61A00200 - (P10) Business Communication Skills, Lecture, 20.4.2022-25.5.2022

1. Bring your pair's A1 first version to class on your laptop on April 27. Please note that this needs to be what you would consider a final version; this way, you'll be able to get useful feedback on the assignment.
   
2. Give and get feedback in class on April 27.
   
3. Write a final version (with your own pair) based on the peer feedback from others. Upload the final version to this submission box by 9.00 am on May 4.
   

Learning outcomes

• analyze an audience and define objectives to create a targeted business message
• write a coherent and convincing, reader-friendly business message (request)
• critically assess others' business messages

Organizing the KY speksi is a long-running tradition. This year, you are responsible for obtaining sponsors for the event.

To get the show running, you need to find a significant amount of funding to pay for expenses, such as a professional director, the theatre venue, and all of the costumes and props. With your team, you decide to request funding from corporate partners that operate in the capital city region.

Your task is to write an email request in which you persuade a company to become a Speksi partner in 2023.

1. You need to have some kind of a plan for the speksi to convince the recipient of the viability of your project. Issues that you at least need to consider include a theme for the show, when and where you will perform, and how the corporate partner would benefit from sponsoring the speksi. This way, you have something concrete you can ‘sell’ to the reader.
2. You need to plan the email message carefully in order to get the response you want. Therefore, you decide to thoroughly analyse the situation by using the ideas discussed in class and in the communication strategy reading materials.

1. Reader benefits. Why would the company want to be the speksi partner? What's in it for them?
2. Arguments. What kinds of arguments would help you to get the response you want?
3. Information needs. What kind of background information would the recipient need?

In addition to the exercise we did in the first class session, thoroughly analyze the situation with your pair by using the ideas discussed in input 1 (communicating strategically) and input 2 (persuasive techniques). After that, write the email request.

Please check the evaluation rubric available in this submission box before starting to work on the assignment and again before you submit.