1

Planning Business
Messages
In this age of mass information and
communication, being able to write
clearly is fundamental to business success.
Crucial decisions may depend on the
written words in letters, reports and
e-mails.

Understanding the
composition process
Some of your tasks will be routine,
needing little more than jotting a few
sentences down on paper or into an email; others will be more complex
requiring reflection, research, and
careful document preparation.

Understanding the
composition process
The composition process varies with the
situation, the communicator and the
organization. So the various stages do not
necessarily occur in 1-2-3 order, communicators
often jump back and forth from one stage to
another. The composition process may be
viewed in 10 separate stages that fall into 3
categories.

Understanding the
composition process
For your messages to be effective
follow the 3 categories:
Well planned
Well organized
Well constructed

Understanding the
composition process
Planning:
Define purpose
Analyze audience
Establish main idea
Select channel and medium

Understanding the
composition process
Composing:
Organize message
Formulate message
Select illustrations and details

Understanding the
composition process
Revising:
Edit message
Rewrite message
Produce message
Proof read

Understanding the
composition process
In some occasions the process of
preparing a message is a team effort,
with more than one person writing,
this is called Collaborative Writing.
For efforts of this type, the review
and revision stages might be
repeated several times.

Understanding the
composition process
In fact allocating your time properly is
an important consideration, you need
time
for
thoroughly
planning,
composing and revising your message.
Roughly the time should be used for
planning, gathering material, a for
composing and for revising.

Basic Writing Skills

Businesses spend millions of dollars
every year correcting problems caused
by poor writing.
Because people inside and outside your
company rely on your written work, the
ability to write a clear contract, memo,
report or letter can greatly affect your
personal productivity and the
organizations success

Common Pitfalls
There are several common pitfalls that you should avoid
when writing:
Large or uncommon words that draw the readers
attention away from the documents information.
Sexist or derogatory language that offends the reader.
Ambiguous expressions that do not convey the
message effectively.
Jargon that can make readers feel you are trying to
talk over their heads.
Clichs that might seem unprofessional
Inattention to details
Contradicting statement that give confusing messages

Communication through
writing
Communication through writing is helpful
when providing information to several
individuals.
Writing is beneficial when you have a large
amount of information that needs to be
communicated.
When the information you want to share is
difficult to understand, putting it in writing
allows the reader to review it as often as
needed.

Writing guidelines
When

writing you should keep

the following

guidelines in mind:
Be
specific:
Direct
language
avoid
potential
misunderstanding
Remain focused: Concentrate on one point at a time and
give only information the reader needs.
Relate obscure facts to known facts: Help the reader
understand your message by relating unfamiliar ideas to
familiar ones.
Emphasize your main points:
Use words, style and
formatting to focus the readers attention on the main
points of your message

Step 1: Planning to
write
The first step of the writing process is planning
what you will communicate.
Planning your messages enables you to outline
exactly what you need to say.
It reduces the risk of sending unnecessary
information.
The following steps will help you:
Determine your purpose
Analyze the reader
Choose a style

Determine your
purpose
Having a clear purpose helps you identify what
information you want to share with the reader.
What you want the reader to learn from the
message.
When developing the purpose of the message,
consider:
Contents
Organization
Style
Tone
Format

Determine your
purpose
The purpose must be worthwhile, readers quickly
disregard any information that does not seem
important.
The purpose must be delivered at the right time.
Make sure you deliver your message when the
reader is able to view and understand the
information with an open mind.
The purpose must be relevant to the
organization, your document should reflect and
reinforce your organizations goals and mission.

Analyze the reader

Knowing your readers, their attitudes, and the type of
information they need helps you write messages they can
understand.
Analyzing your readers also enables you to address any
skepticism, reluctance to change, or concerns they might
have about the information.
You should also provide readers with information that is
important to them. When writing to a large group, you should
focus on a common interest.
Finding some common ground before approaching a subject
enables you to avoid alienating any of your readers.
By anticipating probable reactions, you can address any
doubts, fears, or uncertainties they may have about your
purpose

Choose a writing style

Your writing should be appropriate to your purpose
and audience. Over the last several years, business
writing has become less rigid and more informal.
A formal style is appropriate for documents
addressed to large audiences, long reports, or
official documents.
An informal style is typically used in documents
such as memos, letter reports, or brief e-mail
messages addressed to individuals or small groups.

Organizing your
thoughts
The second step of the writing process is to organize your
thoughts.
Properly organizing your thoughts before writing enables
you to communicate information in a systematic and
logical format that will help the reader understand the
message.
Logically organizing your thoughts provides:
Your main point will be emphasized and properly supported with
evidence
You can identify areas where you lack information
You save the readers time by providing information in a clear and
easy to follow format

Organizing a written
outline
You need to:
State the main topic:
Immediately identifying your
intentions keeps the reader focused on the main points of
the document.
Explain how you will present the information: Briefly
explaining at the outset how your message is presented
helps the reader follow your train of thoughts through the
document. Listing the items you need to discuss in a
systematic, logical, and sequential manner allows the
reader to identify your reasons for sending the message
Include all your evidence: Supporting your ideas with solid
evidence will help the reader understand why you are
sending the message.

Defining your purpose

Business messages, in general, have a
purpose:
To inform
To persuade
To collaborate

Defining your purpose

To inform: is to let other departments
know about, for example, sales figures
To persuade: To convince others of the
need to implement something new.
To collaborate: To help others, maybe,
develop a new system

How to test your

purpose
Once you have established your purpose, stop
for a moment and think if:
The purpose is realistic
The right time
If you are the right person to deliver the message
If the purpose is acceptable to the management

Is the purpose realistic?

Most people resist change.
So if your
purpose involves a radical shift in action or
attitude you will do better if you go slowly.
Instead of suggesting your whole program at
once, consider proposing the first step.
View your message as the beginning of a
learning
process.

Is it the right time?

An idea that is unacceptable when profits
are down, may easily win approval
when business improves.
If an
organization is undergoing changes of
some sort, you may want to defer your
message until things stabilize and
people can concentrate on your ideas.

Is the right person

delivering the message
Some people have more leverage in an
organization than others do. Even though
you may have done all the work yourself,
your boss may have a better chance of
accomplishing results because of his status.
If stakes are high and you lack experience or
confidence, you may want to play a
supporting role rather than take the lead

Is the purpose acceptable

to the organization
As a representative of your company,
you are obliged to work towards the
organization goals.
Your message should reflect the
organization
priorities and ideas.

Analyzing your
audience
Take a good look at your intended audience:
Who are the members
What are their attitudes
What do they need to know
The answer to these questions will indicate
something about the material you need to
cover and how to cover it.

Develop your audience

profile
Ask yourself some key questions about your
audience:
Who are they?
What is their possible reaction to your
message?
How much do they already know about the
subject?
What

Determine audience
size and composition
Oral presentations are affected by the size of
audience, so is written communication, it is
also affected by the diversity of backgrounds
and interests.
You need to look for the common denominator
that ties them together.
Be sure to include a variety of information that
touches on everyones area of interest

Identify the primary

audience
When you are sending your message to
many persons, try to identify those
who are most important to your
purpose.
If you can reach the decision makers,
the other members will fall in place.

Estimate probable
reaction
If you are expecting a favorable answer,
you can be straightforward about
stating
your
conclusions
and
recommendations. On the other hand,
if you are not sure, you may have to
introduce your recommendations more
gradually and provide more proof.

Define the audience

level of understanding
If you and your audience share the same
background, they will understand your
material without difficulties, if not you will
have to decide how much you need to
educate them.
The trick is to provide the information they
need without making them feel ignorant.

Define your
relationship with the
audience
If you do not know them, you will need
to gain their confidence before you can
win them to your point of view. If you
are communicating with a familiar
group, your credibility has already been
established so you can get down to
business immediately.

Satisfy your audiences

information need
The key to effective communication is
determining your readers need and
then responding to them. You do that
by telling people what they need to
know in terms that are meaningful to
them. A good message answers all the
audience questions.

Find out what the

audience wants to
know
In many cases the information needed
is readily apparent, however, some
people arent particularly good at
telling you what they want, you need to
guess, so when you are getting a vague
request for information try to pin it
down to a specific point.

Anticipate unstated
questions
Try to think of information that your
audience may not even be aware of.
Imagine, a new person has joined your
company and you are writing a letter to
welcome them, what could you add to
anticipate any questions this person
might have?

Provide all the required

information
Once you have defined the need, be
certain to satisfy them completely.
Try the journalists methods, check to
see if your message answers: who,
what, where, when, why and how.

Be sure the information

is correct
There is no point in answering all the
questions if the information is not correct.
Check things before making a written
commitment, especially if you are writing to
someone outside the company. If you supply
wrong information make sure to correct it
immediately, your honesty will be
appreciated

Emphasize ideas of
greatest interest
When you are deciding on how to
respond, remember that some points
will be of greater interest and
importance than others. Remember
that your main goal as a business
communicator is to tell your audience
what they need to know.

Your 1st draft

What does the audience want to know?
What do they need to know?
Have I provided all desired and
necessary information?
Is the information accurate?
Have I emphasized the information of
interest?

Satisfy your audiences

motivational need
Some types of messages, particularly
persuasive messages and bad news, are
intended to motivate people to change
their beliefs or behavior. Rely mainly
on reason to win your audience to your
point of view, but do not overlook their
underlying emotions.

Satisfy your audiences

practical needs
Remember that your audience:
May have a little time
May be distracted
May give your message a low priority
Presenting the required information in
a convenient formal will help them
understand and accept your message

Establishing the main

idea
Regardless of an issues complexity,
one central point sums up everything.
This is your theme, your main idea.
Everything else in the message either
supports this point or demonstrates its
implication. A topic and the main idea
are different.

The topic and the main

idea
The topic is the broad subject of the message.
The main idea makes a statement about the
topic, it provides a rationale, explains your
purpose in terms that the audience can accept.
The main idea has to strike a response, it has
to motivate people to do what you want by
linking your purpose to their own.

Prewriting techniques
Identifying the main idea often requires
creativity. The best approach is to
brainstorm, letting your mind wander over
the possibilities and testing various
alternatives against your purpose, your
audience and the facts at your disposal.
Some of the prewriting approaches are:

Techniques to establish
the main idea
Storytellers tour
Random list
FCR worksheet
Journalist approach
Questions and answer chain

Storytellers tour
Pretend that you just run into a friend
in the street, and you are giving him an
overview of what you have been doing
lately, focus on your main point, explain
your reasons, your major points, your
rationale and the implications.

Random list
On a clean sheet of paper list
everything that pops into your head in
relation to your message, study the list, sort
them into groups, look for common
denominators. Regardless of what
categories finally emerge, the sorting
process will help you sift through your
thoughts.

FCR worksheet
If your subject involves the solution to
a problem you might want to use an FCR
worksheet to help you visualize
between your:
(f) Findings
(c) Conclusions
(r) Recommendation

Journalistic approach
For informational approach, the
journalistic approach might be the best.
The answer to six questions:
Who, what, where, when, why and who,
should clarify the main idea.

Question and answer

chain
Ask yourself, what is the audience main
question? What do they need to know?
Examine your answers to these questions,
what additional questions emerge? Follow
the chain of questions and answers until you
have replied to every conceivable questions
that might occur.

Limit the scope

The main idea should be geared to the
length of the message. Although you
may have to adjust your message to fit
the time or space available, dont
change the number of major points.

Business Letters
Headings
Date
Inside address
Salutation
Letter body
Closing
Signature block

Headings
Also called the letterhead, this part of
the letter is placed along the left and
starts about 13 lines from the top of
the page.
It includes your organization name,
full address, and telephone number.
This is pre printed stationery

Date
Place the date two lines below the
heading.
When writing dates, start with the
full name of the month, then the
day in numerals, followed by a
comma, and then the year.

Inside address
This identifies the letters recipient.
You should place the inside address two lines
below the date.
Always address the reader as Mr. or Ms.
Specify the readers position or title after their
name.
If you do not know the name of the person to
whom you are writing, address it to the
relevant department or a specific position
within the department.

Salutation
The salutation should be placed two lines
below the inside address.
It should include the recipients name followed
by a colon.
If you do not know the name of the reader, the
proper salutation is To Whom It May
Concern.

Letter body
This part contains your message, and
begins two lines below the salutation.
Most letters are single spaced with a
double
space
between
each
paragraph for clarity.

Closing
The closing should be two lines
below the body of the letter.
Traditional letter closings include,
sincerely, and cordially.
Ideally the closing should reflect
your relationship with the leader.

Signature block
This part of the letter contains your
signature, and your typed name.
To make room for your signature, leave
three blank lines between the closing
and your typed name.
If you include your companys name, it
should be in capital letters.

Attention Line
This can be used when you only know
the last name of the letters recipient,
or you want to direct the letter to a
position title or a department.
Place it two lines below the inside
address, or immediately following the
companys name in the inside address

Subject Line
This line briefly informs the reader of the
subject of the message and usually follows
the salutation.
You can also place the subject line at the
very top of the first page or immediately
before the salutation.
Subject lines are usually aligned with the
left margin, but they can also be centered

Writing direct requests

For direct requests:
State the request or main idea
Give necessary details
Close with a cordial request for a
specific action

Writing direct requests

When you are making a direct request you may
be tempted to begin with a personal
introduction. This type of beginning is usually a
mistake. The essence of the message, the
specific request, is buried, and may get lost. A
better way to organize a direct request is to
state what you want in the first sentence or
two and let the explanation follow.

Writing direct requests

The tone of your initial request is important.
Instead of demanding, soften your request
with words such as (please) and (I would
appreciate).
The middle part of the request usually
explains the original request. Such
amplifying details will help your audience
fulfill your request correctly.

Writing direct requests

In the middle section:
Call attention to how the reader will
benefit from granting your request.
Give details of your request.
Ask the more important question, then
ask related, more specific questions.
Use numbered lists if requesting several
items or answers.

Writing direct requests

When preparing questions:
Ask only questions that relate to your
main request.
Dont ask for information you can find
yourself
Make your question open-ended and
objective.
Deal with only one topic in each question

Writing direct request

Close your letter with two important
elements:
1. A request for specific response, with time
limit, if it applies.
2. An expression of appreciation or goodwill.
3. Information about how you can be
reached.

Requesting routine
information and action
When making a routine request, state:
What you want to know
Why do you want to know it
Why it is in the readers interest to help you.
Exactly what do you want the reader to do
as result of reading your request for action?

Requesting routine
information and action
Despite their simple organization, routine
requests deserve a tactful touch. The
potential for creating a positive
impression is second only to
the risk of causing ill will through badly
chosen words and/or discourteous tone.

Requesting routine
information and action
When writing a routine request, keep
the purpose of your message in mind. Ask
yourself what you want recipients to
understand or do as a result of reading the
message. As you prepare the request,
remember that even the briefest note can
create confusion and hard feelings.

Writing persuasive
messages
To write persuasive messages you can
consider four strategic elements:
1. Needs and appeals
2. Emotion and logic
3. Credibility
4. Semantic

Writing persuasive
messages
Needs and appeals: Everyones needs differ,
therefore, you need to analyze the members of
your audience and then construct a message that
appeals to their needs.
Emotion and logic: Emotional reactions may result
when an audiences need are overlooked. Not
even the best crafted, most reasonable message
will persuade someone who is emotionally unable
to accept it. Emotion and logic together are more
powerful than either alone.

Writing persuasive
messages
Credibility: Your credibility is your
capability of being believed because
you are reliable and worthy of
confidence. Enhance your credibility
by supplying evidence that is objective
and specific. Other ways of gaining
credibility include the following:

Writing persuasive
messages
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Being enthusiastic
Being objective
Being sincere
Being an expert
Having good intentions
Being trustworthy

Writing persuasive
messages
Semantics: Semantics is concerned with
the meaning of words and other symbols.
The words you chose to state your
message say much more than their
dictionary meaning, for instance, useful,
beneficial and advantageous may be
considered synonyms. Yet these three
words are not interchangeable.

Writing persuasive
messages
He suggested a useful compromise. (The
compromise allowed the parties to get to
work)
He suggested a beneficial compromise.
(The compromise not only resolved the
conflict but also had a positive effect)
He suggested and advantageous
compromise. (The compromise benefited
his company more than it benefited the
other party)

Organizing persuasive
messages
Persuasion requires what is called the
AIDA plan:
Attention
Interest
Desire
Action

Organizing persuasive
messages
Attention: Convince the audience
that you have something
interesting to say.
Interest: Explain how your message
relates to your audience. Continue
the theme you started with,
painting a more detailed picture.

Organizing persuasive
messages
Desire: In the desire phase you
back up your claims and, thereby,
increase your audiences
willingness to take the action you
will suggest.
Action: The secret of the action
phase is to make the action easy.

Reports and Proposals

Reports and proposals are generally
longer and more formal than letters
and memos, and they have more
components. They also tend to be
more formal. The organization, style
and tone influences reports and
proposals.

Proposals
At its core, a proposal is a document
offering a service or a product to a client.
The purpose of a proposal is to
demonstrate to a client that you are the
best company to answer their needs or
solve their problems.

What is a proposal?
Because the basic purpose of proposals is to sell your
product or service.
Proposals can greatly benefit your company by generating
the business your organization needs to compete and
succeed in the market.
If an external party writes a proposal, the group is
considered a vendor.
If an employee writes it, he is considered a member of the
organization who has identified a way to improve the
company in some way.

Types of proposals
Informal proposals
Formal proposals
External proposals
Internal proposals
Solicited proposals
Unsolicited proposals

Informal proposals
They are relatively short documents, ranging from one
to four pages in length, and are often submitted as a
memo or letter.
Informal proposals are often used for internal
purposes and do not use detailed segmentation.
Although formal and informal proposals are used for
different purposes, they both contain the same basic
information.
The primary focus is on what you can do for the client.

Formal proposals
These are usually longer than informal proposals.
Formal proposals are segmented, and include a
variety of elements, including:
Cover letter
Table of contents
Executive summary.
Formal proposals also require a formal style of
writing.

External proposals
Are sent to parties outside the organization
such as clients or potential clients.
They are also sent to recruit the help or
assistance of other organization for projects
and others.

Internal proposals
They are sent to parties within your
organization.
For example, your employer might ask for
new product ideas or suggestions for
organizational changes.
Business plans proposals are a common type
of internal proposals.

Solicited proposals
They come from clients who have a need
or problem that they would like to address.
Proposals written in response to Request
for Proposals
are considered solicited
proposals.

Unsolicited proposals
These are sent to potential clients to initiate
contact and generate business.
A common example is a brief sales letter
pitching a new product or service.
For example, if you have developed a
solution to a problem
within your
organization, you might send an internal,
unsolicited proposal to upper management.

Purposes of proposals
Proposals are often used to compare vendors
and determine the quality of the product or
service and its suitability.
After the best vendor for the project is
identified, they are hired for the job.
The key to writing a competitive proposal is
to align your competitive edge with your
clients organization goals.

Letter proposal components

Four things you need to take into
consideration:
Introduce yourself
Identify the clients need or problem
Present your plan
Briefly outline the benefits of the plan

Body of a letter
proposal
Identify the steps you will take to complete
the project.
Identify the amount of time it will take to
complete the project.
Identify how much it will cost to complete
the project.
Include specific technical issues

Closing of a letter
proposal
Compare the cost and benefits
Offer your credentials
Motivate your client to take action

Structuring formal proposals

Formal reports are long reports
consisting of several sections.
These reports are much more detailed
than letter proposals.

Components of formal
proposals
The sections that you must include in a formal
proposal are:
Cover letter
Title page
Table of contents
Executive summary
Body
Appendix

Title page
In a short report this may simply be the
front cover. In a long one it could also
include Terms of Reference, Table of
Contents and so on.

Table of contents
When creating the table of contents, you
should make it as easy to read as possible.
You want the client to be able to access any
areas of your proposal easily.
A well developed table of contents provides
the client with the road map that they need

Summary
Give a clear and very concise account of the main
points, main conclusions and main recommendations.
Keep it very short, a few percent of the total length.
Some people, especially senior managers, may not
read anything else so write as if it were a stand-alone
document. It isnt but for some people it might as well
be.
Keep it brief and free from jargon so that anyone can
understand it and get the main points.
Write it last, but do not copy and paste from the
report itself; that rarely works well.

Introduction.
This is the first part of the report proper. Use it
to paint the background to the problem and
to show the reader why the report is important
to them.
Give your terms of reference (if not in the Title
Section) and explain how the details that
follow are arranged. Write it in plain English.

Main Body.
This is the heart of your report, the
facts. It will probably have several
sections or sub-sections each with its
own subtitle.
It is unique to your report and will
describe what you discovered about
the problem

Conclusions.
Present the logical conclusions of your
investigation of the problem.
Bring it all together and maybe offer
options for the way forward. Many
people will read this section.
Write it in plain English.

Recommendations.
What do you suggest should be done?
Dont be shy; you did the work so
state your recommendations in order
of priority, and in plain English.

Appendices.
Put the heavy details here, the
information that only specialists are
likely to want to see.
As a guide, if some detail is essential to
your argument then include it in the
main body, if it merely supports the
argument then it could go in an
appendix.

Short and long reports?

Although business reports serve hundreds of
purposes, six basic uses are common:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

To
To
To
To
To
To

monitor and control operations

implement policies and procedures
comply with regulatory requirements
obtain new business or funding
document client work
guide decisions

What makes a good

report?
The goal in developing a report is to make
the information as clear and convenient as
possible. Although reports vary widely in
purpose and often in the audience they are
written for, all good reports have three
Things in common, accuracy, good judgment,
and format

What makes a good

report?
1. Accuracy: The first thing a business report
writer must learn is how to tell the truth.
Unfortunately, telling the truth is not always
a simple matter. We all see reality a little
differently and describe it in a unique way.
The following guidelines help limit the
distortions caused by differences in
perception:

What makes a good

report?
Describe facts or events in concrete terms.
Report all relevant facts.
Put the facts into perspective
Give evidence for your conclusion
Present only objective evidence and
verifiable conclusions.
Keep your personal biases in check

What makes a good

report?
2. Good judgment: Do not include
anything in a report that might
jeopardize you or your organization.
Keep politics out of your reports,
provide a clear, direct accounting of
the facts. Audiences like five things
in a report:

What makes a good

report?
1. Getting the main idea at the beginning of
the report
2. Seeing the facts
3. Receiving the whole story
4. Reading language they can understand
5. Learning something that will make their
jobs easier.

What makes a good

report?
3. Format and style: Before you begin
writing, select a format, a style and an
organization that reflect the audiences
needs. When making decisions about
the format, style and organization of a
report, consider its:

What makes a good

report?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Origin
Subject
Timing
Distribution
Purpose
Probable reception

What makes a good

report?
1. Origin: Who initiated the report?
Where is it coming from? Which
department is sending it out?
2. What subject does the report cover?
The subject of a report affects its
content, vocabulary and format.

What makes a good

report?
4. When is the report prepared? Routine
reports are submitted on a recurring
basis, (daily, weekly, etc..), they
require less introductory and
transitional material than do special
reports that deal with unique
situations.

What makes a good

report?
5. Where is the report being sent?
Internal reports are generally less
formal than external reports. Many
internal reports, especially those
under 10 pages, are written in a
memo format. External reports, on
the other hand, should be in a letter
format or manuscript format.

What makes a good

report?
6. Why is the report being prepared?
Informational reports focus on facts,
and are usually organized around
subtopics. Analytical reports include
analysis, interpretation, conclusions
and recommendations.

What makes a good

report?
7. How receptive is the reader? When the
reader is likely to agree with the content of
the report, the material is presented in direct
order, starting with the main idea. If the
reader may have reservations about the
report, the material is present in indirect
order , starting with the details and leading
to the main idea.

What makes a good

report?
As you can see, the origin, subject,
timing, distribution, purpose and
probable reception of a report have
quite an impact on its format, style and
organization.

Planning short reports

Three elements influence the format
and length of your report:
- Your audience
- Your purpose
- Subject

Planning short reports

Deciding on format and length: If you are preparing a
periodic status report, for example, you will probably
follow a standard pattern that enables the reader to
quickly compare results from one reporting period
to the next. The more routine the report, the less
flexibility you have on deciding format and length.
Otherwise, you need to use what will help your audience
knowing what they need to know in a format thats easy
for them to use.

Planning short reports

When selecting a format you have four
options:
Preprinted forms
Letter
Memo
Manuscript

Planning short reports

The length of the report: This usually
depends on your subject, the purpose
and your relationship with the
audience.

Establishing a basic
structure
In addition to deciding on a format and
length, you have to decide on the basic
structure of your report, this involves
three issues:
1. What information will you include?
2. What approach is best?
3. What method of subdivision will you use?

What information will

you include
Your report should answer the audiences key
questions. Your objective is to answer all
questions in the order that makes the most
sense.
The main question is usually the reason why
you have been asked to write this report.
The next step is to determine what additional
questions your audience is likely to ask based
on your answer to the main question.

What approach is best?

Audience attitude is the basis for
decisions. When the audience is
considered receptive or open minded,
use the direct approach. The direct
approach gives readers the main idea
first, saving time and making the
report easier to understand.

What approach is best?

If your audience is skeptical or hostile,
you may want to use the indirect order,
introducing the complete findings and
supporting details before the conclusion.
The indirect approach withholds the main
idea until later in the report, helping
overcome resistance.

Developing structural
clues
Four tools are particularly useful for giving
readers a sense of the overall structure of
your document and for keeping them on
track as they read:
The opening
Headings and lists
Smooth transition
Ending

The opening
A good opening accomplishes three things:
Introduces the subject of the report
Indicates why the subject is important
Gives readers a preview of the main
ideas and the order in which they will be
covered

Headings and lists

A heading is a brief title at the start
of a section within a report, alerting readers
to the contents of the sections that follows.
Headings are useful markers for clarifying
the framework of a report. They visually
indicate the shift from one idea to the next.

Transitions
Such phrases as to continue analysis,
on the other hand, and an additional
concept are a type of structural clue.
Those are examples of transitions,
words and phrases that tie ideas
together within a report and keep
readers moving along the right track.

The ending
Research shows that the ending or the
final part of the report leaves a strong
and lasting impression. Use the ending
to emphasize the main objective of
your message. The ending ties up all
pieces and remind readers how the
pieces fit together.