Chapter 10 Persuasive Messages

Chapter 10 Persuasive Messages

Learning Objectives (1 of 2)
Learning Objective 10.1 Describe the relationship between credibility and persuasion. Learning Objective 10.2 Explain the AIM planning process for persuasive messages and the basic components of most persuasive messages. Learning Objective 10.3 Explain how the tone and style of persuasive messages impact their influence. LO 10.1 Describe the relationship between credibility and persuasion. LO 10.2 Explain the AIM planning process for persuasive messages and the basic components of most persuasive messages. LO 10.3 Explain how the tone and style of persuasive messages impact their influence.

Learning Objectives (2 of 2)
Learning Objective 10.4 Create compelling internal persuasive messages. Learning Objective 10.5 Compose influential external persuasive messages. Learning Objective 10.6 Construct effective mass sales messages. Learning Objective 10.7 Evaluate persuasive messages for effectiveness and fairness. LO 10.4 Create compelling internal persuasive messages. LO 10.5 Compose influential external persuasive messages. LO 10.6 Construct effective mass sales messages. LO 10.7 Evaluate persuasive messages for effectiveness and fairness.

Chapter Overview Relationship between credibility and persuasion
Components of persuasive messages Tone and style Internal and external persuasive messages Mass sales messages Effective and fair persuasive messages This chapter covers the following topics: the relationship between credibility and persuasion; components of persuasive messages; tone and style; internal and external persuasive messages; mass sales messages; and effective and fair persuasive messages.

The Importance of Credibility in an Era of Mistrust and Skepticism
The importance of credibility is heightened for persuasive messages. If audience members question your credibility, they are unlikely to carefully consider your ideas, requests, or recommendations. While credibility is critical to all business communications, its importance is heightened for persuasive messages. By definition, persuasion implies that you are communicating with someone who does not think or feel the same way as you do. So, your goal is to help your audience members identify with and find merit in your positions. If they question your credibility, they are unlikely to carefully consider your ideas, requests, or recommendations. Persuasion is becoming more difficult as we live in a time of increasing mistrust. Michael Maslansky, one of the leading corporate communications experts, has labeled this the post-trust era (PTE). In this chapter, we sort through some of the basic principles of persuasive writing and identify effective strategies for the PTE.

Applying the AIM Planning Process to Persuasive Messages
Analyzing your audience to understand their needs, values, and how they are influenced Gathering the right information as you wrestle with the complicated business issues at hand Developing a message that most effectively reduces resistance and gains buy-ins Persuasion involves extensive planning: analyzing your audience to understand their needs, values, and how they are influenced; developing your ideas as you wrestle with the complicated business issues at hand; and creating a message structure that most effectively reduces resistance and gains buy-in. Many effective business communicators spend weeks and months learning about their target audiences, gathering information, and piecing together persuasive messages.

Understand Your Audience
To convince others to modify their own ideas and accept yours, you need to show that you care about them and that your ideas fit into their interests. Persuade through shared purpose and shared values. Show people they are sincerely needed and appreciated. Understand methods of influence. Persuade through emotion and reason. To convince others to modify their own ideas and accept yours, you need to show that you care about them and that your ideas fit into their interests. Approaches for doing so include: Persuade through shared purpose and shared values. Show people they are sincerely needed and appreciated. Understand methods of influence. Persuade through emotion and reason.

Understand Methods of Influence (1 of 3)
Reciprocation A principle of influence based on returning favors Consistency Based on the idea that once people make an explicit commitment, they tend to follow through or honor that commitment Dr. Robert Cialdini, a marketing psychologist, has spent his career studying how people are influenced in business and marketing environments. He has identified six principles of persuasion: reciprocation, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. Reciprocation is a principle of influence based on returning favors. As defined by Cialdini, “We should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us.” Consistency is based on the idea that once people make an explicit commitment, they tend to follow through or honor that commitment. In other words, they want to stay consistent with their original commitment.

Social proof A principle of influence whereby people determine what is right, correct, or desirable by seeing what others do Liking A principle of influence whereby people are more likely to be persuaded by people who they like Social proof is a principle of influence whereby people determine what is right, correct, or desirable by seeing what others do. Liking is a principle of influence whereby people are more likely to be persuaded by people they like.

Authority A principle of influence whereby people follow authority figures Scarcity A principle of influence whereby people think there is limited availability of something they want or need, so they must act quickly Authority is a principle of influence whereby people follow authority figures. The number of celebrity endorsements in advertising is evidence of how authority can impact persuasion. Scarcity is a principle of influence whereby people think there is limited availability of something they want or need, so they must act quickly.

Persuade through Emotion and Reason
Savvy business communicators understand the importance of injecting emotion into their persuasive messages. Effective communicators find ways to appeal to the core emotional benefits of products, services, and ideas. Most people justify their business decisions based on the soundness of ideas, not feelings. Savvy business communicators, however, understand the importance of injecting emotion into their persuasive messages. While they appreciate the place of reason in business and consumer decisions, they understand that resistance to ideas, products, and services is often emotional. Conversely, they are aware that their target audiences often possess strong emotional attachment to competing ideas, products, and services. Thus, effective communicators find ways to appeal to the core emotional benefits of products, services, and ideas.

Gather the Right Information
Gathering the right information and developing your ideas for persuasive messages is critical. Since your audience is resistant to the message, one of your key tasks is to establish credibility. Developing strong ideas in the interest of your audience helps you demonstrate your voice of competence. Gathering the right information and developing your ideas for persuasive messages is critical. Since your audience is resistant to the message, one of your key tasks is to establish credibility. Developing strong ideas in the interest of your audience helps you demonstrate your voice of competence. It involves gaining a deep understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of your ideas, products, and services. In addition, it involves gaining a thorough understanding of competing ideas, products, and services.

Components of Persuasive Messages
Gain attention. Raise a need. Deliver a solution. Provide a rationale. Validate the views, preferences, and concerns of others. Give counterpoints (optional). Call to action. The following are components of persuasive messages: Gain attention. Raise a need. Deliver a solution. Provide a rationale. Validate the views, preferences, and concerns of others. Give counterpoints (optional). Call to action.

Set Up the Message (1 of 2) Direct Explicit
You begin with a main idea or argument and then provide the supporting reasons. Explicit Nothing is implied. Statements contain full and unambiguous meaning. Most business writing is direct and explicit. It is direct in that you begin with a main idea or argument and then provide the supporting reasons. It is explicit in that nothing is implied; statements contain full and unambiguous meaning. When you write directly and explicitly, you help your readers understand your message and you show respect for their time.

Set Up the Message (2 of 2) Indirect Implicit
You provide the rationale for a request before making the specific request. Implicit The request or some of the rationale for the request may be implied. The reader needs to read between the lines to grasp the entire meaning. Compared to other business messages, persuasive messages are somewhat more indirect and implicit. They are sometimes indirect in that they provide the rationale for a request before making the specific request. They are sometimes implicit in that the request or some of the rationale for the request may be implied. In other words, sometimes the reader needs to read between the lines to grasp the entire meaning. Implicit statements politely ask people to act or think differently. Also, explicitly stating some types of benefits is considered poor form—for example, matters of financial or career gain in internal persuasive requests.

Table 10.1 Effective Attention-Getters
Type of Attention-Getter Example Rhetorical question Did you know that average credit union members save $400 per year compared to bank customers? Intriguing statistic In the past five years, we’ve lost over 200 members—over 10 percent of our membership. Compelling and unusual fact(s) You’ve probably heard car dealers boast about their near-zero percent interest rates—but there’s a catch! By financing with car dealers, you give up your opportunity to receive manufacturer rebates and your power to negotiate on price. Challenge Please join our team in this year’s Hope Walkathon in the fight against breast cancer. Testimonial “I never knew I could have so much negotiating power with a preapproved loan. By getting my car loan through Better Horizons, I negotiated a great deal with the car dealer. This is the way to buy cars!” See Table 10.1 for examples of attention-getters that Haniz might use for some of her communication tasks concerning marketing initiatives at Horizon Credit Union.

Getting the Tone and Style Right for Persuasive Messages
Apply the personal touch. Use action-oriented, lively language. Write with confidence. Offer choice. Show positivity. The tone for persuasive messages should be confident and positive, yet at the same time avoid exaggeration or hype. This can be tricky! You will no doubt need to make some trade-offs. The more confident and positive you make your message, the more you risk being perceived as pushy or exaggerated. As you reduce confidence and positivity, you risk your product, service, or idea being perceived as weak or unexciting. One benefit of asking colleagues to read your persuasive message before you send it is that they can help you decide if you have achieved the right level of confidence and positivity without sacrificing believability.

Table 10.2 Voice in Persuasive Messages (1 of 4)
You-Voice Appropriate Cases Use in external persuasive messages to emphasize reader benefits. Cautions Presumptuousness—assuming you know what is good for someone else Examples When you take out an auto loan, you get a variety of resources to help you in your car shopping, including a free copy of a Kelly Blue Book, access to free Carfax reports, Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI), and Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP). In this example, you-voice helps show direct benefits to the customers. Overuse across entire message, however, may come across as presumptuous, overbearing, or exaggerated. Creating messages that speak directly to customers and colleagues requires that you use language that helps your customers and colleagues feel the product, service, or idea is just for them. One of the primary strategies you can use to personalize persuasive messages is your selection of voice—either you-voice, we-voice, I-voice, or impersonal voice (as introduced in Chapter 2). Table 10.2 offers guidance on choosing the appropriate voice.

We-Voice Appropriate Cases Use in internal persuasive messages to emphasize shared work goals. Cautions Presumptuousness—assuming you share common beliefs, ideas, or understanding with your colleagues Examples At Better Horizons, we’ve instilled a personal touch into every aspect of our business. We’ve reinforced this culture with face-to-face services. Our tellers welcome members by name. When members come into the credit union, they know we care about them as people, not just as customers. The warm, friendly, genuine, and personal approach we take to serving our members is why I’m so proud to work here. In this passage, we-voice instills a sense of shared values, priorities, and goals. We-voice can instill a strong sense of teamwork. When audience members have different perspectives, however, they may resent that you are stating agreement where it does not exist. One of the primary strategies you can use to personalize persuasive messages is your selection of voice—either you-voice, we-voice, I-voice, or impersonal voice (as introduced in Chapter 2). Table 10.2 offers guidance on choosing the appropriate voice.

I-Voice Appropriate Cases Use in all persuasive messages sparingly. Cautions Overuse implies self-centeredness Examples After examining the results of other credit unions, I am convinced that these tools can build emotional connections and loyalty with our members. In this example, I-voice is used to show a personal opinion and shows respect for audience members who are not yet fully persuaded. Frequent use of I-voice across an entire message, however, may come across as emphasizing your interests rather than those of the audience. One of the primary strategies you can use to personalize persuasive messages is your selection of voice—either you-voice, we-voice, I-voice, or impersonal voice (as introduced in Chapter 2). Table 10.2 offers guidance on choosing the appropriate voice.

Impersonal Voice Appropriate Cases Use in persuasive messages to emphasize objectivity and neutrality. Cautions Overuse may depersonalize the message. Examples The basic difference between credit unions and banks is that credit union members own and control their credit unions whereas bank account holders have no stake or control in their financial institutions. In this example, impersonal voice helps show objectivity. An entire persuasive message in impersonal voice, however, may fail to connect on a personal level with the audience. One of the primary strategies you can use to personalize persuasive messages is your selection of voice—either you-voice, we-voice, I-voice, or impersonal voice (as introduced in Chapter 2). Table 10.2 offers guidance on choosing the appropriate voice.

Tangible Statements By definition, tangible means something can be touched; it is material or substantial. In a business communications context, making the statement tangible implies that the readers can discern something in terms that are meaningful to them. This allows the reader to sense the impact on a personal level. Another method of personalizing a message is to make your statements tangible. By definition, tangible means something can be touched; it is material or substantial. In a business communications context, making the statement tangible implies that the readers can discern something in terms that are meaningful to them. This allows the reader to sense the impact on a personal level.

Table 10.3 Making Tangible Statements (1 of 2)
Less Effective Credit unions save members about $8 billion a year thanks to better interest rates and reduced fees. The benefit is not tangible. Customers are not sure what the benefit would be for them personally. More Effective On average, credit union members save $400 each year compared to bank customers thanks to lower loan rates and fees. This benefit is tangible; the customers know how much they will save on an individual level. Less Effective In recent years, many credit unions have lost membership because younger individuals are not attracted to them. This statement focuses on a general trend for credit unions but does not indicate an impact on a particular credit union. More Effective In the past five years, we’ve lost over 200 members—over 10 percent of our membership. And we simply aren’t attracting younger members. This statement invokes a sense of what is happening right here at our credit union. Indentifying the amount (as well as a percentage) helps the reader discern the impact. You often can achieve a tangible feel by combining you-voice with specificity. See Table 10.3 for examples of messages that Haniz is working on for the credit union.

Table 10.3 Making Tangible Statements (2 of 2)
Less Effective We provide lower rates on car loans. Our car loan rates are between 1.5 and 1.75 percentage points lower than at any of the banks in town. This statement doesn’t help the customers understand how much in dollars they would save on a car loan at Better Horizons. More Effective You pay lower rates on car loans. You can get car loan rates at Better Horizons that are 1.5–1.75 percentage points lower than at any other bank in town. Consider the savings: On a 4-year $15,000 new car loan: You save about $680. On a 4-year $5,000 used car loan: You save about $200. This statement allows customers to easily think about how much savings they would receive by getting a car loan with Better Horizons. You often can achieve a tangible feel by combining you-voice with specificity. See Table 10.3 for examples of messages that Haniz is working on for the credit union. As you reread your message, keep in mind the following advice from sales specialist Ralph Allora: “Read the letter aloud. If it doesn’t sound like you’re having a conversation with the client over the phone, then you’re not using the right tone.”

Table 10.4 Using Action-Oriented and Lively Language (1 of 2)
Less Effective The Betty Williams Breast Center has a nationally accredited program for treatment of breast cancer. The weak verb has implies little action on the part of the Betty Williams Breast Center. More Effective The Betty Williams Breast Center runs a nationally accredited program for treatment of breast cancer. The action verb runs implies a full-fledged and active effort on the part of the Betty Williams Breast Center. In persuasive messages, you have somewhat more license to write creatively. Focus on using action-oriented and lively words to achieve a sense of excitement, optimism, or other positive emotions. Use strong nouns and verbs to add to the excitement of the message. Across the entire message or thought, the action-oriented and lively language should emphasize a central theme. See Table 10.4 for examples from documents Haniz is working on for two of her projects.

Table 10.4 Using Action-Oriented and Lively Language (2 of 2)
Less Effective Better Horizons has always been known for its personal approach to our members. Our transactions have always occurred through face-to-face services. Our tellers are friendly to all members. Uses unexciting, weak verbs: has been known, have occurred, are (notice how passive verbs detract from a sense of action and engagement). The central theme of personalized service does not come through. For example, consider the contrast between our tellers are friendly versus our tellers welcome members by name. More Effective At Better Horizons, we’ve instilled a personal touch into every aspect of our business. We’ve reinforced this culture with face-to-face services. Our tellers welcome members by name. When members come into the credit union, they know we care about them as people, not just as customers. Uses a positive, diverse set of action verbs: instilled, reinforced, welcome, care. Uses adjectives and nouns to further emphasize a central theme of personalized service: personal touch, face-to-face services, name. In persuasive messages, you have somewhat more license to write creatively. Focus on using action-oriented and lively words to achieve a sense of excitement, optimism, or other positive emotions. Use strong nouns and verbs to add to the excitement of the message. Across the entire message or thought, the action-oriented and lively language should emphasize a central theme. See Table 10.4 for examples from documents Haniz is working on for two of her projects.

Table 10.5 Writing with Confidence (1 of 2)
Less Effective At our upcoming board meeting, I would like to discuss possible ways of appealing to younger members. We can talk about how various strategies might appeal to this group. These statements are an attempt to achieve an other-orientation; they show sensitivity to involving others in the decision making. However, they show no confidence in the ideas or policies that the audience resists. More Effective At our upcoming board meeting, I will present a vision of how we can build marketing strategies and product offerings to appeal to younger members. These strategies will not only attract younger members to our credit union, but also increase our business across other age groups. These statements imply confidence in the change message: These are ideas and policies that will make a difference. Furthermore, the writer can make them happen. The argument is logic-based, but also contains an excitement about possibilities. As you display more confidence in your idea, product, or service, you can more effectively influence your audience. Effective persuaders provide compelling and simple reasons for action. They should show confidence in these ideas, as illustrated in Table 10.5, again with examples from two of Haniz’s projects. Emotionally, the writer’s confidence allows the audience to gain confidence in the message.

Table 10.5 Writing with Confidence (2 of 2)
Less Effective Please think about how Better Horizons can help you in your banking. This nonspecific request sounds weak and unconfident. It gives the reader an excuse to easily dismiss the message. More Effective We encourage you to stop by Better Horizons and make direct comparisons with your current bank. You’ll find that banking with Better Horizons save you money, provides convenience when you travel, and offers services to meet nearly any banking need. This request lays down a challenge to make direct comparisons, confidently implying that Better Horizons can outperform competitors. It then directly states specific benefits to the potential member. As you display more confidence in your idea, product, or service, you can more effectively influence your audience. Effective persuaders provide compelling and simple reasons for action. They should show confidence in these ideas, as illustrated in Table 10.5, again with examples from two of Haniz’s projects. Emotionally, the writer’s confidence allows the audience to gain confidence in the message.

Table 10.6 Emphasizing Choice
Less Effective You owe it to the women in your lives to make a difference. This appeal focuses on obligation and pressure. Most readers will not respond positively. More Effective You can help make a difference for women here in our community. This appeal focuses on volunteerism and contribution to the community without telling the reader what to do. Less Effective The walkathon will be held on Saturday, October 6 at 9:00 a.m. at Central Park. Do your part to improve the lives of women in our community! This request is a guilt trip; it emphasizes the reader’s duty. More Effective The walkathon will be held on Saturday, October 6 at 9:00 a.m. at Central Park. Please join Betty and the rest of the Better Horizons team for a day of fun, excitement, and hope! This request recognizes the readers’ choice to participate in a fun and exciting approach to a good cause. Effective persuasive messages avoid statements that may be perceived as pressure tactics. Hard sells are increasingly ineffective in a PTE, especially in written format. Compare Haniz’s less effective and more effective persuasive statements in Table 10.6, all of which you will see again in her messages located later in the chapter.

Table 10.7 Statements to Avoid in the Post-Trust Era
Type Examples That Don’t Work Trust me “Trust me” or “We speak your language” Unbelievable “Your call is important to us” or “We care about our customers” Too good to be true “This is the right product for you” or “We give you guaranteed results” Excuses “What you need to understand is…” or “Our hands are tied” Explanations “This was taken out of context” or “I can explain” Fear tactics “Are you concerned about the security of your family?” or “Act now or you’ll miss this opportunity” Avoiding superlatives gives you the best chance of persuading your audience. Consumers perceive a too-good-to-be-true statement as an attempt to convince them of “the merits without making a rational argument.” Such statements are ineffective “because they suggest an inherent bias that ruins the integrity of the communicator.” Table 10.7 highlights the kinds of phrases that are increasingly ineffective with today’s skeptical consumers.

Table 10.8 Avoiding Exaggeration and Superlatives
Less Effective You can trust us at Better Horizons to make your financial dreams come true. This statement uses phrases that seem unbelievable (you can trust us) and exaggerated (make your financial dreams come true). It is positive but not plausible. More Effective As a nonprofit, member-controlled financial institution, Better Horizons can provide you with higher rates on savings accounts, better terms on loans, and lower fees. This statement focuses on specific benefits and uses words that nearly all people view positively (nonprofit, member-controlled, savings, better, lower fees). It is both positive and plausible. Less Effective Pay attention to these facts or risk losing money to banks. This statement focuses on fear and applies pressure. Most customers would consider the writer not credible. More Effective Consider some of the following reasons to join Better Horizons and start saving today. This statement is inviting and nonthreatening. It uses-pressure-free (consider) and positive (join, start saving) words. Table 10.8 contrasts messages from Haniz’s projects that persuade with and without exaggeration.

(Typically for Products and Services)
Table 10.9 Components of Internal and External Persuasive Messages (1 of 2) Internal Messages (Typically for Ideas) External Messages (Typically for Products and Services) Attention Overview of a business problem Catchy statement Need Description of a business problem Description of unmet needs or wants of your customers Solution Description of how your idea or policy addresses the business problem Elaboration about why your product or service benefits customers Rationale Elaboration about why your idea or policy is the best option Elaboration about why your product or service will benefit the customer Appreciation Appreciation for decision makers’ perspectives and resistance to your ideas Recognition of customers’ resistance to your product or service Internal and external messages contain many common elements. Nevertheless, internal and external persuasive messages differ in some ways (see Table 10.9). Internal messages more often focus on promoting ideas, whereas external messages more often focus on promoting products and services. Also, internal persuasive messages tend to be slightly more direct and explicit, and they tend to be based on logical appeals. In contrast, external persuasive messages tend to be slightly more indirect and implicit, and they tend to be based on emotional appeals.

(Typically for Products and Services)
Table Components of Internal and External Persuasive Messages (2 of 2) Internal Messages (Typically for Ideas) External Messages (Typically for Products and Services) Counterpoints Explanation of why your ideas are better than competing ideas (typically those of decision makers who comprise your target audience) Explanation of why your product/service is better than competing products/services (typically those favored by the target audience) Action Recommendations for a course of action or further discussion about an idea or policy Description of a specific step for the customer to take toward purchase of a product or service Internal and external messages contain many common elements. Nevertheless, internal and external persuasive messages differ in some ways (see Table 10.9). Internal messages more often focus on promoting ideas, whereas external messages more often focus on promoting products and services. Also, internal persuasive messages tend to be slightly more direct and explicit, and they tend to be based on logical appeals. In contrast, external persuasive messages tend to be slightly more indirect and implicit, and they tend to be based on emotional appeals.

Figure 10.2 Less-Effective Internal Persuasive Message
Christine, with the help of Haniz, constructed a letter to warm board members to the idea of adding new financial products and using more online and social networking tools to better reach younger members. In the less-effective message (see Figure 10.2), Christine is generally positive. However, she shows little confidence in the new ideas. The message generally contains short, dull, and nontangible comments. Jump to Appendix 1 long image description

External Persuasive Messages
More-effective external persuasive messages are personalized, upbeat, positive, and pressure-free. They avoid guilt trips and extremely negative terms. More-effective external persuasive messages are personalized, upbeat, positive, and pressure-free. They avoid guilt trips and extremely negative terms.

Composing Mass Sales Messages
Messages sent to a large group of consumers and intended to market a particular product or service Even if you are not in a marketing position, you may participate in developing mass sales messages—messages sent to a large group of consumers and intended to market a particular product or service.

Composing Mass Sales Messages (1 of 2)
Even when consumers do not respond with immediate purchases, these messages can raise a company’s brand awareness. A secondary benefit of mass sales messages is that even when consumers do not respond with immediate purchases, these messages can raise a company’s brand awareness. Consumers may keep the company in mind when making a purchase at a later time.

Composing Mass Sales Messages (2 of 2)
Effective sales messages contain a central sales theme. Messages are strongest when they contain a coherent, unified theme that consumers can recognize quickly. Most effective sales messages contain a central sales theme. Like other messages, sales messages are strongest when they contain a coherent, unified theme that consumers can recognize quickly. Your colleagues and the clients who know you will grant you a window of 30 seconds or so to provide your main point, but recipients of mass sales messages may give you only a few seconds. Thus, your sales message should stick to a single, recognizable theme that resonates within seconds.

Figure 10.10 A Mass Sales Message with a Strong Logical Appeal
In Figure 10.10, you can see a mass sales message that Haniz and her colleagues created to promote the credit union’s auto loans. In this message, the central selling theme is price. Better Horizons Credit Union’s auto loans cost less than dealer financing. Jump to Appendix 2 long image description

Reviewing Persuasive Messages
Persuasive messages can potentially provide you with more professional opportunities and enhanced credibility, or they can close off future opportunities and diminish your credibility. Do the following before sending a persuasive message: Get feedback and reread. Apply the FAIR test. Always carefully review your persuasive messages, particularly because almost all of them will be high-stakes communications. They can potentially provide you with more professional opportunities and enhanced credibility, or they can close off future opportunities and diminish your credibility. Likewise, because you are a representative of your organization, your persuasive messages may raise or decrease customer loyalty, revenues, and brand value. Do the following before sending a persuasive message: Get feedback and reread. Apply the FAIR test.

Apply the FAIR Test Manipulation
Involves attempting to influence others by some level of deception so you can achieve your own interests By applying the FAIR test, you can avoid sending persuasive messages that manipulate others. Persuasive messages can be intentionally designed to manipulate colleagues and customers. In a business communications context, manipulation involves attempting to influence others by some level of deception so you can achieve your own interests. You may be tempted to use manipulation to elevate your career, get a bonus for exceptional performance, or pad your ego for being right. By applying the FAIR test, you can avoid sending persuasive messages that manipulate others. This is especially important in the case of sales messages because any misrepresentation of your product or service is unethical.

Figure 10.14 Are Your Persuasive Messages FAIR?
Use Figure as a guide as you discuss with your colleagues whether your persuasive messages are fair. Jump to Appendix 3 long image description

Chapter Takeaways Relationship between credibility and persuasion
Components of persuasive messages Tone and style Internal and external persuasive messages Mass sales messages Effective and fair persuasive messages After studying this chapter, you should understand the following topics: the relationship between credibility and persuasion; the components of persuasive messages; tone and style; internal and external persuasive messages; mass sales messages; and effective and fair persuasive messages.

Business Communication Chapter 10
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Chapter 10 Persuasive Messages

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