Communication & Professional Development

Persuasive Messages

Prof. Zeeshan Shahid Khokhar

Syed Mudassir Hussain Shah(L5F14MCOM0017)

Instructed By:

Prepared By:

What is Persuasive Message:

Persuasive message is used when you want to convince the reader or ask for some favour. Letter that make special request or try to sell the product to the reader, a service or an idea should be written in this approach. Getting the reader to do what you want, to accept what you say, or agree with you calls for the pursuance approach.

Persuasive / Convincing Approach:

The approach which is used to convey a convincing message towards the receiver is known as a persuasive approach.

Features and Characteristics

Main Characteristics:

persuasive claimsupport pointsgeneral warrantuse of appeals: emotional, personal, logical, stylistic

Minor Characteristics:

language appropriate to the audiencedirect address of reader

Focus is on the reader.Purpose: to convince the readerOften uses subjective languageStyle: formal, informal, colloquial, vulgarFirst-person, second-person, or third-person pronouns

When You Use the Persuasive Purpose to Write

Keep the focus of the writing on the audience.

Make sure that your persuasive claim is clear and direct. Do not deviate from your claim or suggest that the reader can make up his or her own mind.

Have at least three support points. Order the support points in your persuasion from weakest to strongest.

Use first-person pronouns (I, me, my, we) to enhance the personal appeal.

Use second-person pronouns (you, your) to address the reader directly.

Your purpose is to manipulate the thinking of the reader. Do whatever you must to accomplish that goal.

ORGANIZATION OF PERSUASIVE MESSAGES

DIRECT REQUEST ORGANIZATION:

Direct request organization In case of routine, more personal request we can use direct-request format, this format has three parts:-

 Main idea (your request or question). Explanation (Evidence, detail so that your reader can respond) Courteous close (Politely asking for whatever action is desired).INDIRECT REQUEST ORGANIZATION:

Indirect request organization In complex, more difficult situation, when the favor you ask may precipitate some objection you can use indirect Approach: i-e.,

Explanation (Buffer opening) Main Idea (Core of request). Courteous Close (Polite ending with last request of action)

AIDA FOR SALE PRESENTATION

A:- Attract the readers “attention”I: - Arouse the readers “interest”D:- Create “desire” and convince the readerA:- State clearly the “action” the reader needs to take.

Organization Plan

ATTENTION:

You get your reader’s attention by answering the reader’s question of “what in it for me”?

(1st Paragraph).

You canOpen with Agreeable comment or assertionWith sincere complimentWith a question (Do you know about new Product?)

After getting attention, you have to create interest and desire in the reader for your product. Suggest what your product, project, service (etc) is and what it will do for the reader

Interest and desire : (Middle Paragraph).

After creating desire now tell the reader what will he do?

Try to make this action (your desired response from reader) as easy as possible.

(Last Paragraph).

Action:

Writing Plan for a Persuasive Request 

Opening [Captures the reader’s interest. Describe a problem, state something unexpected, suggest reader benefits, offer praise or compliment, or ask a stimulating question.] 

Body [Build interest. Explain logically and concisely the purpose of the request. Prove its merit. Use facts, statistics, expert opinion, examples, specific details, and direct and indirect benefits. Reduce resistance. Anticipate objections, offer counterarguments, establish credibility, demonstrate competence, and show the value of your proposal.]Closing [Motivate action. Ask for a particular action. Make the action easy to take. Show courtesy, respect, and gratitude.]

A request for cooperation, gifts, or favors, without any intention to buy or sell, is a persuasive request.

This type of letter attempts to persuade the reader to spend time or money or to go to some trouble to help the writer – usually without benefit to the reader.

That Require Time or personal Contribution. Requests About Products or Services. Requests For Claims and Adjustments. Requests For Change in Policy. Requests for Change in Performance. Requests for Employer to a Reference. Requests from Employee to a Reference.

Persuasive Request

Solicited sales are the letters that you write in response to an inquiry.With these letters, the organization has one central goal: to get

responses quickly to someone’s request for information.Use the direct plan for solicited letters.

Unsolicited sales letter are those letters which you write to people who can be persuaded through these letters to buy your product or service. Before writing this type of latter you should clearly know what is your purpose.

Solicited Letters:

Unsolicited Letters

Opening paragraph use the good-news approachBodyAction Ending

(a) Make a direct sale (b) Stimulate a future sale (c) Win back lost customer

Your audience is general or a small niche Know every detail about your product or service Be aware of the enclosures and timing Give thought to the length of your letter

ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN RESPONDING TO SOLICITED LETTERS

ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN RESPONDING TO Un SOLICITED LETTERS