Chapter 8: Negative Messages

1. Chapter 8: Negative Messages

2. Highlights • Plan for resolving business problems • Four components of a bad news message • Direct and indirect patterns • Buffer, reasons, cushion, close • Announcing bad news to customers and employees

3. Resolving Business ProblemsIn all businesses, things go wrong: • Goods are not delivered as promised • Products fail to perform • Service is poor • Billing gets wrong • Credit is refused

4. Delivering negative information is never enjoyable. • Bad news disappoints, irritates, or angersreceivers. • Some helpful guidelines can minimize negative reactions.

5. Goals of Negative Messages • Convey the bad news • Gain acceptance of the bad news • Maintain as much goodwill as possible • Maintain a good corporate image • Minimize future correspondence

6. Strategies for Breaking Bad News • The organization of a negative message requires particular care. • A critical planning decision is choosing whether to use the direct or indirectapproach. • You can announce bad news immediately, or you can delay it. • Many business communicators prefer the indirect strategy for the sake of goodwill. • In some instances, the direct pattern is effective.

7. Using the Direct Approach • Stating the bad news at the beginning: • makes a shorter message possible. • saves the reader’s time. • prevents frustration as readers struggle through excessive verbosity get frustrated. Excellence in Business Communication, 8e

8. A negative message using the direct approach opens with the bad news. • Proceeds to the reasons for decision or situation • Offers additionalinformation • Ends with a positive statement aimed at maintaining a good relationship

9. Ask yourself a few questions to decide the approach: • Do you need to get the reader’s attention immediately? • Emergency; someone has ignored repeated messages • Do the organization and the receiver prefer directness or a direct style of communication?

10. How important is news to readers? • Minor or routine scenarios; emotional investment; considerable consequences; expected or unexpected • Will the bad news come as shock or damage? • understand they are to receive bad news; insignificant, small increase in cost; personally affect the receiver

11. Will the receiver overlook the bad news? • Crush of mail today---skim messages; rate increases, changes in service, new policy requirements require boldness • Is firmness necessary? • Determination and strength --- the last in a series of collection letters that seek payment of overdue accounts

12. Both approaches are neither universal nor inviolate. • Every business transaction is distinct: • mixed: good and bad; goodwill and persuasion. • Use your skills and confidence to evaluate the situation. • Vary the patterns depending on your desired goals.

13. Examples • Your request does not make any sense. • Please clarify your request. • You are clearly dissatisfied. • I recognize that the product did not live up to your expectations. • I am shocked to learn that you are unhappy. • Thank you for sharing your concerns about your shopping experience. Excellence in Business Communication, 8e

15. Four-Part Strategy for Delivering Bad News 1. 2. Buffer Reasons Best news Compliment Appreciation Agreement Facts Understanding Apology Cautious explanation Reader or other benefits Company policy explanation Positive words Evidence that matter was considered fairly and seriously Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e

16. 4. 3. Bad News Closing Forward look Alternative Good wishes Freebies Resale Sales Promotion Embedded placement Passive voice Implied refusal Compromise Alternative Mary Ellen Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 6e

17. The indirect strategy allows you to prepare the reader before delivering the bad news, thus softening the impact of the bad news. Buffer Reasons Bad News Closing

18. A buffer is the device to reduce shock or pain. • It is a neutral, noncontroversial statement. • It is a relevant statement but doesn’t convey the bad news. • It makes the reader continue reading.

19. 1. Buffering the Opening • A buffer does not convey a false impression that good news follows. • It provides a natural transition to the explanation that follows. • Here are some possibilities for buffers:

20. Evaluating Buffer Statements Quick Check How effective are the following openings for a letter that refuses to grant credit? Unfortunately, your application for credit has been reviewed negatively. Reveals the bad news bluntly. We sincerely regret that we must deny your credit application. Sounds phony and canned.

21. Evaluating Buffer Statements How effective are the following openings for a letter that refuses to grant credit? We are delighted to receive your application for credit. Gives the wrong impression. Is not relevant. The recent revival of interest in the stock market caught many of us by surprise.

22. Evaluating Buffer Statements How effective are the following openings for a letter that refuses a request for a donation? Your request for a monetary contribution has been referred to me for reply. Fails to engage the reader. We appreciate the fine work your organization is doing to meet the needs of parents and very young children. Compliments reader and implies approval.

23. Buffering the Opening • i. Best News: Start with the part of the message that represents the best news. • A memo that announces an increase in internet connection fees, you might begin by describing improved service, e.g., • To ensure that your incoming e-mail does not contain spam or viruses, we are installing a new filtering program.

24. ii. Compliment and Appreciation: • For example, declining an invitation to speak: • Have my sincere admiration for fund-raising projects for hungry children. I’m honored to get invitation to speak Friday, 13 May.

25. Buffering the Opening • iii. Agreement: A letter that rejects a loan application might read: • We both realize how much the export business has been affected by the relevant strength of the dollar in the past two years.

26. iv. Fact: for example, in a memo announcing cutbacks in the hours of the employees’ cafeteria, you might say: • During the past two years the number of employees eating breakfast in our cafeteria has dropped from 40 percent to 20 percent.

27. v. Understanding: Show that you care about the reader. For example, in announcing a product defect, you might say: • We believe that you expect superior performance from all the products you purchase from us. That’s why we’re writing personally about printer cartridges….

28. vi. Apology: For example, a manufacturer of super premium ice cream might respond: • We’re genuinely sorry that you were disappointed in the price of the ice cream you recently purchased at one of our scoop shops. Your opinion is important….

29. 2. Presenting the Reasons • Providing an explanation reduces feelings of ill will. • It improves the chances that the reader will accept the bad news. • i. Being cautious in explaining. • In refusing a speaking engagement, tell why the date is impossible: • On January15 we have a board of directors meeting that I must attend.

30. ii. Citing reader or others’ benefits. • Although we would like to consider your application, we prefer to fill the positions from within. • To improve our services to you, we’re increasing internet fees.

31. iii. Explaining company policy. • We prefer to promote from within because it rewards the loyalty of our employees. • In addition, we’ve found that people familiar with our organization make the quickest contribution to our team effort.

32. iv. Choosing positive words. • Avoid the following expressions that might cause the reader to tune out: • Claim, error, failure, fault, impossible, regret, misunderstood, mistaken, unwilling, never, etc.

33. v. Showing that the matter was treated seriously and fairly. • Thus, consumers are more accepting of bad news. • Avoid blaming others within your organization.

34. To reveal the bad news with sensitivity, learn these Seven Techniques for Deemphasizing Bad News.

35. 0 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 1, Slide 35

36. 3. Cushioning the Bad News • i. Positioning the bad news. • Sandwich the bad news between other sentences. • The reader’s eye lingers on start or end. • Although another candidate was hired, we appreciate your interest in our organization and wish you every success in your job search.

37. 3. Cushioning the Bad News • ii. Using the Passive Voice. • The active voice focuses attention on a person; the passive voice highlights the action. • Cash refunds are not given because ….

38. 3. Cushioning the Bad News • iii. Accentuating the positive. • Rather than We will no longer allow credit card purchases, try a more positive appeal: • We are now selling gasoline at discount cash prizes.

39. 3. Cushioning the Bad News • iv. Suggesting an alternative. • Although private tours of the grounds are not given, we do open the house and its gardens for one charitable event in the fall.

40. Avoid the spotlight.Put the bad news in the middle of a paragraph halfway through the message. • Place the bad news in a subordinate clause. Although we have no position for an individual with your qualifications at this time, we are pleased that you thought of us when you started your job search. • Use a long sentence.Don’t put the bad news in a short, simple sentence.

41. Be clear but not too specific. Try this Our investigation reveals that your employment status and your financial position are unstable at this time.

42. Imply the refusal. Try this Although all our profits must be reinvested in our company this year, we hope to be able to support your future fund-raising activities.

43. Instead of this We cannot make a contribution at this time. Try this A contribution cannot be made at this time. • Suggest an alternative. Although the cashmere sweater cannot be sold at the wrongly listed price of $18, we can allow you to purchase this $218 item for only $118. • Use the passive voice.

44. Passive-voice verbs focus attention on actions rather than on personalities. They are useful in being tactful. Passive voice Return of the DVD player is not allowed because . . . . Active voice I cannot allow you to return the DVD player because . . . . Ryan checked the report, but he missed the error. The report was checked, but the error was missed.

45. Closing Bad-News Messages Avoid endings that sound impersonal. Try to use • A forward look • Information about alternative • Good wishes • Freebies • Resale or sales promotion

46. 4. Closing Pleasantly • Thanks for your bid. • I will be happy to give you a free inspection and consultation. • We extend to you our best wishes in your search to find the perfect match between your skills and job requirements. • We are enclosing a coupon that you can take to our outlet.

47. Model Refusal Letters Click icon to view memo refusing an internal request before revision. Click icon to view revised memo.

48. Denying Claims • Don’t blame customers, even if they are at fault. • Avoid you statements. • Use neutral, objective language to explain why the claim must be refused. • Consider offering resale information to rebuild the customer’s confidence in your products or organization. Click icon to view model letter.

49. Provide information about an alternative, if one exists. • If appropriate, describe what will happen next. • Look forward positively. Click icon to view before-revision letter announcing bad news to employees. Click icon to view after-revision letter.

50. Ethics and the Indirect Strategy • You may worry that the indirect strategy is unethical or manipulative because the writer deliberately delays the main idea. • But consider the alternative. Breaking bad news bluntly can cause pain. Excellence in Business Communication, 8e