Persuasive Messages Lecture no. 6

Understanding Persuasion The most studied but least understood Persuasion is not simple and let us be grateful for that Mostly people resist persuasive messages Most of the time, persuasive messages are in competition Persuasive messages work best when they meet the needs of the receiver

Understanding Persuasion All communication is persuasive to the extent that it attempts to influence behavior and thinking In business communication, we often attempt to sell a favorable image of ourselves or our organization Most business messages contain persuasive elements even if persuasion is not their principal objective In terms of structure and content, a message is considered persuasive when its primary objective is to sell a product, service, idea, or course of action

Reader Resistance and Appeals The three most important factors that will influence the extent to which your readers will resist or welcome your persuasive message are: Your credibility Their degree of interest in the subject of your message The content of your message

Credibility Your ability to persuade will depend heavily on whether the reader perceives you as credible and honest Many TV ads use credible models for their ads like doctors/dentists etc. for personal care products Credibility may be the single-most important factor in persuasive messages, since it is in such short supply! Tip: be authoritative – but at the same time, be warm, open and friendly

Range of Credibility Long-term credibility:  You are a well-known authority, and you have always been honest before. Short-term credibility:  You offer facts and figures to prove that you are an expert, and your evidence is sound (logical). Carry-over credibility:  You know a lot about one subject and have been honest about it, so you will probably be honest about a new subject, too. Official credibility:  Your particular position or office shows that you should be credible.

Reader Interest Typically people resist persuasion; this resistance may be due to: Negative previous experience Time Money Belief Systems

Appeals and Motivation In general, people do things either because they desire a particular outcome, or they wish to avoid the consequences of a negative outcome Appeals to what can be gained are often more effective than to appeals to the negative consequences of not acting Another factor to consider in the persuasive process is the difference between your reader’s current situation, perspective, and beliefs and the situation, perspective, and beliefs you would like to persuade him or her to have

Categories of Appeals Health Wealth Pleasure Curiosity

Positive & Negative Appeals Positive appeals focus on what the reader will gain by taking a particular action e.g. freshen your breath by using “Close Up”. Negative appeals focus on avoiding a loss e.g. fight tooth decay by using “Colgate”.

Emotional & Rational Appeals Emotional appeals rely on feelings and presuppositions rather than on logic e.g. Moltyfoam ads Rational appeals attempt to be objective in evaluating the evidence available e.g. Ariel ads

Types of Persuasive Messages Solicited persuasive messages are those responding to a reader’s request for information Unsolicited persuasive messages target readers without being invited

Four Step Process Four P’s Promise Picture Prove Push AIDA/AICA Attention Interest Desire/Conviction Action

Promise (Pacing) If your home were destroyed by fire or a natural disaster, would your insurance completely cover your loss? If you’re like most people, the answer is no. [In an unsolicited sales letter.]

Picture (Leading) The homes in your area have increased in value by more than 600 percent since they were originally constructed in the 1960’s, and the chances are that your insurance policy has not kept pace with your home’s increase in value.

Prove (Blending outcomes) Check your current policy to see whether it covers the full replacement value of your home and your possessions. How much would you have to pay, for example, to replace your furniture at today’s higher prices? Does your current policy provide that kind of coverage, or does it allow for reimbursement at purchase price only—or perhaps even depreciate the value of possessions that you would need to replace in the case of fire, theft, or natural disaster?

Push (Motivating) After you’ve had a chance to review your current policy, give me a call to see how little it will cost to have the full coverage that will give you peace of mind about the safety of your investment in your home.