MODULE 12
Negative Messages
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All rights
reserved.
Module 12
Skills to
• Organize negative messages
• Give bad news while retaining goodwill
• Write common kinds of negative messages
• Further analyze business communication
situations
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.
Module 12 Outline
• How should I organize negative messages?
• What are the most common kinds of
negative messages?
• What’s the best subject line for a negative
message?
• How can PAIBOC help me write negative
messages?
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.
Types of Negative Messages
• Rejections and refusals
• Policy changes that don’t benefit
customers
• Insulting or intrusive requests
• Negative performance appraisals
• Product recalls or defect notices
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.
Negative Messages
Primary Purposes
• To give the reader bad news
• To have the reader read, understand, and
accept the message
• To maintain as much goodwill as possible
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rights reserved.
Negative Messages
Secondary Purposes
• To build a good image of the writer
• To build a good image of the writer’s
organization
• To reduce or eliminate future
correspondence on the same subject
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rights reserved.
Negative Messages
The message may be negative but the
readers should still feel several positives:
•They have been taken seriously
•Your decision is fair and reasonable
•If they had to, they would make the same
decision
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rights reserved.
Negative Messages
For Bad News to Customers
• Start with a neutral statement or buffer
• Give the reason for the refusal
• Give the negative just once, clearly
• Present an alternative or compromise
• End with a positive, forward-looking
statement
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rights reserved.
Negative Messages
Types of Buffers
• Start with any good news or positive elements the
letter contains
• State a fact or provide a chronology of events
• Refer to enclosures in the letter
• Thank the reader for something he or she has
done
• State a general principle
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.
Negative Messages
Alternatives
• Offer the reader another way to get what he or she
wants.
• Suggest that the writer really cares about the
reader.
• Enable the reader to reestablish psychological
freedom.
• End on a positive note.
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rights reserved.
Negative Messages
Bad News to Superiors
• Describe the problem
• Explain how it happened
• Describe the options for fixing it
• Recommend a solution and ask for
action
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rights reserved.
Negative Messages
Bad News to Peers & Subordinates
•Describe the problem
•Present an alternative or compromise, if one
is available
•Ask for input or action, if possible
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rights reserved.
Influences on Audience Reaction
• Do you have a good relationship with the
audience?
• Does the organization treat people well?
• Have readers been warned of possible
negatives?
• Have readers “bought into” the criteria for the
decision?
• Do communications after the negative build
goodwill?
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.
Negative Messages
Three Common Negative Messages
• Rejections and refusals
• Disciplinary notices and negative
performance appraisals
• Layoffs and firings
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rights reserved.
Negative Messages
Subject Lines
• Omit a subject line in negative letters
• Use a negative subject line only if you think the
letter may be ignored
• Use a subject line that focuses on solutions, not
problems
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.
Negative Messages
P
A
I
B
O
C
What are your purposes in writing?
Who is (are) your audience(s)?
What information must your message
include?
What reasons or reader benefits can you use
to support your position?
What objections can you expect your
reader(s) to have?
How will the context affect reader response?
©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All
rights reserved.