1. © 2010 Thomson South-Western Instructor Only Version CHAPTER 8 Persuasive Messages

2. Chapter 8, Slide 2 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Writing Plan for a Persuasive Request BodyClosing Capture the reader’s attention. Describe a problem, state something unexpected, suggest reader benefits, offer praise or compliments, or ask a stimulating question. Opening

3. Chapter 8, Slide 3 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e OpeningClosingBody Build interest.  Explain logically and concisely the purpose of the request.  Prove its merit.  Use facts, statistics, and expert opinion. Reduce resistance.  Anticipate objections.  Offer counterarguments.  Establish credibility.  Demonstrate competence.  Show the value of your proposal. Writing Plan for a Persuasive Request

4. Chapter 8, Slide 4 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e OpeningBody Motivate action.  Ask for a particular action.  Make it easy to respond.  Show courtesy, respect, and gratitude. Closing Writing Plan for a Persuasive Request

5. Chapter 8, Slide 5 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Requesting Favors and Actions When is persuasion necessary? Requests for time, money, information, special privileges, and cooperation require persuasion. © ISTOCKPHOTO.COM / ZSOLT NYULASZI

6. Chapter 8, Slide 6 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Requesting Favors and Actions Why are requests granted?  Requests may be granted because the receivers are genuinely interested in your project. see benefits for others. expect goodwill potential for themselves. feel obligated as professionals to contribute their time or expertise to "pay their dues."

7. Chapter 8, Slide 7 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Open letter by clicking icon at right. Persuasive Favor Request Before Revision

8. Chapter 8, Slide 8 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Open revised letter by clicking icon at right. Persuasive Favor Request After Revision

9. Chapter 8, Slide 9 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Persuading Within Organizations Persuading subordinates  Instructions or directives moving downward usually require little persuasion. However, persuasion may be necessary to generate “buy-in” ask workers to perform outside their work roles accept changes not in their best interests.

10. Chapter 8, Slide 10 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Persuading Within Organizations Persuading the boss  In requests moving upward provide evidence. don’t ask for too much. use words such as “suggest” and “recommend.”  Sentences should sound nonthreatening, for example, “It might be a good idea if....”

11. Chapter 8, Slide 11 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Persuasive Memo Before Revision Open memo by clicking icon at right.

12. Chapter 8, Slide 12 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Open revised memo by clicking icon at right. Persuasive Memo After Revision

13. Chapter 8, Slide 13 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e 1.To the vice president: As an employee who can never find a parking place, I want you to know that we must change the method of assigning spaces. 2.To all employees: Because of our concern for the health and wellbeing of employees, we are considering a wellness program with considerable incentives to those who participate. 3.About 15 months ago your smooth-talking salesperson seduced us into buying your Model RX copier, which has been nothing but trouble ever since. Good and Bad Openings for Persuasive Requests Which of the following openings are effective?

14. Chapter 8, Slide 14 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e 4.We need a speaker for our graduation ceremony, and your name was suggested. 5.We realize that you are an extremely busy individual and that you must be booked up months in advance, but would it be possible for you to speak at our graduation ceremony June 7? 6.You were voted by our students as the speaker they would most like to hear at graduation on June 7. Good and Bad Openings for Persuasive Requests Which of the following openings are effective?

15. Chapter 8, Slide 15 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Ineffective Favor Request Open letter by clicking icon at left

16. Chapter 8, Slide 16 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Improved Favor Request Open revised letter by clicking icon at left.

17. Chapter 8, Slide 17 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Making Claims and Requesting Adjustments (Complaint Letters)  Avoid sounding angry, emotional, or irrational.  Begin with a compliment, point of agreement, statement of the problem, or a brief review of action you have taken to resolve the problem.  Provide identifying data.  Explain why the receiver is responsible.

18. Chapter 8, Slide 18 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e  Enclose document copies supporting your claim.  Appeal to the receiver's fairness, ethical and legal responsibilities, and desire for customer satisfaction.  Describe your feelings and your disappointment.  Close by telling exactly what you want done. Making Claims and Requesting Adjustments (Complaint Letters)

19. Chapter 8, Slide 19 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Examine This Effective Claim Request (Complaint Letter) Open letter by clicking icon at right.

20. Chapter 8, Slide 20 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Ineffective Complaint Letter Open letter by clicking icon at left

21. Chapter 8, Slide 21 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Improved Complaint Letter Open revised letter by clicking icon at left.

22. Chapter 8, Slide 22 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e AIDA Writing Plan for a Sales Letter BodyClosing Capture the ATTENTION of the reader. Offer something valuable, promise a benefit, ask a question, provide a quotation, and so forth. Opening

23. Chapter 8, Slide 23 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Gaining Attention 1.Offer Take your old cell phones to one of our collection centers, and we'll recycle it and donate a portion of the proceeds to charity. 2.Benefit You'll help our environment and help your neighbors in the process.

24. Chapter 8, Slide 24 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Gaining Attention 3.Question Microsoft has evolved. Have you? 4.Quotation or proverb Opportunity seldom knocks twice. 5.Related fact A virus is a computer program written to perform malicious tasks.

25. Chapter 8, Slide 25 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Gaining Attention 6.Testimonial "I never stopped eating, yet I lost 107 pounds."—Tina Rivers, Greenwood, South Carolina 7.Startling Statement Drunk drivers injure or cripple more than 500,000 victims every year.

26. Chapter 8, Slide 26 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e OpeningClosing Build INTEREST. Emphasize a central selling point. Make rational and emotional appeals. Body AIDA Writing Plan for a Sales Letter Build INTEREST. Emphasize a central selling point. Make rational and emotional appeals. To learn more, click icon:

27. Chapter 8, Slide 27 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e OpeningClosing Body AIDA Writing Plan for a Sales Letter Elicit DESIRE. To reduce resistance, use testimonials, money-back guarantees, free samples, performance tests, or other techniques. To learn more, click icon: Elicit DESIRE. To reduce resistance, use testimonials, money-back guarantees, free samples, performance tests, or other techniques.

28. Chapter 8, Slide 28 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Motivate ACTION. Offer a gift, promise an incentive, limit the offer, set a deadline, or guarantee satisfaction. Include a P.S. with a special inducement. AIDA Writing Plan for a Sales Letter OpeningBodyClosing

29. Chapter 8, Slide 29 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Checklist for Analyzing a Sales Letter At what audience is the letter aimed? Is the appeal emotional or rational? Is the appeal effective? Is the opening effective? What techniques capture the reader's attention? Is a central selling point emphasized? Does the letter emphasize reader benefits?

30. Chapter 8, Slide 30 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e How does the letter build interest in the product or service? How is price introduced? How does the letter anticipate reader resistance and offer counterarguments? What action is to be taken and how is the reader motivated to take that action? What motivators spur the reader to act quickly? Checklist for Analyzing a Sales Letter

31. Chapter 8, Slide 31 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Examine This Effective Sales Letter Open letter by clicking icon at right.

32. Chapter 8, Slide 32 Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Writing Successful Online Sales Messages  Communicate only with those who have given permission!  Craft a catchy subject line.  Keep the main information "above the fold."  Make the message short, conversational, and focused.  Convey urgency.  Sprinkle testimonials throughout the copy.  Provide a means for opting out.

33. © 2010 Thomson South-Western Instructor Only Version END