Businesspeople who compose messages for mobile devices should

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4 Planning Business Messages LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001f82#P7001012451000000000000000001F86) Describe the three-step writing process.

2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001fc5#P7001012451000000000000000001FC9) Explain why it’s important to analyze a communication situation in order to define your purpose and profile your audience before writing a message.

3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000002026#P700101245100000000000000000202A) Discuss information-gathering options for simple messages, and identify three attributes of quality information.

4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000002076#P700101245100000000000000000207A) List the factors to consider when choosing the most appropriate medium for a message.

5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000021ce#P70010124510000000000000000021D2) Explain why good organization is important to both you and your audience, and list the tasks involved in organizing a message.

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COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT Wolff Olins

www.wolffolins.com (http://www.wolffolins.com)

What do the following activities have in common: watching a movie, reading a novel, and listening to a friend tell you how she learned about herself during an amazing summer she spent volunteering? The common thread is dramatic tension—the need to know how the story is going to turn out. If you care about the person in the story, chances are you’ll want to stick around to the end.

Storytelling might sound like an odd topic for a business communication course, but storytelling is at the heart of some of the most-effective communication efforts, from heart-tugging TV commercials to engaging training materials to rousing motivational speeches. With more and more professionals and companies recognizing the power of storytelling, storytelling techniques have become a hot topic in the business communication field.

As one of the most respected novelists and essayists of his generation, it’s no surprise that the Pakistani writer Mohsin Hamid is an expert at storytelling. But it might come as a surprise to his many fans that he has a second career as the chief storytelling officer (CSO) for Wolff Olins, an international creativity consultancy based in London. In this role Hamid helps business professionals and executives use the art of storytelling as a means to engage with both internal and external audiences.

For example, the company heard from a number of top executives about the challenges of conveying to employees a clear sense of their companies’ purpose and empowering them to apply their individual creative energies to achieving that purpose. Hamid explains that’s it unrealistic to expect an executive to give everyone in the organization explicit task assignments. Instead, he or she can tell the company’s story—where it came from, the reason it exists, and where it is heading—to help employees align their efforts in that shared mission.

Novelist and essayist Mohsin Hamid has a second career as the chief storytelling officer at the London-based creative consultancy Wolff Olins.

© D Legakis/Alamy Stock Photo

Hamid advises executives to engage in this sort of strategic storytelling at three key stages of a company’s evolution: when it is first launched, so that everyone knows where and how the company intends to grow; whenever major changes occur, so that everyone understands how the narrative has changed; and whenever the company’s growth trajectory stalls, to reiterate what the company stands for and how it can overcome the odds. For instance, if a company is facing new competition, the CEO could relate a story from the company’s past about how people came together to find better ways to satisfy customers and thereby protect the business.

By the way, business storytelling has an important personal angle as well. You can map out your career using storytelling (see page 117 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000021ce#page_117) ), and when you’re interviewing for jobs you should be prepared in case an interviewer pops the classic question, “So, what’s your story?” By visualizing a satisfying ending to your own career story, you’ll

have a better idea of what it takes to get there.1

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000002310#P7001012451000000000000000002426)

4.1 Understanding the Three-Step Writing Process

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

1 Describe the three-step writing process. The emphasis that Wolff Olins (profiled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up) puts on connecting with audiences is a lesson that applies to business messages for all stakeholders. By following the process introduced in this chapter, you can create successful messages that meet audience needs and highlight your skills as a perceptive business professional.

The three-step writing process consists of planning, writing, and completing your messages.

The three-step writing process (see Figure 4.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000001f82#P7001012451000000000000000001F8D) ) helps ensure that your messages are both effective (meeting your audience’s needs and getting your points across) and efficient (making the best use of your time and your audience’s time):

Figure 4.1 The Three-Step Writing Process

This three-step process will help you create more effective messages in any medium. As you get more practice with the process, it will become easier and more automatic.

Sources: Based in part on Kevin J. Harty and John Keenan, Writing for Business and Industry: Process and Product (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1987), 3–4; Richard Hatch, Business Writing (Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1983), 88–89; Richard Hatch, Business Communication Theory and Technique (Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1983), 74–75; Center for Humanities, Writing as a Process: A Step-by-Step Guide (Mount Kisco, N.Y.: Center for Humanities, 1987); Michael L. Keene, Effective Professional Writing (New York: D. C. Heath, 1987), 28–34.

• Step 1: Planning business messages. To plan any message, first analyze the situation by defining your purpose and developing a profile of your audience. When you’re sure what you need to accomplish with your message, gather the information that will meet your audience’s needs. Next, select the best combination of medium and channel to deliver your message. Then organize the information by defining your main idea, limiting your scope, selecting the direct or indirect approach, and outlining your content. Planning messages is the focus of this chapter.

• Step 2: Writing business messages. After you’ve planned your message, adapt to your audience by using sensitivity, relationship skills, and an appropriate writing style. Then you’re ready to compose your message by choosing strong words, creating effective sentences, and developing coherent paragraphs. Writing business messages is discussed in Chapter 5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000002445#P7001012451000000000000000002445) .

• Step 3: Completing business messages. After writing your first draft, revise your message by evaluating the content, reviewing readability, and editing and rewriting until your message comes across concisely and clearly, with correct grammar, proper punctuation, and effective format. Next, produce your message. Put it into the form that your audience will receive and review all design and layout decisions for an attractive, professional appearance. Proofread the final product to ensure high quality and then distribute your message. Completing business messages is discussed in Chapter 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000002ade#P7001012451000000000000000002ADE) .

Throughout this book, you’ll learn how to apply these steps to a wide variety of business messages.

OPTIMIZING YOUR WRITING TIME

The more you use the three-step writing process, the more intuitive and automatic it will become. You’ll also get better at allotting time for each task during a writing project. Start by figuring out how much time you have. Then, as a general rule, set aside roughly 50 percent of that time for planning, 25 percent for writing, and 25 percent for completing.

As a starting point, allot roughly half your available time for planning, one-quarter for writing, and one-quarter for completing a message.

Reserving half your time for planning might seem excessive, but as the next section explains, careful planning usually saves time overall by focusing your writing and reducing the need for reworking. Of course, the ideal time allocation varies from project to project. Simpler and shorter messages require less planning than long reports, websites, and other complex projects. Also, the time required to produce and distribute messages can vary widely, depending on the media, the size of the audience, and other factors. Start with the 50-25-25 split as a guideline, and use your best judgment for each project.

PLANNING EFFECTIVELY

As soon as the need to create a message appears, inexperienced communicators are often tempted to dive directly into writing. However, skipping or shortchanging the planning stage often creates extra work and stress later in the process. First, thoughtful planning is necessary to make sure you provide the right information in the right format to the right people. Taking the time to understand your audience members and their needs helps you find and assemble the facts they’re looking for and deliver that information in a concise and compelling way. Second, with careful planning, the writing stage is faster, easier, and much less stressful. Third, planning can save you from embarrassing blunders that could hurt your company or your career.