Key Takeaways: Routine Correspondence

Key Takeaways

• Follow best practices when sharing information, requesting information or action, and replying to such messages.
• When something goes wrong in a commercial situation, courteous communication is essential when both asking for and responding to complaints and claims.
• Write carefully when addressing negative situations, such as delivering bad news, usually by burying the bad news after a buffer and rationale, and following it with redirection to minimize the harm that the message might cause.
• Use reliable strategies and persuasive indirect message patterns to persuade readers to buy products or services, adopt your ideas, or support initiatives.
• Apply the six persuasive principles to influence human behaviour.
• Use the AIDA principles to construct effective persuasive messages.
• Recognize the impact social media is having on persuasive messages.
• Despite being treated by some as optional, goodwill messages are essential to healthy professional relationships and professional advancement as long as you follow the writing conventions associated with them.