Because it is important for every communication to follow the six Cs of effective communication, it is necessary to plan every communication. Planning your message includes determining its purpose, identifying the audience, developing the content, and organizing the message.

Business communications can be categorized as routine/informational and yes letters, negative communications, and persuasive communications. Depending on the category, the appropriate approach—direct, indirect, persuasive—is selected. Mental planning is an important part of all successful communications; written planning is used especially for inexperienced writers and for complex and/or difficult situations.