3
Chapter
Building Chapter Goodwill
Goodwill
You-Attitude
Positive Emphasis
Tone, Power, and Politeness
Bias-Free Language
Goodwill
Build goodwill
through
You-attitude
Positive emphasis
Bias-free
language
3-2
You-Attitude
Looks at things from audiences
viewpoint
Emphasizes what audience wants to
know
Respects audiences intelligence
Protects audiences ego
3-3
Five Ways to Create You-Attitude
1.
2.
3.
4.
Talk about audience, not yourself.
Refer to audiences request or order.
Dont talk about feelings.
In positive situations, use you more
often than I. Use we when it includes
the audience.
5. In negative situations, avoid you.
3-4
Talk About Audience, Not
Yourself
Tell how message affects the
audience
Dont mention communicators work
or generosity
Stress what audience wants to know
Yourself
3-5
Talk About Audience: Examples
Lacks you-attitude
I negotiated an agreement with Apex
Rent-a-Car that gives you a discount.
We shipped your May 21 order today.
Contains you-attitude
You now get a 20% discount when you
rent a car from Apex.
The three coin sets you ordered will ship
today and should reach you by June 6.
3-6
Refer to Audiences Request or
Order Specifically
Make specific
references, not
generic
Name content of order
for person or small
business
Cite purchase order
numbers for customers
that order often
3-7
Refer to Audiences Request or
Order Specifically: Examples
Lacks you-attitude
We shipped your order today.
Contains you-attitude
The 500 red and gray sweatshirts you
ordered were shipped today and will reach
you early next week.
Your P.O. 7823-N shipped on 11/04 and
will arrive within five business days.
3-8
Dont Talk About Feelings
Dont talk about audiences
feelings
Dont predict audiences
response
Only express feelings to
Offer sympathy
Congratulate
3-9
Dont Talk About Feelings:
Examples
Lacks you-attitude
We are happy to give you a credit line of
$2,000.
You will be happy to learn that your
reimbursement request has been approved.
Contains you-attitude
You now have a $2,000 credit line with VISA.
Your reimbursement request has been
approved.
3-10
In Positive Situations, Use You
More Often Than I. Use We If It
Includes the Audience
Use you in positive situations
Avoid I in printed text
Avoid we if it excludes the audience
YOU
3-11
In Positive Situations, Use You
More Often Than I. Use We If It
Includes the Audience: Examples
Lacks you-attitude
We provide exercise equipment to all
employees.
I will schedule a due date that works best for
my schedule.
Contains you-attitude
You have access to the latest exercise
equipment as a full-time employee of RAC Inc.
We will schedule the due date after we meet.
3-12
Avoid You in Negative Situations
Protect audiences ego
Avoid assigning blame
Use passive verbs
Use impersonal style
Talk about things, not people
3-13
Avoid You in Negative Situations:
Examples
Lacks you-attitude
You failed to sign your flexible
spending account form.
You made no allowance for inflation
in your estimate.
Contains you-attitude
passiv
e
Your flexible spending account form
was not signed.
The estimate makes no allowance
onal
s
for inflation.
imper
3-14
You-Attitude Beyond Sentence Level
Be complete
Anticipate and answer questions
Show why info is important
Show how the subject affects audience
Put most important info first
Arrange info to meet audiences needs
Use headings and lists
3-15
Positive Emphasis
Way of looking at situations
Focuses on the positive
Create positive emphasis through
Words
Information
Organization
Layout
Half full or half empty?
3-16
Five Ways to Create Positive
Emphasis
1. Avoid negative words
2. Beware of hidden Focus negatives
3. on what audience can do, not
limitations
4. Justify negative information by giving
reason or linking to audience benefit
5. Put negative information in the middle
and present it compactly
3-17
Avoid Negative Words: Examples
Contains Negatives
Never fail to return library books on time.
Because you failed to pay your bill, your
account is delinquent.
Omits Negatives (Better)
Always return library books on time.
The account is past due.
3-18
Beware of hidden negatives:
Examples
Contains Negatives
I hope this is the information you wanted.
Please be patient as we switch to the automated
system.
Omits Negatives (Better)
Enclosed is a brochure about joining the MI
Retiree Association.
Youll be able to get information instantly about
any house on the market once the automated
system is in place. If you have questions during
the transition, please call Sheryl Brown.
3-19
Focus on What the Audience Can
Do: Example
Negative
You will not get your refund check until
you submit your official grade report at
the end of the semester.
Better
To receive your refund check, submit
your official grade report at the end of
the semester.
3-20
Justify Negative Information by
Giving Reason or Linking to Audience
Benefit: Example
Negative
You cannot take vacation days without
prior approval from your supervisor.
Better
To ensure that everyones duties will be
covered, submit your first and second
choices of vacation time to your
supervisor by May 30.
3-21
Ne
gat
iv e
Put the Negative in the Middle and
Present it Compactly
Put in middle of message
and paragraph
Dont put at bottom of
page 1
Dont list with bulleted or
numbered lists
Make it short as you can
Give it only once
3-22
Tone, Power, and Politeness
Tone implied attitude of the
communicator toward the audience
Good tone
Businesslike, not stiff
Friendly, not phony
Confident, not arrogant
Polite, not groveling
3-23
Levels of Politeness: Examples
Highest: Would you be able to
complete your report by Friday?
High: Progress reports should be
turned in by Friday.
Mid: Please turn in your progress
report by Friday.
Low: Turn in your progress report by
Friday.
3-24
Bias-Free Language
Words that do not discriminate on
basis of
Sex
Age
Ethnicity
Race
Physical condition
Religion
3-25
Making Language Nonsexist
Treat both sexes neutrally
Businessman = Business
person
Woman doctor = Doctor
Manning = Staffing
Dont assume everyone is
heterosexual or married
3-26
Making Language Nonsexist,
continued
Avoid sexist job
titles
Actress
Repairman
Chairman
Salesman
Foreman
Waitress
3-27
Making Language Nonsexist,
continued
Use Ms. as courtesy title for
women
Use professional title instead (if
any)
Use Miss or Mrs. if audience
prefers it
Determine proper courtesy
title for letter address and
salutation
Omit sexist generic pronouns
3-28
Making Language Nonracist and
Nonagist
Give age or race only if relevant
Refer to a group by term it prefers
Dont suggest competence is rare:
She is an asset to her race.
He is an active 83-year-old.
3-29
Talking about People with Disabilities
& Diseases
People-first language
Name person first; add
disability or disease if relevant
Dont imply that disability or
disease defines person
Dont use negative terms,
unless audience prefers them
(deaf vs. hard of hearing)
3-30
Choosing Bias-Free Photos/Illustrations
Check visuals for possible bias
Do they show people of both sexes and
all races?
Is there a sprinkling of various kinds of
people?
It is OK to have individual pictures that
have just one sex or one race?
Check relationships and authority
figures as well as numbers.
3-31