraphs and end with an appropriate, friendly closing.
Check list 6.1 page 143

12. Direct Approach

13. Indirect Approach (Inductive)
Indirect approach can be used when you expect resistance to your message
Such as in a bad news message or persuasive request.
Generally you should not use the main idea in the first paragraph
Check list 6.2 page 144
Examples page

14. Beginnings & Endings
Two of the most important positions is any business message are the opening and closing.
There is an old saying. “ first impressions are lasting & we remember what we read last”.
So try to place you main ideas at the beginning and ending of a message.

15. Opening Paragraphs
Opening of the message decides that whether the reader is going to continue or discard it.
Choose an appropriate opening for the message purpose and the reader
Main idea or good news first for the direct approach
Buffer first for bad mews
Attention getting news first
Make the opening considerate, courteous, concise and clear.
Get reader into opening
keep first paragraph relatively short
Focus on the positive
Use courteous language
Avoid unnecessary repetition
Check for completeness

16. Closing A Paragraph Closing should be strong clear and polite
It should leave a sense of closure and goodwill with the receiver
Make your request clear & complete with the 5 W’s
End on a positive, courteous thought
Keep the last paragraph concise and correct

17. Composing The Message Drafting your message Revising your message
Editing and proofreading your message.