Learning Objective Chapter 11 Persuasive Messages Copyright © 2001 South-Western College Publishing Co. Objectives O U T L I N E Getting Organized Using.

Learning ObjectiveChapter 11Persuasive Messages

Persuasive Messages

Copyright © 2001 South-Western College Publishing Co.

Objectives

O U T L I N E

Getting Organized

Using a Four-Step Approach

Drafting Persuasive Messages

Developing a Framework for Persuasive Messages

Requesting a Favor

Requesting an Adjustment

A Collection Letter

11C H A P T E R


1. Explain how to use the Framework for Business Communication to write persuasive messages.

2. Describe how persuasive messages are formed.

3. Explain how a successful attempt at persuasion is related to audience attention factors and human motivation.

4. Identify the components of Mazlow's Hierarchy of Human Needs, explaining how such needs are related to successful attempts at persuasion.

5. Explain how effective persuasive messages may depend on successfully channeling audience motivation.

6. Describe how inducing resistance to counter-persuasion can increase the effectiveness of a message.

Learning Objectives


7. Explain the effectiveness of presenting a one-sided vs. two-sided argument to an audience.

8. List three basic goals of persuasion.

9. List three possible outcomes of persuasion.

10. Write a persuasive sales letter.

11. Request a favor in writing.

12. Ask for an adjustment, credit, or refund.

13. Write a convincing collection letter.

Learning Objectives


DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR PERSUASIVE MESSAGESDEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR PERSUASIVE MESSAGES

Explain how to use the Framework for Business Communication to write persuasive messages.

Getting Organized



• Your ability to persuade depends on your ability to understand and respond to changes.


Dynamic Forces

Challenges• If the message is too fundamental for knowledgeable consumers, few will pay attention.

Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

Ambiguities• Motivations to respond to messages change: age, income, educational, social groups.

Learning ObjectiveChapter 11Persuasive Messages Gather and organize information so

that it becomes useful, both to you and to your readers.

Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

Putting the Analysis to Work• Persuasive messages are not difficult to write if you are prepared.

GETTING ORGANIZEDGETTING ORGANIZED

The Goals of Persuasion• Conserving Positive Opinion: reinforce the beliefs, attitudes, and opinions of those who agree with you.

• Crystallizing Latent or Unformed Opinion: getting their opinions to form the want you want them to.

Learning ObjectiveChapter 11Persuasive Messages List three possible

outcomes of persuasion.

Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

Putting the Analysis to Work• Neutralizing Hostile Opinion: prevent people opposed to your view from reaching others.

The Outcomes of Persuasion• Reinforcement of Existing Attitudes: an attempt to conserve a positive opinion.

• Modification of Existing Attitudes: change comes much more easily in small increments.

• Creation of New Attitudes: first offer readily understood information from highly believable sources.

Learning ObjectiveChapter 11Persuasive Messages Gather and organize information so

that it becomes useful, both to you and to your readers.

Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

Focusing on the Main Idea• Don’t ask for more than one major persuasive response in a given message.

• Keep the main idea up front.

Selecting an Appropriate Tone• The message should be appropriate t the reader, the occasion, and the reason for writing.

Crafting an Effective Persuasive Message

• It may be possible to secure an immediate commitment or action.

Learning ObjectiveChapter 11Persuasive Messages Explain how effective persuasive

messages may depend on successfully channeling audience motivation.

Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

Successful persuasive messages include the separate steps:

1. Gaining the attention of your audience.

2. Providing appropriate motivation for your audience to do as you ask.

3. Channeling their motivation into an appropriate outlet:

4. Inducing resistance to counter-persuasion.

USING A FOUR STEP APPROACHUSING A FOUR STEP APPROACH

Gaining the Attention of Your AudienceSelective perception: subconscious attention - ignoring everything else.

Learning ObjectiveChapter 11Persuasive Messages Identify the components of Mazlow's

Hierarchy of Human Needs.

Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

Providing the Appropriate Motivation for Your Audience• Human Needs as Motivators: Maslow’s hierarchy.

• Basic needs: food, air, water, sleep• Security needs: our feelings of well-being and confidence. • Belonging needs: those related to security.• Love or Esteem needs: we each want to feel loved, wanted, and admired by other people.• Self-Actualization needs : each person cannot really become all that he or she could be, unless each of the four lower needs are first satisfied.

Learning ObjectiveChapter 11Persuasive Messages Explain how needs are related to

successful attempts at persuasion.

Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

ERG Theory: a need-based theory developed by psychologist Clayton Alderfer• Existence needs: satisfied by material substances.

• Relatedness needs: satisfied by the exchange of feelings and thoughts.

• Growth needs: fulfilled by strong involvement an full use of one’s skills and abilities.

Eight Hidden Needs: Vance Packard

• Need for Emotional Security

• Need for Reassurance of Worth

• Need for Ego Gratification

• Need for Creative Outlets

• Need for Love Objects


Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

• Need for a Sense of Power • Need for Roots • Need for Immortality

• Relating Needs Theory to Persuasive Messages: • An affirmative appeal: accepting the proposal means that a need not now satisfied will be met or more fully satisfied.• A fear appeal: after following the advice, the threat will subside.

• Motivating by Appeal to Rationality and Consistency: first show how your position is consistent with the audience’s existing beliefs.

Explain how needs are related to successful attempts at persuasion.

Learning ObjectiveChapter 11Persuasive Messages Describe how inducing resistance to

counter-persuasion can increase the effectiveness of a message.

Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

• Social Conformity as Motivation: social forces that have helped to shape us

Channeling the Motivation of Your Audience to Take ActionAn outlet for action.

• Recommend a specific proposition to be adopted.

• Show the high probability of satisfaction.

Inducing Resistance in the Audience to Counter-Persuasion

• State opposing arguments and refute them.


Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

• State opposing arguments and refute them.

• Encourage audience commitment in some tangible or visible way.

• Warn the audience that others will attempt to change their minds.

• Using one-sided and two-sided arguments to inoculate an audience against counter persuasion:

Use One-sided When...• Audience initially agrees

with you• Audience is poorly

educated or low esteem

Use Two sided When…• Audience initially

disagrees with you• The audience is well

educated and informed

Explain the effectiveness of presenting a one-sided vs. two-sided argument to an audience.


Write a persuasive sales letter.

Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

• Your mail will arrive unsolicited.

DRAFTING PERSUASIVE MESSAGESDRAFTING PERSUASIVE MESSAGES

Writing a Sales Letter

Know Your Reader• Know your target audience : age, income, trust level, regular customers, needs, interests,

buying habits, decision maker.

Know Your Product

• Understand all aspects of what you are selling.


Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

• Keep the message consistent with your sales strategy.

Know Your Message

Beginning an Effective Sales LetterIntroduction Techniques

• A Climatic Moment

• A Suitable Quotation

• A Compliment

• A Congratulatory Statement

• A Statement of Fact, a Detail, or Statistic

• A Question



Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

• A Statement of Opinion

• A Definition

• A Prediction

• An Anecdote

• Irony or Humor

• A Provocative Statement, Challenging a Familiar Idea or Belief

• A Statement Relating the Product or Service to a Current Event or Controversy

• A Statement that Refutes the Competition or Opposition



Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

• Human Needs

• Rationality and Consistency

• Social Conformity

Motivating Your Reader

Channeling the Motivation of Your Reader to Take Action• Explain what you want your readers to do

• Make the actions sound easy.

Inducing Resistance to Counter-Persuasion• Should you “inoculate” against counter-persuasion?



Request a favor in writing.

Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

Two broad categories:

• Personal favors

• Professional favors

• Routine: asking as part of daily business

• Exceptional: use an indirect approach - a polite buffer.

REQUESTING A FAVORREQUESTING A FAVOR


Ask for an adjustment, credit, or refund.

Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

• Lead with Your Main Point: tell what you want.

• Include the Necessary Details: dates, stores.

• Make Sure You’re Right: check details.

• Maintain a Professional Tone: control temper.

REQUESTING AN ADJUSTMENT, CREDIT, OR REFUNDREQUESTING AN ADJUSTMENT, CREDIT, OR REFUND


Write a convincing collection letter.

Getting Organized




Requesting a Favor


A Collection Letter

• First reminder: 30 days after payment is due.

• Second notice: 60 days past due.

• Urgent appeal: 90 days past due.

• Final ultimatum: 120 days past due.

WRITING A COLLECTION LETTERWRITING A COLLECTION LETTER

The Collection Series

Remaining Ethical and Within the Law

• The Fair Debt Collection Act of 1978 prohibits certain debt collection practices.


The End

Copyright © 2000 South-Western College Publishing Co.

Learning Objective Chapter 11 Persuasive Messages Copyright © 2001 South-Western College Publishing Co. Objectives O U T L I N E Getting Organized Using.

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