Which of the following are likely effects of slanting the facts in business messages?

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Presentation on theme: "Chapter 5 Creating Effective Business Messages"— Presentation transcript:

1 Chapter 5 Creating Effective Business Messages

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• Presentation on theme: "Chapter 5 Creating Effective Business Messages"— Presentation transcript:
• Which of the following are accurate descriptions of the meta message of a business communication choose every correct answer multiple select question?
• What are the five common characteristics of excellent business thinkers?
• When framing the primary message authors of a business message should complete what?
• What are part of identifying business problems as a first step to solving them?

2 Learning Objectives Learning Objective 5.1: Explain the goals of effective business messages and the process for creating them. Learning Objective 5.2: Identify the needs of your audience in the AIM planning process Learning Objective 5.3: Gather the right information and refine business ideas in the AIM planning process. Learning Objective 5.4: Develop your primary message and key points in the AIM planning process. Learning Objective 5.5: Explain and apply positive and other- oriented tone in business messages. LO5.1 Explain the goals of effective business messages and the process for creating them. LO5.2 Identify the needs of your audience in the AIM planning process. LO5.3 Gather the right information and refine business ideas in the AIM planning process. LO5.4 Develop your primary message and key points in the AIM planning process. LO5.5 Explain and apply positive and other-oriented tone in business messages.

3 Chapter Overview Goals of effective business messages
AIM planning process Audience needs, business ideas, key points Positive tones This chapter covers the following topics: goals of effective business messages; the AIM planning process, including audience needs, business ideas, and key points; and positive tones.

4 The Process for Creating Business Messages (1 of 3)
Writing effective business messages involves a process—one that involves examining, developing, and refining business ideas in a way that provides business value to your audience. It drives collaboration and productivity in your work relationships. Writing effective business messages involves a process—one that involves examining, developing, and refining business ideas in a way that provides business value to your audience. This process drives excellence in business thinking as well as collaboration and productivity in your work relationships.

5 The Process for Creating Business Messages (2 of 3)
Plan Write Review The process of developing business messages is fairly straightforward: plan, write, and review. You’ve likely been trained and coached in a similar process many times during your education. Nearly all business professionals have been trained in this process. Yet few business professionals excel at it and, consequently, few business professionals produce excellent written communication. Making this process a habit requires discipline and scheduling.

6 Figure 5.1 Stages and Goals of Effective Message Creation
Figure 5.1 depicts the stages and goals for creating effective messages. It’s worth noting that these stages are not necessarily linear and often overlap one another. Business writers frequently move back and forth between the stages. Jump to Appendix 1 Long Image Description

7 The Process for Creating Business Messages (3 of 3)
Expert writers are more likely to analyze the needs of the audience, generate the best ideas to tackle a problem, and identify the primary message and key points before starting a formal draft of a business message. Expert writers are more likely to analyze the needs of the audience, identify and collect the right information to tackle a problem, and identify the primary message and key points before starting a formal draft of a business message. On the other hand, poor and average writers are more likely to begin drafting or writing right away. They often address planning issues—audience analysis, information gathering, and message development—as they go. Consequently, they tend to write in a less organized, perhaps even haphazard manner. They generally produce less strategic and influential messages.

8 Jump to Appendix 2 Long Image Description
Figure 5.2 Time Spent by Poor, Average, and Expert Writers Developing a Complete Business Message Figure 5.2 contrasts the time that poor, average, and expert business writers commit to planning, writing, and reviewing. Not surprisingly, poor writers spend less overall time than average and expert writers. They generally spend little or no time planning and usually do not review their messages before sending them. The difference between average and expert business writers is most intriguing. Expert business writers not only produce more effective written communications but also do so more quickly than average writers. Their secret is to devote a much higher percentage of their time to the planning and reviewing stages. Jump to Appendix 2 Long Image Description

9 The AIM Planning Process for Business Messages
The most important stage of creating effective business messages is planning. The AIM planning process unleashes your best thinking and allows you to deliver influential messages. The most important stage of creating effective business messages is planning. Throughout the remainder of the book, we will refer to the three-component AIM planning process for developing influential messages. It focuses on three areas: (1) Audience analysis; (2) Information gathering; and (3) Message development.

10 Audience Analysis (1 of 2)
Effective business communicators think about the needs, priorities, and values of their audience members. They envision how their readers will respond when getting the message—in thought, feeling, and action. Effective business communicators possess an uncanny ability to step into the shoes of their audience members. They think about their audience’s needs, priorities, and values. They envision how their readers will respond when getting the message—in thought, feeling, and action. They also consider how the message will affect their working relationships.

11 Audience Analysis (2 of 2)
Identify reader benefits and constraints Consider reader values and priorities Estimate your credibility Anticipate reactions Keep secondary audiences in mind Effective business communicators regularly take the following actions to tailor their messages to others: Identify reader benefits and constraints. Consider reader values and priorities. Estimate personal credibility. Anticipate reactions. Consider secondary audiences. Jump to Appendix 3 Long Image Description

12 Identifying Reader Benefits and Constraints
For many messages, this is the single most important planning step. Your readers respond when you provide them with something that they value. For many messages, identifying reader benefits and constraints is the single most important planning step. Simply put, your readers respond when you provide them with something that they value. When you communicate no apparent benefits, your readers are unlikely to engage. In addition, you need to consider the constraints your audience faces. Your readers may see value in your messages but not be able to respond to them because they don’t have enough time, resources, or authority to make certain decisions.

13 Considering Reader Values and Priorities
Involves ranking or assigning importance to things, such as projects, goals, and tasks Values Enduring beliefs and ideals that individuals hold Being an effective business communicator requires that you learn about other people—what they value, prioritize, and prefer. Values refer to enduring beliefs and ideals that individuals hold. Generally, people hold workplace values—beliefs and ideals about the appropriate way to approach business problems, resolve issues, and choose goals. Priorities involve ranking or assigning importance to things, such as projects, goals, and tasks. Priorities tend to shift more often than values.

14 Estimating Your Credibility
Your readers will judge your recommendations, requests, and other messages based on their view of your credibility. Many entry-level professionals have relatively low professional credibility because they are viewed as the newcomers. Your readers will inevitably judge your recommendations, requests, and other messages based on their view of your credibility. If your credibility is low, consider how to strengthen your message in ways that overcome your lack of credibility. Many entry-level professionals face this situation; they have relatively low professional credibility because they are viewed as the newcomers. Establishing a professional reputation takes time. It takes less time, however, if you stay aware of your strengths, weaknesses, and goals. Most importantly, your reputation depends on adding value in the workplace.

15 Gaining Credibility Set up a time to talk with your boss. Ask your boss if you can take on any higher- responsibility projects. Make sure you fit in with the corporate culture in terms of professional dress and communication style. Attend a lot of meetings to get to know as many colleagues as possible. Create a professional blog about a niche area. To break out of a reputation as an inexperienced newcomer, consider the following options: Set up a time to talk with your boss. Explain your growth in various areas and ask for ideas about improving your professional reputation. Ask your boss if you can take on any higher-responsibility projects. Make sure you fit in with the corporate culture in terms of professional dress and communication style. Attend a lot of meetings to get to know as many colleagues as possible. Participate appropriately. Create a professional blog about a niche area.

16 Idea Development (1 of 2) Developing great business ideas
Sort out the business issues and objectives. Collect as many relevant facts as possible. Make sound judgments about what the facts mean and imply. Developing great business ideas involves sorting out the business issues and objectives, collecting as many relevant facts as possible, and making sound judgments about what the facts mean and imply. You are making sense out of often complex and confusing pieces of business information. Excellent business thinkers possess a number of characteristics. First, they clearly and precisely identify and articulate key questions and problems. Second, they gather information from a variety of sources. Third, they make well-reasoned conclusions and solutions. Fourth, they remain open to alternatives for approaching and reasoning about the business problem—that is, they are mentally flexible. Finally, they are skilled at communicating with others to figure out and solve complex problems.

17 Idea Development (2 of 2) Identifying the Business Problem(s)
Analyzing the Business Problem(s) Clarifying Objectives Business professionals use many methods of bringing out their best thinking. Generally, for complex problems, such as the opening case, writing ideas down in some form is an important part of developing sound ideas from the information gathered. In this section, we focus on three broad areas: (1) identifying the business problem(s); (2) analyzing the business problem(s); and (3) clarifying objectives.

18 Analyzing the Business Problem(s) (1 of 2)
Facts Statements that can be relied on with a fair amount of certainty and can be observed objectively Conclusions Statements that are reasoned or deduced based on facts Analyzing the business problem typically involves uncovering relevant facts, making conclusions, and taking positions. Facts are statements that can be relied on with a fair amount of certainty (most things are not absolutely certain in the business world) and can be observed objectively. Conclusions are statements that are reasoned or deduced based on facts.

19 Analyzing the Business Problem(s) (2 of 2)
Positions Stances that you take based on a set of conclusions The third and final element of analyzing a business problem is taking positions, which are stances that you take based on a set of conclusions. In the workplace, you will often make recommendations, which are a type of position.

20 Clarifying Objectives: Message Structuring (1 of 2)
Framing the primary message What is the primary message? What simple, vivid statement (15 words or less) captures the essence of your message? Once you have analyzed the needs of your audience and gathered the right information, you develop your basic message. The first questions you will address in framing the primary message are the following: What is the primary message? What simple, vivid statement captures the essence of your message?

21 Clarifying Objectives: Message Structuring (2 of 2)
Setting up the logic of your message What are your supporting points? What do you want to explicitly ask your readers to do (call to action)? How will you order the logic of your message? The next questions you will address involve setting up the logic of your message. To do this, you will ask the following: What are your supporting points? What do you want to explicitly ask your readers to do (call to action)? How will you order the logic of your message?

22 Setting Up the Message Framework
Most business arguments employ a direct or deductive approach. They begin by stating the primary message. Then they lay out the supporting reasons and conclude with a call to action. In some cases, such as delivering bad news, an indirect or inductive approach is helpful. This approach provides supporting reasons first followed by the primary message. Most business arguments employ a direct or deductive approach. In other words, they begin by stating the primary message, which is typically a position or recommendation. Then they lay out the supporting reasons. Most business messages conclude with a call to action. For some messages, such as when delivering bad news, you may adopt a more indirect or inductive approach, in which you will provide supporting reasons first followed by the primary message.

23 Jump to Appendix 4 Long Image Description
Figure 5.4 Typical Deductive Framework for a Business Argument and Related Paragraph Structure (1 of 2) Figure 5.4 illustrates the framework of most deductive business arguments. Generally, a reader could get the gist of your message—the primary message, rationale, and call to action—simply by reading the opening paragraph, the first sentence of each supporting paragraph, and the final paragraph. In fact, many of your readers, who are generally busy, will do exactly that. They will skim the communication to understand the main ideas and implications. If they see merit in your ideas, they will go back and read the entire message more carefully. Jump to Appendix 4 Long Image Description

24 Jump to Appendix 5 Long Image Description
Figure 5.4 Typical Deductive Framework for a Business Argument and Related Paragraph Structure (2 of 2) As Figure 5.5 indicates, business arguments that employ a direct or deductive approach begin by stating the primary message, which is typically a position or recommendation. Then they lay out the supporting reasons. Most business messages conclude with a call to action. The call to action in many cases is a more detailed and elaborate version of the initial position or recommendation. Jump to Appendix 5 Long Image Description

25 Logical Inconsistencies
Unsupported generalizations Faulty cause/effect claims Weak analogies Either/or logic Slanting the facts Exaggeration As you set up the structure of the message, carefully test its logic. If you ensure that your messages are built on strong reasoning, you will be far more influential because your company will benefit and you will gain credibility. To build well-reasoned business positions, avoid the following types of logical inconsistencies: unsupported generalizations, faulty cause/effect claims, weak analogies, either/or logic, slanting the facts, and exaggeration.

26 Setting the Tone of the Message
The overall evaluation the reader perceives the writer to have toward the reader and the message content People often build resistance not to the content of a message but to the way it is delivered. One of your primary goals as a communicator is to express your messages in ways that respect and inspire others. Readers judge a message partially by its tone—the overall evaluation the reader perceives the writer to have toward the reader and the message content. Readers will judge your message based on how positive and concerned they think you are. Business communicators generally aim to project positivity and concern for others in all business messages.

27 Make Your Message More Positive
Display a can-do, confident attitude. Focus on the positive rather than negative traits of products and services. Use diplomatic, constructive terms related to your relationships and interactions. A positive attitude in the workplace improves work performance, allows more creativity, provides more motivation to excel, facilitates more helpfulness between co-workers, and gains more influence on clients and customers. The bottom line is that your ability to remain positive and exude optimism in your communications can strongly influence others. You can adopt a number of techniques to make your messages more positive, including: Display a can-do, confident attitude. Focus on the positive rather than negative traits of products and services. Use diplomatic, constructive terms related to your relationships and interactions. Jump to Appendix 6 Long Image Description

28 Concern for Others Avoid relying too heavily on the I-Voice. Respect the time and autonomy of your readers. Give credit to others. In every facet of business communication, focusing on others is important. It is a basic component of your credibility (caring). In content and form, your message should show that you have the interests of your audience in mind. The following guidelines will help you demonstrate concern for others (also referred to as other-oriented language in some parts of the book): Avoid relying too heavily on the I-voice. Respect the time and autonomy of your readers. Give credit to others.

29 Sending the Right Meta Messages (1 of 2)
The overall but often underlying messages people take away from a communication or group of communications Encoded and decoded as a combination of content, tone, and other signals Whereas tone relates to the overall attitudes or feelings that writers convey toward a message and its recipients, meta messages are the overall but often underlying messages people take away from a communication or group of communications. Meta messages are encoded and decoded as a combination of content, tone, and other signals. In your written and oral communications, think about the lasting meta messages you send. Over the course of sending many communications, you send meta messages that become the basis for your reputation. These meta messages form others’ impressions of your credibility: your competence, caring, and character.

30 Sending the Right Meta Messages (2 of 2)
Mixed signals occur when the content of a message conflicts with its tone, nonverbal communication, or other signals. Sending mixed signals is not only confusing, but it also frequently results in negative meta messages. Mixed signals occur when the content of a message conflicts with the tone, nonverbal communication, or other signals. Sending mixed signals is not only confusing, but it also frequently results in negative meta messages. Even if a business message is well reasoned and justified, if readers perceive a selfish or manipulative tone, they may decode meta messages such as “I’m not being straight with you” or “I’m opportunistic.” In a job interview, an applicant may say the right things but because of unprofessional dress send a poor meta message, such as “I’m not serious about this job” or “I don’t understand the culture of this company.”

31 Chapter Takeaways Goals of effective business messages
AIM planning process Audience needs, business ideas, key points Positive tones After studying this chapter, you should understand the following topics: the goals of effective business messages; the AIM planning process, including audience needs, business ideas, and key points; and positive tones.

32 Business Communication Chapter 5
The End

Which of the following are accurate descriptions of the meta message of a business communication choose every correct answer multiple select question?

Which of the following are accurate descriptions of the meta message of a business communication? It is the overall message conveyed by the communication and It is conveyed as a combination of content and tone.

What are the five common characteristics of excellent business thinkers?

(1) They clearly and precisely identify and articulate key questions and problems (2) they gather information from a variety of sources, (3) they make well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, (4) they remain open to alternatives to approaching and reasoning problems, and (5) they are skilled at communicating with ...

When framing the primary message, authors of a business message should complete which of the following? compose a brief message statement.

What are part of identifying business problems as a first step to solving them?

5 quick steps for solving business problems.

Define the problem. Ask yourself what the problem is. ... .

Understand the root cause(s) of the problem. ... .

List possible solutions to the problem(s) ... .

Select the best possible solution. ... .

Make a decision to take action..

What is most likely impact of slanting facts?

Which of the following are accurate descriptions of the Metamessage of a business communication?

What are the three stages of the business writing process choose every correct answer?

When you write a business message which of these steps is usually not part of the process?