Module 9: Composing Persuasive Messages Flashcards
Even attracting and holding your audience’s attention long enough for you to make your pitch depends on your _______
persuasive ability.
In business, people depend on persuasion to:
sell products and services, to build relationships, and to get quality work done.
What Do People Find Persuasive?
People are persuaded by their perceptions of the trustworthiness of the messenger, and by the emotional and logical resonances of the message.
What creates the alchemy of persuasion?
Credibility, emotion, and logic
What Are the Purposes of Persuasive Messages?
Persuasive messages convince the audience to comply willingly.
Persuasive messages have two primary purposes:
To have the reader act and to overcome any objections that might prevent or delay action
To provide enough information so that the reader knows exactly what to do
As is true of all messages, persuasive messages should also
Establish a good impression of the writer
Build a good image of the writer’s organization
Build a good relationship between the writer and reader
Reduce or eliminate future correspondence on the same subject
What Kinds of Persuasive Messages Am I Likely to Create?
You will likely craft direct and indirect requests, reports, and sales pitches, including job application letters and resumés. You may also write corporate communications and promotions messages—including those distributed via social media, tweets, and blogs.
How Do I Organize Persuasive Messages?
Use PAIBOC analysis to analyze your audience’s reaction. Then organize your messages based on your understanding of audience objections.
However, when you expect resistance from the reader, use the bad news organizational pattern:
start with an objective description of the situation.
Organizing Direct Requests
Start with the request only when you anticipate ready agreement, when you fear that a busy reader may not read a message whose relevance isn’t clear, or when your organization’s culture prefers direct requests.
Consider asking immediately for the information or service you want. Delay the request, however, if you need to contextualize the message, if the message seems too abrupt, or if you have several purposes in the message.
Give readers all the information and details they will need to act on your request. Number your questions or set them off with bullets so the reader can check to see that all of them have been answered.
In a claim (in which a product is under warranty or a shipment was defective), explain the circumstances so that the reader knows what happened. Be sure to include all the relevant details: date of purchase, model or invoice number, and so on.
In more complicated direct requests, anticipate possible responses. Suppose you’re asking for information about equipment meeting certain specifications. Explain which criteria are most important so that the reader can recommend an alternative if no single product meets all your needs. You may also want to tell the reader what your price constraints are and ask if the item is in stock or must be put on special order.
Ask for the action you want. Do you want a sale? A cheque? A replacement? A catalogue? Answers to your questions? If you need an answer by a certain time, say so. If possible, show the reader why the time limit is necessary.
Direct vs indirect request
Is there a newer version of the 2014 Accounting Reference Manual? (indirect)
If there is a newer version of the 2014 Accounting Reference Manual, please send it to me. (direct)
Organizing Indirect Requests
Use the indirect (inductive or bad news) organization when you expect resistance from the reader, but you can show that doing what you suggest will resolve the situation or solve the problem.
This pattern allows you to anticipate and overcome objections; you describe all the reasons in favour of your position before you give your readers a chance to say no.
Describe the situation you share (or the problem that your request will solve). Because you’re interested in solving the problem, describe the situation objectively; it’s a waste of time and ink to assign blame or mention personalities.
Detail the results of the situation as they affect your reader. Be specific about the cost in money, time, lost goodwill, inconvenience, and so on. Persuade your readers that something must be done before you convince them that your solution is the best one.
Explain your solution. If you know that the reader will favour another solution, start with that solution and show why it won’t work before you present your solution. Present your solution, focusing on practicality, workability, and desirability without using the words I or my. Appeal to the reader’s wallet or sense of enlightened self-interest.
Prove that any negative elements (cost, time, concerns, disruptions) are outweighed by the advantages.
Summarize any additional benefits of the solution. You can present the main benefit—solving the problem—briefly, since you have described the problem in detail. However, if there are any additional benefits, mention them.
Ask for the action you want. Often your reader will authorize or approve something; other people will implement the action. Give your reader a reason to act promptly, perhaps offering a new reader benefit. (“By buying now, we can avoid the next quarter’s price hikes.”)
How Do I Identify and Overcome Objections?
Know your audience. Talk to your audience. Then try these strategies.
The easiest way to learn about audience objections is to ask knowledgeable people in your network or organization.
Use open questions and phrase your questions neutrally so that people feel encouraged to express their opinions honestly: “What concerns would you have about a proposal to do X?
Ask follow-up questions to be sure you understand: “Would you be likely to stay with your current supplier if you could get a lower price from someone else? Why?”
