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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 ©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All 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 ©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All 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 ©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All 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 ©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All 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. ©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All 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 ©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All 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 ©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All 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 ©2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited. All 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.