Assess Your Assignment: Direct Strategy

This workshop will cover the important checklist items you need to revise your assignment.

In this first step, pay attention to your implementation of the direct strategy.

Direct Opening

• Re-read your subject line. Does it approve the adjustment?
• Re-read your first sentence. Does it also approve the adjustment?
• Re-read your first paragraph. Does it offer a clear statement of how it will comply with the customer’s claim?
• Re-read your first paragraph. Does it apologize? If so, delete the apology or move it to the body.

Body

• Re-read your body section. Does it offer specific details that explain what happened?
• Re-read your body section. Does it explain exactly how you will address the reader’s concerns?
• Re-read your body section. Does it clearly describe the steps you will take to prevent future issues?
• Re-read your body section. Does it win back the customer’s confidence? What do you say that will build goodwill?

Close

• Re-read your closing. Is it positive?
• Re-read your last sentence. Does it offer a specific timeline?
• Re-read your last sentence. Does it offer specific reasons for that timeline?

Start with a “Yes”. An approval will go a long way to improving your future interactions with your customer. Be sure they know right away that you have taken action to help them.

Assess Your Assignment: “You View” and Goodwill

In this second step, focus on the topics you learned about in this module.

“You View”

• Do a “find” search of your assignment. How often do you say “I” or “we”? Could you rephrase your sentence to focus on the reader using the second person “you”?
• Do another “find” search of your assignment. How often do you say “you”? Check each instance. Is it positive? Does it build goodwill?
• Re-read your body paragraph. Do you show empathy for your reader?
• Re-read your draft. Do you offer reader benefits?
• Re-read your draft. Do you ever place blame or offer an excuse? If so, delete it or rewrite it using positive language focusing on the steps you have taken to fix the problem.
• Re-read your draft. Check for instances of the passive voice (e.g. “Mistakes were made”) Wherever possible, switch to the active voice.

Goodwill

• Re-read your draft. Check for tone. Do you stay positive?
• Re-read your draft. Look at the reader benefits you included. Are they realistic? Do you make any false promises? Revise if you see anything inflated or impossible to ensure (e.g. “This will never happen again.”)
• Re-read your conclusion. What words do you use to encourage the customer to keep doing business with you
  

  Assess Your Assignment: Business Style

  This step will double check your style with a focus on your grammar and sentence structure.

  Concision

  • Start by skimming your assignment. Look for the periods. Do you see any long sentences? Could they be stated more simply?
  • Skim your assignment again. This time look at the size of the paragraphs. Are they bulky? Your opening and closing in particular should be quite short. Do you include unnecessary detail or detail that belongs in the body?
  • Look for compound and complex sentences. Are they needed? Could these be re-written as simple sentences?

  Sentence Structure

  If you have done the careful work of revising in the last section, you should not have too many sentence level mistakes. However, it is always worth double checking. Start by running your grammar checker in English. Many sentence level mistakes will be identified by the grammar checker.

  • Check for sentence fragments. Complete the ideas to make them complete sentences.
  • Check for run-on sentences. Add a coordinating conjunction between your ideas or make two sentences.
  • Check for comma splices. They often look like a comma placed right in the middle of your sentence. Replace the comma with a period or semicolon.

  Email Structure

  Don’t lose points on any of the basics! Double check that your assignment includes each of the following:

  • To field. The to field should have the name of the customer with the correct spelling and email address.
  • Subject line. The subject line should refer to the claim and offer approval.
  • Professional greeting. Greet the customer formally by name.
  • 3-part body. Ensure that there are three distinct parts of your message. There should be an opening, a body, and a closing. There can be more than three paragraphs.
  • Positive close. Use a formal closing that builds goodwill with your reader.
  • Signature with contact information. Include all of the pertinent contact information. Use the case scenario to ensure that you use the correct contact information for you and the business you work for.
    

    Evaluate Your Message

    This last step will be unique for each of you. The process of improving your writing takes dedication and focus. Only you know how you want to improve. Reflect on your past experience with writing and your writing goals. Before you submit your assignment, make sure you evaluate your work against your own expectations.

    Reflect on Your Writing Goals

    1. Go to your past quizzes and your forum posts about your writing challenges and goals.

    • What goals do you have for your writing? Have you met them in this assignment?
    • Where do you want to improve? Can you revise based on your goals?
    • What steps can you take that will bring you close to achieving those goals?

    Use Past Feedback to Help

    2. Using my Assignment 1 and Assignment 2 feedback. Review the comments from your course editor.

    • What suggestions did she have for you?
    • Can you implement any of the feedback she suggested in this assignment?

  e(this link opens in a new window/tab)