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BASIC ORGANIZATIONAL PLANS:Writing Goodwill Letters

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Lesson 19
BASIC ORGANIZATIONAL PLANS
Direct (Deductive) Approach
When you think that your audience will be interested in what you have to say or willing to cooperate with
you, you can use the direct or deductive plan to organize your message. It means your present request or the
main idea in the beginning, which follows up necessary details and then you close your message with a
cordial statement of action you want. We use this approach when the request requires no special tact or
persuasion. Close to direct request is good-news plan that is used to grant requests, announce favourable or
neutral information and exchange routine information within or between organizations. Look at the outline
of direct organizational plans and good-news plan.
Basic Organizational Plans
Direct-Request Plan
Good-News Plan
1. State the request or main idea.
1. Best news or main idea.
2. Give necessary desirable details for easy 2. Explain necessary and desirable details
reading.
with any helpful material.
3. Close with a cordial request for specific 3. End positively and friendly stating
action.
clearly the desired action and offering any
further help. Give date of action if
necessary.
Basic Organizational Plans
Dear Sir,
We intend to purchase a new office copier. We would like to consider a BHP copier and wonder if you
have a model that would suit our needs.
Our office is small, and a copier would generally be used by only three secretaries. We run approximately
3,000 copies a month and prefer a machine that uses regular paper. We rarely need to run off more than 25
copies at any one time.
We would also like to know about your warranty and repair service. We hope to hear from you soon.
Basic Organizational Plans
Dear Mr. Gul,
In a courier service, I am sending you six copies of our catalog, "Prime Gifts". I am very pleased that you
want to circulate it.
The catalog explains everything but I do want to say that for quantities of 20 or more gifts we offer an
attractive discount.
Please let me know if I can be of help in other ways.
Yours cordially,
Supplying Detailed Information on a Service
Gentlemen,
Please repair or replace my calculator watch, Model C863, and send it to me at the address above.
After six months of use, the musical alarm has quit working.
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Enclosed is my watch, a copy of the sales receipt showing the date of purchase, and your warranty, which
guarantees material and workmanship for one year.
Yours Sincerely,
Modified Block Form
Attention
If you're looking for the change to be your own boss... or earn extra income in your
spare time... or a way to achieve independence when you retire... SMALL-
ENGINE REPAIR could be the answer.
Dear Mr. Hafiz,
I am delighted to know that you are interested in our Executive Book Club and am happy to answer your
questions about it.
Between 30 and 40 new books in the field of management are made available each year to the members
of the Executive Book club. And, as you have mentioned, the topics treated vary widely. From four to six
of these belong to personnel administration; in addition, a similar number of general management books
carry some aspects of personnel management.
Although we have several specialized book clubs but there isn't yet one in personnel administration.
Considering the increasing demand, it is possible that we will one day establish a club in personnel.
Certainly, there is a growing interest in this field.
The Circular enclosed contains complete information about the Executive Book Club. Please note that
the average price of books distributed by the club, if purchased separately, is about Rs.300. However, as a
member you would pay only about three-fourth of that amount.
I do hope you will want to become a member of the Executive Book Club, Mr. Hafiz. You can do so by
filling out the coupon on the back of the circular.
Yours truly,
Organization Plan Direct Request
Direct-Request Plan
Good-News Plan
1. State the request or main idea.
1. Best news or main idea.
2. Give necessary desirable details for easy 2. Explain necessary and desirable details
reading.
with any helpful material.
3. Close with a cordial request for specific 3. End positively and friendly stating clearly
action.
the desired action and offering any further
help. Give date of action if necessary.
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Good News (and Neutral)
General Plan
1. Best news or main idea
2. Explanation
i. All necessary details
ii. Resale material
iii. Educational material
iv. Sales promotion
3. Positive, friendly ending
i. Appreciation
ii. Clear statement of action desired
iii. Easy action and motivation to action
iv. Willingness to help further
v. Dated action if desirables
Writing Goodwill Letters
The goodwill letter you write will probably be successful when you can answer yes to the following
questions:
1. If you were the reader, would you honestly like to receive this letter?
A goodwill letter does its job only when it makes the reader feel good.
2. Will the reader feel that you enjoyed writing the letter and that you mean everything you wrote? If the
reader feels bored, or indifferent tone, he or she may doubt your sincerity and interest.
3.
Did you keep the spotlight on the reader?
To make the reader feel important, put your organization and yourself in the background and
convince the reader that you have written the letter just for him or her.
4. Did you omit specific sales material?
The reader will feel let down if your personal good wishes are only a prelude to a sales pitch.
Indirect or Inductive Organizational Plan
Organizational Plan
Persuasive request plan
Bad-News Plan
1
Buffer (using positive, pleasant rather Attention
than negative statement.
You oriented theme, reader's benefit.
2
Explanation (reader's benefit, reasons Interest
supporting the negative decision)
Explain the opening theme in greater
details using psychological appeal.
3
Decision (expressed or implied in Desire
clear but tactful manner)
Give relevant evidence to prove your
claim
4
Helpful,  friendly  and
positive, Action
stressing on goodwill
Close with a clear action ending that
suggests a specific action the reader may
take.
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General Plan (Indirect)
1. Buffer:
i. Agreement
ii. Appreciation
iii. Assurance
iv. Compliment
v. Cooperation
vi. Good News
vii. Neutral Courtesy
viii. Understanding
Agreement
Find a point on which you and the reader share similar views. For example;
We both know how hard it is to make a profit in this industry.
Appreciation
Express sincere thanks for receiving something. For example;
Your check for Rs.25000/- arrived yesterday. Thank you.
Cooperation
Convey your willingness to help in any way you realistically can. For example;
Employee Service is here to smooth the way for all of you who work to achieve company goals.
Fairness
Assure the reader that you've closely examined and carefully considered the problem, or mention an
appropriate action that has already been taken. For example;
For the past week, we have carefully monitored those using the photocopying machine to see whether we can detect any pattern
of use that might explain its frequent breakdowns.
Good News
Start with the part of your message that is favourable. For example;
A replacement knob for your range is on its way, shipped February 10 via TCS.
Understanding
Demonstrate that you understand the reader's goals and needs. For example;
So that you can more easily find the printer with the features you need, we are enclosing a brochure that describes all the
Panasonic printers currently available.
Here are some other things to avoid the following thing when writing a buffer:
1) Avoid saying no, An audience facing the unpleasant news right at the beginning usually reacts
negatively to the rest of the message, no matter how reasonable and well phrased it is.
2) Avoid using a know-it-all tone. When you use phrases such as "you should be aware that," the audience
expects your lecture to lead to a negative response and therefore resists the rest of your message.
3) Avoid wordy and irrelevant phrases and sentences. Sentences such as "We have received your letter," "This
letter is in reply to your request," and "We are writing in response to your request" are irrelevant.
You make better use of the space by referring directly to the subject of the letter.
4) Avoid apologizing. An apology weakens your explanation of the unfavourable decision.
5) Avoid writing a buffer that is too long. The point is to briefly identify something that both you and your
audience are interested in and agree on before proceeding in a businesslike way.
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Basic Organizational Plans
Indirect (Inductive) Approach
If you think that your message might upset your reader or listener, you use the indirect plan to ease your
audience into the part of your message that shows that you are fair-minded and eager to do business with
him on some other terms. This approach consists of four parts:
(1) A buffer,
(2) Explanation of your decision supported by reason
(3) Negative decision tactfully expressed or understood with helpful suggestion;
(4) A helpful, friendly, and positive close.
Basic Organizational Plans
As good-news plan is similar to direct-request plan, so is persuasive plan to bad-news plan. Persuasion is the
attempt to change a reader's attitude, beliefs or action in your favour. This plan is used to influence the
readers who may resist otherwise. One way to organize persuasive messages is the AIDA plan, which is of
four stages:
1. Attention
2. Interest
3. Desire
4. Action
In the attention stage, you convince the reader that you have something interesting or useful for him. In
interest stage you explain how your message is related to your reader. In the desire stage you provide
relevant evidence to prove your claim drawing attention to any enclosures. And in the action stage you close
the message with an action ending that suggests a specific action the reader may take.
Outline of the Indirect (Inductive) approach
Outline of the indirect (inductive) plan is given below:
Organizational Plan
Bad-News Plan
Persuasive Request Plan
1. Buffer: (using positive, pleasant rather than 1. Attention: you oriented theme, reader's benefit.
negative statement.
2. Explanation: (reader's benefit, reasons 2. Interest: Explain the opening theme in greater details
supporting the negative decision)
using psychological appeal.
3. Decision: (expressed or implied in clear but 3. Desire: Give relevant evidence to prove your claim
tactful manner)
4. Helpful, friendly and positive, stressing on 4. Action: Close with a clear action ending that suggests
goodwill
a specific action the reader may take.
Worksheet
Choosing the Best approach. Each of the following problems states a purpose for writing a letter.
Read each purpose, then tell (1) what the reader's reaction will be (pleased, displeased, neutral, little interest)
and (2) which approach you as the writer would take (direct, indirect, or persuasive)
1. To confirm a reservation.
Reaction: ________________ Approach: ____________________
2. To refuse a request for credit.
Reaction: ________________ Approach: _______________
3. To send a brochure that a client requested.
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Reaction: ________________ Approach: _______________
4. To ask for an opportunity to demonstrate your new energy-saving device.
Reaction: ________________ Approach: _________________
5. To decline a speaking invitation
Reaction: ________________ Approach: ________________
6. To thank a customer for placing a large order.
Reaction: ________________ Approach: ________________
7. To interest a potential customer in advertising in your magazine
Reaction: ________________ Approach: ________________
8. To replace a defective product
Reaction: ________________ Approach: ________________
9. To reject a job applicant
Reaction: ________________ Approach: _________________
10. To ask for more information about a product advertised on TV.
Reaction: ________________ Approach: _________________
11. To compromise on an adjustment
Reaction: ________________ Approach: _________________
12. To collect an overdue account
Reaction: ________________ Approach: _________________
13. To congratulate a former classmate on a promotion.
Reaction: ________________ Approach: _________________
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Table of Contents:
  1. COMMUNICATION:Definition of Communication, Communication & Global Market
  2. FLOW OF COMMUNICATION:Internal Communication, External Communication
  3. THEORIES OF COMMUNICATION:Electronic Theory, Rhetorical Theory
  4. THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION & MISCOMMUNICATION:Message
  5. BARRIERS IN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION /COMMUNICATION FALLOFF
  6. NON- VERBAL COMMUNICATION:Analysing Nonverbal Communication
  7. NON- VERBAL COMMUNICATION:Environmental Factors
  8. TRAITS OF GOOD COMMUNICATORS:Careful Creation of the Message
  9. PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:Clarity
  10. CORRECTNESS:Conciseness, Conciseness Checklist, Correct words
  11. CONSIDERATION:Completeness
  12. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
  13. INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION:Education, Law and Regulations, Economics
  14. INDIVIDUAL CULTURAL VARIABLES:Acceptable Dress, Manners
  15. PROCESS OF PREPARING EFFECTIVE BUSINESS MESSAGES
  16. Composing the Messages:THE APPEARANCE AND DESIGN OF BUSINESS MESSAGES
  17. THE APPEARANCE AND DESIGN OF BUSINESS MESSAGES:Punctuation Styles
  18. COMMUNICATING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY:Email Etiquette, Electronic Media
  19. BASIC ORGANIZATIONAL PLANS:Writing Goodwill Letters
  20. LETTER WRITING:Direct Requests, Inquiries and General Requests
  21. LETTER WRITING:Replies to Inquiries, Model Letters
  22. LETTER WRITING:Placing Orders, Give the Information in a Clear Format
  23. LETTER WRITING:Claim and Adjustment Requests, Warm, Courteous Close
  24. LETTER WRITING:When The Buyer Is At Fault, Writing Credit Letters
  25. LETTER WRITING:Collection Letters, Collection Letter Series
  26. LETTER WRITING:Sales Letters, Know your Buyer, Prepare a List of Buyers
  27. MEMORANDUM & CIRCULAR:Purpose of Memo, Tone of Memorandums
  28. MINUTES OF THE MEETING:Committee Members’ Roles, Producing the Minutes
  29. BUSINESS REPORTS:A Model Report, Definition, Purpose of report
  30. BUSINESS REPORTS:Main Features of the Report, INTRODUCTION
  31. BUSINESS REPORTS:Prefatory Parts, Place of Title Page Items
  32. MARKET REPORTS:Classification of Markets, Wholesale Market
  33. JOB SEARCH AND EMPLOYMENT:Planning Your Career
  34. RESUME WRITING:The Chronological Resume, The Combination Resume
  35. RESUME & APPLICATION LETTER:Personal Details, Two Types of Job Letters
  36. JOB INQUIRY LETTER AND INTERVIEW:Understanding the Interview Process
  37. PROCESS OF PREPARING THE INTERVIEW:Planning for a Successful Interview
  38. ORAL PRESENTATION:Planning Oral Presentation, To Motivate
  39. ORAL PRESENTATION:Overcoming anxiety, Body Language
  40. LANGUAGE PRACTICE AND NEGOTIATION SKILLS:Psychological barriers
  41. NEGOTIATION AND LISTENING:Gather information that helps you
  42. THESIS WRITING AND PRESENTATION:Write down your ideas
  43. THESIS WRITING AND PRESENTATION:Sections of a Thesis (Format)
  44. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:Studies Primarily Qualitative in Nature
  45. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:Basic Rules, Basic Form, Basic Format for Books