Module 8 is titled “Reader Benefits.” One of the sections in Module 8 is “How do I decide which benefits to use?” The text provided three principles to guide the writer’s choice of benefits. The writer should use at least one benefit for each part of his audience, and the writer is encouraged to use intrinsic benefits. Most messages go to multiple audiences. When a letter is sent to different people, these people will not have the same concerns. They will have a variety of concerns, and the more of these concerns that the writer speaks to, the more persuasive he will be. Intrinsic benefits come automatically from using a product or doing something. A study of professional employees found that the things that said they liked about their jobs were all intrinsic rewards. Some of these rewards included; pride in achievement, an enjoyment of the work itself, and responsibility. The writer should also use the benefits that he can develop the most fully. One sentence benefits have little to no effect on the audience. The writer should use benefits that he can develop in three to five sentences or more. A reader benefit is a claim or assertion that the reader will benefit if he or she does something. The reader must be convinced that the benefit will occur and the writer must be able to explain the benefit to the reader.
In Module 8 the text advised that reader benefits are important in both informative and persuasive messages. In informative messages, reader benefits give reasons to comply with policy or procedures and suggest that the policies and procedures are good ones. In a persuasive message, reader benefits give reasons to act and they help overcome reader resistance. Reader benefits improve both the attitudes and the behavior of the people you work with and write to. Sometimes it is easy to think of reader benefits and to explain them. When they become harder to identify, the text recommends that the writer brainstorm. The module suggests attempting to come up with three to five benefits for every informative message, and five to seven benefits for every persuasive message. In order to develop your benefits, think about the details of each one. The more indirect the benefit is, the more proof the writer will need to provide to the reader. Make sure your reader benefits are in you-attitude, otherwise they will sound selfish and will not be as effective.
Module 13 is titled “E-Mail Messages and Web Writing.” Although e-mail appears to be a less formal writing style, it is not private, and your employer can legally review all of your messages. Any message that you send out, can also be forwarded, which includes people that you did not intend to see the e-mail. Be professional in the use of e-mails, and in the writing of the e-mails. Incorporate the you-attitude and the use of positive emphasis in your messages. Make sure to include reader benefits based on the audience you are addressing, and utilize the pattern of organization that best fits the purpose of your message. Review your message to insure that you have included all the information necessary, and check your message for grammatical correctness. Reread and proofread your message before sending it. E-mail messages have to interest the reader in the subject line and first paragraph, and if your e-mail is more than one screen, then the first screen will need to be interesting enough to the reader to insure they continue reading. Most e-mails systems have a format already setup for the user, and will prompt you to supply various information. Cc denotes computer copies, and this will list the people to receive a copy of your message. Bcc denotes blind computer copies, and these names remain hidden from other recipients of the message. When you hit reply, the e-mail program automatically uses Re. The text recommends using two inch side margins, because if the lines are too long, they will produce awkward line breaks. Also shorten your tabs to two or three spaces to minimize wasted space on the screen. Your subject lines should be specific, concise, and catchy. End of message (EOM) tells the reader that there is no additional information. If you have good news to convey, be sure it is in the subject line, and be as brief as you can. The subject line should contain the negative whenever the negative is serious, otherwise the reader might ignore a message with a neutral subject line. A negative subject line may also be used if the reader needs the information to make a decision or act, or to report your own errors. The subject line of a persuasive message should make it clear that you are asking for something. The text advises that e-mails should not be used for reporting a major negative, such as firing someone. This is confidential information and could end up being forwarded to people that are not authorized to know. Never write an e-mail when you are angry, because they can end up causing a very bad result. When you ask the reader for something, make sure that you include all the information they will need to complete your request. When you send a long text document, the module recommends sending it as an attachment. When you send an attachment, tell the reader what program it is in. You cannot get a virus through your e-mail, but they can infect attachments.
No comments:
Post a Comment