1. THE DIRECT MESSAGES

2. THE TYPES OF DIRECT MESSAGES
ROUTINE
GOOD NEWS
GOODWILL
BRIEF IN NATURE
WRITING PROCESS STILL APPLIES

3. REQUEST – ASKING FOR SOMETHING
INFORMATION
ACTION
PRODUCTS
ADJUSTMENTS
REFERENCES
DIRECT PATTERN

4. GOOD NEWS – POSITIVE RESPONSE
GRANTING CLAIMS / COMPLAINTS
PROVIDING RECOMMENDATION
GOOD NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT

5. GOOD WILL – RELATIONSHIPS
CONGRATULATE
THANKS NOTES
APPRECIATION
CONDOLENCES

6. DIRECT MESSAGES - STRATEGY
OPENING  MAIN IDEA STATED CLEARLY
BODY  NECESSARY DETAILS
CLOSING  CORDIAL

7. DIRECT MESSAGES - STRATEGY
PLANNING
SPECIFIC PURPOSE
SHOULD IT BE SENT
RECEIVED POSITIVELY / NEUTRALLY

8. DIRECT MESSAGES - STRATEGY
PLANNING
THE READER’S PERSPECTIVE
EXACT INFORMATION FOR THE READER

9. DIRECT MESSAGES - STRATEGY
PLANNING
APPROPRIATE MEDIUM
‘YOU ATTITUDE’
POLITE & POSITIVE LANGUAGE

10. DIRECT MESSAGES - STRATEGY
WRITING
ONLY RELEVANT POINTS
LOGICAL GROUPING
DIRECT APPROACH

11. ROUTINE REQUESTS OPENING  MAIN IDEA STATED CLEARLY
BODY  JUSTIFICATION
CLOSING  SPECIFIC ACTION - C CLOSE

12. R R’S - OPENING REQUEST PLACED FOR MOST ATTENTION
NOT TO BE ABRUPT OR IMPOLITE

13. R R’S - OPENING TONE  “Please…. / I would appreciate…”
AVOID  IMMEDIATE OR RAPID RESPONSE
AVOID  PERSONAL INTRODUCTIONS
PUNCUATION  QUESTION & POLITE REQUEST
PRECISELY  STATE WHAT YOU REQUIRE

14. R R’S - BODY
EXPLAINS AND JUSTIFIES THE REQUEST

15. R R’S - BODY COMPLIANCE  HOW COULD THE READER BENEFIT
LISTED QUESTIONS
BREAK DOWN MULTIPLE REQUESTS
NUMBERED LISTS

16. USING A SERIES OF QUESTIONS
PRIORITY OF IMPORTANCE TO YOU
ONLY RELEVANT QUESTIONS
PROVIDE BOXES FOR ‘YES’ ‘NO’ QUESTIONS
ONE TOPIC PER QUESTION
PARAGRAPH HEADINGS

17. RR’s CLOSING REQUEST SPECIFIC ACTION HOW CAN YOU BE REACHED
EXPRESSION OF GOODWILL / APPRECIATION

18. REQUESTING INFO. / ACTION
WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW?
WHY YOU WANT TO KNOW?
WHY IT IS IN THE READER’S INTEREST?

19. ASKING OUTSIDERS

22. PLACING ORDERS BEGIN WITH THE GENERAL REQUEST
MIDDLE – SPECIFIC INFO. ABOUT ITEMS IN COLUMN FORM (DOUBLE SPACED)- PRICE TOTAL
CLOSE – DELIVERY ADDRESS, SHIPPING INFO., PAYMENT TERMS, TIME DEADLINE.

23. AN ORDER PLACED

24. AN ORDER PLACED

25. REQUESTS FOR CLAIMS / ADJUSTMENTS
CLAIM – A FORMAL COMPLAINT ADJUSTMENT REQUEST – CLAIM SETTLEMENT

26. REQUESTS FOR CLAIMS / ADJUSTMENTS
ANGER – YOUR FIRST RESPONSE

27. IS ANGER THE SOLUTION? DOCUMENT YOUR DISSATISFACTION
COURTSEY CLARITY CONCISENESS

28. ASSUME – ADJUSTMENT WILL BE MADE
OPENING  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
MIDDLE  COMPLETE / SPECIFIC DETAILS
CLOSE  REQUEST SPECIFIC ACTION
SUGGEST, THE BUSINESS WILL CONTINUE IF THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED

29. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
COPIES OF INVOICES, RECEIPTS, CANCELLED CHEQUES, CORRESPONDENCE E.T.C.
HONESTLY FILE THE CLAIM

30. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS SUGGEST WHAT ACTION WILL SATISFY YOU AN EXCHANGE
A REFUND
A DISCUSSION TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE

31. AN ANGRY CLAIM

32. A PROFESSIONAL CLAIM

33. ROUTINE REPLIES / POSITIVE MESSAGES
RESPONDING POSITIVELY TO A REQUEST
SENDING GOOD NEWS

34. TYPES OF ROUTINE REPLIES
REPLYING TO REQUESTS FOR INFO. & ACTION
GRANTING CLAIMS / ADJUSTMENT REQUESTS

35. REPLYING – POTENTIAL SALE IS INVOLVED
THREE MAIN OBJECTIVES
RESPOND TO THE IMMEDIATE REQUEST
CONVEY A GOOD IMPRESSION
ENCOURAGE SALE

36. REPLYING – POTENTIAL SALE IS INVOLVED

38. SKILFULL HANDLING OF NEGATIVES
RESPONSE CONCERNS SOME BAD NEWS ALONG WITH THE GOOD NEWS
UNLESS WE ARE CAREFUL, THE BAD NEWS WILL STAND OUT
EMPHASIZE THE GOOD NEWS – SUBORDINATE THE BAD NEWS

39. GOOD NEWS IN POSITIONS OF HIGH EMPHASIS
BEGINNING AND ENDING OF PARAGRAPHS AND THE MESSAGE AS A WHOLE
PLACE THE BAD NEWS IN SECONDARY POSITIONS
LESS SPACE TO BAD NEWS AND MORE TO THE GOOD ONE
USE PLEASANT & POSITIVE WORDS INSTEAD OF NEGATIVE & SAD ONES

42. GRANTING CLAIMS/ ADJUSTMENTS
ANGRY CUSTOMER HARMS A COMPANY’S IMAGE
SATISFYING THEM EARNS LOYALTY AND IMPROVES PUBLIC IMAGE
GENERALLY COMPLAINTS ARE CONSIDERED GENUINE

43. BEFORE YOU REPLY INVESTIGATE WHAT WENT WRONG & WHY WHO IS AT FAULT
YOUR COMPANY
YOUR CUSTOMER
A THIRD PARTY

44. THE COMPANY’S FAULT RESPONSE TO THE CLAIM IS POSITIVE
PROTECT THE COMPANY IMAGE
REGAIN THE CUSTOMER’S GOODWILL
EXPLAIN COMPANY’S EFFORT TO DO A GOOD JOB
IMPLY IT WAS AN UNUSUAL INCIDENT
DON’T PROMISE IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN

45. THE COMPANY’S FAULT

47. THE CUSTOMER’S FAULT TWO OPTIONS
REFUSE THE CLAIM & JUSTIFY YOUR REFUSAL
SIMPLY ACCEPT THE CLAIM

48. THE CUSTOMER’S FAULT IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT BEGIN WITH THE GOOD NEWS
MIDDLE – MAKE THE CUSTOMER REALIZE THE PRODUCT WAS MISUSED

49. THE DILEMMA NOT MAKING HIM REALIZE  MORE CLAIMS
OFFENSIVE REALIZATION  CUSTOMER LOST- ADJUSTMENT WASTED

50. MAKING THE CUSTOMER REALIZE
“Perhaps you failed to read the instructions….”
“You should know a camera doesn’t need oiling….”

51. A THIRD PARTY’S FAULT THREE OPTIONS JUST HONOR THE CLAIM
HONOR THE CLAIM, BUT EXPLAIN IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT
REFER THE CLAIM TO THE THIRD PARTY

52. ANNOUNCING GOOD NEWS

53. ABOUT EMPLOYMENT OPEN  GIVE NEWS IN A WARM FRIENDLY MANNER
MIDDLE  EXPLAIN DETAILS
CLOSE  EXPLAIN FIRST DAY’S SCHEDULE

54. ABOUT PRODUCTS - OPERATIONS
OPEN  PLAY TRUMPETS (DISCOUNT – NEW PRODUCT LINE – OUTLET)
MIDDLE  DETAILS
CLOSE  BIT OF RESALE & PREDICTION OF A PROFITABLE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

55. NEWS RELEASE

56. NEWS RELEASE

57. GOODWILL MESSAGES
CONGRATULATION
APPRECIATION
CONDOLENCE

58. CONDOLENCE