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©2007 by the McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Creating Effective Messages

©2007 by the McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

McGraw­Hill/Irwin

Communication Design

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intrapersonal process of planning for and creating meaningful messages

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 Communication design

Communication Design

FIGURE 3.1 Eight Steps of Communication Design

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Map Out Message Goals

◦ outcome that you want to achieve and the

reason you are communicating

 Goal

◦ outcome that you want to achieve

 Primary goals

◦ help you to achieve your primary goals

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 Secondary goals

Map Out Message Goals

•

◦

practicality of your message goals

Is the Goal Feasible?  Feasibility

 Goal intention

◦ what you specifically want, need, or intend to do

• What Is My Intention?

 Response

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reaction you want or expect from your receiver

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• What Response Do I Want?

Map Out Message Goals

TABLE 3.1 Goal Intention

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Evaluate Your Audience

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individual or group who receives a message

 Audience

• Does the Size of the Audience Matter?

 Internal business audience

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people employed by the same company

 External business audience

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customers or clients and those who work in other similar organizations

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• What Is the Type of Audience?

Evaluate Your Audience

TABLE 3.2

Types of Audiences

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Evaluate Your Audience

• What Do I Need To Know About My

Audience?

• What’s Known and What’s New

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• What’s Real and What’s Right

Evaluate Your Audience

• What Is the Audience Benefit?

• What’s First and What’s Last

◦

sensitivity to someone else’s feelings and situation

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  Empathy

Evaluate Your Audience

FIGURE 3.2 Audience Demographics

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Evaluate Your Audience

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Shape Message Content

◦

goal you want to accomplish with your message

  Main Idea

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specific point of view about an idea or topic

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  Theme

Shape Message Content

 Argument

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appeal to influence behavior or belief through reasoning

• Designing Arguments

 Framing

◦

tailoring a message to your specific audience

• Framing Your Content

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• Message Elements

Select Channels

◊ Channel carries messages between people

◊ Sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch

• Keys to Channel Selection

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• Channel Choices

Select Channels

FIGURE 3.3 Primary Human Channels

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Select Channels

TABLE 3.3

Channel Keys

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Select Channels

TABLE 3.4

Channels (1 of 2)

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Select Channels

TABLE 3.4

Channels (2 of 2)

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Acquire Resources

◦ process of acquiring information to ensure

message accuracy, support a claim, or guide decision making

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 Research

Acquire Resources

TABLE 3.5

Resources

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Generate Source Credibility

◦

live person, narrative voice, business entity, or author from whom the message is transmitted

 Source

◦ making your message believable

 Credibility

◦ expertise or knowledge that a source has in a

given area

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 Competence

Generate Source Credibility

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trustworthiness of a message source

 Reliability

◦ demonstrated enthusiasm the source has

about the message

 Dynamism

◦ connection the source has with his or her

audience

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 Similarity

Generate Source Credibility

FIGURE 3.4 Source Credibility

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Eliminate Design Flaws

Table 3.6

Design Flaws (1 of 4)

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Eliminate Design Flaws

Table 3.6

Design Flaws (2 of 4)

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Eliminate Design Flaws

Table 3.6

Design Flaws (3 of 4)

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Eliminate Design Flaws

Table 3.6

Design Flaws (4 of 4)

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Send Message

 Timing

◦ when you transmit your message

 Time-related messages or materials

◦

have a limited life span

• When to Transmit

 Location

◦

place from which you transmit your message

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• Where to Transmit

Questions

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