Agenda

1
Agenda

• Informative writing exercise
• Review of good news documents
• Introduction to bad news messages
• Preparing to deliver bad news
• Negative news assignment

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Informative writing exercise

• Your goals in this exercise
• to produce the clearest instructions possible
• to follow instructions quickly and accurately
• Prizes will be given!

3
Examples of good news or neutral messages

• Favorable replies
• Goodwill messages
• Acknowledgements
• Announcements
• Transmittals

CONGRATULATIONS
4
Examples of bad news messages

• Unfavorable replies
• Negative announcements
• Negative information

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Comparing good news and bad news messages
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Preparing to deliver bad news

• Consideration and courtesy
• Organization
• Tone
• You-attitude and reader pronouns

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Consideration and courtesy

• Treat people to whom you must give bad news the
  way you would want to be treated in a similar
  situation

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Organization for bad news

• Indirect plan (most common)
• Buffer
• Explanation
• Decision
• Courteous close

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Buffers

• Neutral discussion
• Acknowledgment
• Assurance
• Thanks/appreciation
• Compliment
• Brand resale

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Explanation

• Assure the reader that you have investigated or
  considered the matter carefully
• Provide plenty of reasoning and support for your
  decision
• Focus (if possible) on how the reader can benefit
  from your investigation/consideration
• Make your decision appear inevitable

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Decision

• Best location the end of the explanation
  paragraph
• Do not draw attention to the decision in terms of
  placement or language
• Minimize use of negative language
• However, you must be clear about the bad news,
  refusal, or negative information

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Courteous close

• Do not bring up the negative again - leave with a
  positive impression
• Avoid words like I hope or we believe - be
  definite
• If possible, tactfully re-sell the product,
  service, or brand

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Organization for bad news

• When is the direct plan useful for bad news?
• Routine matter - reader not likely to be
  disappointed
• Reader is well known to prefer bad news first
• Urgent message - must be called to readers
  attention forcefully

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Negative newsBleachez letter

• Tone
• Content
• Organization

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Assignment

• Read Ch. 9 in EBC
• Write a draft of the negative news letter (draft
  due 1/25, final due 1/30)