Final answer:
De-emphasize the bad news in an indirect negative message, avoid making it the main clause, and resist parenthetical expressions that could understate it.
Step-by-step explanation:
When organizing a negative message using the indirect method, one guideline for making a clear statement of the bad news is to de-emphasize the bad news. This involves avoiding putting the bad news as the primary focus and instead placing more emphasis on other elements of the message. It's important to provide context and explanation before delivering the bad news, thereby softening its impact. Additionally, the bad news should not be the main clause of a sentence, nor should it be included in parenthetical expressions that could downplay important information.
To enhance clarity and effectiveness in business communication, reducing wordiness and maintaining sentence flow are crucial. Editing sentences to include more concrete nouns and action verbs can help make your message more concise and powerful. Selective use of modifiers can further streamline your language, ensuring that every word on the page serves a purpose and conveys the intended emphasis. Adhering to the 'Old-before-New' principle can also guide the arrangement of sentence elements, facilitating a smooth transition from familiar to new information, which aids reader comprehension.