Unit 2: Written business communication
Business Communication notes · PTU syllabus (MCOP106-18)
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Unit summary
Most business decisions are recorded in writing — letters, emails, memos and reports. This unit covers the importance of communication to managers, planning and creating business messages, analysing situations and audiences, designing, editing and revising documents, letters, memos, emails and web writing, informative, positive, negative and persuasive messages, and business reports.
After this unit you can
- Plan business messages by analysing purpose, audience and situation
- Write letters, memos, emails and web content
- Write informative, positive, negative and persuasive messages
- Plan and write business reports
PTU syllabus topics
- Importance of communication to managers
- planning and creating business messages
- analysing communication situations and audiences
- designing documents
- editing and revising
- letters/memos/emails/web writing
- informative/positive/negative/persuasive messages
- types and purposes of business reports
- report planning and writing techniques
Use for
Good news, routine requests
Bad news, persuasion
Opens with
The main point
A neutral buffer
Then
Details and close
Reasons, then the news
Topic 1
Importance of communication to managers
- Managers spend 70–80% of their time communicating — giving instructions, negotiating, reporting, motivating, coordinating.
- Roles (Mintzberg): informational roles — monitor, disseminator, spokesperson — are communication roles.
- Good writing builds credibility, saves time and avoids costly misunderstandings.
Topic 2
Planning and creating business messages
- 1Plan
Purpose, audience analysis, main idea, channel
- 2Write
Organise (direct or indirect approach), draft, adapt tone
- 3Complete
Revise, edit, proofread, design, distribute
- Audience analysis: primary and secondary readers, their knowledge, attitude, expectations, culture; you-attitude (reader's viewpoint).
- Approaches: direct (main point first) for routine and good news; indirect (reasons first) for bad news and persuasion.
- Designing documents: headings, bullet points, white space, tables, consistent fonts, visuals.
- Editing and revising: check content, organisation, style (plain English, active voice), conciseness, accuracy; proofread for grammar, numbers, names.
Topic 3
Letters, memos, emails and web writing
| Form | Use | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| Business letter | External formal communication | Letterhead, date, inside address, salutation, subject, body, complimentary close, signature; block or modified block layout |
| Memo | Internal communication | To, From, Date, Subject; brief, direct, no salutation |
| Fast internal/external messages | Clear subject line, short paragraphs, professional tone, no all caps, check attachments, reply-all with care | |
| Web writing | Websites, blogs, social posts | Scannable, headings, keywords (SEO), short sentences, links, accessibility |
Example
Email subject line: "Request: approval for ₹2 lakh marketing budget by 15 March" is better than "Budget" — it tells the reader the action and deadline.
Topic 4
Informative, positive, negative and persuasive messages
Informative/routine (enquiries, orders)
Direct
Main point → details → courteous close
Positive (approvals, good news)
Direct
Good news → details → friendly close
Negative (refusals, bad news)
Indirect (usually)
Buffer → reasons → bad news → alternative → goodwill close
Persuasive (sales letters, proposals)
Indirect — AIDA
Attention → Interest → Desire → Action
- Negative messages: maintain goodwill — be honest, empathetic, explain reasons, suggest alternatives, avoid blame.
- Persuasive messages: use logic (ethos, logos, pathos), evidence, benefits to the reader, a clear call to action.
Topic 5
Business reports
- Report: an organised factual statement prepared for a specific purpose and audience to help decision-making.
By formality
Formal and informal
By purpose
Informational and analytical (recommendations)
By frequency
Routine/periodic (monthly sales) and special (enquiry reports)
By length
Short (memo/letter reports) and long (project reports)
By origin
Statutory (annual report, auditor's report) and non-statutory
- 1
Define the problem and purpose
- 2
Plan the scope and method
- 3
Collect data
- 4
Analyse and interpret
- 5
Organise and outline
- 6
Draft
- 7
Revise and present
- Structure of a formal report: title page, letter of transmittal, table of contents, executive summary, introduction (terms of reference), body (findings), conclusions, recommendations, references, appendices.
- Qualities: accuracy, objectivity, clarity, conciseness, logical sequence, readable layout, visuals.
Exam tip
The executive summary is often the only part busy managers read — write it last and make it stand alone.
Key terms
- You-attitude
- Writing from the reader's point of view
- Direct approach
- Main idea first, then details
- Buffer
- Neutral opening before bad news
- AIDA
- Attention, interest, desire, action — persuasive structure
- Executive summary
- Concise overview of a report's key points
Quick revision
- Writing: plan → write → complete.
- Direct for routine and positive; indirect for negative and persuasive.
- Letters (external), memos (internal), emails (fast), web writing (scannable).
- Negative message: buffer → reasons → news → alternative → goodwill.
- Report structure: title to appendices; executive summary.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.What is the you-attitude?
- Q2.Distinguish a memo and a letter.
- Q3.State three rules of email etiquette.
- Q4.What is a buffer in a negative message?
- Q5.What is AIDA?
- Q6.Name the parts of a formal report.
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain the process of planning and writing business messages.
- Q2.Explain the structure and types of business letters, memos and emails.
- Q3.Explain how to write negative and persuasive messages.
- Q4.Explain the types of reports and the process of report writing.
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