Business communication building critical skill 6th module008

Reader
Benefits

Module Eight
©2014 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.  All rights reserved
McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.


Learning Objectives
LO 8-1 Explain functions of reader benefits.
LO 8-2 Identify reader benefits for messages .
LO 8-3 Apply strategies for reader benefits
creation.
LO 8-4 Select reader benefits for messages.
LO 8-5 Apply strategies for reader benefits
and audience harmony.
LO 8-6 Support reader benefits with you-attitude.
8-2


Reader Benefits
Reader benefits are advantages your reader
gets by:
Using your services.
Buying your products.
Following your policies.
Adopting your ideas.

8-3

Reader Benefits
Good reader benefits are:
 Adapted to the audience.
 Based on intrinsic advantages.
 Supported by clear logic and explained in
adequate detail.
 Phrased in you-attitude.

8-4


Why do reader benefits work?
 Reader benefits improve both the attitudes
and the behavior of the people you work
with and write to.
 They make people view you more positively;
they make it easier for you to accomplish
your goals.

8-5


How do I identify reader benefits?
 Brainstorm in two steps:
 Think of feelings, fears, and needs that may
motivate the reader.
 Identify the objective features of the product or
policy.

8-6


Organizational Motivations for
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

8-7


How detailed should each benefit be?
 In general,
 Use 3-5 sentences of detail per benefit.
 If you develop 2-3 reader benefits fully, use 1-2
sentences of detail for less important benefits.

8-8


How detailed should each benefit be?
 Psychological
description
 creating a scenario
rich with sense, so
readers can picture
themselves using your
product or service and
enjoying its benefits.

8-9

How do I decide which
benefits to use?
1. Use at least one benefit for each part of
your audience.
2. Use intrinsic benefits.
3. Use the benefits you can develop most fully

8-10


How do I decide which
benefits to use?
 Intrinsic benefits come automatically from
using a product or doing something.
 Extrinsic benefits are “added on.”

8-11


Extrinsic and Intrinsic Rewards

8-12


Matching the Benefits to the Audience
 When you
communicate with
different audiences,

you may need to
stress different
benefits.

8-13


Matching the Benefits to the Audience
 Look for intrinsic as well as extrinsic benefits.
 Even in your own organization, different
audiences may care about different things.
 Use audience analysis to see what benefits
would appeal to your intended audience.
 The best benefits match the audience’s
expectations.

8-14