Business writing

Business 100W Business Communications

Lecture 11:

Good News Messages

Saying “Yes” to Inquiries

begin with the “yes” statement

if some time has passed, you might want to remind the writer about the inquiry

use columns and white spaces effectively

Saying “Yes” to Requests and Invitations

Could Mr. Brady attend either the IE Political Group Committee meeting on

Thursday, May 4, or the Regional Caucus on Friday, May 5? If so, could

Mr. Brady speak on one of the three topics?

Example:

Dear Mr. Slather,

Yes, I believe I can attend. I prefer your second topic, though the third is also acceptable. I look forward to meeting you.

Reply:

Preliminary Assessment

If negative:

If positive or neutral:

approach directly

the objective should be achieved quickly

approach indirectly

The General Direct Plan

Begin with the objective

a brief orienting phrase clause sentence

Sometimes you need to begin with:

Keep prefatory remarks limited

Remainder of message...

additional questions

answers

needed information

anything else that needs to be covered

Ending with Adapted Goodwill

end the message with an appropriately friendly comment

avoid “canned” goodwill

be aware that certain expressions may be interpreted differently

if you need information by a certain date, state the date

Routine inquiries begin with a question

specific or

general

Two Types:

You may need to include explanation or

information

Before or after the direct request in the opening paragraph

Reduces the startling effect of asking a direct question

If your inquiry involves only one question...

Develop a Logical List

Make sure the questions stand out

Do NOT combine questions into single sentences

Give each question a separate paragraph

Order or rank your questions with numbers

Compare:

“I would like to know...”

“How much would one be able to save...”

vs.

End with Goodwill

Milton the flamingo says:

Always place the modifiers next to the

item modified!

Note:

misplaced modifiers

dangling modifiers

and

Example:

Burning all night long, the firemen could not put out

the house.

Misplaced Modifier

Correction:

Burning all night long, the house could not be put out

by the firemen.

Misplaced Modifier

Example:

Upon entering the doctor’s office, a skeleton caught my

attention.

Dangling Modifier

Correction:

As I entered the doctor’s office, a skeleton caught my

attention.

Dangling Modifier

”Giving him her lean hand to kiss, the Viscountess bade him always be faithful to the house of Esmond.”

William Makepeace Thackeray’s The History of Henry Esmond

“Before encountering the absurd, the everyday man lives with aims, a concern for the future or for

justification (with regard to whom or what is not the question).”

Albert Camus’s “The Myth of Sisyphus”