•When you present reader benefits, be sure to present

advantages to the reader.

•Be sure to think about benefits that come from the activity or
policy itself, apart from any financial benefits.

Ending Informative and Positive Messages

•Ending a letter or memo gracefully can be a problem in short

informative and positive messages.
•In one page memo where you have omitted details and proof,
you can summarize your basic point.
•In a persuasive message, you can tell readers what you want
them to do.
Goodwill Endings

•Goodwill endings should focus on the business relationship you

share with your reader than on reader’s family, or personal life.

•When you write to one person, a good last paragraph fits that person
so specifically that it would not work if you sent the same basic
message to someone else or to a person with the same title in
another organization.

•When you write to someone who represents an organization, the last

paragraph can refer to your company’s relationship to the reader’s
organization.

•When you write to a group your ending should apply to the whole
group.
•Use a paragraph that shows you see your reader as an
individual.

•Possibilities include complimenting the reader for a job well

done, describing a reader benefit, or looking forward to
something positive that relates to the subject of the message.

Varieties of Informative and Positive Messages

•Many messages can be informative, negative, or persuasive

depending on what you have to say.

•A transmittal, for example, can be positive when you’re sending

glowing sales figures or persuasive when you want the reader to
act on the information.
•A performance appraisal is positive when you evaluate
someone who’s doing superbly, negative when you want
to compile a record to justify firing someone.

Transmittals

•When you send someone something in an organization,

attach a memo or letter of transmittal explaining what
you’re sending.
•Organize a memo or letter of transmittal in this order:
•Tell the reader what you’re sending.
•Summarize the main point (s) of the document.
•Indicate any special circumstances or information that
would help the reader understand the document.
•Tell the reader what will happen next. Will you do
something? Do you want a response? If you do want the
reader to act, specify exactly what you want the reader to
do and give a deadline.

Confirmations

•Many informative messages record oral conversations.

•These messages are generally short and give only the
information shared orally; they go the other party in the
conversation.
•Start the message by indicating that it is a confirmation,
not a new message.

•As we discussed on the phone today,…

•As I told you yesterday,…
•Attached is the meeting schedule we discussed earlier
today.

Summaries
•You may be asked to summarize a conversation,
document, or an outside meeting for colleagues or
superiors.
•In a summary of a conversation for internal use, identify
the people who were present, the topic of discussion,
decision made, and who does what next.

•To summarize a document, start with the main point.

•Then go on to give supporting evidence and details.

•In some cases, your audience may also want you to

evaluate the document.

•When you visit a client or go to a conference, you may be

asked to share your findings and impressions with other
people in your organization.
• Summarize a visit with a client or customer in this way:

• Put the main point from your organization’s point of view

– the action to be taken, the perceptions to be changed.

• Provide an umbrella paragraph to cover foreshadow the

points you will make in the report.

• Provide necessary detail to support your conclusions and

cover each point.
Thank-You and Congratulatory Notes

•Sending a thank-you note will make people more willing

to help you again in the future.

•Thank-you letters can be short but must be prompt.

•They need to be specific to sound sincere.

•Congratulating someone can cement good feelings

between you and the reader and enhance your own
visibility. Again specifics help.

•Avoid language that may seem condescending or

patronizing.
Writing Good Will Messages

•Goodwill is the positive feeling that encourages

people to maintain a business relationship.

•Make sure your compliments are grounded in

reality.

•Offer help only when you are able and willing to

provide it.
Adjustments and Responses to Complaints

•A study showed that when people had gripes but didn’t

complain, only 9% would buy from the company again.

•But when people did complain and their problems were

resolve a complaint, do so in the very first sentence.

•When you grant a customer’s request for an adjusted price,

discount, replacement, or other benefit to resolve a
complaint, do so in the very first sentence.
Responding Favorably to Claims and Adjustments

•In general, it pays to give customers the benefit of the doubt.

When the Company is at Fault

•An ungracious adjustment may increase customer dissatisfaction.

•To protect your company’s image and to regain the customer’s
goodwill, refer to your company’s error carefully.

When the Buyer is at Fault

•When complying with an unjustified claim, let the customer know

that the merchandise was mistreated, but maintain a respectful and
positive tone.
When a Third Party is at Fault

•When a third part is at fault, you have three options:

•Honor the customer’s claim with the standard good news letter.
•Honor the claim but explain that you were not really at fault or
what went wrong.
•Take no action on the claim and suggest that your customer file
against the firm that caused the defect or damage.
Conveying Positive Information about People

Recommendation Letters

•Letters of recommendation have an important goal: to

convince readers that the person being recommend has the
characteristics required for the job.
•It is important, therefore, that they contain all the relevant
detail.
•The full name of the candidate.
•The job or the benefit he is seeking.
•The nature of the relationship between the writer and the
candidate.
•The writer’s overall evaluation of the candidates suitability.
•A recommendation letter presenting negatives may be
carefully worded to satisfy both the candidate and the
person or company requesting information.

•Two devices for convincing the reader when the candidate

is outstanding: use examples and comparisons.

•A serious shortcoming cannot be ignored: include only

relevant facts, avoid value judgment, balance criticism with
favorable points.
Good News about Employment
•Most of the time, such a letter is eagerly awaited, so
the direct approach is appropriate.
•A letter telling someone that she or he got the job is a
legal document, so make sure all the statements are
accurate.
•Writing Directives and Instructions
•Directives are memos that tell employees what to do.
•Instructions tell people inside and outside the
company how to do something in the forms of
memos and letters.
•These are both routine messages and are especially
important within companies.
Writing Positive Replies
•Many memos and business letters are written in response to an
order, an inquiry, or a request.
•If the answer is yes or is straightforward information, then the
direct plan is appropriate.

Acknowledging Orders
•Many messages are written simply to confirm that an order has
been received and being filled.
•In accordance with the direct plan, the first paragraph is a statement
of “good news”.
•The middle section demonstrates the professionalism of your firm
with a clear summary of the transaction.
•State when the delivery may be expected, mention the cost
of the merchandise, shipping and taxes.
•Resale consists of information about the company or
products that confirms the customer’s good judgment in
making the transaction.
•Sales promotion is information about goods or services
that may supplement the customer’s purchase.
•Effective resale and sale promotion material demonstrate
the “you” attitude, emphasize benefits to the customer.
•An order acknowledgement ends on a warm, personal
note, with a look toward future dealings.