{"id":107,"date":"2023-09-19T17:25:38","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T17:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/chapter\/introduction-to-writing-the-right-message\/"},"modified":"2024-07-25T12:20:24","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T12:20:24","slug":"introduction-to-writing-the-right-message","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/chapter\/introduction-to-writing-the-right-message\/","title":{"raw":"Learn It 2.1.3 Strategic Messaging in Business Communication","rendered":"Learn It 2.1.3 Strategic Messaging in Business Communication"},"content":{"raw":"<h2>Positive, Negative, and Persuasive Messages<\/h2>\r\n<p>All business messages fit across two broad categories with an overlapping third category. There are communications where the receiver is expected to have a positive or neutral reaction, and there are communications where the receivers may have a negative reaction. The image of the continuum below is focused on the audience's reaction to a message.<\/p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4674\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"1000\"]<img class=\"wp-image-4674 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2785\/2018\/02\/07230759\/audienceopinion.png\" alt=\"The image asks, &quot;How does your audience feel about your conclusion?&quot; Under this question is a long arrow with a gradient color. Positive is green, neutral is yellow, and negative is red.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"218\" \/> Figure 1. Audience reactions can range from positive to neutral to negative.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>positive messages<\/h3>\r\n<p>Positive messages include messages where the audience is expected to react in a neutral to positive manner.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p>Positive messages tend to consist of routine or good news. These messages might be items such as congratulations, confirmations, directions, simple requests, or approvals. Also included in this category might be denials that are somewhat routine or expected. This could be something like a printer being unavailable because of a repair that inconveniences employees but in a minor way. As strange as this sounds, [pb_glossary id=\"1966\"]sympathy messages[\/pb_glossary] are in this category as well. Sympathy messages are routine since they will not be a surprise to the receiver.<\/p>\r\n<p>Consider the message to be a positive message structure when:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The receiver likes or expects this news (product shipped on time)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The receiver needs little education or background to understand the news (travel arrangements for the conference)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The receiver considers the message routine, even if not completely positive (parking lot closed for three days for re-surfacing)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>negative messages<\/h3>\r\n<p>Negative messages include messages where the audience is expected to react in a negative manner.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p>In negative messages, the sender's goal is to convey bad news in a manner that preserves the business relationship. While the sender must deliver bad news, the sender also wants to avoid unwanted results such as a valued employee quitting or an existing customer switching to another supplier. Negative messages might be about subjects such as refusal to provide a refund, cancellation of an event, rejecting a project idea, or denying a promotion.<\/p>\r\n<p>Consider the message to be a negative communication when:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The receiver may be displeased (cost for repair is the receiver's responsibility, not the utility company's)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The receiver needs a little persuasion (the new log-on procedure takes longer but is more secure)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The receiver may be somewhat uncomfortable (a new badging system is underway because employees have been sharing badges)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>persuasive messages<\/h3>\r\n<p>Persuasive messages are communications designed to influence the attitudes, beliefs, or actions of others.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p>With this category, the audience is expected to need encouragement in order to act as the sender desires. In some cases, the receiver is more like a positive audience. For example, when you're asking for a recommendation letter or when you're inviting someone to join a client for lunch, the recipient will probably have a neutral or positive reaction to the request even if they don't ultimately agree. In other cases, the receiver is more like a negative audience. For example, when you're requesting additional payment as a result of a shared error or when you're asking for an extension to an impending due date, those requests may be perceived by the recipient as similar to bad news.<\/p>\r\n<p>Consider the message a persuasive communication when:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The receiver may be reluctant (please speak to the new employee group)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The receiver is being asked a favor (please write a recommendation letter)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The receiver may be invited to something somewhat outside regular duties (please supervise a new book club that will meet on campus after work)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\">[ohm2_question height=\"500\"]14676[\/ohm2_question]<br \/>\r\n[ohm2_question height=\"500\"]14677[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>","rendered":"<h2>Positive, Negative, and Persuasive Messages<\/h2>\n<p>All business messages fit across two broad categories with an overlapping third category. There are communications where the receiver is expected to have a positive or neutral reaction, and there are communications where the receivers may have a negative reaction. The image of the continuum below is focused on the audience&#8217;s reaction to a message.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4674\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4674\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4674 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2785\/2018\/02\/07230759\/audienceopinion.png\" alt=\"The image asks, &quot;How does your audience feel about your conclusion?&quot; Under this question is a long arrow with a gradient color. Positive is green, neutral is yellow, and negative is red.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"218\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4674\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 1. Audience reactions can range from positive to neutral to negative.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>positive messages<\/h3>\n<p>Positive messages include messages where the audience is expected to react in a neutral to positive manner.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>Positive messages tend to consist of routine or good news. These messages might be items such as congratulations, confirmations, directions, simple requests, or approvals. Also included in this category might be denials that are somewhat routine or expected. This could be something like a printer being unavailable because of a repair that inconveniences employees but in a minor way. As strange as this sounds, <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_107_1966\">sympathy messages<\/a> are in this category as well. Sympathy messages are routine since they will not be a surprise to the receiver.<\/p>\n<p>Consider the message to be a positive message structure when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The receiver likes or expects this news (product shipped on time)<\/li>\n<li>The receiver needs little education or background to understand the news (travel arrangements for the conference)<\/li>\n<li>The receiver considers the message routine, even if not completely positive (parking lot closed for three days for re-surfacing)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>negative messages<\/h3>\n<p>Negative messages include messages where the audience is expected to react in a negative manner.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>In negative messages, the sender&#8217;s goal is to convey bad news in a manner that preserves the business relationship. While the sender must deliver bad news, the sender also wants to avoid unwanted results such as a valued employee quitting or an existing customer switching to another supplier. Negative messages might be about subjects such as refusal to provide a refund, cancellation of an event, rejecting a project idea, or denying a promotion.<\/p>\n<p>Consider the message to be a negative communication when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The receiver may be displeased (cost for repair is the receiver&#8217;s responsibility, not the utility company&#8217;s)<\/li>\n<li>The receiver needs a little persuasion (the new log-on procedure takes longer but is more secure)<\/li>\n<li>The receiver may be somewhat uncomfortable (a new badging system is underway because employees have been sharing badges)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>persuasive messages<\/h3>\n<p>Persuasive messages are communications designed to influence the attitudes, beliefs, or actions of others.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>With this category, the audience is expected to need encouragement in order to act as the sender desires. In some cases, the receiver is more like a positive audience. For example, when you&#8217;re asking for a recommendation letter or when you&#8217;re inviting someone to join a client for lunch, the recipient will probably have a neutral or positive reaction to the request even if they don&#8217;t ultimately agree. In other cases, the receiver is more like a negative audience. For example, when you&#8217;re requesting additional payment as a result of a shared error or when you&#8217;re asking for an extension to an impending due date, those requests may be perceived by the recipient as similar to bad news.<\/p>\n<p>Consider the message a persuasive communication when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The receiver may be reluctant (please speak to the new employee group)<\/li>\n<li>The receiver is being asked a favor (please write a recommendation letter)<\/li>\n<li>The receiver may be invited to something somewhat outside regular duties (please supervise a new book club that will meet on campus after work)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm14676\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=14676&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm14676&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm14677\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=14677&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm14677&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"500\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n<div class=\"glossary\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\" id=\"definition\">definition<\/span><template id=\"term_107_1966\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_107_1966\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>A sympathy message is a communication expressing condolences, support, and understanding to someone who is experienced a loss or setback.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><\/div>","protected":false},"author":9,"menu_order":5,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"The Right Message\",\"author\":\"Susan Kendall\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":105,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"original","description":"The Right Message","author":"Susan Kendall","organization":"Lumen Learning","url":"","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/107"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4533,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/107\/revisions\/4533"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/105"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/107\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=107"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=107"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}