Business Communication Assignment 3

Muqadas Fatima
20U03013
B
Question 1 Planning: Assessing Audience Needs [LO-2] for each communication task that follows
write brief answers to three questions: Who is the audience? What is the audience’s general
attitude toward my subject? What does the audience need to know?
a. A final-notice collection letter from an appliance manufacturer to an appliance dealer that is 3
months behind on payments, sent 10 days before initiating legal collection procedures
Audience: Appliance dealer
Audience’s attitude: Frustrated, stressed, concerned, and maybe scared
Audience needs to know: If they are unable to pay the payments, the collection procedures will be started

b. An advertisement for smartphones

Audience: Consumers interested in buying smartphone
Audience’s attitude: Badly in need of a phone
Audience needs to know: Specs , uses and features more over price and warranty.

c. A proposal to top management, suggesting that the four sales regions in the United States be
combined into just two regions
Audience: Top management team
Audience’s attitude: Analytical
Audience needs to know: The reason of combining the regions. Secondly will sales be affected after this
change

d. Fliers announcing reduced rates for chimney cleaning or repairs, to be attached to doorknobs in
the neighborhood
Audience: Homeowners
Audience’s attitude: People concerned for safety
Audience needs to know: Advantages of buying specific products and price needed for installing the
product

e. A cover letter sent along with your résumé to a potential employer

Audience: Potential Employer
Audience’s attitude: Observations
Audience needs to know: Experience, job skills and the education background and proficiencies
f. A website that describes the services offered by a consulting firm that helps accounting managers
comply with government regulations
Audience: Accounting managers
Audience’s attitude: Interested and in search for some new software’s
Audience needs to know: What services are provided, how those services are rated by previous clients,
and, most importantly, how much those services cost.

Question 2 Planning: Choosing the Direct or Indirect Approach [LO-5] Indicate whether the direct
or
indirect approach would be best in each of the following situations and briefly explain why. Would
any of these messages be inappropriate for email? Explain.
a. A message to the owner of an automobile dealership, complaining about poor service work
Direct approach: It's preferable to approach a proprietor in person for two reasons: first, you can be sure
that your message has been received on time, and second, you can ask questions and receive answers
from the proprietor without any intermediaries .

A message from a recent college graduate requesting a letter of recommendation from a former
instructor
Direct approach: It's best to get in touch with the former teacher via email or some other direct method. It
will also take less time to hear back from them.
b. A message turning down a job applicant
Indirect approach: The manager of a company is not the right person to directly mail to applicant for the
rejection, instead any person from HR department will be responsible for this task.
c. A message announcing that because of high air-conditioning costs, the plant temperature will be
held at 78° F during the summer
Indirect approach: As there are large number of people in plant so it’s difficult to directly approach
everyone. It better to use a proper medium of spreading this information.
e. A message from an advertising agency to a troublesome long-term client, explaining that the
agency will no longer be able to work on the client’s account
Direct approach: It's best to be up front with clients about the agency's inability to continue working on
their accounts and provide an explanation for the decision.