2. Contents
• What is Indirectness in communication
• Types of Indirectness
• Motives for Indirectness
• Indirectness needed in Business Situations
– Bad news/Refusals
– Persuasion
• Conclusion
3. Excerpt from Alice in wonderland
“Then you should say what you mean,” the March Hare
went on.
“I do,” Alice hastily replied; “at least–at least I mean what
I say–that’s the same thing, you know.”
“Not the same thing a bit!” said the Hatter. “You might
just as well say that “I see what I eat” is the same thing
as “I eat what I see”
4. Indirectness
• Indirectness is often used in our daily communication as a major
communicative skill to keep a harmonious interpersonal relation
• Various motives if indirectness includes politeness, self-protection,
humor, rejection or denial, etc.
• Read the following :
– “Frankly, I think you are boring”
– “I’m terribly sorry, I’ve to leave you alone now”
• According to Searle(1975) indirectness is defined as “those cases in
which one illocutionary act is performed indirectly by ways of
performing another”
• In simple terms – indirectness is the means through which one
meaning is conveyed indirectly through verbal or non verbal behaviors
to achieve a certain goal , or the means in which one’s intent is
revealed in a roundabout way
5. Types of Indirectness
• Conventional indirectness
– These are standardized to perform only those acts
conventionally designated for certain functional purposes
which are not assigned to them in their grammatical forms
– “Can you please pass the salt?” exact wording
– “Are you able to pass the salt?” Inappropriate and direct
• Non Conventional Indirectness
– Also referred to as “Hints”
– These are the verbal/nonverbal cues that are ambiguous on
either prepositional content or illocutionary force or both
• “I have to study for an exam” – is an excuse for not
accepting a movie invitation. Literal and intended meaning
does not match
6. Motive for Indirectness
• Indirectness for Politeness
– Depends on social distance between the speaker and
listener.
– Need to feel accepted by other people
• Self protection
– Means of conveying denial, advice,
humor, etc.
– Save your “face”
• “Could you possibly lend me your bike
this evening?”
– “Sorry I will use it this evening”
• “Lend me your bike this afternoon”
– “No I do not want to lend you my bike”
7. Motive for Indirectness
• Indirectness for Humor
– Helps in expressing our sincerity, generosity, and kindliness in a lighter
way
– Lubricates interpersonal relationship
– Promotes one’s self restraint and creating a meaningful life
• Customer : “is my dish ready?”
• Waiter : “What have you ordered?”
• Customer : “Fried snails”
• Waiter : “Oh I will go to the kitchen and have a look, Would you
please wait for a moment?”
• Customer ( in anger ) : “I have already waited for half an hour !”
• Waiter : “You know sir, Snails are slow in movement…”
The two laughed
8. Motive for Indirectness
• Indirectness for rejection and denial
– Don’t show disagreement openly
– Don’t give out any explicit expressions of rejection or denial
• “How could I do that?” = “it is impossible that I should do
that”
• “let us go to the park this after noon” in response “I have
classes this afternoon”=“I don’t want to go”
9. Business Situations needing Indirectness
• Bad news : Indirectness cushions the shock and reduces
harshness
– Exceptions : When receiver might prefer frankness over
indirectness or it’s a routine thing
• Refusals
10. The General Indirect Plan
• Using a Strategic Buffer
– Raises the topic but does not indicate the rest of the
message
– Identifies the subject of the message but does not
indicate overtly that the negative news is coming
• Neutral Buffer
• Positive Buffer
– But be very careful about opening with a positive buffer
• Setting Up The Negative News
– Follow the buffer with an explanatory strategy before
presenting the negative news
11. The General Indirect Plan
• Presenting the Bad News Positively
– Present it as positively as the situation permits and
make sure negative message is clear
• Can use 1st and 3rd person to present instead of 2nd
person : e.g.
– “Since you have broken the seal, state law prohibits us
from returning the product to stock” – usage of 2nd person
– “State law prohibits us from returning to stock all such
products with broken seals” – usage of 3rd person
• Linking negative news to a reader benefit : e.g.
– Prefacing with “in the interest of fairness” or “for the
safety of our guests” indicates the reader and our patrons
get an important benefit out of our policy
• Be certain that you are honest and clear
12. The General Indirect Plan
• Offering an alternative solution
– Help solve the reader’s problem
– Showing concern maintains goodwill
• Ending on a positive note
– End with forward looking note
– Shift the reader’s thoughts to happier things
– End with specially adapted goodwill
13. Case Illustration
• Case Definition : Refusal Request
– Tact and strategy mark this refusal
request in which an office manager turns
down a text book author’s request
– The author had asked for model email messages that
can be used as examples in a communication
guidebook.
– The office manager reasons that complying with this
request would take more time than he is willing or able to
give
14. Opening with the
strategic buffer Your point of
Ties in with request view explained
At the same
Presenting the bad time sets up the
news(refusal) Negative
positively news
Offers
alternative
solutions
Goodwill close
off subject and
pleasant
15. Indirectness in Persuasive Messages
• Determining the persuasion : Planning the strategy involves 2
inter related tasks :
– Considering your own goals for the message
– Considering your reader’s needs and interests
– Deciding upon persuasive plan
– A special persuasive plan : it is the problem solution strategy
which uses the common ground technique
• Gaining attention in the opening
– Beginning should lead to your central strategy
– Attention is needed to get the reader in a mood to receive the
persuasion
– The opening of a problem-solution message describes a
problem that you and your readers share
16. Persuasive Requests
• Presenting the persuasion
– Present the points convincingly
– Convey points with convincing details
– Selecting words for effect
– Use logic and emotion appropriately and project an appealing image
• Making the Request Clearly and Positively
– After persuading, move to the action you seek
– Place the request
– Word the request for best effect
– Do not use a negative tone
• “I am aware that business people in your position have little free time to
give, but will you please consider accepting an assignment to the board
of directors of the children’s fund?”
– Be positive
• “Because your organizing skills are so desperately needed, will you
please serve on the board of directors for the children’s fund?”
17. Persuasive Requests
• End the message with the request or follow with more
persuasion
• Ending with reminder of the appeal is also good
18. Illustration(Inappropriate Direct Response)
• Example-1: Direct and not appropriate
Dear Mr. Willams:
Will you please donate to the local junior Achievement program? We have
set $50 as a fair minimum for business to give. But larger amounts
would be appreciated.
The organization badly needs your support. Currently about 900 young
people will not get to participate in junior Achievement activities unless
more money is raised. Junior Achievement is most worthwhile
organization. As a business leader you should be willing to support it.
If you do not already know about the junior Achievement, let me
explain. Junior Achievement is an organization for high school
youngsters. They work with the local business executives to form small
businesses. They operate businesses. In the process, they learn about
our economic system. This is good thing, and it deserve our help.
Hoping to receive your generous donation.
19. Illustration(Indirect and Appropriate)
• Example-2: indirect and appropriate
Dear Mr. Williams,
Right now– Right here in our city—620 teenage youngsters are
running 37 corporations. The kids run the whole show, their only adult
help being advice from some of your business associates who work
with them. Last September, they create plans for business operations
and right now they are operating it very well. This May they will liquidate
their companies and account to their stockholders for their profits and
losses.
To continue to succeed, junior Achievement needs all of us behind it.
During the 13 years has been in our city, it has had enthusiastic support
from local business leaders. Over 900 student’s are in waiting list, that’s
why, as a volunteer myself, I ask that you help make program available
to more youngsters by contributing $50. Please make your donation
now by completing our online contribution form at
www.juniorachievement.org you will be doing a good service for the
kids in our community.
Sincerely,
20. Conclusion
• Its very clear that Indirect communication has a very
important part to play in our day to day life.
• Telling “no” is an art which is very important for everyone to
master for which we need thorough understanding of
Indirect communication
• Indirect communication also has its application in various
business scenarios and thus we need to practice it very
carefully and apt applications are necessary
