Chap7_students English Persuasive Messages Proposals

8/2/2019 Chap7_students English Persuasive Messages Proposals

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chapter

7-1

seven

The art of persuasion can be one of your most valuable assets.

Writing Persuasive

Messages + Proposals


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Overview

Advice about persuasion

Persuasive requests

Sales messages

Proposals

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Advice about Persuasion

Know your readers.

Choose and develop targeted reader benefits.

Make good use of persuasive appeals. Make it easy for readers to comply.

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Know Your Readers

Especially important with persuasion

Can use formally gathered information

(marketing reports, surveys, focus groups)

Can gather information informally (study

customer notes, talk with service personnel

and other employees, look at other messages

that have succeeded)

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Choose Winning Reader Benefits

These can be

Tangible

Intangible

They can also be

Intrinsic

Extrinsic

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Use Winning Appeals

Logic based (logos)

Emotion based (pathos)

Character based (ethos)

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Make It Easy for Readers to Comply

Dont neglect the action part of the message.

Make the desired action clear.

Make the desired action as easy as possible toperform.

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Preliminary Considerations in Writing

Persuasive Requests

Your goal is to ask for something the reader is

likely to oppose.

You must develop a strategy that will convincethe reader to comply.

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Procedure for Writing a

Persuasive Request

Open with words that

set up the strategy, and

gain attention.

Present the strategy (the persuasion), using

persuasive language and you-viewpoint.

As a logical follow-up, make the request clearly

and without negatives. End the message with the request or with

words that recall the appeal.

The message plan:

Opening

Body

Closing

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Dear Ms. McLaughlin:

Im sure youd agree that businesscommunication teachers need to be in touch

with business experts in the field. Experienced

professionals like you can give teachers the

realistic input that is so important to theirpractical coursework.

Opening

Good Strategy in a

Persuasive Request

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For this reason, I believe that you could make an

important contribution to the national meeting of

the Association for Business Communication, whichwill be held in New Orleans at the Marriott Hotel,

November 4-7. This conference brings together

about 300 business communication professors from

around the US and the world who are looking forways to keep their teaching abreast of current

practice. Your perspective could be especially

valuable to them.

Body

Good Strategy in a

Persuasive Request


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Could you join us on Friday afternoon from 2:00 to

2:45 pm to tell us about how the current financial

crisis has affected communication at Publix? Whatcommunication challenges have you faced, and

what do you think we should be doing to help our

students prepare for such challenges? Any insights

you could share on these and related topics wouldbe much appreciated.

Body continued

Good Strategy in a

Persuasive Request


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You would not need to prepare a formal

presentation. In fact, anecdotes and examples

from your work would be preferred. You couldspeak for about 30 minutes, leaving 15

minutes for discussion. Since your talk would

be one of several break-out sessions, it would

be attended by 30-40 people, making for arelaxed, conversational atmosphere.

Body continued

Good Strategy in a

Persuasive Request

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Closing

Will you please share your experiences and

advice with us? By doing so, you will help us

help hundreds of business-communicationstudents. Since I will be compiling the final

program on the 15th, please let me know by

the 10th if you can join us.

Sincerely,

Good Strategy in a

Persuasive Request


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Why Write Sales Messages?

Sales techniques are useful in your other

activities:

in writing other messages

in actual sales work

in selling yourself

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Questioning the Acceptability of

Sales Messages

Sales messages can be unwanted.

Junk mail

SPAM

Sales messages can use unfair tactics.

Deceptive wording

Deceptive or manipulative visuals

Put yourself in the readers shoes and let your

conscience be your guide.

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Preliminary Steps to

Sales Writing Learn the product or service you sell.

how it is made

how it works

what it will do Learn about the prospective customers.

their economic status

their nationalities

their ages

etc.

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Determining the Central Appeal

Three kinds:

Emotional

appeals to the senses (feeling, tasting, smelling, hearing)

Logical

appeals to the thinking mind (saving money, makingmoney, doing a better job, getting better use)

Character based

uses the writer or spokespersons voice and projected

image to win trust and invite readers to identify with thespeaker

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Determining the Makeup

of the Mailing

Sales messages can have many pieces: Main message

Cover envelope

Return envelope

Payment form Brochures/attachments

Free gift, etc.

As you plan your contents, Plan which pieces you will use

Plan how they will work together

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Organization of the

Sales Message

Many variations are used.

whatever works

But there is this conventional pattern:

gain attention

create desire (with evidence, you-viewpoint,careful word choice)

cover all necessary information

drive for the sale

possibly add a postscript

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Conventional Pattern of the

Sales Message

Begin with words that set up the salespresentation and gain attention.

Present the sales message using imagination,persuasive language, and you-viewpoint.

Include sufficient information to convince. Then drive for the sale, making it clear, and

using appropriate strength. Urge immediate action. May recall basic appeal in final words.

Add a PS to urge reader to act or toemphasize a major point.

In email, offer to remove reader from mailinglist to comply with legal requirements.

The message plan:

Opening

Body

Closing


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Would you like to save up to 12 cents

a gallon on your bill for fuel oil?

Does your monthly oil bill make you wince?Wouldnt you like to beat the high cost of

heating--cut your annual fuel bill by as muchas 30-40 percent? Then I think youll beinterested in our Catalytic CarburetorAssembly.

Opening

A Logic-Based Sales Message


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Installed on your present oil burner, the Catalytic

Carburetor Assembly permits burning of the

present type of catalytic fuel oil at highest

efficiency . . . and with a clean fire. Whats more,

it easily pays for itself in fuel oil savings and brings

your burner completely up to date. A little simple

arithmetic with your current oil bill will show you

how substantial these savings are. Figure you

might save up to 12 cents on every gallon, and see

what a difference that makes.

Body



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But theres no need to take our say-so about the savings

you can make--because we back our Catalytic Carburetor

Assembly with a written money-back guarantee. You

cant lose--you either get the savings we guarantee, orthe assembly is removed and your money refunded in

full.

Scores of satisfied users throughout the state are enjoying

more efficient, more economical heating--thanks to theCatalytic Carburetor Assembly. We believe that you, too,

would benefit by installing this device on your oil burner.

Body continued



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To receive full information on the Catalytic

Carburetor and how it can save fuel dollars,

just check the enclosed postage-paid card forcorrectness and drop it in the mail. Ill see to

it that you get complete details right away . . .

without cost or obligation.

Sincerely,

Closing



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Opens

with

reader

benefit

Uses you-

viewpoint toput reader

in action.

Color and

visuals add

interest

Links and

buttons make

action easy


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Closes with

success-conscious

words

Includes opt-out

options


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Opens with

strong reader

benefit

Bullet list

emphasizes readerbenefits


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Call for action

is clear and

easyColor and

photos add

interest


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Proposals

Like reports, are usually well researched.

Like reports, can range widely in format,

length, and formality.

Like reports, can be direct (if invited) or

indirect (if uninvited)

Unlike reports, are overtly persuasive.

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Types of Proposals

Internal or external

Solicited or unsolicited

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Typical Proposal Contents

1. Writers purpose and readers need2. Background

3. Need (elaborated)

4. Description of plan5. Benefits of the proposed plan

6. Particulars (logistics)

7. Evidence of ability to deliver (credentials)8. Concluding comments

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A Solicited Letter Proposal

Thank you for inviting Mind-Body

Connections to propose a solution to the

stress in your workplace. We have 17years experience helping companies like

yours identify sources of stress and find

cost-effective ways to eliminate them.

Below we describe our two-phase planfor . . . .

IntroductionReferences theinvitation,

indicates

expertise,

establishes the

main line of

argument, and

sets up the

plan.

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The Costs of Stress

Your company is being robbed by stress

and you are certainly not alone.According to Pew Research, stress iscosting American business $80 billion to$100 billion a year. The cost tocompanies comes in the form of low

productivity, absenteeism . . . .

Before

describing the

plan, goes

into more

detail aboutthe need for

the proposed

solution.

Body: Needs Section

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Proposed Analysis

The first step toward finding a solution is

to identify the main sources of stress inyour workplace. . . .

Our research will take three forms: . . . .

Body: Part I of the PlanGoes into detailabout

proposed

research

methods,showing that

they are valid

and efficient.

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Effective Solutions

We tailor our recommendations to eachclientthat is what makes our solutions

both effective and economical.Depending on the results of our research,we may advise any of the followingproven stress-reduction methods: . . . .

Lists possible

solutions, gives

evidence that

they work, and

spells out thelikely benefits

of each.

Body: Part II of the Plan

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Estimated Cost

The following table shows . . .

Given the information you provided, it islikely that you are losing as much as $30-

50 thousand a year to stress-related

expenses . . . .

Body: Cost/Budget SectionComes after

the persuasive

plan, makes

costs easy to

read and

understand,

shows that

costs are low in

light of likely

savings.

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Why Mind-Body Connections?

Our solutions work. We . . .

[main qualifications].We would welcome the opportunity to

make Pros-on-Demand a more productive

business.

Credentials/ConclusionFinal effort to

differentiate

this proposer

from the

competition;

final reminder

of the central

argument:

saving money.

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Sample Opening of an Unsolicited

Internal ProposalExpanding our clientele, having good relationships with our currentclients, and making profit doing it: These are the factors thatdetermine our success in this industry. With very little investment, wecan improve all three of these areas at Lakeside Fitness Club. We arecurrently using a simple database program to store client information.

This system, though effective, does not have the tools necessary toallow this business to operate at its full potential. In fact, it is mostlikely costing the club not only revenue, but customer loyalty.

After doing some research, I believe that subscribing to e-Customer, acustomer relationship management (CRM) system, would helpimprove these concerns drastically. Using this application will allow usto keep in touch with our customers needs, therefore improvingcustomer relationships and adding value to the Lakeside name.

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What Might Be the Major Sections in

the Rest of This Proposal?

The Need for a New System

The Capabilities of e-Customer

The Benefits of e-Customer for Lakeside

The Cost

Implementation Plan

Request for Approval (conclusion)

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What Might Be Persuasive Points to

Make in a Response to this RFP?

The University of X is soliciting nominations for its university-wide Outstanding Teacher Award.

Criteria used by one school:1. Is committed to teaching2. Demonstrates creative approaches to teaching3. Shows respect for diversity of opinions and

experiences of students4. Maintains high but attainable standards of

performance5. Stimulates independent work by students that leads

them to be creative, self-directed learners6. Establishes a classroom atmosphere that fosters

self-confidence, a positive self-concept, and mutualrespect.

Chap7_students English Persuasive Messages Proposals

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