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MAKING MESSAGE
EFFECTIVE
Module: 4
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Making Messages Effective
Clear
Complete
Correct
Save readers time
Build good will
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PAIBOC
Purpose
Audiences
Information
Benefits
Objections
Context
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Bias-free Communication
Managers and their wives will
Managers and their spouses will
Manpower PersonnelMan-hours Hours or working hours
Manning Staffing
Workman Worker, employee, writer
Chairman Chair, chairperson
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Gender Bias
Plural nouns and pronouns
¾ Supervisors musttheir departments.
Use you.
¾ You must work for your department.
Substitute with article or revise sentence
¾ Supervisor...time sheet for the department.
¾ The nurse will fill out the accident report.
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Planning Business Messages
Basic tasks in composition process
General and specific purposes of messages
Testing message purposes
Audience profiles
Determining message main ideas
Channels and media for transmitting
messages
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Composing Processes
Planning
Composing
Revising
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Planning Activities Defining purposes
Analyzing audience(s)
Establishing main ideas
Selecting channel and medium
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General Purposes Of
Business Messages
Informing
Persuading
Collaborating
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Composing Business
Messages
Characteristics of well-organized business
messages How organization benefits both audiences and
communicators
Logical subdivisions of main ideas
Direct and indirect message patterns, and when
each is appropriate
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Composing Business Messages
Style and tone appropriate for subject,
purpose, audience, and format
You-attitude
Appropriate e-mail formats
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Well-Organized Messages
Get to the point quickly
Excise irrelevant material Note points according to relative
importance
I
nclude all necessary information
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Why Good Organization
Matters
Helps audience understand your message
Encourages audience to accept your message
Saves audience time and attention
Simplifies the writers task
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Defining and Grouping
Ideas
Prewriting techniques to generate content
Visualizing how ideas fit together
Deciding on main idea
Deciding on major points that support main
idea
Illustrating with specific evidence
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Messages That Follow
A Direct Approach
Most appropriate when audience is receptive
Direct requests
Routine messages
Good-news messages
G
oodwill messages Longer direct messages use informational
pattern or conclusions/recommendations
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Messages That Follow
Indirect Approach
Most appropriate when audience is likely to
resist message
Bad-news messages
Persuasive messages
Longer indirect messages use logical
arguments as support
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Establishing Good Audience
Relationships
Use appropriate tone
You-attitude
Emphasize the positive
Establish credibility
Be polite Project the companys image
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Shaping E-mail
Messages
Tailor message for audience
Organize points in easy-to-follow sequence
Be brief
Include interesting typographic details when
appropriate
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Revising Business
Messages
Edit for content, organization, style,
readability, and word choice
Choose correct and most effective words tomake your point
Rewrite sentences to clarify relationships
between ideas and to add interest to yourwriting
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Revising Business
Messages
Identify paragraph elements
Develop well-structured paragraphs that
address only one main idea each
Design documents that will reach your
audience
Proofread for mechanics and format
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Editing Content And
Organization
Have you covered all points in the most logical
order?
Do the most important points appear inprominent positions?
Have you provided enough support and
evidence? Can you cut wordy or redundant passages?
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Elements Of Readability
Word choice
Sentence length and structure
Organization/paragraphing Documents physical appearance
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Assessing Word Choice
Correctness
Effectiveness
Plain English
Connotations
Concreteness
Length
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Bias-Free Language Avoids
Cultural bias
Gender bias
Racial/ethnic bias Age bias
Disability bias
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Three Sentence Types
Simple sentences
Compound sentences
Complex sentences
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Effective Sentence Styles
Keep sentences short
Rely on active voice
Eliminate unnecessary words or phrasesAvoid obsolete, pompous, or overblown language
Break up strung-out sentences
Express parallel ideas in parallel formEmphasize key thoughts
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Elements Of Coherent
Paragraphs
Clear topic sentences
Each sentence relates to topic sentence.
Transitional elements show relationships
between sentences.
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The Case for Effective
CommunicationsWhat Happens when Youre Misunderstood?
Answer more phone calls
Write more explanatory emails and letters
Make explanatory documents
Effective communication means you will:
Write with more impact
Get better results
Provide better service
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The Benefits of Plain Language
Reaches people who do not read well, or who do not
have time to read well
Helps all readers understand information
Avoids misunderstanding and errors
Saves time, because it gets the job done well the first
time
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You Know Youve Used Plain
Language if
Readers can:
Find what they need
Understand what they read
Use what they read
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What Is Plain Language?
1. Write Like You Talk
2. Common words
3. Short sentences
4. Active voice
5. Easy-to-read layout6. Logical organization
Writing Pointers:
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1. Write Like You Talk
Use you and other pronouns
A
void artificial language
Sound like yourself
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1. Write Like You Talk: CautionCaution
Avoid regional dialects and expressions
Use complete sentences
Spoken English is sloppy
Written English requires more care
than spoken English
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2. Choose Common Words
I never use a word like metropolis when I can
get the same price for city .
- Mark Twain
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2. Common Words
Prefer the plain word to the fancy
Use familiar words
Avoid jargon
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2. Common Words
Prefer the Plain Word to the Fancy
Instead of:
accomplish
ascertainendeavorfacilitateformulate
optimumutilize
Use:
do
find outtryhelpform
bestuse
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3. Short Sentences
Cut Out Unnecessary Words
Avoid cluttering phrases
Cut out surplus words
Avoid roundabout construction
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3. Short Sentences
Instead of:
At the present time
For the purpose of
In very few cases
With regard to
Use:
NowFor
Seldom
A
bout
Cluttering phrases:
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4. Active Voice
It emphasizes the action
Its stronger and shorter than passive voice
± Avoid passive voice
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4. Active Voice
The test was performed.
or
ABC performed the test.
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5. Easy-to-Read Layout
Keep Paragraphs Short
Use white space
Separate topics into paragraphs
Use lists and tables
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6. Logical Organization
Know your audience
Write to be understood Avoid ambiguity
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6. Logical Organization
Know Your Audience
Write to everyone who is interested
Engage your reader
Anticipate the readers questions
Organize to meet your readers needs
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6. Logical Organization
Write to be Understood - Not to Impress
Dont be arrogant
Business communications should seek only to
communicate
Provide enough information for your reader to
take action
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Email Pointers
Start with a salutation.
Ask for a response.
Use Spell Check & proof read.
Treat it like a business letter. Avoid emoticons & Internet abbreviations
Create a professional signature at the end of theemail that includes your name, professional title,
business name, phone number, and email address.
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Using these tips will help you:
Reach people who do not read well, or who do not have
time to read well
Help all readers understand information
Avoid misunderstanding and errors
Save time, because it gets the job done well the first time
Write with more impact
Get better results
Provide better service