What is the strategy for routine requests?

Like all business message, a routine request has three parts: an opening, a body, and a close. Using the direct approach, open with your main idea, which is a clear statement of your request. Use the body to give details and justify your request. Finally, close by requesting specific action.

With that said most people think writing a routine request message is very easy to write but its actually not. There are actually a lot of thoughts that take place when writing a routine request message.

According to http://routineandpositivemessages.wikidot.com/ routine and positive message “are the most used messages in the workplace. It is important for every business professional to understand how to plan, write, and distribute these types of messages. They can be messages sent to people within your company, to other companies, or to customers.

Routine Requests- A routine request is a request for a standard business procedure to be carried out, or a request for information.

Routine Replies- A routine reply is a response providing requested information, or a replying to a request for action to be carried out.

Positive Messages- A positive message can provide the reader with important information, announce good news, send congratulations, show appreciation, or offer condolences”.

References: Business Communication Today by Courtland L. Bovee and John V. Thill.

http://routineandpositivemessages.wikidot.com/

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Tags: http://routineandpositivemessages.wikidot.com/, Strategy for Routine Request, Writing Routine and Positive Messages

• Apply the three-step process to routine and positive messages.
• Step 1: Planning a routine or positive message.
• Analyze the situation, gather information, selectt he right medium for the messages
• Step 2: Writing a routine or positive message
• Open by stating the request or main idea.
• Give necessary details in the body.
• Close with a cordial request for specific action.
• Step 3: Completing a routine or positive message
• Revise, produce, proofread, and distribute it.
• Outline an effective strategy for writing routine requests.
• Stating your requests up front
• pay attention to tone, assume you audience will comply, be specific
• Explaining and justifying you request
• ask the most important questions first
• ask only relevant questions
• deal with onlyone topic per question.
• Explain how to ask for specific action in a courteous manner.
• Requesting specific action in a courteous close
• Close request messages with
• A request for some specific action
• information about how you can be reached
• An expression of appreciation
• Describe a strategy for writing routine replies and positive messages.
• An opening, a body, and a close
• Place your main idea in the body, use the body to explain all relevant details, and close cordially
• Use the direct approach for positive messages
• Prepare your audience for the detail that follows by beginning your positive message with the main idea or good news.
• Look for ways to present negative information in a positive context.
• Make sure audience members understand what to do next and how that action will benefit them.
• Discuss the importance of knowing who is responsible when granting claims and requests for adjustment.
• Acknowledge receipt of the customer's claim or complaint
• Take (or assign) personal responsibility for setting matters straight
• Sympathize with the customer's inconvenience or frustration
• Explain precisely how you have resolved or plan to resolve the situation
• Take steps to repair the relationship
• Follow up to verify that your response was correct
• If you grant a claim when the customer is at fault, look for diplomatic ways to discourage the errant behavior in the future
• Describe the importance of goodwill messages, and explain how to make them effective.
• Goodwill is the positive feeling that encourages people to maintain a business relationship.
• Make sure comments are sincere and honest.
• Taking note of significant events in someone's personal life helps cement a business relationship.
• Offering Condolences
• Keep reminiscences brief
• Write in your own words
• Be tactful

Routine messages include emails, memos, and letters that give information or make requests. For routine messages, you should use plain language and a direct approach.

After completing this chapter, you will be able to

• explain the organization of a direct writing plan and know when to use it (Meyer, 2020, p. 213)
• identify the key elements of a routine request
• identify the key elements of routine request response
• use lists effectively to give routine information and instructions (Guffey et al., 2013, p. 187)

As Canada is a relatively low-context country, a direct writing approach is often standard for routine messages.

What is the Direct Approach?

Readers are always receptive to good news and are eager to learn key information. The same applies to routine and informative messages, to which readers react neutrally. When it comes to these messages, don’t make readers wait. Take the direct approach and make your point right away.

A direct-approach message makes your purpose clear from the start by stating the main point in the first sentence before moving on to details. At first glance, readers can tell if you are asking for or supplying information, requesting or granting credit, or making or settling a claim.

Opening — delivers the main message first. It answers your reader’s most important questions; states the good news; makes a direct, specific request; or provides the most important information.

Middle — explains details of the news or inquiry and supplies background and clarification when needed. If there are further points or questions, they are presented in parallel form in a bulleted or numbered list (maximum five or six items).

Closing — ends pleasantly in one or more of the following ways: provides contact information; asks for action, input, or a response, often by a deadline; tells the reader what happens next; communicates goodwill; or shows appreciation.

Direct-approach messages are the norm in North America, but not every culture responds to direct correspondence in exactly the same way.

In high-context cultures — such as those in China, Japan, and Arab nations— directness is considered rude. In such cases, it is important to establish rapport before citing a problem or making a request and even then to suggest or ask rather than demand. In Japan, where formality is important, it is customary to embed a request and to soften it with preliminaries and other politeness strategies.

On the other hand, people in Western cultures consider a lack of directness to be a waste of their time. When you are communicating cross-culturally, weigh your reader’s tolerance for directness before you launch into your request or response.

Use the Direct Writing Approach to Make Routine Requests: Asking for Information or Action

To write an effective request,

• put the main idea (your request) first
• phrase your request as a question (eg How much is...) or as a polite command using please + an action verb (eg Please call…)
• use a bulleted list for multiple requests or questions
• give a reason for the request or state its benefit after you’ve made your request
• omit unnecessary details
• close in a courteous and efficient way

Use the Direct Writing Approach to Respond to a Routine Request

To write an effective response,

• determine if you are the best person to handle the response
• reply as soon as you can
• begin with the good news or most important piece of information
• do not start with an unnecessary lead-in (I am writing to respond to your email….)
• use formatting like bulleted lists or charts to respond to multiple requests or questions
• provide information in the same order as it was requested
• anticipate and provide additional information that your reader needs

Use the Direct Writing Approach to Give Routine Information and Instructions

Sometimes the purpose of your communication is simply to convey information. Perhaps you want to inform customers of a new product or you need to tell employees about changes to a company policy. Another type of routine message is a “follow-up” message. These are a written record of what occurred at a meeting; information might include the meeting time, location, and purpose, and should outline any important decisions or action items that arouse from the discussion.

When your goal is to provide routine information, use a direct approach and plain language to communicate as clearly as possible.

To write clear instructions,

• begin with a statement that clearly explains what the reader will accomplish after following the instructions
• use a numbered list for procedures that must be completed in sequence (for example, a step-by-step guide to using a new technology)
• use bullet points when listing elements that do not need to be considered in a specific order (for example, a list of items to bring to a work convention)
• arrange each step in the order it should be completed (chronological) or in order of importance
• ensure your list contains only ONE instruction per line
• start each instruction with an action verb in the imperative (command) mood to ensure you have good parallel structure
• describe reader benefits at the end especially if you are encouraging your reader to use the process/procedure that you are explaining

Consider the example below of clearly stated instructions.

Setting up your new GTD webcam involves only a few steps:

1. Plug the webcam into your computer’s USB port.
2. Follow the installation prompts on your screen.
3. Restart your computer.
4. Open any application that uses your webcam.
5. Perform a test to ensure your webcam is positioned correctly.
6. Add a background filter to blur the room behind you.

After you’ve completed these five steps, you can begin using your webcam to communicate professionally in virtual meetings.

What is the most effective strategy for a routine request?

How would you respond to a routine request?

How should you begin a routine request?

What are routine requests?