Fluent Essays

help Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read  Chapter 10 ,  Chapter 11 , and  Chapter 13  from your textbook; review the website  AnnualReports.com (Links to an external site.) ; and review the Week 4 Weekly Lecture. Go to  AnnualReports.com (Links to an external site.)  and review the annual reports recently released by two corporations in the same industry. Review each report and discuss the issues listed below. It is strongly encouraged that you receive feedback on your paper using the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center Paper Review at least two days before it is due. Then implement the feedback into your paper before submitting it to Waypoint. For instructions on how to use this feature, please review the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center  Paper Review (Links to an external site.) . Make sure you appropriately cite your sources from AnnualReports.com and include a minimum of two scholarly and/or credible sources from the library in addition to the course text. In your paper, · Describe organizational differences that you see in how each corporation discusses its annual performance. · Explain how clearly the data is or is not presented for enabling shareholders to draw conclusions about how well the company performed. · Explain what goals, challenges, and plans top managers emphasize in their discussion of results. · Describe ways the format and organization of each report enhances or detracts from the information being presented. The Annual Report Formats paper · Must two to three double-spaced in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center’s  APA Style (Links to an external site.) · Must include a separate title with the following: · Title of paper · Student’s name · Course name and number · Instructor’s name · Date submitted For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to  APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.) . · Must utilize academic voice. See the  Academic Voice (Links to an external site.)  resource for additional guidance. · Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper. · For assistance on writing  Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.)  as well as  Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.) , refer to the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center resources. · Must use at least two scholarly or credible sources in addition to the course text. · The  Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.)  table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment. · To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view this  University of Arizona Global Campus Library Quick ‘n’ Dirty (Links to an external site.)  tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus University Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips. · Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center’s  Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.) · Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center. See the  Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.)  resource in the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center for specifications 10 Writing Routine and Positive Messages LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e28#P7001012451000000000000000003E2C) Outline an effective strategy for writing routine business requests. 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003E60) Describe three common types of routine requests. 3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003f08#P7001012451000000000000000003F0D) Outline an effective strategy for writing routine replies and positive messages. 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003f7a#P7001012451000000000000000003F7F) Describe six common types of routine replies and positive messages. MyBCommLab® Improve Your Grade! More than 10 million students improved their results using Pearson MyLabs. Visit mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for simulations, tutorials, and end-of-chapter problems. COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT Productivity Report productivityreport.org (http://productivityreport.org) Every so often, you’ll get the chance to craft a message or document that has the potential to reshape your career or your company, such as a major project proposal or a business plan. However, much of your business communication will take place through routine, everyday messages—asking someone for help or information, responding to such requests from others, sharing information with colleagues or customers, and congratulating or consoling other people. Just because these messages are routine, though, doesn’t make them unimportant. In fact, the cumulative effect of all these brief messages could have more in�luence on your career than the occasional major report or proposal. The way you handle communication, day in and day out, is a key factor in establishing your credibility as a professional. Developing your skills at handling routine messages is only part of the challenge, however. Depending on your �ield and your position, you’re likely to be inundated with routine messages. It’s not uncommon for professionals to receive a hundred or more messages a day—and be expected to respond to many of them while generating many more messages themselves. So, not only do you need to be skilled at handling routine communication, you have to be hyperef�icient at it, too, or else you’ll get hopelessly swamped. Jill Duffy offers research-based advice on handling the barrage of routine messages that most business communicators deal with on the job. Image courtesy of Jill Duffy Fortunately, you have a wise ally in Jill Duffy. Her career as a writer spans multiple industries, from academic journals to major newspapers to the trade journals Game Developer and PCMag.com (http://PCMag.com) . One of her areas of expertise is personal and organizational productivity, and she shares her ideas in the weekly Get Organized column for PCMag.com (http://PCMag.com) , in her book Get Organized: How to Clean Up Your Messy Digital Life, and via her newest venture, https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e28#P7001012451000000000000000003E2C https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003E60 https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003f08#P7001012451000000000000000003F0D https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003f7a#P7001012451000000000000000003F7F http://mybcommlab.com/ http://productivityreport.org/ http://pcmag.com/ http://pcmag.com/ the website Productivity Report, which blends advice from research studies and personal experience. Her deep and diverse experience has given her useful insights into the challenges of digital productivity, and much of that involves how to handle a high volume of routine messages without losing focus on your audience or on your priorities. For email, for instance, Duffy advises compartmentalizing message �lows so that high-priority messages never get lost in the deluge of low-priority messages. Most email programs and apps offer the ability to �ilter messages based on sender, subject line, and other factors, so you can make sure important messages are always visible. Then develop a comprehensive system of software capabilities and daily habits to keep email in check. For example, if one of your goals is to respond to your boss’s emails before you go home every day, set up an email �ilter to send those messages to a special folder and set an alarm to deal with them at 4:00 p.m. every day. Another skill she promotes is acting quickly and decisively on incoming email, whether that is deleting a message, �iling it, responding immediately (for simple or critical messages), or scheduling time to respond. The key is to avoid looking at a message multiple times before deciding what to do with it. Duffy doesn’t subscribe to the approach taken by email users who never bother �iltering and �iling messages but who instead let them pile up in their inbox and use search functions to �ind speci�ic messages whenever they need them. She points out several problems with this approach. First, if you can’t remember who sent a message or the exact keywords that are in it, you’ll never �ind it with search methods alone. Second, folders organized by subject serve as a “second memory” that she can browse whenever she wants. Third, that giant, unsorted pile of messages in your inbox will be a constant source of anxiety and distraction as you repeatedly scan though it trying to �ind a speci�ic item or to make sure you haven’t missed anything important. Whether it’s email, workgroup messaging, or any other communication platform, setting up and �ine-tuning a system and set of habits that work best for you does take some time and effort. However, it will be time well spent because you’ll be more ef�icient every day, and you’ll be able to focus your attention and energy on the messages that matter the most.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004083#P700101245100000000000000000420F) https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004083#P700101245100000000000000000420F 10.1 Strategy for Routine Requests LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1 Outline an effective strategy for writing routine business requests. Jill Duffy (pro�iled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e00#P7001012451000000000000000003E15) ) helps business professionals deal with a vital aspect of communication in today’s digital workplace—how to productively handle the many routine messages that need to be sent or responded to day in and day out. Routine messages fall into two groups: routine requests, in which you ask for information from or action by another party, and a variety of routine and positive messages. Chapter 11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004228#P7001012451000000000000000004228) covers messages in which you need to convey negative information, and Chapter 12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004853#P7001012451000000000000000004853) addresses persuasive messages. Making requests is a routine part of business, and in most cases your audience will be prepared to comply. By applying a clear strategy and tailoring your approach to each situation, you’ll be able to generate effective requests quickly. For routine requests and positive messages State the request or main idea Give necessary details Close with a cordial request for speci�ic action Like all other business messages, 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 speci�ic action. STATING YOUR REQUEST UP FRONT Take care that your direct approach doesn’t come across as abrupt or tactless. With routine requests, you can make your request at the beginning of the message. Of course, getting right to the point should not be interpreted as license to be abrupt or tactless: Pay attention to tone. Instead of demanding action (“Send me the latest version of the budget spreadsheet”), show respect by using words such as please and I would appreciate. Assume that your audience will comply. You can generally assume that your readers will comply with routine requests, so you don’t need to devote a lot of time or energy toward trying to convince them to do so. Be speci�ic. State precisely what you want. For example, if you request the latest market data from your research department, be sure to say whether you want a 1-page summary or 100 pages of raw data. EXPLAINING AND JUSTIFYING YOUR REQUEST Use the body of your message to explain your request, as needed. Make the explanation a smooth and logical outgrowth of your opening remarks. If complying with the request could bene�it the reader, be sure to mention that. If you have multiple requests or questions, ask the most important questions �irst and deal with only one topic per question. If you have an unusual or complex request, break it down into speci�ic, individual questions so that the reader can address each one separately. This consideration not only shows respect for your audience’s time but also gets you a more accurate answer in less time. REAL-TIME UPDATES LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE Insight into mobile strategies for routine communication ClickSoftware’s MobileFever blog discusses a range of topics on mobile business communication. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section. REQUESTING SPECIFIC ACTION IN A COURTEOUS CLOSE Close request messages with A request for some speci�ic action https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e00#P7001012451000000000000000003E15 https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004228#P7001012451000000000000000004228 https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004853#P7001012451000000000000000004853 http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14 Information about how you can be reached An expression of appreciation Close your message with three important elements: (1) a speci�ic request that includes any relevant deadlines, (2) information about how you can be reached (if it isn’t obvious), and (3) an expression of appreciation or goodwill. When you ask readers to perform a speci�ic action, ask for a response by a speci�ic date or time, if appropriate (for example, “Please send the �igures by May 5 so that I can return �irst-quarter results to you before the May 20 conference.”). Conclude your message with a sincere thanks. To review, see “Checklist: Writing Routine Requests (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003E71) .” https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003E71 10.2 Common Examples of Routine Requests LEARNING OBJECTIVE 2 Describe three common types of routine requests. The most common types of routine messages are asking for information or action, asking for recommendations, and making claims and requesting adjustments. ASKING FOR INFORMATION AND ACTION Most simple requests can be handled with three message points: What you want to know or what you want your readers to do Why you’re making the request (not required in all cases) Why it may be in your readers’ interests to help you (not applicable in all cases) Routine requests can be handled with simple, straightforward messages, but more complicated requests may require additional justi�ication and explanation. For simple requests, using the direct approach gets the job done with a minimum of fuss. In more complex situations you may need to provide more extensive reasons and justi�ication for your request. If applicable, point out any bene�its to the reader of complying with your request. Naturally, be sure to adapt your request to your audience and the situation (see Figure 10.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003E92) on the next page). CHECKLIST Writing Routine Requests A. State your request up front. Write in a polite, undemanding, personal tone. Use the direct approach because your audience will probably respond favorably to your request. Be speci�ic and precise in your request. B. Explain and justify your request. Justify the request or explain its importance. Explain any potential bene�its of responding. Ask the most important questions �irst. Break complex requests into individual questions that are limited to only one topic each. C. Request speci�ic action in a courteous close. Make it easy to comply by including appropriate contact information. Express your gratitude. Clearly state any important deadlines for the request. https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003E92 Figure 10.1 Routine Message Requesting Action In this email request to district managers across the country, Helene Clausen asks them to �ill out an attached information collection form. Although the request is not unusual and responding to it is part of the managers’ responsibilities, Clausen asks for their help in a courteous manner and points out the bene�its of responding. ASKING FOR RECOMMENDATIONS Always ask for permission before using someone as a reference. The need to inquire about people arises often in business. For example, before awarding contracts, jobs, promotions, or scholarships, companies often ask applicants to supply references. Companies ask applicants to list people who can vouch for their ability, skills, integrity, character, and �itness for the job. Before you volunteer someone’s name as a reference, ask permission. Some people don’t want you to use their names, perhaps because they don’t know enough about you to feel comfortable writing a letter or because they or their employers have a policy of not providing recommendations. Refresh the memory of any potential reference you haven’t been in touch with for a while. Requests for recommendations and references are routine, so you can organize your inquiry using the direct approach. Open your message by clearly stating why the recommendation is required (if it’s not for a job, be sure to explain its purpose) and that you would like your reader to write the letter. If you haven’t had contact with the person for some time, use the opening to trigger the reader’s memory of the relationship you had, the dates of association, and any special events or accomplishments that might bring a clear and favorable picture of you to mind. Close your message with an expression of appreciation and the full name and address (email or physical address) of the person to whom the message should be sent. When asking for an immediate recommendation, you should also mention the deadline. For printed letters, always be sure to enclose a stamped, preaddressed envelope as a convenience to the other party. Figure 10.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003EE8) on the next page provides an example of a request that follows these guidelines. REAL-TIME UPDATES https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003EE8 LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE LinkedIn’s advice for college students Follow these tips to get the most from LinkedIn, including the most appropriate and effective ways to ask for recommendations. Go to real- timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section. MAKING CLAIMS AND REQUESTING ADJUSTMENTS When writing a claim or requesting an adjustment Explain the problem and give details Provide backup information Request speci�ic action If you’re dissatis�ied with a company’s product or service, you can opt to make a claim (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004083#P700101245100000000000000000408C) (a formal complaint) or request an adjustment (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004083#P7001012451000000000000000004089) (a settlement of a claim). In either case, it’s important to maintain a professional tone in all your communication, no matter how angry or frustrated you are. Keeping your cool will help you get the situation resolved sooner. Be prepared to document any claims you make with a company. Send copies and keep the original documents. Open with a clear and calm statement of the problem along with your request. In the body, give a complete, speci�ic explanation of the details. Provide any information the recipient needs to verify your complaint. In your close, politely request speci�ic action or convey a sincere desire to �ind a solution. And, if appropriate, suggest that the business relationship will continue if the problem is solved satisfactorily. Be prepared to back up your claim with invoices, sales receipts, canceled checks, dated correspondence, and any other relevant documents. Send copies and keep the originals for your �iles. If the remedy is obvious, tell your reader exactly what you expect to be done, such as exchanging incorrectly shipped merchandise for the right item or issuing a refund if the item is out of stock. However, if you’re uncertain about the precise nature of the trouble, you could ask the company to assess the situation and then advise you on how the situation could be �ixed. Supply your full contact information so that the company can discuss the situation with you, if necessary. Compare the ineffective and effective versions in Figure 10.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003EF1) on page 271 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#page_271) for an example of making a claim. To review the tasks involved in making claims and requesting adjustments, see “Checklist: Making Claims and Requesting Adjustments (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003ED6) .” CHECKLIST Making Claims and Requesting Adjustments Maintain a professional tone, even if you’re extremely frustrated. Open with a straightforward statement of the problem. Provide speci�ic details in the body. Present facts honestly and clearly. Politely summarize the desired action in the closing. Clearly state what you expect as a fair settlement or ask the reader to propose a fair adjustment. Explain the bene�its of complying with the request, such as your continued patronage. http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14 https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004083#P700101245100000000000000000408C https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004083#P7001012451000000000000000004089 https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003EF1 https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#page_271 https://content.ashford.edu/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003e5c#P7001012451000000000000000003ED6 Figure 10.2 Effective Request for a Recommendation This writer uses a direct approach when asking for a recommendation from a former professor. Note how she takes care to refresh the professor’s memory because she took the class a year and a half ago. She also indicates the date by which the letter is needed and points to the enclosure of a stamped, preaddressed envelope. Figure 10.3 Ineffective and Effective Versions of a Claim Note the difference in both tone and information content in these two versions. The ineffective version is emotional and unprofessional, whereas the effective version communicates calmly and clearly. 10.3 Strategy for Routine and Positive Messages LEARNING OBJECTIVE 3 Outline an effective strategy for writing routine replies and positive messages. Just as you’ll make numerous requests for information and action throughout your career, you’ll also respond to similar requests from other people. When you are responding positively to a request, sending routine announcements, or sending a positive or goodwill message, you have several goals: to communicate the information or the good news, answer all questions, provide all required details, and leave your reader with a good impression of you and your �irm. ETHICS DETECTIVE Solving the Case of the Imaginary Good News To deal with a growing problem of employee turnover, your company recently hired a research �irm to survey employees to �ind out why more of them have been leaving than in past years. You and a colleague were assigned to work with the consultants and present their �indings to upper management. Neither one of you welcomed the assignment because you suspect you’ll have to present information that is critical of the management team. As you feared, the researchers deliver a mixture of news that is mostly negative: Seventy-eight percent of employees believe management cares more about pro�its than people. Fifty-�ive percent aren’t sure what’s expected of them anymore. Forty percent believe wages at the company have not kept up with the industry average. Thirty-eight percent think management has done a good job of responding to competitive advances. Fifty-two percent expect to �inish their careers at the company. Eighty percent believe the economy is too slow to support a productive job search. While you’re poring over the report, trying to �igure out how you’ll present the information tomorrow, an instant message from the CEO pops up on your partner’s computer, asking for a quick summary of the results. Your partner types the following and then asks you to review it before she sends it: As you’d expect in a no-holds-barred investigation like this, the researchers did uncover some areas for improvements. The good news: Only 20 percent of the workforce is even considering other options, and we could reasonably expect that only a fraction of that group will leave anytime soon. ANALYSIS You read your partner’s summary twice, but something doesn’t feel quite right. Does it present an accurate summary of the research? Why or why not? What’s likely to happen when you present the complete research results to the CEO after �irst sending this IM? Use a direct approach for routine replies and positive messages. Readers receiving routine replies and positive messages will generally be interested in what you have to say, so use the direct approach. Put your main idea (the positive reply or the good news) in the opening. Use the body to explain all the relevant details, and close cordially, perhaps highlighting a bene�it to your reader. STARTING WITH THE MAIN IDEA With the direct approach, open with a clear and concise expression of the main idea or good news. By opening routine and positive messages with the main idea or good news, you’re preparing your audience for the details that follow. Make your opening clear and concise. Although the following introductory statements make the same point, one is cluttered with unnecessary information that buries the purpose, whereas the other is brief and to the point: Instead of This Write This I am pleased to inform you that after careful consideration of a diverse and talented pool of applicants, each of whom did a thorough job of analyzing Trask Horton Pharmaceuticals’s training needs, we have selected your bid. Trask Horton Pharmaceuticals has accepted your bid to provide public speaking and presentation training to the sales staff. The best way to write a clear opening is to have a clear idea of what you want to say. Ask yourself, “What is the single most important message I have for the audience?” PROVIDING NECESSARY DETAILS AND EXPLANATION MOBILE APP If your email service doesn’t allow huge �ile attachments, Hightail lets you post the �ile on its servers and send your recipients a link instead. Use the body to explain your point completely so that your audience won’t be confused about or doubt your meaning. As you provide the details, maintain the supportive tone established in the opening. This tone is easy to continue when your message is entirely positive, as in this example: Your educational background and internship have impressed us, and we believe you would be a valuable addition to Green Valley Properties. As discussed during your interview, your salary will be $4,300 per month, plus bene�its. Please plan to meet with our bene�its manager, Paula Sanchez, at 8 A.M. on Monday, March 21. She will assist you with all the paperwork necessary to tailor our bene�it package to your family situation. She will also arrange various orientation activities to help you get on board with the Green Valley team. Try to embed any negative information in a positive context. However, if your routine message is mixed and must convey mildly disappointing information, put the negative portion of your message into as favorable a context as possible: Instead of This Write This No, we no longer carry the HealthTrakk Model V �itness watch. The new HealthTrakk Optima has replaced the HealthTrakk Model V. The Optima model features a wider range of band colors and new tracking features, including GPS for outdoor �itness activities. In this example, the more complete description is less negative and emphasizes how the recipient can bene�it from the change. Be careful, though: Use negative information in this type of message only if you’re reasonably sure the audience will respond positively. Otherwise, use the indirect approach (discussed in Chapter 11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004228#P7001012451000000000000000004228) ). If you are communicating with a customer, you might also want to use the body of your message to assure the person of the wisdom of his or her purchase (without being condescending or self-congratulatory). Using such favorable comments, often known as resale, is a good way to build customer relationships. These comments are commonly included in acknowledgments of orders and other routine announcements to customers, and they are most effective when they are short and speci�ic: The KitchenAid mixer you ordered is our best-selling model. It should meet your cooking needs for many years. REAL-TIME UPDATES LEARN MORE BY READING THIS ARTICLE Using Twitter for routine customer communication These 10 tips can help any company respond to the growing number of routine requests delivered on Twitter. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section. ENDING WITH A COURTEOUS CLOSE In the close, make sure audience members understand what to do next and how that action will bene�it them (if applicable). The close of routine replies and positive messages is usually short and simple because you’re leaving things on a neutral or positive note and not usually asking for the reader to do anything. Often, a simple thank you is all you need. However, if follow-up action is required or expected, use the close to identify who will do what and when that action will take place. For a quick reminder of the steps involved in writing routine replies and positive messages, see “Checklist: Writing Routine Replies and Positive Messages (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003f08#P7001012451000000000000000003F5D) .” CHECKLIST Writing Routine Replies and Positive Messages A. Start with the main idea. Be clear and concise. Identify the single most important message before you start writing. B. Provide necessary details and explanation. Explain your point completely to eliminate any confusion or lingering doubts. Maintain a supportive tone throughout. Embed …