Business Communication B.Com.

– Part II

Basic Organizational Plans

How you expect your listener or reader to react to your message? How much this person knows about the topic or situation
you wrote? What his or her cultural conventions are? These are the factors upon which your choice of organizational plan
depends.

Direct (Deductive) Approach

Many direct-request plans (routine messages) or good-news plans (positive messages) use the direct approach. When you think your
listener or reader will have an accepting (favorable) or neutral reaction to your message, you should use the deductive
approach.

In this way:
• you should begin with the main idea or best-news in the first paragraph,
• next after the beginning (opening), you include in the body all necessary explanatory details in one paragraph
or several, and
• finally, end with an appropriate, friendly closing

DIRECT (DEDUCTIVE) APPROACH

Style Direct-Request plan (routine messages) Good-News plan (positive messages)
Opening i. Main Idea: i. Best-News
a. Request, Main Statement, Assertion,
Recommendation, Question
b. Reasons, if desirable
Body ii. Explanation: ii. Explanation:
a. All necessary and desirable details and data a. All necessary and desirable details and data
b. Numbered questions, if helpful b. Resale material
c. Easy reading devices c. Education material
d. Sales Promotion material
Closing iii. Courteous close, with motivation to action: iii. Positive, friendly close, including, if appropriate:
a. Clear statement of action desired a. Appreciation
b. Easy action, dated when desirable b. Clear statement of action
c. Appreciation and goodwill c. Appreciation and desired, if any
d. Easy action, dated when desirable
e. Offer of further help, reader benefits

Indirect (Inductive) Approach

Many persuasive-request plans (may face resistance) or bad-news plans (may face negative reaction) use the indirect approach.
When you think your listener or reader will have a resistance (unfavorable) or negative reaction to your message, you should
use the inductive approach.

In this way:
• you should NOT begin with the main idea or best-news in the first paragraph. Instead consider beginning
(opening) with:
- a buffer,
- a relevant pleasant,
- neutral, or
- receiver-benefit statement
• next, you include in the body all necessary explanatory details in one paragraph or several,
• then, putting the main idea or bad-news after the explanation, and
• finally, end with an appropriate, friendly closing

INDIRECT (INDUCTIVE) APPROACH

Style Bad-News plan Persuasive-Request plan (AIDA)
Opening i. Buffer: i. Attention:
(pleasant or neutral statements, reader-oriented) a. Reader benefit
b. Reader-interest theme
Body ii. Explanation: ii. Interest:
a. Necessary data, tactfully stated a. Descriptive details and data
b. Pertinent favorable, then unfavorable acts b. Psychological appeals
c. Reader benefit reasons c. Reader benefits
iii. Decision (implied or expressed) along with offer of iii. Desire:
additional help or suggestions a. Statement of request
b. Supporting data to help create reader’s
desire to grant request
Closing iv. Positive, friendly close: iv. Action:
a. Appreciation a. Clear statement of action
b. Invitation to future action desired b. Easy action, dated when desirable
c. Easy action, dated when desirable c. Special inducement
d. Willingness to help further d. Reader benefit
e. Reader benefit and goodwill

Basic Organizational Plans Compiled by: NOOR UL HUDA Page 1 of 1