Business communication building critical skill 3rd by locker module 7

PPT
PPT

Module
Module 77
Positive
PositiveEmphasis
Emphasis

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

©2007, The McGraw-Hill Companies, All Rights


7-2

Positive
Positive Emphasis
Emphasis
♦To learn how to
 Continue building goodwill.
 Emphasize the positive.
 Use positive emphasis ethically.
 Begin to choose an appropriate
tone.


7-3

Positive
Positive Emphasis

Emphasis
Start by answering these questions:
 How do I create positive emphasis?
 What’s the best way to apologize?
 Why do I need to think about tone,
politeness, and power?


7-4

Some
Some Negatives
Negatives Are
Are Necessary
Necessary
♦To build credibility
when giving bad
news.
♦To help people to
take a problem
seriously.


7-5

Some
Some Negatives
Negatives Are
Are Necessary
Necessary

continued
continued

♦To deliver a rebuke with
no alternative.
♦To create a “reverse
psychology” to make
people look favorably at
your product or service.


7-6

To
To Create
Create Positive
Positive Emphasis
Emphasis
♦Avoid negative
words.
♦Focus on what the
reader can do.
♦Justify a negative—
give a reason or link
it to a reader
benefit.


7-7

To
To Create
Create Positive
Positive Emphasis
Emphasis
continued
continued

♦Omit unimportant
negatives.
♦Put the negative in
the middle and
present it
compactly.


7-8

Some
Some Common
Common Negative
Negative Words
Words
♦ Afraid
♦ Bad
♦ Careless
♦ Delay
♦ Delinquent
♦ Deny
♦ Difficulty

♦ Error

♦ Fail
♦ Fault
♦ Loss
♦ Misfortune
♦ Mistake
♦ Neglect
♦ Never
♦ No

♦ Problem
♦ Reject
♦ Sorry
♦ Terrible
♦ Trivial
♦ Wrong
♦ Unfair
♦ Unfortunate


7-9

Positive
Positive Emphasis
Emphasis Examples
Examples
♦ Lacking: We have failed to take
inventory.
♦ Better: We will be finished taking

inventory Friday.
♦ Lacking: This exercycle is not
guaranteed for life.
♦ Better: This exercycle is guaranteed for
10 years.


7-10

Positive
Positive Emphasis
Emphasis Examples
Examples
continued
continued

♦ Lacking: Now Crispy Crunch tastes
better.
♦ Better: Now Crispy Crunch tastes even
better.
♦ Lacking: If you are not satisfied with
Interstate Fidelity Insurance, you do not
have to renew your policy.
♦ Better: Omit the sentence.


7-11

Tone
Tone and

and Politeness
Politeness
♦Both are issues of power.
♦Tone is the implied attitude of the
writer toward the reader.
♦Don’t use the same tone with a
superior as with a peer or
subordinate.


7-12

To
To Achieve
Achieve Good
Good Tone
Tone
♦Use courtesy titles for people
outside the organization you don’t
know very well.
♦Be aware of the power
implications of words.
♦When you must give bad news,
consider hedging your statement.


7-13

Apologizing
Apologizing

♦If you must, apologize
 Early.
 Briefly.
 Sincerely.

♦Be aware that apologies have
legal implications.