Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Chapter 5 Writing Persuasively on Paper and in Electronic Formats

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Learning Objectives Explain when to use the indirect persuasive writing approach vs. the direct approach. Detail the role of credibility. Define and explain AIDA. Describe a hook.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Learning Objectives Compare and contrast emotional and logical appeals. List the different stages of the collection campaign. Describe how to increase the effectiveness of your writing.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Types of Persuasive Documents Letters Letters Memos Memos Proposals Proposals Advertisements Advertisements Presentations Presentations

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Credibility Your Credibility Hinges on the Following Questions: Your Credibility Hinges on the Following Questions: Do you appear trustworthy? Do you appear trustworthy? Do you have expertise and knowledge? Do you have expertise and knowledge? Do you appear dynamic and excited about your proposal? Do you appear dynamic and excited about your proposal? Will your reader identify with your message? Will your reader identify with your message?

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Writing Persuasively Use the AIDA Approach: Use the AIDA Approach: Attention Attention Interest Interest Desire Desire Action Action

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Writing Persuasively When You Write Persuasively, Try to: When You Write Persuasively, Try to: Sell Sell Convince Convince Motivate Motivate Create interest Create interest

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Ways to Gain Attention 1. Make an unusual, suspenseful, or startling statement. 2. Refer to a familiar event or timely concern. 3. Use a rhetorical question. 4. Use a quote. F. Stanford Wayne and David P. Dauwalder, Communicating in Business (Burr Ridge, IL: Austin Press Irwin, 1994), pp. 265–266.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Ways to Gain Attention 5. Tell a story. 6. State a problem and promise to solve it. 7. Relate to reader’s product or service needs. F. Stanford Wayne and David P. Dauwalder, Communicating in Business (Burr Ridge, IL: Austin Press Irwin, 1994), pp. 265–266.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Other Ways to Gain Attention Make a strong claim. Make a strong claim. Use a short, punchy sentence. Use a short, punchy sentence. Use some statistics. Use some statistics.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Desire Emotional Appeal Emotional Appeal Stir up various types of feelings in the reader. Stir up various types of feelings in the reader. Logical Appeal Logical Appeal Use logic emphasizing high benefits for relatively low cost. Use logic emphasizing high benefits for relatively low cost.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Psychology of Persuasion Always state the other person’s case first. Always state the other person’s case first. Give the customer something for free. Give the customer something for free. Give pieces of evidence to support your stand. Give pieces of evidence to support your stand. Declare the whole thing an even issue. Declare the whole thing an even issue. Let the customer make the decision. Let the customer make the decision.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. The faster you can persuade the other person to decide, the more likely you are to get what you want. Secret of Power Persuasion by Roger Dawson Secret of Power Persuasion by Roger Dawson

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Sales Message Techniques Be selective. Make sure you have permission to send marketing messages. Be selective. Make sure you have permission to send marketing messages. Use the receiver’s name. Use the receiver’s name. Write a strong subject line. Write a strong subject line. Keep the message short, conversational, and focused. Keep the message short, conversational, and focused.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Sales Message Techniques Never begin with thank you. Never begin with thank you. Make a strong offer. Make a strong offer. Motivate a response. Motivate a response. Provide a means for being removed from the mailing list. Provide a means for being removed from the mailing list. Do not give prospects reasons to disqualify you. Do not give prospects reasons to disqualify you.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Collection Letters The collection campaign may follow four steps: The collection campaign may follow four steps: Friendly reminder Friendly reminder Stronger reminder Stronger reminder Discussion letter Discussion letter Urgent appeal Urgent appeal

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Credit Customers Credit Customers Three Classes of Credit Customers: Three Classes of Credit Customers: Good pay — reliable Good pay — reliable Good pay but slow — careless but rarely dishonest Good pay but slow — careless but rarely dishonest Uncertain — unreliable and somewhat dishonest Uncertain — unreliable and somewhat dishonest

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Appeal to Fairness Fairness Cooperation Cooperation Self-respect Self-respect

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Superior/Subordinate Messages Use the direct approach to save time and immediately satisfy your reader’s curiosity. Use the direct approach to save time and immediately satisfy your reader’s curiosity. Present your recommendation along with the criteria or a brief explanation in your opening paragraph. Present your recommendation along with the criteria or a brief explanation in your opening paragraph.

Roebuck: Improving Business Communication, 4th edition. (c) 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Effective Writing Strategies Choose effective, colorful words. Choose effective, colorful words. Write effective, readable sentences. Write effective, readable sentences. Use appropriate paragraphs. Use appropriate paragraphs. Emphasize your ideas. Emphasize your ideas.