Chapter Two

Planning Business
Messages
Introducing the 3-x-3 Writing Process
The 3-x-3 writing process breaks the entire task into three phases: prewriting, drafting, and revising.

To illustrate the writing process, let’s say that you own a popular local McDonald’s franchise. At rush
times, you face a problem. Customers complain about the chaotic multiple waiting lines to approach
the service counter. You once saw two customers nearly get into a fistfight over cutting into a line.
What’s more, customers often are so intent on looking for ways to improve their positions in line that
they fail to examine the menu. Then they are undecided when their turn arrives. You want to
convince other franchise owners that a single-line (serpentine) system would work better. You could
telephone the other owners. However, you want to present a serious argument with good points that
they will remember and be willing to act on when they gather for their next district meeting. You
decide to send a persuasive e-mail that you hope will win their support.
 Prewriting
The first phase of the writing process prepares you to write. It involves analyzing the audience and your
purpose for writing. The audience for your message will be other franchise owners, some highly educated
and others not.

Your purpose in writing is to convince them that a change in policy would improve customer service. You
think that a single-line system, such as that used in banks, would reduce chaos and make customers
happier because they would not have to worry about where they are in line.

Prewriting also involves anticipating how your audience will react to your message. You are sure that some
of the other owners will agree with you, but others might fear that customers seeing a long single line
might go elsewhere.

In adapting your message to the audience, you try to think of the right words and the right tone that will
win approval.
Drafting
The second phase involves researching, organizing, and then drafting the message. In researching
information for this message, you would probably investigate other kinds of businesses that use single
lines for customers.
You might check your competitors. What are Wendy’s and Burger King doing? You might do some
calling to see whether other franchise owners are concerned about chaotic lines. Before writing to the
entire group, you might brainstorm with a few owners to see what ideas they have for solving the
problem.
Once you have collected enough information, you would focus on organizing your message. Should you
start out by offering your solution? Or should you work up to it slowly, describing the problem,
presenting your evidence, and then ending with the solution?
The final step in the second phase of the writing process is actually drafting the letter. At this point
many writers write quickly, realizing that they will polish their ideas when they revise.
Revising
The third phase of the process involves editing, proofreading, and evaluating your message. After
writing the first draft, you will spend considerable time editing the message for clarity, conciseness,
tone, and readability.

Could parts of it be rearranged to make your point more effectively? This is the time when you look
for ways to improve the organization and tone of your message.

Next, you will spend time proofreading carefully to ensure correct spelling, grammar, punctuation,
and format.

The final phase involves evaluating your message to decide whether it accomplishes your goal.
Pacing the Writing Process
The time you spend on each phase of the writing process varies depending on the complexity of
the problem, the purpose, the audience, and your schedule.

On average, you should expect to spend about 25 percent of your time prewriting, 25 percent
drafting, and 50 percent revising, as shown in Figure 2.3.

These are rough guides, yet you can see that good writers spend most of their time on the final
phase of revising and proofreading. Much depends, of course, on your project, its importance,
and your familiarity with it.

What is critical to remember, though, is that revising is a major component of the writing
process even if the message is short
Analyzing and Anticipating the Audience
Anticipating and Making Choices
Determining
Profiling the Based on the
Your Purpose
Audience Audience Profile

Selecting the
Best Channel
 Determining Your Purpose
As you begin to compose a workplace message, ask yourself two important questions:
(a) Why am I sending this message? and
(b) What do I hope to achieve?
Your responses will determine how you organize and present your information. Your message may have
primary and secondary purposes. For college work your primary purpose may be merely to complete the
assignment; secondary purposes might be to make yourself look good and to earn an excellent grade. The
primary purposes for sending business messages are typically to inform and to persuade.
A secondary purpose is to promote goodwill. You and your organization want to look good in the eyes of
your audience. Many business messages do nothing more than inform. They explain procedures,
announce meetings, answer questions, and transmit findings. Some business messages, however, are
meant to persuade. These messages sell products, convince managers, motivate employees, and win over
customers. Persuasive and informative messages are developed differently.
Anticipating and Profiling the Audience
A good writer anticipates the audience for a message:

What is the reader or listener like?

How will that person react to the message?

Although one can’t always know exactly who the receiver is, it is possible to imagine some of that
person’s characteristics. A copywriter at Lands’ End, the shopping and Internet retailer, pictures his
sister-in-law whenever he writes product descriptions for the catalog.
Anticipating and Profiling the Audience
Profiling your audience is a pivotal step in the writing process. The questions in Figure 2.4 will help
you profile your audience. How much time you devote to answering these questions depends on
your message and its context.

An analytical report that you compose for management or an oral presentation that you deliver to
a big group would, of course, demand considerable audience anticipation. An e-mail message to a
coworker or a message to a familiar supplier might require only a few moments of planning
Anticipating and Profiling the Audience
Making Choices Based on the Audience
Profile
Profiling your audience helps you make decisions about shaping the message. You will discover
what language is appropriate, whether you are free to use specialized technical terms, whether
you should explain the background, and so on. Profiling the audience helps you decide whether
your tone should be formal or informal and whether the receiver is likely to feel neutral,
positive, or negative about your message

Another advantage of profiling your audience is considering the possibility of a secondary

audience.

Analyzing the task and anticipating the audience help you adapt your message so it is effective
for both primary and secondary receivers.
Selecting the Best Channel
After identifying the purpose of your message, you’ll want to select the most appropriate communication channel. In
this digital age, the number of channels continues to expand, as shown in Figure 2.5.

Whether to send an e-mail message, schedule a video conference, or have a face-to-face conversation or group
meeting depends on some of the following factors:

▪ Importance of the message

▪ Amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required

▪ Necessity of a permanent record

▪ Cost of the channel

▪ Degree of formality desired

▪ Confidentiality and sensitivity of the message

▪ Receiver’s preference and level of technical expertise

Selecting the Best Channel
In addition to these practical issues, you will also consider how rich the channel is. The richness
of a channel involves the extent to which it recreates or represents all the information available
in the original message.

A richer medium, such as a face-to-face conversation, permits more interactivity and feedback.

A leaner medium, such as a letter or an e-mail, presents a flat, one-dimensional message. Richer
media enable the sender to provide more verbal and visual cues, as well as allow the sender to
tailor the message to the audience.

Choosing the wrong medium can result in the message being less effective or even
misunderstood.
Using Expert Writing Techniques to Adapt
to Your Audience

Spotlighting Audience Benefits

Developing the “You” View

Sounding Conversational but Professional

Spotlighting Audience Benefits
Adapting your message to the receiver’s needs means putting yourself in that person’s shoes.
It’s called empathy. Empathic senders think about how a receiver will decode a message.

They try to give something to the receiver, solve the receiver’s problems, save the receiver’s
money, or just understand the feelings and position of that person.

 A contemporary communication consultant gives this solid advice to his business clients:
“Always stress the benefit to the audience of whatever it is you are trying to get them to do. If
you can show them how you are going to save them frustration or help them meet their goals,
have the makings of a powerful message.”
Spotlighting Audience Benefits
Developing the “You” View
In concentrating on audience benefits, skilled communicators naturally develop the “you” view.
They emphasize second-person pronouns (you, your) instead of first-person pronouns (I/we, us,
our). Whether your goal is to inform, persuade, or promote goodwill, the catchiest words you can use
are you and your.
Although you want to focus on the reader or listener, don’t overuse or misuse the second-person
pronoun you. Readers and listeners appreciate genuine interest; on the other hand, they resent
obvious attempts at manipulation.
Another difficulty in emphasizing the “you” view and de-emphasizing we/I is that it may result in
overuse of the passive voice. For example, to avoid writing We will give you (active voice), you might
write You will be given (passive voice). The active voice in writing is generally preferred because it
identifies who is doing the acting.
Developing the “You” View
In recognizing the value of the “you” view, however, you don’t have to sterilize your writing and totally
avoid any first-person pronouns or words that show your feelings. You can convey sincerity, warmth,
and enthusiasm by the words you choose. Don’t be afraid of phrases such as I’m happy or We’re
delighted, if you truly are
 Sounding Conversational but Professional
Most business messages replace conversation. That’s why they are most effective when they
convey an informal, conversational tone instead of a formal, pretentious tone.

In more traditional organizations, that message probably would have been more formal. The
dilemma for you, then, is knowing how casual to be in your writing. We suggest that you strive
to be conversational but professional, especially until you learn what your organization prefers.

 Professional messages do not include texting-style abbreviations, slang, sentence fragments,

and chitchat.

Stay away from expressions such as the undersigned, the writer, and the affected party. You will
sound friendlier with familiar pronouns such as I, we, and you.
Sounding Conversational but Professional
Sounding Conversational but Professional
Developing Additional Expert Writing
Techniques
Being Positive Employing
Expressing
Rather Than Bias-free
Courtesy
Negative Language

Preferring Plain Using Precise,

language and Vigorous
familiar Words Words
Being Positive Rather Than Negative
 Positive language generally conveys more information than negative language does. Moreover,
positive messages are uplifting and pleasant to read.
 Positive wording tells what is and what can be done rather than what isn’t and what can’t be done.
Using positive language also involves avoiding negative words that create ill will. Some words appear
to blame or accuse your audience. For example, opening a letter to a customer with You claim that
suggests that you don’t believe the customer.
Other loaded words that can get you in trouble are complaint, criticism, defective, failed, mistake,
and neglected.
Also avoid phrases such as you apparently are unaware of or you did not provide or you
misunderstood or you don’t understand.
Being Positive Rather Than Negative
Expressing Courtesy
Maintaining a courteous tone involves not just guarding against rudeness but also avoiding
words that sound demanding or preachy. Expressions such as you should, you must, and you
have to cause people to instinctively react with Oh, yeah? One remedy is to turn these demands
into rhetorical questions that begin with Will you please. . . . Giving reasons for a request also
softens the tone.

Even when you feel justified in displaying anger, remember that losing your temper or being
sarcastic will seldom accomplish your goals as a business communicator: to inform, to persuade,
and to create goodwill.
Expressing Courtesy
Employing Bias-free language
In adapting a message to its audience, be sure your language is sensitive and biasfree. Few writers
set out to be offensive. Sometimes, though, we all say things that we never thought could be hurtful.

Generally, you can avoid gender-biased language by choosing alternate language for words involving
man or woman, by using plural nouns and pronouns, or by changing to a gender-free word (person or
representative). Avoid the his or her option whenever possible. It’s wordy and conspicuous.

Specify age only if it is relevant, and avoid expressions that are demeaning or subjective (such as
spry old codger). To avoid disability bias, do not refer to an individual’s disability unless it is relevant.
When necessary, use terms that do not stigmatize people with disabilities.

The real key to bias-free communication, though, lies in your awareness and commitment
Preferring Plain language and familiar
Words
In adapting your message to your audience, use plain language and familiar words that you think
audience members will recognize. Don’t, however, avoid a big word that conveys your idea efficiently
and is appropriate for the audience. Your goal is to shun pompous and pretentious language.
Instead, use GO words. If you mean begin, don’t say commence or initiate. If you mean pay, don’t
write compensate. By substituting everyday, familiar words for unfamiliar ones, as shown here, you
help your audience comprehend your ideas quickly.
At the same time, be selective in your use of jargon. Jargon describes technical or specialized terms
within a field. These terms enable insiders to communicate complex ideas briefly, but to outsiders
they mean nothing
Use specialized language only when the audience will understand it. In addition, don’t forget to
consider secondary audiences: Will those potential receivers understand any technical terms used?
Preferring Plain language and familiar
Words
Using Precise, Vigorous Words
Strong verbs and concrete nouns give receivers more information and keep them interested.
Don’t overlook the thesaurus (also available online or on your computer) for expanding your
word choices and vocabulary