Modules 8 & 13

Module 8 talks about Reader Benefits, which are the benefits or advantages that the reader gets by using your service, buying your products, following your policies or adopting your ideas.  The reader benefits are important in persuasive messages to show people why your message or idea is useful and should be adopted. You should think of what it is that motivates your audience, and then think of how the features of your product or idea might benefit the audience.  It is also important to use the benefits that you can develop the best, so that you are able to explain and persuade the reader why they should adopt your message.

Module 13 is about E-mail messages and Web writing.  It explains how technology is rapidly changing, and that we should expect to change the way that we communicate with it.  It is important to remember that e-mail messages can be read by your boss or forwarded by those who receive them, so be aware and careful of what you put in them.  Subject lines in e-mails need to be specific so that people do not skip over them thinking they are unimportant.  Social networking tools are also starting to become very popular in the business world, just remember to keep it professional and not to put anything on there that your boss may see that might get you into trouble. 

One thing that is very important from module 8, is that it is a great idea for you to brainstorm to come up with the best reader benefits.  It is not always obvious what the reader benefits might be, so if you brainstorm it will help you come up with multiple possibilities and give you a wider range to select from to pick the best benefits to include in your message.

Another important thing to remember that comes from module 13 is if you are angry, do not write an e-mail message because you are much more likely say something that you may regret, such as insulting someone or making threats that could get you in to trouble.  The best thing to do is wait until you have calmed down and then write it carefully, making sure to reread and edit before you send.