Final Self Reflection
5729sy93p
class_3_2.pptxChapter 3
Putting the Planning Structure to Work
1
A Nine-Step Process for Good Writing
Identify your goal
Analyze your audience
Determine correct tone and format
Map the content
Organize the content
2
The Nine-Step Process for Good Writing
Begin with a strong lead
Write the middle quickly
Build your conclusion
Evaluate and sharpen
3
Goals
Identify your goals
Clear goals lead you to appropriate content
Clear goals help you be succinct
Eliminate content that doesn’t support your goals
Goals
Adopt a new approach. Before starting, write:
The basic action or response you want
The “below-surface” response you want
Your organization’s goals
Your personal long-range goals
What might be your goals and in these scenarios?
State legislator writing a status letter to constituents
Marketing manager writing a press release about new products in the pipeline
Botanist from a local non-profit writing a column about native plants for local homeowners
“Begin with the End in Mind”
7
Audience
Understanding your audience
What’s in it for them? (WIIFY)
Who is your audience?
What do they care about?
Remember that your audience is wondering…
WIIFM
(What’s in it for me?)
10
Features vs Benefits
What’s the difference?
“So What?”
State the obvious
Your phone – how many features / benefits can we name?
Primary and Secondary Audience
Who is my primary reader or listener?
Personal and professional relationship?
What position is held in organization?
How much is known about topic?
Person’s education, beliefs, culture, attitudes?
Will reaction be neutral, positive, or negative?
How is secondary audience different from primary?
Supply more background information?
Reshape message for secondary audience?
12
Example
Please open to pages 37-39 in Canavor
Bottom Line on Top
Organize your content: Direct vs. Indirect Approaches
Direct approach = “Bottom-lining”
Indirect approach = “Buffering”
Direct approach best for most business writing
15
Bottom-lining
Serves these functions:
Summarize
Urge action
Announce
Recommend
Seek approval
16
Organize your content: Direct Approach (Bottom-lining)
Main idea first, then details, explanation or evidence
Use when audience is:
Pleased
Receptive
Interested
Informed
Neutral
17
Organize your content: Direct Approach (Bottom-lining)
Advantages
Saves reader time
Answers WIIFM
Prevents frustration
Conveys competence
Default approach
18
19
Organize your content: Indirect Approach (Buffering)
Explanation or evidence first, then main idea
Use when audience is:
Hostile
Opposed
Unprepared
20
Organize your content: Indirect Approach (Buffering)
Advantages
Builds evidence
Provides fair hearing for your argument
Respects audience’s feelings
Minimizes negative reactions
Special case / exception approach
21
Organize your content: Indirect Approach (Buffering)
Use for:
Ideas requiring persuasion
Sensitive news, especially to supervisors
Bad news
Refusing requests
Rejecting claims
Denying credit
Consider face-to-face or telephone instead of writing!
22
Organization Methods include:
Formal Outline
Tell Someone
Use Graphic Techniques
Sticky Notes
Tone
study1
What determined how listeners felt about a speaker in one specific study1
1Albert Mehrabian. Silent Messages. Second edition. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company 1981.
Tone
Formal, casual, friendly, enthusiastic, motivational
Relationship is guide
Visualize seeing, and talking to, the person
Bad News Messages
VW Needs to Come Clean
Spiceworks Blog
Jack Dorsey email
Some Examples
Exercise
30
30
