Sep 28: Assignment Changes

Please note: the DUE DATES for assignments 3 (Informative and Positive Messages) and 4 (Persuasive Message) have changed.

We will discuss both assignments in class next week (Oct. 4).
First drafts are now due Oct 18; final copies will be due Nov 1. (one week later than previously assigned.)

Sep 27: Reader benefits, You-attitude, Positive emphasis, Audience

Assignments:

• Assignment 3: Informative and Positive Messages
• Assignment 4: Persuasive Message
  (FYI: the grading criteria attached to the end of each assignment follows the outline presented in the "Aspects..." handout.)
• Blog topic: give a brief example of a well written -OR- poorly written piece of communication that you've encountered at school or work.

Reader benefits

• Reader benefits are benefits or advantages that the reader gets by
  - using the writer's services,
  - buying the writer's products,
  - following the writer's policies,
  - or adopting the writer's ideas.
• Reader benefits can exist for policies and ideas as well as for goods and services.
• Reader benefits tell readers that they can do the job and that success will be rewarded.

Reader benefits

• Good reader benefits are adapted to the audience, based on intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivators, supported by clear logic and explained in adequate detail, and phrased in you-attitude.
• Extrinsic benefits simply aren't available to reward every desired behavior; further, they reduce the satisfaction in doing something for its own sake.

Create Reader benefits

• Identify the feelings, fears, and needs that may motivate your reader.
  Identify the features of your product or policy that could meet the needs you've identified.
• Show how the reader can meet his or her needs with the features of the policy or product.
• When you write to multiple audiences, use the primary audience to determine level of detail, organization, level of formality, and use of technical terms and theory.

You-attitude

• You-attitude is a style of writing that…
  — looks at things from the reader's point of view,
  —emphasizing what the reader wants to know,
  —respecting the reader's intelligence, and
  —protecting the reader's ego.

Talk About Audience, Not Yourself

• Tell how message affects the audience
• Don’t mention communicator’s work or generosity
• Stress what audience wants to know

Refer to Reader’s Request or Order

• Make specific references, not generic
• Name content of order for person or small business
• Cite purchase order numbers for customers that order often

Don’t Talk About Feelings

• Express your feelings to
  —Offer sympathy to audience
  —Congratulate audience
• Don’t talk about audience’s feelings
• Don’t predict audience’s response
• Give audience good news

In Positive Situations…

• Use 'you' in positive situations
• Avoid 'I' in printed text
• Avoid 'we' if it excludes the audience

Avoid 'You' in Negative Situations

• Protect audience’s ego
• Avoid assigning blame
• Use passive verbs
• Use impersonal style
• Talk about things, not people
• Apply you-attitude beyond the sentence level by using organization and content as well as style to build goodwill.

Positive Emphasis

• Positive emphasis means focusing on the positive rather than the negative aspects of a situation.
• Avoid negative words and words with negative connotations.
• Focus on what the reader can do rather than on limitations.
• Justify negative information by giving a reason or linking it to a reader benefit.
• If the negative is truly unimportant, omit it.
• Put the negative information in the middle and present it compactly.

The desirable tone for business writing is…

• businesslike but not stiff,
• friendly but not phony,
• confident but not arrogant,
• polite but not groveling.

The following guidelines will help you achieve the tone you want:

• Use courtesy titles for people outside your organization whom you don't know well.
• Be aware of the power implications of the words you use.
• When the stakes are low, be straightforward.
• When you must give bad news, consider hedging your statement.
• Writing should be free from sexism in four areas: words and phrases, job titles, courtesy titles, and pronouns.

Positive emphasis

• Ms. is the nonsexist courtesy title for women. Whether or not you know a woman's marital status…
  —Use Ms. unless the woman has a professional title or …
  —unless you know that she prefers a traditional title.
• Traditional pronouns are sexist when they refer to a class of people, not to specific individuals...

Four ways to make the sentence nonsexist are to

1. use plurals (“people go…, “managers talk…”)
2. use ‘you’ (“you may consider…”)
3. to revise the sentence to omit the pronoun
4. to use pronoun pairs (“men and women…, “she and her team…”)

Bias-free language

• is fair and friendly;
• it complies with the law.
• It includes all readers;
• it helps to sustain goodwill.

Check to be sure that your language is nonsexist, nonracist, and nonagist.

• When you talk about people with disabilities or diseases, use the term they prefer.
• When you produce newsletters or other documents with photos and illustrations, picture a sampling of the whole population, not just part of it.

Audience

• The primary audience will make a decision or act on the basis of your message.
• The secondary audience may be asked by the primary audience to comment on your message or to implement your ideas after they've been approved.
• The initial audience routes the message to other audiences and may assign the message.
• A gatekeeper controls whether the message gets to the primary audience.
• A watchdog audience has political, social, or economic power and may base future actions on its evaluation of your message.

Common sense and empathy are crucial to good audience analysis.

The following questions provide a framework for audience analysis:

Six Questions to Analyze Audiences

1. How will audience react at first?
   —Will they see message as important?
   —What is their experience with you?
2. How much information do they need?
   —What do they already know?
   —Does their knowledge need to be updated?
   —What do they need to know to appreciate your points?
   —Six Questions to Analyze Audiences
3. What obstacles must you overcome?
   —Is audience opposed to your message?
   —Will it be easy to do as you ask?
4. What positives can you emphasize?
   —What are benefits for audience?
   —What do you have in common with them?
   —Experiences – Interests – Goals – Values
   —Six Questions to Analyze Audiences
5. What does audience expect?
   —What writing style do they prefer?
   —Are there red flag words?
   —How much detail does audience want?
   —Do they want direct or indirect structure?
   —Do they have expectations about length, visuals, or footnotes?
   —Six Questions to Analyze Audiences
6. How will audience use document?
   —Under what physical conditions will they use it?
   —What purpose will document serve?
   —Reference
   —Guide
   —Basis of lawsuit
   

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Content attributed to Locker, Kitty O. and Donna Kienzler. Business and Administrative Communication, 8/e. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. 2008.

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Assignment 2: Job Package (Resumes and Cover Letters)

Blog task: In which part of the job interview process are you...

• most confident?
• least confident???

Assignment 2: Job Package

• Assignment details here

DUE DATES
• The first draft of this assignment is due Monday, September 27, 2010, during classtime.
• First drafts will be critiqued and returned the following week (October 4, 2010).
• Final version DUE Monday, November 22, 2010, at the beginning of class.

• Handout: Resumes and Cover Letters PDF

Cover Letters

When writing your cover letter (and/or resume), keep in mind that the reviewer is only interested in one thing; the facts. A well written cover letter should serve these specific purposes:

1. Ensure that your resume gets to the right person in the right department.
Many times, companies will advertise multiple job opportunities in various departments or locations. If you’re applying for a specific position, the cover letter should ensure that your resume is delivered to the appropriate department and/or person (per the job advertisement) who will be reviewing your application.

2. Match your skills with the specific job requirements.
The cover letter should briefly but accurately demonstrate that you meet or exceed the requirements listed in the job description. A properly written cover letter will make use of the very same keywords as used in the job description to highlight your own job skills; hence making you a “perfect match” for the position! It should also demonstrate that you’re interested in the position, and that you are available to accept the position if offered.

3. Entice the employer to read your resume.
Getting a prospective employer to read your resume is the first crucial step toward getting the job you want. A well written cover letter should provide just enough information about you and your abilities to make them want to know more about you. But don’t go too far… additional information beyond this can be counterproductive, as it dilutes the core purpose of the cover letter and resume.1 Do not think of your cover letter as an autobiography; it should be brief and to the point.

If your resume gets read, then the cover letter will have done its job.

Letters are the perfect chance to communicate in a personal and professional way, and to highlight key information. They also provide you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
NEVER use a form letter!
Always tailor each letter to the person to whom you are writing.2

Sources:
1. http://www.how-to-write-a-resume.org/cover_letter_tips.htm
2. http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/resources/letters.htm#coverletter

Resumes

Resume Writing Tips

When writing your resume (and cover letter), keep in mind that the reviewer is only interested in one thing; the facts. Do not think of your cover letter as an autobiography; it should be brief and to the point.

The purpose of the resume and cover letter should be one thing – it should demonstrate that you meet or exceed the requirements listed in the job description. It should demonstrate that you’re interested in the position, and that you are available to accept the position if offered. Additional information beyond this can be counterproductive, as it dilutes the core purpose of the resume and cover letter. 5

The resume is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview. If it does that, it works. If it doesn’t, it isn’t an effective resume. A resume is an advertisement, nothing more, nothing less.

A great resume doesn’t just tell them what you have done but makes the same assertion that all good ads do: "If you buy this product, you will get these specific, direct benefits." It presents you in the best light. It convinces the employer that you have what it takes to be successful in this new position or career6.

Cover letters and resumes offer the perfect chance to communicate in a personal and professional way, and to highlight key information. They also provide you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd. NEVER use a form letter! Always tailor each letter to the person to whom you are writing7.

Always keep in mind that the resume is your primary tool for selling yourself. If readers can’t consume the information in it, whether due to technical issues or readability problems, they will quickly move on to the next resume8.

Sources:
5 http://www.how-to-write-a-resume.org/cover_letter_tips.htm
6 http://www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes.html
7 http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/resources/letters.htm#coverletter
8 http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=274

Types of Resumes

Chronological: emphasized "time" (what most of us think of as a "typical" resume format)

• Objective
  [Describe your career goal or ideal job.]
• Education
  [Dates of attendance] [School Name] [City, ST] [Degree Obtained]
  [Relevant Coursework: list classes related to major and minor (not gen-ed)by title (not by course number- "Integrated Communication in Business," NOT "BUS 3700")
  [Special award/accomplishment or degree minor]
  Include any post-secondary educational experience (Community College, Certifications, Foreign study, etc.) Do not list high school and prior.
• Experience
  [Dates of employment] [Company Name] [City, ST]
  [Job Title] [Job responsibility/achievement]
  List jobs in reverse chronological order; list jobs that are relevant
• References

Chronological resume advantages:

• Displays employment consistency (good work ethic)
• Emphasizes work history (career path)

Chronological resume disadvantages:

• Draws attention to gaps in employment (unemployment)
• Calls attention to age (for older workers)
• Draws attention to lack of employment (difficult for those just starting out)

Best use: for those with a long or consistent work history

Functional Resume: emphasized "skills" but DEemphasizes time (also known as a "skills based resume")

• Objective [Describe your career goal or ideal job.]
  -OR-
  Summary of Qualifications [Describe what skills you would bring to the position]
• Education [Dates of attendance] [School Name] [City, ST] [Degree Obtained] [Relevant Coursework: list classes related to major and minor (not gen-ed)by title (not by course number- "Integrated Communication in Business," NOT "BUS 3700") [Special award/accomplishment or degree minor] Include any post-secondary educational experience (Community College, Certifications, Foreign study, etc.) Do not list high school and prior.
• Professional Accomplishments
  [Field or Area of Accomplishment]
  [Job responsibility/achievement]
• Employment History
  [Job title] [Company Name], [City, ST] [Dates of employment]
  List jobs in reverse chronological order; list jobs that are relevant
• References

Functional resume advantages:

• Focuses on skills rather than time (illustrates what you can do, not necessarily how long you've been doing it.)
• Can more easily be tailored to match the employer's requirements
• Easily displays coursework or non-employment-related experience

Functional resume disadvantages:

• Doesn't display consistant employment history as clearly

Best use: for those with little or no work history, or with gaps in employment, or when changing fields of work (for example, someone with extensive accounting experience who is applying for a management position)

Assignment 1: 'Self" Analysis

A link has been added to the schedule page with the full description of your first assignment ('Self' Analysis). You may also access the same page here:
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~k0howard/bus3700/pdf/BUS3700-1-Self-Analysis.pdf
I apologize for not handing out printed versions in class.
This assignment is due next class, Monday, September 20.

You'll also find a link to an example business letter (block format) that you may use as a guideline if you wish. (We'll get more into the specifics of letter and memo format later on in the semester.)
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~k0howard/bus3700/pdf/BUS3700-Business%20letter.pdf

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