Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Chapter 5 : Planning Business Messages - Coggle Diagram
Chapter 5 : Planning Business Messages
Three-Step Writing Process
Planning
Analyze the situation
Gather the information
Select the best combination of medium and channel
Organize the information
Writing
Adapt to audience
Compose message
Completing
Revise message
Produce message
Proofread
Distribute message
Analysing the Situation
Defining Purpose
General
to inform, to persuade, or to collaborate
with the audience
Specific
what to hope to accomplish with the message
Reality Check
Will anything change as a result of your message?
Is your purpose realistic?
Is the time right?
Is your purpose acceptable to your organization?
Developing an Audience Profile
Identify your primary audience
Determine audience size and geographic distribution
Determine audience composition
Gauge audience members’ level of understanding
Understand audience expectation and preferences
Forecast probable audience reactions
Gathering Information
Informal techniques
Consider the audience’s perspective
Listen to the community
Read reports and other company documents
Talk with supervisors, colleagues, or customers
Ask your audience for input
Uncovering Audience Needs
Audience members might not be able to describe all the information
Try to think of relevant information needs that your audience may not have expressed
Finding focus
Free writing
Sketching
Providing required information
Journalistic approach
Accurate
Ethical
Pertinent
Selecting the Best Combination of Media and Channels
Most common media and channel options
Oral Medium, In-person channel
Oral Medium, Digital Channel
Written meidum, printed channel
Written medium, digital channel
Visual medium, printed channel
Visual medium, digital channel
Challenges of communication on mobile devices
Screen size and resolution
Input technologies
Bandwidth, speed and connectivity limitations
Data usage and operational costs
Factor to consider when choosing medias and channels
Richness
A medium’s ability to convey a message through more than one information cue, facilitate feedback, establish personal focus, and allow the use of natural, conversational language
Formality
Media and channel limitations
Urgency
cost
Audience preferences
Security and privacy
Organizing Information
Helps Receivers
understand
accpet
saves time
Defining main idea
Brainstorming
Journalistic approach
Question-and-answer chain
Storyteller's tour
Mind mapping
Limiting Scope
range of information you present, the overall length, and level of details
Ideal length of message
topic
audience's familiarity with the material
receptivity to your conclusions
credibility
Choosing between direct and indirect approach
Direct
starts with the main idea and follows with supporting points and evidence
Indirect
starts with reasoning, evidence, and background information, and builds up to the main idea
Your audience is likely skeptical or hostile
You need to convey negative information
You want to persuade people
Outlining content
Identify main idea
What you want your audience to do or think
Why it is beneficial for them to do so
Assemble major supporting points
Gather compelling examples and evidence
Building Reader Interest with Storytelling Techniques
The power of story
Helps readers and listeners imagine themselves living through the experience of the person in the story
demonstrate case-and-effect relationships
help readers envision future possibilities
Three elements of storytelling
Beginning
introduces a sympathetic person with a dream or a challenge
Middle
shows the obstacles to be overcome
Ending
resolves the situation and highlights the moral or message of the story