LECTURE NOTES

CHAPTER 10--WRITING BAD-NEWS

MESSAGES
ORGANIZING BAD-NEWS MESSAGES
Objective of bad-news messages: to
convey the bad news without bruising
the reader's feelings.
Two basic issues to decide when
planning a bad-news message: tone
and organization.
Adopt a tone that achieves three
objectives:
o Makes audience aware that
decision is firm.
o Makes audience agree that
decision is fair.
o Leaves audience with positive
attitude toward the
organization--and perhaps
toward you.
The issue of organization concerns a
choice between the indirect and the
direct plan.
Objective of indirect plan: to ease the
audience into the part of the message
that justifies the decision or builds
goodwill.
Four parts of indirect plan for badnews messages:
o buffer
o reasons
o bad news
o positive close
2. Buffer: neutral, noncontroversial
statement closely related to the point
of the message.
3. Tips for formulating a buffer:
o Don't beat around the bush;
stick to subject.
o Don't build up false hopes of
positive answer.
o Avoid saying no.
o Avoid know-it-all tone.
o Avoid wordy, irrelevant phrases.
o Don't apologize.
o Don't be long-winded.
o Buffer should be pleasant,
relevant, and neutral, and it
should lead smoothly into the
reasons that follow.
o Tips for providing reasons in
bad-news messages:
o Begin with most positive points;
move on to less positive ones.
o Don't blame decision on
company policy unless
explanation would help
audience meet requirements
later.
o Don't apologize; apology implies
that organization made a
mistake.
o Use positive, nonjudgmental
tone.

Skip reasons if they are

confidential, purely negative,
self-serving, or complicated.
o Tips for stating the bad news:
o Make answer clear, but present
it in positive, impersonal
language.
o Minimize space or time devoted
to bad news.
o Subordinate bad news in
compound or complex
sentence.
o Embed bad news in middle of
paragraph.
o Use "if" or "when" statement to
suggest conditions under which
positive answer might be
possible.
o Focus on what you did do, not
on what you didn't do.
o Avoid blunt or offensive
phrases.
o Tips for providing a positive
close:
o Conclude on upbeat note.
o Propose attainable solution.
o Provide resale and sales
promotion.
o Make sure audience
understands any action
required.
o Don't repeat bad news.
o Don't apologize.
o Don't urge additional
communication.
o Don't anticipate problems.
o Don't include insincere cliches.
o Don't express doubt that
audience will remain a
customer.
o Direct plan: bad news first,
followed by reasons and a
courteous close.
o Advantages of using the direct
plan:
o Allows shorter message.
o Gets directly to point.
o When to use the direct plan for
bad-news messages:
o for internal memos.
o For routine bad-news messages
to other businesses.
o For audiences who prefer direct
approach.
o For situations that demand
firmness.
CONVEYING BAD NEWS ABOUT ORDERS
Order may be unclear, product may be
out of stock or discontinued, or
customer may not have met ordering
requirements.
Objectives:
o To work toward eventual sale
comparable to original order.
o To keep instructions or
additional information clear.
o

to maintain audience's interest

and goodwill.
Use the indirect approach to clarify an
order:
o Buffer confirms order and
provides resale information.
o Middle explains why order
cannot be filled and emphasizes
positive side of situation.
o Close explains what is required
and describes benefits of acting
promptly.
2. Back orders represent two possible
types of bad news:
o Only part of order can be
shipped.
o None of order can be shipped.
o Organizational plan for notifying
customer about shipment of a
partial order:
o Buffer announces good news
(part of order en route).
o Middle explains why rest of
shipment is delayed and states
or implies bad news.
o Close encourages favorable
attitude toward transaction.
2. The same pattern can be used
when none of the order can be
shipped, but the buffer can only
confirm the order.
3. If substitution is necessary
because an item is no longer
available, send the substitute if
the audience is sure to want it.
4. When in doubt about the
customer's willingness to accept
the substitute, write a sales
letter first:
o Use indirect plan.
o Put resale information in buffer.
o If substitute is more expensive,
emphasize added features and
superior quality.
o Don't refer to new item as
"substitute."
o In close, make it easy for
audience to order substitute.
o When the order cannot be filled
at all, suggest an alternative
source.
o Use this organizational plan for
unfillable orders:
o Compliment audience on good
taste.
o Explain why order cannot be
filled; state bad news.
o Close with helpful suggestion
and reference to future
business.
COMMUNICATING NEGATIVE ANSWERS
AND INFORMATION
Use the direct plan if the audience will
not be deeply disappointed; otherwise,
use the indirect plan.
Possible buffers:
o

Express appreciation for being

thought of.
o Assure audience that request
received careful consideration.
o Compliment audience.
o Express understanding of
situation and audience's needs.
In the middle, (1) explain the reasons
for the bad news, (2) state the bad
news, and (3) provide suggestions for
handling the situation and offer help, if
appropriate.
In the close, express interest,
encouragement, and goodwill.
When providing bad news about
products,
o Use direct approach if message
will have little emotional
impact.
o Use indirect approach when
audience will be seriously
affected.
When denying cooperation with
routine requests,
o Choose direct or indirect plan,
depending on emotional impact
of message.
o Use warm, positive tone.
o Avoid cliches, stodgy language,
and abrupt or negative
phrasing.
When declining requests for favors,
choose the direct or indirect plan,
depending on your relationship with
the audience:
o Direct plan with close friends
and associates.
o Indirect plan with relative
strangers.
REFUSING ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS AND
COMPLAINTS
Use a tactful, courteous tone.
Use the indirect plan.
1. Buffer: brief, positive,
noncontroversial statement
2. Middle: explanation of reasons,
followed by indirect statement
of bad news, presented as
positively as possible.
3. Close: expression of interest in
future relationship.
REFUSING TO EXTEND CREDIT
Use the indirect plan to soften the
audience's disappointment.
When the credit applicant may qualify
at a later date, offer encouragement:
o Avoid condescending lecture on
"earning" credit.
o Emphasize firm's interest in
doing business with applicant.
When applicant is a business as
opposed to an individual,
o Emphasize reasons credit is
being denied.
o Suggest alternatives (cash
purchases, third-party loans).
o

Explain what applicant must do

to qualify.
o Emphasize positive aspects of
situation (discounts for cash
purchases).
Consider the decision to deny credit
carefully; denying credit can seriously
damage the applicant's reputation or
business.
CONVEYING UNFAVORABLE NEWS
ABOUT PEOPLE
Four types of unfavorable news about
people:
o Refusals to write
recommendation letters.
o Rejections of job applicants.
o Negative performance reviews.
o Terminations of employees.
Use the direct plan for messages to
prospective employers, the indirect
plan for messages to job applicants
and employees.
When writing to an applicant to turn
down the opportunity to write a
recommendation letter, use the
indirect plan:
o

Open with positive comment

about applicant.
o State refusal indirectly.
o Suggest alternatives.
o Close with polite
encouragement.
When rejecting job applicants, be brief
and impersonal.
When giving negative performance
reviews,
o Mention positive points.
o Explain how employee is falling
short.
o Suggest ways to improve.
Objectives when terminating
employees:
o To present reasons for decision.
o To avoid statements that might
pose legal problems.
o To promote best relationship
possible under circumstances.
For legal purposes, termination letters
should present specific, objective,
verifiable, measurable reasons.
o