Negative

Messages

The rambling memo

fiasco

www.cnbc.com

Bad way to give bad news

The Microsoft memo is over 1,100 words

long. But not until you have read 75
percent of the text do you discover the
main point: an estimated reduction of
12,500 employees over the next year.

www.cnbc.com

Bad way to give bad news

Minimize the human impact because

it's such a downer.

After announcing the anticipated

termination of 12,500 employees, Mr.
Elop states, "These decisions are difficult
for the team."

www.cnbc.com

Negative Messages
Ch 8 - 5

Convey unpleasant, disappointing, or

unfavorable information for the receiver

Can be an opportunity to resolve a

business problem successfully

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website, in whole or in part.

Direct or Indirect Plan?

How does one determine which plan to

use?

Decide by answering these questions:

Ch 8 - 7

What message does the receiver

expect?

How will the receiver respond

emotionally to the negative message?

Will it affect the individuals ego or selfesteem?

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website, in whole or in part.

When should you use the indirect plan?

Use The Indirect Plan if:

Ch 8 - 9

The receiver expects a positive response.

The negative message affects the receiver

personally and will be upsetting.

The negative message is of importance, and

the receiver will react negatively.

The receiver prefers indirect communication

due to culture or other reasons.

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website, in whole or in part.

The Indirect Plan

Ch 8 - 10

Enables receivers to accept negative

information
Enables receivers to maintain a
satisfactory relationship with you and
your organization

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website, in whole or in part.

Use the Direct Plan if:

Ch 8 - 11

The negative message may be expected, is

routine, or will not be upsetting to the
receiver.

The negative information needs to be

emphasized.

Your receivers preference, cultural or

otherwise, is directness.

The message responds to a death or a

tragedy.

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website, in whole or in part.

Negative Messages Using the Indirect Plan

Ch 8 - 12

Refused Claims
Refused Requests
Unfavorable Decisions
Unsolicited Unpleasant
Info
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website, in whole or in part.

The Indirect Plan

Ch 8 - 13

Opening Buffer
Logical Explanation
Negative Information
Constructive Follow Up
Friendly Close
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to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

1. Opening Buffer
Provides
Coheren
ce
Maintain
s
neutralit
y and
introduce
s
explanati
on

Openi
ng
Buffer

Is
Positiv
e

2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted
to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Builds
Goodwil
l

Examples of Indirect Plan Opening Buffers

The Customized Auto Accessories Case

Lets improve the version in the next

slide.

Dear Mr. Roy:

I apologize for the inconvenience. Sometimes mistakes happen, and delivery
cannot be made on time; but we will do all we can to make corrections and
keep your business.
Your original order and your demand draft were misplaced, and company policy
did not allow us to fill the order until the money was received. This is the
reason for the shipment delay. We regret that, due to the delay, part of your
order will not arrive in time for Arups birthday. We will, however, ship the
chrome garnishes for the side-view mirrors and a set of high-output speakers
tomorrow because we found your original order and demand draft.
The wood-finished dashboard fittings have to be special ordered from the
manufacturer and will not arrive until September 30. The item will be five days
late because we do not keep this item in stock.
Again, I apologize for the delay. If your credit card had worked for the online
order, this late shipment could have been avoided. Sending a demand draft by
post slowed down the receipt of the original order. Perhaps you could check
with your credit card company to see what problem may have developed.

Lets change this one.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

Sometimes mistakes happen, and
delivery cannot be made on time; but we
will do all we can to make corrections
and keep your business.

Neutral opening; Positive

tone

Thank you for your order. We appreciate

your choosing to purchase items for your
sons birthday from our company. We
understand the importance of prompt
delivery.

2. Logical Explanation
Ch 8 - 20

Relates
to the
opening
buffer

Uses deemphasi
s
techniqu
es

Logical
Explanati
on (stay
positive)

Stresses
receiver
interests
and
benefits

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to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Presents
convincin
g
reasonin
g

Avoid negative words in the explanation

Substitute negative words

Problem Situation
Correction/Error Needed change

Dont use words such as failure, cannot,

trouble, inadequate, and defective.

Is company policy a good explanation?

Find a fair and reasonable explanation

Just saying its company policy may not
be enough.
Justifying your company policy may be a
part of the explanation

Change this logical explanation

Your original order and your demand draft
were misplaced, and company policy did not
allow us to fill the order until the money was
received. This is the reason for the shipment
delay. We regret that, due to the delay, part of
your order will not arrive in time for Arups
birthday. We will, however, ship the chrome
garnishes for the side-view mirrors and a set
of high-output speakers tomorrow because we
found your original order and demand draft.

Heres an improved one:

On August 20, we moved our office suite into a larger
warehouse. As soon as I received your message
today, I searched our previous location and found
your original order and payment that had dropped
behind the table where incoming mail had been kept.
Today, we shipped the chrome garnishes for the sideview mirrors and the high-output speakers by DTDC
Plus at no additional delivery charge to you. The
tracking number of the shipment is 1234567. You
should receive this shipment tomorrow.

3. Negative Information
Ch 8 - 25

Relates
to the
logical
explanati
on

Avoids an
apology

Negative
informati
on (Stay
positive)

Says
what can
be done

Gives
negative
informati
on
implicitly
and
subtly

2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted
to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Words

Dont use harsh words such as

Dont use time-worn phrases such as:

I refuse
will not
cannot
I deeply regret to inform you
I am sorry to say

You can use compromise sentences instead

of outright denials:

The best we can do is

The wood-finished dashboard fittings

have to be special ordered from the
manufacturer and will not arrive until
September 30. The item will be five
days late because we do not keep this
item in stock.

Presenting negative info

positively
The wood-finished dashboard fittings
will arrive on September 30. We
wanted you to have the first part of
the order as quickly as possible. By
the time these shipped items are
installed, the second part of the order
will arrive and be ready for
installation.

4. Constructive Follow-up
Ch 8 - 29

Provides an alternative solution

Gives additional reasoning

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to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Is this constructive?

Again, I apologize for the delay. If your

credit card had worked for the online
order, this late shipment could have
been avoided. Using postal mail to
transmit a money order slowed down
receipt of the original order. Perhaps you
should check with your credit card
company to see what problems may
have developed.

A constructive follow up:

With this letter, I am enclosing a birthday
greeting for your son from our company. The
greeting includes a note that he will be
receiving the wood-finished dashboard
fittings on September 30. If you insert this
message in the birthday package with items
from the first shipment, Arup will be happy
to see another item is on its way, and he
can look forward to more installations.

5. Friendly Close
Ch 8 - 32

Builds
goodwi
ll
Is
warm
and
optimis
tic

Friend
ly
Close
Stays
off the
negativ
e
impact

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to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Personali
zes the
close

Friendly Close

You may use a pleasant off-subject

comment to close.

Avoid ending with time-worn apologies:

Again, may I say that I regret that we must

refuse
I sincerely hope that you understand why
we must make this decision

Which one will you use?

If you have concerns about the action taken to

solve this problem, dont hesitate to contact me.
OR

When you have future needs for car accessories,

you will find high quality merchandise at
reasonable prices on our website at We
appreciate your business; customer service is
our priority.

Dear Mr. Roy:

Thank you for your order. We appreciate your choosing to purchase
items for your sons birthday from our company. We understand the
importance of prompt delivery to you.
On August 20, we moved our office suite into a larger warehouse. As
soon as I received your message today, I searched our previous
location and found your original order and payment that had dropped
behind the table where incoming mail had been kept. Today, we
shipped the chrome garnishes for the side-view mirrors and the highoutput speakers by DTDC Plus at no additional delivery charge to you.
The tracking number of the shipment is 1234567. You should receive
this shipment tomorrow.
The wood-finished dashboard fittings will arrive on September 30. We
wanted you to have the first part of the order as quickly as possible.
By the time these shipped items are installed, the second part of the
order will arrive and be ready for installation.

With this letter, I am enclosing a birthday greeting for your son from
our company. The greeting includes a note that he will be receiving
the wood-finished dashboard fittings on September 30. If you insert
this message in the birthday package with items from the first
shipment, Arup will be happy to see another item is on its way, and
he can look forward to more installations.
When you have future needs for car accessories, you will find highquality merchandise at reasonable prices on our website at (URL goes
here here) We appreciate your business; customer service is our
priority.
Cordially,
Signature here
Ashok Lal
Distribution Manager.

The ideal negative message

If the receiver agrees that the negative

information you wrote is the best
alternative in the situation, you will have
composed the ideal negative message.

Delivery Modes
Ch 8 - 38

Deliver important negative

messages orally and follow up
with a written message.
Write negative messages that
cannot be handled orally on
organization stationery.
Use email for most responses to
email.

2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted
to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Use the Indirect Plan for

Ch 8 - 39

Request Refusals
Adjustment
Refusals
Credit or Loan
Refusals
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to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

1. Adjustment Refusal

Writing adjustment refusals requires

your best communication skills. Why?

1. Adjustment Refusal

Requires best communication skills

because

Its bad news for the receiver

You have to refuse the customer
And, retain goodwill at the same time.
All this is happening when the
customer/client is probably angry or
inconvenienced.

Pinnacle Do-Craft

You are the manager, Customer Relations, at

Pinnacle Do-Craft fabrics. Your morning email has
brought a strong claim for adjustment on an order
for Pinnacles Do-Craft Fabrics.
The claim writer, Ms. Zara Khan, explains that a
Do-Craft fabric her upholstering company used on
some outdoor furniture has faded in less than 10
months.
She even includes photographs of the fabric to
prove her point. She contends that the product is
defective, and she wants her money back all
Rs.55,750 of it.

Do-Craft Fabrics Case

Inspection of the photographs reveals that the

fabric has been subjected to strong sunlight for long
periods. Do-craft fabrics are for inside use only. Both
the Pinnacle brochures on the product and the
catalog description stress this point.
In fact, you have difficulty understanding how Ms.
Khan missed it when she ordered from the catalog.
Anyway, as you see it, Pinnacle is not responsible
and does not intend to refund the money.
At the same time, you want to keep Ms. Khan as a
repeat customer. Now, you must write the message
that will do just that.

Dear Ms. Khan,

You have the right to expect the best possible service from Do-Craft fabrics.
Every Do-Craft product is the result of years of experimentation. And, we
manufacture each yard under the most careful controls. We are determined
that our products will do for you what we say they will do.
We carefully inspected the photos of Do-craft Fabric 103 you sent us. It is
apparent that each sample has been subjected to long periods in extreme
sunlight. Since we have known from the beginning that Do-Craft fabrics
cannot withstand exposure to sunlight, we have clearly noted this in all our
advertising, in the catalog from which you ordered, and in a stamped
reminder on the back of every yard of the fabric. Under the circumstances,
all we can do concerning your request is suggest that you change to one of
our outdoor fabrics. As you can see from our catalog, all of the fabrics in the
200 series are recommended for outdoor series.
You may also be interested in the new Duck Back cotton fabrics listed in our
500 series. These plastic-coated cotton fabrics are most economical, and
they resist sun and rain remarkably well. If we can help you further in your
selection, please contact us at service@pinnacle.com

2. Request Refusal Case

Assume that you are a department store vice

president. Your sales manager, Neelam, wants to
take personal leave for a week before the annual
Dussehra sale, which starts on September 25, 2014.
But you need her to be a part of the team that will
interview applicants for a part-time sales

position on September 18. The new hire will

help deal with the crowds during the sale.
Neelam will also be the person training the new
hire.

Write a memo refusing her request.

To: Neelam Sharma, Sales Manager

From: Sampath Mishra, Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Date: September 10, 2014

Subject: Your Request of September 5, 2014

Thanks, Neelam, for your contributions to record sales during the previous
season. Your diligence in scheduling part-time sales clerks to handle the
crowds and your suggestions for promotional marketing on special products
played a major part in our stores success. You are a valued employee, and
your requests always receive careful consideration.
On September 25, the store will begin our yearly Dussehra sale for household
hoods. In preparation for the sale, applicants for a part-time sales position
have been notified to come for interviews on September 18. We need your
expertise during that week to serve on the team for interviews and for
training of the new part-time clerk who will be hired. The importance of the
Dussehra sale will delay your personal leave. You can re-schedule to the week
after the sale or anytime in October. Let me know the most convenient
alternative time, and I will approve the five days that you need.
Congratulations on your daughters graduation last month. I know you and

3. Credit Refusals

Credit refusals are more negative than

most refusals.

A credit result may be viewed as a

personal insult unless it is crafted
carefully

3. Credit or Loan Refusal

Credit refusals are communicated in 4

basic ways:

Personalized letters
Form letters
Telephone calls
Face-to-face conversations

Loan Refusal

You are the branch manager at HDFC

Home Loans, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad.
Write a letter refusing a customers
application for a home loan.
The customer has work history of only 6
months and his income and savings are
also not sufficient for the purposes of the
loan. These are tough economic times
and you dont want to risk it.
Remember the indirect plan is preferred
for a credit/loan refusal.

Dear Mr. Kumar,

We appreciate your thinking of HDFC Home Loans when you decided to obtain a
loan to become a home owner in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. Your loan application
received prompt review.
All loans are reviewed carefully, and we strive to provide our best financial
advice and assistance to all of our customers. Assuming financial responsibility
for a home is a big step. Debt can become overwhelming in economic times such
as these without assurance of steady, long-term employment. After reviewing
your income and length of employment in your present position, we recommend
that you wait at least two more years to obtain a home loan. Once you have
obtained a record of continuous employment for that period of time and have
saved a 20 percent down payment, we invite you to resubmit a loan application.
If you would like to open a checking and/or savings account with HDFC Bank, we
welcome you to do so. Any of our tellers will be glad to help you open an
account.
Welcome to the Indirapuram area. As a new resident, you will find information
about the locality in the areas website at www.indirapuram.com
Sincerely,

4. Unsolicited negative
messages

Initiated by the sender

May include communication about

price increases for products or services

Budget reductions
Staff reductions (lay offs).

Modified Indirect plan

The buffer is omitted, if appropriate.

Goes directly to the logical explanation.

Example: Memo explaining change in

product design

No Buffer. Begin with explanation that a

particular design is no longer effective
Move to description of the change
And, its implications for the current
marketing plan
Positive close

Sensitive personnel
messages

Suspension
Termination
Change in status with legal
considerations
First, face-to-face
Then, written communication (follow
modified indirect plan)
Consultation with your legal cell.

Always remember these 5

points

Never make it about you

Never forget that its one of the worst
days of their lives
Never be determined to win the firing
Never wait until Friday at 5 p.m.
Never talk badly about them once they
are gone

Source: Sallie Krawcheck

Medical Insurance at City

Shoes.

You are vice president (administration) at City

Shoes Company. Youve just returned from a
meeting of the companys top executives in
which the decision was made to withdraw
medical insurance given to employees so far.
The rising cost of health coverage is forcing
the company to cut back these benefits,
especially since the companys profits have
declined for the past several quarters. Write
a message to the employees making this
announcement.

Format for Unsolicited Negative Messages

Ch 8 - 57

Set up the bad news (modified indirect

plan)
Give the explanation
Describe the changes and implications
End with a friendly close

2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted
to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

From: Ritesh Malhotra, Vice President (Administration)

To: All Employees
Subject: Medical Insurance
Date: September 10, 2014
You have probably read in the news that companies all across the country are
struggling to keep up with the rising cost of healthcare. Legislators, healthcare
providers, and businesspeople everywhere are struggling to find a solution to
the skyrocketing cost of health insurance.
We are feeling this situation in our own company. The premiums that we pay to
cover our health benefits have risen 34 percent. Meanwhile, as you know, our
sales have been lower than usual the past several quarters. It is imperative
that we find a way to cut overall costs. Of the solutions that will be
implemented, the only change that affects you directly concerns is your
medical insurance. On March 1, we will withdraw the medical insurance facility.
The other savings measures will be at the corporate level.
Manish Seth in the HR Department will soon arrange an informal meeting about
your medical insurance options. You can also arrange a personal consultation
with him.

When to use the direct plan?

The negative message may be expected, is

routine, or will not be upsetting to the
receiver.

The negative information needs to be

emphasized.

Your receivers preference, cultural or

otherwise, is directness.

The message responds to a death or a

tragedy.

Messages appropriate for direct plan

Cancellation of a routine meeting

Notification letter to job applicants that
you were not selected for the position
(Job applicants apply to several
companies and do not expect a positive
response from each one of them)
A notice of company policy changes that
have a minimal effect on receivers
Receiver prefers the negative news first
and the rationale later

Using the Direct Plan for Negative

Messages
Ch 8 - 61

Begin with the main idea.

Follow with the logical explanation.
Then include the constructive follow-up.
Finish with a friendly close.

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to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

You are the chair of the Search

Committee at XY University. Write a
letter to an applicant who applied for the
dean position but was not selected.

Dr. Sridhar Krishnan

34, Malviya Nagar
New Delhi - 12345
Dear Dr. Krishnan:
The process of selecting the Dean (Academics) at XY University has been
completed. Dr. Mridul Sinha has accepted the position and will begin in
January.
You were a strong candidate for this position. The choice was a difficult one
because of the strong applicant pool. Your visit to the campus for an
interview was a positive event for our faculty; we enjoyed your sharing
ideas with us about postsecondary education. Thank you for your interest
in a position with XY University.
Sincerely,
C. Rajghatta, Chair
Search Committee