But first, let’s do some reading comprehension drills.

Instructions: There are 4 sets of Instructions: There are 4 sets of comprehension drills in this exercise.

You have 5 minutes to read each selection and 8 minutes to answer.

Let’s look at the revised copies of our letters.

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Review

Communication-by-Objective Approach

• Learning Objectives:

– Plan a message using the Communication-by-Objective approach

– Compose a message draft following the – Compose a message draft following the Communication-by-Objective approach and incorporating the 6 Cs of effective messages

– Identify the activities involved in Complete a Message, the third of Communication-by-Objective approach

• Outline

– Section 1: Plan a message

– Section 2: Compose a draft

– Section 3: Complete a message– Section 3: Complete a message

– Summary

Communication-by-Objective

• A step by step, whole-into-parts method.

• CBO provides a framework for developing effective messages.

• Remember! • Remember!

An effective message conveys your intended

meaning to the receiver and creates a positive image

for you and your company.

• The CBO Approach involves planning the message, composing a draft, and completing a message.

• When your message demonstrates • When your message demonstrates courtesy, clarity, conciseness, conreteness, correctness, and completeness, you increase your chance of achieving your objective.

Section 1: Plan a Message

• Planning provides the foundation of effective communication.

• It helps you achieve your communication objectives

• The 4 activities in the planning process are listed here:1. Identify the objective

2. Visualize the audience

3. Gather supporting information

4. Organize the information

• Identify the Objective

– The objective is why you are creating the message.

– Basically, your objective will be to persuade, – Basically, your objective will be to persuade, to inform, or to inquire.

– State your message simply, clearly, and concisely.

• Example: Persuade people to shop at City

Department Store

• Visualize the Audience

– Create a mental picture of your audience.

– Know as much as possible about the receiver. This will help you develop a message that is This will help you develop a message that is more likely to achieve a favorable response.

– To help visualize your audience, answer these six questions:

1. Who is my target audience (receiver)? One person or more than one person?

2. What characteristics do I know or what can I learn about my target audience that will help me prepare the message?

3. When will the audience receive the message?

4. Where will the audience be when they receive the message?4. Where will the audience be when they receive the message?

5. Why will the audience be interested in the message?

6. How can I learn more about my target audiences?

Example1. Consumers are the target audience.

2. Consumers need access to shopping at various hours, have an average household income of 500,000 to 1,000,000 pesos, have an average of 3 school-age children, commute to work, and shop within a five-km radius of home.

3. The audience will receive the message in the Sunday paper.

4. The audience will probably be at home when they receive the message.

5. They will be interested in the message because:5. They will be interested in the message because:

a. They want to see the newly remodeled store.

b. They want to save money with the grand opening specials.

6. More information about them may come from census reports, labor reports, and chamber of commerce reports.

• Gather Supporting Information

– You generate and choose ideas that relate to the message objective.

– Check sources such as organizational – Check sources such as organizational documents, people, libraries, and the internet.

– Generate Ideas

• When you generate ideas, the goal is to stimulate your thinking.

• Two actions that will help you generate ideas:– Turn off analytical function of your brain– Turn off analytical function of your brain

– Encourage the creative function

• Research show that human brains cannot simultaneously analyze and create. One function inhibits the other.

• 3 techniques that encourage the flow of ideas:

– Brainstorming

– Nonstop Writing– Nonstop Writing

– Bubble Writing

– Brainstorming

• Record all ideas whether or not they seem appropriate. When the flow of ideas end, select the ones relevant to your objective.

– Nonstop Writing– Nonstop Writing

• Also referred to as freewriting

– Bubble Writing

• Write your objective inside a large bubble at the center of the page then write main ideas that relate to the objective.

– Select Ideas

• Carefully evaluate and select the pertinent ideas from among those you generated.

• Decide which is the most desirable: sending a different message to each group, sending different message to each group, sending message targeted to only one group, or sending a message that appeals to all groups.

– Example:

• The objective of the message is to persuade receivers to shop at City Department Store. The main idea is the grand opening. Supportive points include special discounts on purchases and include special discounts on purchases and customer incentives, such as free snacks and gifts. New departments and a friendly staff are important services that encourage customers to return. These ideas support the message objective.

• Organize the Information

– After gathering, evaluating, and choosing information to support ideas, you begin the fourth activity: select an organizational fourth activity: select an organizational pattern.

– A logical frame work helps receivers understand and remember your message.

– Once you decide on an organizational pattern, develop an outline of your message.

– Direct and Indirect Pattern of Organization

• The Direct Pattern is appropriate for messages containing good, neutral, or routine news.

• Two types of messages often use the direct pattern:pattern:– Messages that say yes to a receiver’s request

– Messages that inquire about products or services

• The Direct pattern of organization opens with the main idea. Supporting information that explains or clarifies the main ideas next. Then closes on a positive note.

– Example:

• Your valuable new City Department Store charge card is enclosed. For your protection, you must call our credit security line at 800-555-0196 to activate your new card. Once you have activated your card, your new card. Once you have activated your card, you may make purchases in any department. You will receive a bonus discount at 5 percent on your very first purchase.

• The Indirect Pattern of organization is appropriate when a message contains unfavorable news, such as denial of a receiver’s request.

• This pattern opens with a pleasant or neutral statement called a buffer.statement called a buffer.

• Supporting information follows the buffer and prepares the receiver for unfavorable news (the main idea). Then comes the unfavorable news.

• When possible, follow the unfavorable news with supporting information.

• The message should still close on a positive note.

– Example:

• Thank you for shopping at City Department Store. Your special order are always welcome. However, the High Elegance style you ordered has been discontinued by the manufacturer. After checking discontinued by the manufacturer. After checking with the outlet broker for the region, we were unable to obtain the dress. You may be interested in a similar style (by Glitzy) that we can order for your consideration. Please call Brenda at 555-0105 to place an order for overnight delivery.

• A variation of the indirect pattern is used for persuasive messages.

• Persuasive messages open with a statement that attracts the receiver’s attention. Next comes supporting information, designed to convince the supporting information, designed to convince the receiver. Finally, the message asks the receiver to take action.

• Action statement invite the receiver to perform such tasks as purchasing a product or making a donation.

– Example:

• Contribute money to your community schools without spending an extra dime! At your request, City Department Store will donate to the local school district 3 percent of every charge-card school district 3 percent of every charge-card purchase you make in December. Just apply the enclosed sticker to the front of your CDS charge-card, and use your CDS charge-card as you normally would.

– Outline

• Lists key terms that represent the ideas for your message.

• Helps you decide where to put what.

• Length is determined by the complexity of your • Length is determined by the complexity of your message—the more complex the message is the longer is the outline.

– Traditional Format

I. Good, neutral, and routine news

II. General Information Support A. Specific Information Support 1

1. Details supporting A11. Details supporting A1

2. Details supporting A2

B. Specific Information Support 2

III. Friendly Ending

Section 2: Compose a Draft

– After planning your message, you are ready to begin the second major CBO step—Compose a Draft.

– The secret of writing a draft is to start with your outline and to expand on your ideas.your outline and to expand on your ideas.

– Consider the following:• Vocabulary

• Sentence Construction

• Paragraph Assembly

• Paragraph Location

• Choose Words

– Select words that reflect the 6 Cs of effective messages.

– Concrete words promote understanding. – Concrete words promote understanding.

– Words that invoke sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch create interest and help the receiver form mental picture.

– Positive words are especially important when the news is negative.

Activity

Instruction: Revise these sentences to show the 6Cs.

• To help us process this order, please send another copy of the requisition.

• So that your order can be filled promptly, please send another copy of the requisition.

• We offer MP3 players with 50, 75, 100 gigabytes of storage capacity.

• Select your MP3 player from three models with 50, 75, or 100 gigabytes of storage capacity.

• Once again, you’ve managed to bring down the website through your incompetent programming.

• Let’s review the last website update so that we can find out how to improve the process.

• You’ve been sitting on our order for two weeks, and we need it now!

• Our production schedules depend on timely delivery of parts and supplies, but we have not yet received the order you promised to deliver two weeks ago. Please promised to deliver two weeks ago. Please respond today with a firm delivery commitment.

• It is impossible to repair your car today.

• Your car can be ready by Tuesday. Would you like a loaner until then?

• We wasted $300,000 advertising in that magazine.

• Our $300,000 advertising investment did not pay off; let’s analyze the experience and apply the insights to future campaigns.campaigns.

• Construct Sentences

– The topic sentence or main idea should capture the receiver’s attention.

– Example:– Example:

• If you enjoy people, if you thrive on challenges, if you want a long-term career, then City Department Store may be the employer for you.

– Supporting sentences provide detail to explain or reinforce the topic sentence.

– Example

• Current openings include positions for sales • Current openings include positions for sales associates, credit analysts, and display designers. Bring your resume to Herman Sanchez, Personnel Specialist, on the third floor of City Department Store.

– A concluding sentence summarize the main idea.

– Example

• Build your career at City Department Store.• Build your career at City Department Store.

– Understanding how to arrange sentences for coherence and emphasis will help you compose a draft of your message.

– Transitionals are words and phrases that help – Transitionals are words and phrases that help readers move smoothly from one thought to the next.

– Use transitionals in the following ways:

• Clarify sequencing

• Emphasize a comparison

• Introduce a contrast

• Present a result

• Add information

Addition Contrast Example Sequence Comparison Result or Consequence

AdditionallyAlsoBesidesFurthermoreIn addition

HoweverNeverthelessNonethelessOtherwiseYet

For exampleFor instanceIn fact

FirstSecondThirdNextThen

LikewiseSimilarly

AccordinglyAs a resultConsequentlyThereforeThusIn addition

MoreoverYet In fact Then

FinallyThus

– Voice

– Evaluate the communication situation before deciding whether to use the active voice or the passive voice.the passive voice.

– The active voice generally attracts more attention and provides greater clarity and conciseness than passive voice.

– But, passive voice may be more diplomatic.

– Length

– Generally, short sentences are emphatic and attention-getting.

– Long sentences may be difficult to remember – Long sentences may be difficult to remember or understand.

– Vary the length within the paragraph to maintain the receiver’s interest.

• Assemble Paragraphs

– A standard paragraph consists of a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence that relate to the main concluding sentence that relate to the main idea.

– To keep a receiver’s attention, limit paragraph length to 4-6 lines.

– To emphasize a point, an occasional paragraph may consist of a single sentence.

– Placement

• Receivers notice and remember information at the start or the end of a message.

• A topic sentence at the beginning of a paragraph orients the readers to the content of the paragraph.orients the readers to the content of the paragraph.

• Thus, the beginning is the typical position for a topic sentence.– Example: You have won P20,000! Yes, your name was drawn as the lucky winner during our City Department Store summer celebration. Simply visit the information booth located at the north entrance to obtain you P20,000 mall certificate.

– Sequence

• Sequence the sentence within a paragraph to help receiver understand thee order of information.

• Typical sequencing arrangements include time, logic, cause and effect, comparison and contrast.logic, cause and effect, comparison and contrast.

– Time

– Logic

• Familiar to less familiar

• Simple to complex• Simple to complex

• Less important to more important

• General to specific

• Specific to general

– Cause and Effect

– Comparison and Contrast

– Tone

• The tone of your business messages can range from informal to conversational to formal.

• If you’re in a large organization and you’re communicating with your superiors or with communicating with your superiors or with customers, your tone would tend to be more formal and respectful.

• However, formal tone might sound distant and cold if used with close colleagues.

– Compare the three versions of the letter: