Three Simple Techniques For a Better Business Memorandum

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Being sensitive to Your Audience’s Needs

Effective writing is the key for any asking, thanking, or suggesting need possible, either by paper and pencil or an electronic letter. It is very appealing to our thoughts and convenience to write a letter in our liking and not the audiences’. Those old habits definitely won’t take us far. The term BEING SENSATIVE TO YOUR AUDIENCE’S NEEDS focuses primarily in the importance of adapting to ones audience, and lists three techniques to do so, which are:

• Using the “YOU” attitude
• Maintain Standards of Etiquette
• Using Bias-Free Language

Professor Art Markman, a lecturer of psychology and marketing at the University of Texas at Austin, came up with what is called the role of 3. This principle reflects the fact that people remember roughly three distinct things from any event whether it is a presentation, book, or an article. Thus, the lists of three techniques that the term “BEING SENSATIVE TO YOUR AUSIENCE’S NEEDS” conceives are apt to this theory in such form that it facilitates writing for a successful and clear message.

Using the “YOU” attitude

Egocentricity is very common in business writing. Even though one might not detect it at first glance, it is such a norm in society to just write an appealing looking paper that the majority of business memorandums are affected by such form. On the simplest level, you can adopt the “YOU” attitude by replacing terms such as I, me, we, us, and ours with you and yours. 

Other ways to improve your writing and the “YOU” attitude would be by:

• Putting yourself at the other end of the transaction

If you are talking to a retailer, try to think like a retailer. If you are dealing with a manager, put yourself in that position.

• Speaking and writing in terms of your audiences wishes, interests, hopes, and preferences

If the letter is not captivating in the first two sentences to the reader, the majority of people tend to stop reading and discard the message. You should always get to the point immediately without sounding dictatorial or make the audience feel unnecessarily guilty.

Maintain Standards of Etiquette

To foster a more successful environment of communication it is vital, under whichever circumstance, to keep the calm and think twice before talking. Emphasizing the positive in any situation between customers, especially when there is bad news to entail, is as important as the first piece of advice to keep your audience’s goodwill.

Excellence in Business Communication contributes to this theory by introducing an example of a   conversation between an online customer service agent and an unsatisfied customer. When the agent is rude and immediately assumes that the customer is at fault, the conversation degenerates into an argument. On the other hand, when the agent acts courteous and expresses sympathy, the conversation keeps a positive mood, focusing on solving the customer’s problem.  It’s all about the attitude you feed into the situation… 

An excellent service is an experience that customers remember. You could have a customer for life just by maintaining standards of etiquette and showing your interest in their problem with your product or service. 

• make the facts more acceptable by rephrasing unpleasant associations 
• take charge in the situation to provide a solution 
• substitute euphemism which are unpleasant and offensive many of the time

Using Bias-Free Language

Occupational titles, age, and gender can become common mistakes in today’s business memorandums. It is essential to keep in mind our audience at all times and be conscious that a pronoun could provoke the loss of interest in your paper. Malinda McCain, editor and business communicator, gives a little insight in what bias free language is about, "Bias-free language means using terms that treat people with respect. Sometimes it means leaving out certain kinds of words altogether, such as not describing someone's physical characteristics when doing so serves no purpose" (Malinda McCain). 

References,

“How to welcome everyone to your web site through your language” (Melinda McCain) http://www.sharewords.com/biasfree.html

Excellence in Business Communication - Thill and Bovee, 9th edition

Chapter 5

“To run a good meeting respect your 3s” (Art Markman)

http://smartblogs.com/workforce/2010/10/21/to-run-a-good-meeting-you-have-to-respect-your-3s/

Photo credit,

Google search engine,

http://karawheeler.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/pen-and-paper.jpg