The Process Of Preparing Effective Business Messages Objectives Five planning steps Basic organizational plans Beginning and endings Composing the message Five planning steps To communicate effectively, consider the following basic steps before you write your message: Identify your purpose Analyze your audience Choose your ideas Collect the facts to backup your ideas Organize your message Identify your purpose The objective of your message is almost always have twofold: the reason for the message itself and the creation of goodwill. When planning your message the main objective is to determine your specific purpose: whether its informational, persuasive or collaboration. Analyze your audience See your message from your receiver’s point of view: their needs, interests, attitudes, even their culture. Much of your writing however, will be directed to people you have never met. If you are sending a message to one person try to see that person as a member of group, superior or subordinate, woman or man, new or long time customer. Choose your ideas The ideas you include depend on the type of message you are sending, the situation and the cultural context. Begin by listing ideas as they to you _ brainstorming _ and then choosing the best ideas for your receiver. The ideas you include depend on the background and location of your receiver (national or international). Collect the facts to backup your ideas Be sure to collect enough data to support your ideas; check names, dates, addresses and statistics for precision. The knowledge of the company’s policies, procedures and product detail is necessary for an effective communication. A brochure, table, picture or product sample is also useful to enclose. Organize your message Organizing your material before writing your first draft can prevent rambling and unclear messages. The order in which the ideas are to be presented is as important as the ideas themselves. Basic organizational plans Your choice of organizational plan depends on how you expect your reader or listener to react to your message. All these plans are flexible guides only, not rigid rule. Direct (Deductive) Approach Use the direct approach when the audience is receptive to your message. When you think your reader (or listener) will consider your message favorable or neutral and the information understandable, you can use the direct approach. Indirect (Inductive) Approach When you think your reader(or listener) will probably react unfavorably (negatively) to your request or information, you can use the indirect approach. When you expect resistance to your message , choose the indirect approach, such as in a bad news message or a persuasive request. Beginnings and Endings Whenever possible, place the main favorable ideas at the beginning and ending of a message. “First impression is the lasting” & “we remember best what we read last” Beginnings and Endings Two of the most important positions in your business message are: Opening paragraphs Closing paragraphs Opening paragraphs The opening of a message determines whether the reader continues reading, puts the message aside for later study or discard it. Main idea or good news subject first Make the opening considerate, courteous, concise, clear Check for completeness Closing paragraphs The closing should be strong clear and polite, they should leave a sense of closure and goodwill with the receiver. Make action request clear and complete with five W’s and H End on a positive courteous thought Keep last paragraph concise and correct Composing your message There are three basic steps to compose your message Drafting your message Revising your message Editing and proofreading your message Drafting your message Your first draft is often the most difficult to write. The important thing is to get the most important information in your message on paper early. After you have finished the first draft of a message edit your draft objectively with concern for your message recipient and your purpose. Revising your message Revision means adding necessary and deleting unnecessary information, making sure your points are adequately supported, checking your organizational approach, and reviewing your language in terms of seven C’s. Top correspondents and authors have confirmed again and again the best writers rewrite and rewrite and rewrite. Editing and proofreading your message Editing and proofreading are important to ensure that your documents has no mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation or word choice. Carefully proofreading is also essential after your best revised business message is type written , and before it is mailed.
