How to create a Bad News Latter

Bad News

Letter

Communicating Unfavorable News

One of the most difficult tasks in communication is saying “NO”. 

In business we often have to refuse to make an adjustment, decline a service, refuse a job request, decline sales, etc.

There are two ways to communicate an unfavorable decision in print.

One is the direct approach. 

The bad news is fronted, stated immediately and then explained.  This approach, though, may be too harsh and may alienate the reader.  It is not designed to maintain goodwill and is not appropriate unless you are sure the reader prefers the news first, without any need for an explanation beforehand.

A more reader-oriented approach is the indirect or delayed method. 

The bad news is embedded and preceded by several important goodwill-maintaining elements:

1. 

The buffer eases the reader into the letter.  The writer can appreciate the reader's efforts, compliment the   reader, sympathize with the reader, or be neutral by opening with a service-oriented remark.

2. 

The reason contains the denial in a concrete, rational, and courteous manner.  This segment gives the reader an understanding of the details, factors, and/or conditions behind the denial.

3.  Letting the reader know the bad news comes in the decision segment. Here it is important that you avoid negatives because they tend to harsh the letter’s tone.

For instance, it is better to say “We will consider you for the buyer position when you have experience in retail sales” than “We cannot consider you for buyer because you have no experience in retail sales.”

Turn around negatives to word them with the same meaning but less harshly.  Instead of saying: “We cannot repair your typewriter for free because you did not follow the directions on how to use the ‘unjammer’ key.  Read the warranty and you will see we are not responsible for this sort of problem.”

       

Say:

“Your warranty limits free typewriter repair to manufacturer's defects only. We can repair the ‘unjammer’ key for approximately ten dollars, including parts and labor. Please check the direction in your owner’s manual for how to use the key.”

4. 

Once you have written your decision, you can now close in a courteous way, asking for any questions and looking forward to a continued business relationship with the        customer or including a service-oriented remark.

Buffer

·        Neutral beginning; No impression that good news will follow

·        Not long; short

·        No ‘sorry’ or apology

·        Clear and unambiguous tone

Reason

·        Clearly and elaborately stated

·        No ‘sorry’ or apology

·        No negative language

·        Should be convincing so that the other party doesn’t blame you

The bad news

·        Shortest space

·        Simple sentence; only one sentence

·        No ‘sorry’ or apology

·        No negative language

Goodwill close

·        Express good feelings

·        Friendly  tone

Dear Mr. Tahsin:

Buffer

Your resume shows very clearly why you are interested to join as a Management Trainee in our company.

The BAD news

Reason

Our HR department has done some research to fix a set of criteria necessary for this kind of job which include: (a) a BBA degree from a recognized university and (b) a two-year job experience in this field. In such a situation, right at this moment, we are not in a position to offer you the space that you aspire.

Goodwill close

I request you to continue with your job search. Hopefully, you will soon find a position where your qualifications exactly match the job requirements.

Thanking you.

Reaz Ahmed

HR Director