Modules 8 & 13

Module 8: Reader Benefits

This module provides techniques to use reader benefits to enhance business messages. Reader benefits that the reader gets by using your service, buying your products, following your policies, or by adopting your idea. Reader benefits are essential in both informative and persuasive messages by providing reasons to comply with policies (informative) and to give reasons to act (persuasive).

Reader benefits work because they improve the attitudes and behaviors of co-workers. Brainstorming feelings, fears, and needs that may motivate the reader can identify reader benefits. Product or policy features that meet those needs should then be identified and explained how they could benefit the audience.

Each benefit should be described using strong, vivid details in 3-5 sentences. Psychological description is a technique used to create scenarios that the reader can relate to by drawing comparisons to the senses – see, hear, feel, smell, taste. Psychological descriptions are best used early one to catches the readers’ attention.

3 principles can help decide which benefits to use.

1.     Use at least one benefit for each part of your audience.

2.     Use intrinsic benefits. (These automatically come from using a product or doing something)

3.     Use the benefits you can develop most fully.

Finally, reader benefits must include “you-attitude”. If not, they sound selfish and the reader won’t see the benefit for them.

Module 13:E-Mail Messages and Web Writing

This module discusses strategies to use to write effectively with e-mail and for the Web. E-mail is a major source for communication in many businesses. Formats are still evolving however, most writers treat e-mail messages as informal letters or memos. Subject lines should be specific, concise, and catchy.

Negative and persuasive messages need to be more direct than if you were to write a paper document. It’s all about the time and how quickly the reader can understand and act upon the message. Attachments should be sent when the reader expects and needs them, especially with long documents, text documents with extensive formatting, or non-text files (Power Point slides, html files, spreadsheets). Inform the reader of what program attachments are in and stay safe from viruses by installing up-to-date anti-virus programs on your computer.

When writing for the web, use good business writing principles and consider people’s interaction with the text. Use frames to organize text and reduce the need for scroll. Blogging has become increasingly popular in communicating between CEOs and employees and are being used to recruit employees. When using social networking as a business tool, professionalism needs to be a must. People have been fired for posting inappropriate comments and images to facebook.

Instant messaging, fax, phone, and videoconferencing are also other technologies that can be used for communication among the Internet.