ENG201 LESSON 21 WRITING PERSUASIVE MESSAGES

LESSON 20: Writing Bad-News Messages

1. What are the two basic strategies for communicating bad-news messages?
   Answer: The indirect plan and the direct plan.
2. What are the four parts of the indirect plan for bad-news messages?
   Answer: A buffer, reasons supporting the negative decision, a clear diplomatic statement of the negative decision, and a helpful friendly positive close.
3. What is a buffer in a bad-news message?
   Answer: A buffer is a neutral non-controversial statement closely related to the point of the message that puts the audience in an accepting mood.
4. What are three things to avoid when composing a buffer?
   Answer: Avoid giving the impression that good news will follow, avoid saying “no,” and avoid using a know-it-all tone.
5. What are two techniques for saying “no” clearly but painlessly?
   Answer: Using conditional statements that imply future possibility, and telling what you did do/can do/will do rather than what you didn’t/can’t/won’t do.
6. When should you use the direct plan for bad-news messages?
   Answer: Use the direct plan when the audience prefers directness, when the news is not particularly damaging, or when firmness is necessary.
7. What are two reasons a business might need to convey bad news about orders?
   Answer: When they can send only part of an order (back-order), or when they can send none of the order.
8. What are three guidelines for the positive close of a bad-news message?
   Answer: Don’t refer to or repeat the bad news, don’t apologize for the decision, and don’t anticipate problems.
9. Why is the indirect plan generally more effective for bad-news messages?
   Answer: The indirect plan prepares the reader psychologically for the negative news by presenting reasons first, making them more likely to accept the decision as fair and reasonable.
10. How does the right tone help achieve the three specific goals of bad-news messages?
    Answer: The right tone helps convey the decision as firm yet fair, demonstrates the decision was reasonable under the circumstances, and helps maintain the audience’s positive disposition toward the business.
11. Why should a buffer avoid apologizing?
    Answer: Apologizing in the buffer may weaken your position, suggest admission of error or guilt, and make the subsequent reasons and refusal seem inconsistent or insincere.
12. How can writers “de-emphasize” bad news in a message?
    Answer: Writers can minimize the space devoted to it, subordinate it in complex sentences, embed it in the middle of paragraphs, and avoid negative words and blunt phrases.
13. Why is it important to provide sufficient detail in the reasons section?
    Answer: Sufficient detail makes the reason for the refusal logically acceptable to the reader and demonstrates that the decision was made carefully and fairly.
14. What is the risk of overemphasizing the positive in a bad-news message?
    Answer: Overemphasizing the positive can create false hopes, seem insincere, or make the bad news seem like an afterthought, damaging credibility.
15. Why should the positive close avoid phrases like “If we can be of any help”?
    Answer: Such phrases can seem insincere or ironic in view of the refusal just delivered, and may suggest the writer doesn’t really mean the offer of help.
16. What are the potential advantages of the direct plan for bad-news messages?
    Answer: The direct plan can make messages shorter and get to the main point quickly, respecting readers’ time when they prefer directness.
17. Why might a business need to back-order for a customer?
    Answer: A business may need to back-order when inventory is insufficient to fulfill the entire order immediately but more stock is expected soon.
18. Write a buffer for a message refusing a request for a donation.
    Answer: “Thank you for your letter describing the valuable work your organization does in our community to support literacy programs.”
19. Convert this blunt refusal to a more diplomatic one: “We must deny your request for an extension.”
    Answer: “Although we’re unable to grant an extension for this project, we can offer you access to our online resources that may help you complete the work on schedule.”
20. Draft a conditional statement that implies future possibility for a rejected job applicant.
    Answer: “When you have gained more experience in digital marketing, we encourage you to apply for future positions with our company.”
21. Identify what’s wrong with this bad-news statement and rewrite it: “You obviously didn’t read the instructions, so we can’t help you.”
    Answer: Problem: accusatory and unhelpful. Rewritten: “The warranty requires that installation follow the specified procedures. We’d be happy to review the instructions with you to identify what may have gone wrong.”
22. Create a positive close for a message refusing a speaking invitation.
    Answer: “We appreciate your thinking of us for this important event and wish you every success with your conference. We hope to have the opportunity to participate in future programs.”
23. You can only ship part of a customer’s order. How would you present this bad news?
    Answer: “We’re shipping the available items from your order today, and we’ve placed the remaining products on back-order to be sent as soon as they arrive, expected within 7-10 business days.”
24. Rewrite this negative phrasing to be positive: “We won’t be able to process your application until the fee is paid.”
    Answer: “We’ll process your application immediately upon receipt of the application fee.”
25. A customer requests a refund outside the return period. Using the “what we can do” technique, write a refusal.
    Answer: “While our 30-day return period has expired, we can offer you a 25% store credit toward any future purchase or help you list the item for sale in our customer resale forum.”