LECTURE NOTES

CHAPTER 9--WRITING ROUTINE, GOOD-NEWS, AND GOODWILL MESSAGES

ORGANIZING POSITIVE MESSAGES

• Use the direct approach for this common form of correspondence: (1) main idea, (2) necessary details, (3) courteous close.
• The main idea is the single most important idea, concisely stated.
• Necessary details:
  • Satisfy reader's information needs.
  • Reinforce positive tone.
  • Emphasize positive aspects of disappointing news.
• Courteous close:
  • Summarizes main point.
  • Indicates what should happen next.
  • Highlights reader benefit.

WRITING POSITIVE REPLIES

• Send a confirmation that an order is being filled when it is a large order, a first order from a customer, or an order that can't be filled right away.
• Order acknowledgments are often handled with standard paragraphs, personalized to fit the reader.
• Order acknowledgments follow the direct plan:
  1. Statement that order is being processed.
  2. Summary of transaction (delivery and payment details)
  3. Selling information (resale and sales promotion) and references to enclosed brochures or order blanks.
  4. Reminder of order benefits and offer of additional services.
• Resale information: reassures buyer about purchase.
• Sales promotion: alerts buyer to other goods and services.
• Replies to requests for information and action.
  • Are courteous and prompt.
  • Require careful consideration; responses on letterhead are legally binding.
  • Can often be handled with form responses.
• Two types of requests for information and action:
  • Requests from potential customers.
  • Requests that do not involve a potential sale.
• Three main goals when responding to requests from potential customers:
  • Answer customer's questions.
  • Encourage sale.
  • Create good impression of firm.
• Two main goals in responding to those who request information and action not related to a potential sale:
  • Answer individual's questions.
  • Create good impression.

RESPONDING FAVORABLY TO CLAIMS AND ADJUSTMENT REQUESTS

• Assume the customer has a legitimate claim, unless
  • The same customer repeatedly submits dubious claims.
  • The customer is obviously dishonest.
  • The dollar amount involved is very large.
• use the direct approach.
• Objectives when answering adjustment requests:
  • Repair company's image.
  • Regain customer's good will.

HANDLING ROUTINE CREDIT REQUESTS

• Two types of positive responses to routine credit requests:
  • Credit approvals
  • Credit references
• Credit approvals mark the beginning of a business relationship with a customer, so the goal is to convey the necessary information while building good will.
• Use the direct approach:
  1. Open with good news that credit has been approved.
  2. Explain credit arrangements using a positive tone.
  3. Close by emphasizing the benefits of doing business with the firm (resale information and sales promotion)
• Credit arrangements to be discussed:
  • Upper limits of account.
  • Billing dates.
  • Arrangements for partial payments.
  • Discounts for prompt payment.
  • Interest charges on unpaid balances.
  • Due dates.
• Avoid legal problems when providing credit references by
  • Making sure request for credit reference is legitimate.
  • Offering only facts, not opinions.

CONVEYING POSITIVE INFORMATION ABOUT PEOPLE

• Positive information about people includes
  • Recommendation letters.
  • Good news about employment.
• Goal of recommendation letters: to convince the reader that the person being recommended deserves the job or award.
• Recommendation letters mention
  • full name of candidate.
  • job or benefit that candidate seeks.
  • quality that prompted writer to offer recommendation.
  • relationship between writer and candidate.
  • facts relevant to candidacy.
  • Overall evaluation of candidate's suitability.
• To achieve credibility, use specific examples that illustrate the candidate's abilities.
• Two choices when writing recommendation letters for candidates with limitations:
  • Ignore candidate's bad points.
  • Provide honest, balanced appraisal.
• The risk in providing negative information is that the candidate may sue for libel.
• Libel: false and malicious written statement that injures candidate's reputation.
• To minimize legal risks,
  • Don't mention shortcomings that are irrelevant to the job.
  • Be honest about serious shortcomings, but stick to facts.
  • Avoid value judgments.
  • Put negative comments in positive context.
• The goal of a good-news message about employment: to offer the candidate a job and explain the necessary details.
• Good news about employment (a job offer) includes:
  • job title
  • starting date
  • salary
  • benefits
  • friendly, welcoming tone
• A job offer is legally binding.
• To avoid implying that the employee will be kept on for a full year, no matter what:
  • State salary in monthly increments.
  • Be vague about timing of performance reviews and raises.

WRITING DIRECTIVES AND INSTRUCTIONS

• Directives: memos that tell employees what to do.
• Instructions: messages that tell someone how to do something.
• The objective of both directives and instructions is to make the message crystal clear.
• Use direct order.
• Be concise but complete: who, what, when, where, why, how
• Instructions:
  • May be in form of letter, memo, or booklet.
  • Require more detailed development than directives.
  • Are often presented as numbered series of steps.

CONVEYING GOOD NEWS ABOUT PRODUCTS AND OPERATIONS

• Some positive developments that companies might want to publicize: opening new facilities, appointing a new executive, introducing goods or services, sponsoring community events.
• Good news to a limited audience may be put in letter or memo format.
• For mass audiences, good news is generally handled through news (or press) releases.
• Format for news releases:
  • Type on plain 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper or on special letterhead for press releases.
  • Double-space for print media; triple-space for electronic media.
• Style for news releases:
  • Use direct plan: good news, details, positive close.
  • Write in third person, in journalistic style.
  • Avoid blatant plugs for the firm; stick to facts.

WRITING GOODWILL MESSAGES

• Purpose of writing goodwill messages: to build a good personal relationship with the reader.
• Tone is particularly important:
  • Be sincere.
  • Avoid exaggeration.
  • Back up compliments with specific points.
• Offer help if appropriate, but don't promise more than you can deliver.
• Three main types of goodwill messages:
  • Congratulations
  • Messages of appreciation
  • Condolences
• Objective of congratulations: to recognize happy events (such as weddings and births) and praiseworthy accomplishments (such as business achievements).
• Congratulatory form letters mailed to people mentioned in newspapers can be used to build a mailing list and introduce the firm--but avoid a direct sales pitch.
• Objective of messages of appreciation: to recognize contributions of employees and associates.
• Messages of appreciation
  • Serve as a record of good performance in personnel file.
  • Motivate recipient to keep up good work.
• Reasons to send message of appreciation:
  • To praise employee for good work.
  • To thank supplier for special service.
  • To recognize long-term support or productive relationship.
  • To thank speaker.
  • To acknowledge donations.
• Objective of condolences: to express sympathy in times of sorrow (such as health problems, death, business misfortune).
• Use the direct plan for condolences:
  • Begin with statement of sympathy.
  • Mention subject's good qualities and contributions.
  • State what subject meant to you.
  • Close with positive, uplifting thought.
  • Offer help if appropriate and sincere.
• When writing condolences,
  • Be brief.
  • Use own words.
  • Be tactful.
  • Be accurate.
  • Write about special qualities of the deceased.
  • Write about special qualities of the bereaved.

Last Update: 4/23/01
Web Author: Angie Chittick
Copyright ©1998 by Angie Chittick - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED