The Effectivity of the Indirect Approach

In Jane Gough's book, "Write it down: guidance for preparing documentation that meets regulatory requirements," She states that "using the indirect approach... will help you when you need to convince someone to take action, to respond to a request when you anticipate the initial reaction may be negative."  She then profoundly stated that "it's human nature to be happy to be asked but reluctant to comply."

The indirect approach allows writers to effectively address issues that are not generally well-liked by the reader. It allows for persuasion to occur before asking for a favor from someone, or for bad news to be acknowledged in a gentle manner that can soften the blow.

The indirect approach is very useful in a variety of forms of writing and the writer that masters its use, will be more persuasive and influential in his or her writings.