The document discusses the process of preparing effective business messages. It emphasizes the importance of planning, organizing, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading messages. It outlines five key steps to take: 1) identify the purpose, 2) analyze the audience, 3) choose ideas, 4) collect data, and 5) organize the message. It describes direct and indirect organizational plans and stresses the importance of strong opening and closing paragraphs. Effective business messages require careful preparation to be clear, concise and courteous.

1. Mohammad Ahmad
PRESTON UNIVERSITY
ISLAMABAD
Chapter No: 6
THE PROCESS OF PREPARING
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MESSAGES
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2. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Why preparing for effective business message?
 Whether we are preparing a written or an oral business
message, to be effective we need to plan, organize,
draft, revise, edit, and proofread.
 the seven C qualities and awareness of legal and ethical
aspects as well is Necessary.
 Even with the most advanced office technology, the
need for careful preparation of either written or oral
messages demands efforts
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3. Organize your Message
Collects Your Data
Choose Your Ideas
Analyze The Audience
Identify Your Purpose
Five Planning Steps
The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
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4. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Step 1 Identify Your Purpose
The reason of writing a message could be:
 Mainly informational (announcement) etc.
 Persuasive, (promotion of product), etc.
 Negotiating, {deals, agreement}
 Creating goodwill, (Narrate Good Bout You)
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5. Step 2 Analyze Your Audience
While preparing a message the care must be taken for the following aspects:
 Member of a group, such as business or professional person; laborer,
colleague, or subordinate; woman or man.
 New or long time customer; young, middle-aged, or elderly.
 Receivers educational level, attitudes and probable values (often culture-
specific)
The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
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6. Step 3 Chose Your Idea
With the purpose and receiver in mind, the next step is to choose the idea
for message.
The idea of writing a message depends on the background, situation,
cultural context and location of the receiver (national or international)
The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
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7. Step 4 Collect Your Data
Data Should be:
 Logical,
 Reality Based
 Researched Based
 Company’s policies, procedures, and product detail if
needed to support the main idea.
 Enclose, if needed, a brochure, table, picture, or
product sample.
The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
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8. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Step 5 Organize Your Message
 idea is presented is as important as the ideas themselves.
 Disorganized, rambling messages often seem careless,
confusing, and unimportant.
 Different approaches of organizing the business
messages are necessary for different cultures.
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9. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
What is Organizational Plan.
Direct (Deductive) Approach:
Use the direct approach when the audience is receptive of your message.
(Good News Messages)
Indirect (Inductive) Approach:
When you expect resistance to your message, choose the indirect approach,
(bad-news message or a persuasive request).
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10. For writing letters and memos, one of four basic organizational plans can
be selected according to the situation:
1. The direct request, (Deductive Approach)
2. Good news, (Deductive Approach)
3. Bad-news, (Inductive Approach)
4. Persuasive request plan, (Inductive Approach)
The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
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11. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Direct (Deductive) Organizational Plan
Direct Request Plan:
This type of plan is used when the main purpose of message is to make a
request:
1. Main Idea:
a) Request, main statement, assertion, recommendation, question
b) Reason, if desirable
2. Explanation:
a) All necessary and desirable detail and data
b) Numbered questions, if helpful
c) Easy reading
3. Courteous Close:
a) Clear Statement of action desired
b) Appreciation and goodwill
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12. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Direct (Deductive) Organizational Plan
Good News Plan:
This type of plan is used when the main purpose of message
announce favorable or neutral information, and exchange routine
information within or between companies.
1. Best News or Main Idea
2. Explanation
a) All necessary and desirable detail and data
b) Educational material
c) Sales promotional material
3. Positive, Friendly Close, Including, if appropriate
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13. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Indirect (Inductive) Organizational Plan
Bad-News Plan:
This type of plan is one of the most difficult to prepare because your
reader.
1. Buffer (Pleasant or Neutral Statements, reader-oriented)
2. Explanation:
Necessary data, tactfully stated
Readers benefit reasons
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14. Indirect (Inductive) Organizational Plan
• Persuasive Request Plan:
1. Attention
a) Reader benefit
b) Reader-interest theme
2. Interest
a) Descriptive details and data
b) Psychological appeal
c) Reader benefit
3. Desire
a) Statement of request
b) Supporting data to help create reader’s desire or request
4. Action
a) Clear statement of action
b) Easy action, dated when desirable
c) Special inducement
e) Reader benefit and goodwill
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15. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
The Beginning and Ending of Business Message
The most important part of Business Message is its opening and closing
paragraphs.
Why ?
 Because “First Impression is the last impression”
 “We remember best what we read last”
The trick is:
 Whenever possible, place the main favorable ideas at the beginning
and ending of a message. This advice is also applies to the
paragraph.
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16. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Opening Paragraph
The opening of message determines whether the
reader continues reading, puts the message aside, or
discard it. The rules of good opening paragraphs are:
1. Choose an opening appropriate for the message
purpose and for the reader.
a) Main Idea or good-news first for direct-request, neutral,
and good news messages
b) Buffer first for bad news messages.
c) Attention-getting statements
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17. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Opening Paragraph (Contd.)
2. Make the opening considerate, courteous, concise, clear.
a) Get reader into opening.
b) Keep first paragraph relatively short
c) Focus on positive
d) Use courteous, conversational language
e) Avoid repetition
3. Check for completeness regarding:
a) Sentence structure
b) Date of letter you are answering
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18. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Closing Paragraph
• The closing is more likely to motivate the reader t
act as requested if it is appropriately strong, clear
and polite.
• Here you have the opportunity to bring the final
focus on the desired action and leave a sense of
goodwill with the reader.
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19. The Process of Preparing Effective Business
Message
Closing Paragraph (Contd.)
1. Make your action request clear and complete with the five W’s and the H (how
if you want your reader to do something.
2. End with a positive, courteous thought.
a) Include any apologies and negative before the last paragraph
b) Be friendly
c) Show appreciation
d) Occasionally add a personal note
3. Keep the last paragraph concise and correct
a) Avoid trite expressions
b) Omit discussion of trivial details
c) Use relatively short and complete sentences
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20. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Composing the Message (End of Planning Stage)
• Drafting Your Message: When you have completed the five
planning steps and considered the opening and closing,
you are ready for your first draft.
• The important thing in preparing a draft message is to get
the most important information in your message on the
paper.
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21. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Revising the message
• After finishing the first draft of the message, it is important to
evaluate its content, organization, and style. The following
are the suggestions for revising:
 Does your message accomplish its purpose?
 Have you chosen the most effective organizational plan?
 Are your points supports the adequate material?
 Is your language complete, concise, considerate, concrete,
clear, courteous, and correct?
 Have you used variety in sentence structure?
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22. The Process of Preparing Effective
Business Message
Editing & Proofreading Your Message:
• Editing and proofreading are important to ensure that your
documents have no mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or
word choice.
• Persons writing in a second language will find it helpful to read
their written material aloud.
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23. Thank You…
“JAZZAK ALLAH”
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