© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 1 Chapter 4 Making a Persuasive Case Technical Communication, 11 th Edition John M. Lannon

© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 2 Persuasion  Persuasion is trying to influence someone’s actions, opinions, or decisions  Required in the workplace whenever there is an issue about which people disagree  To communicate persuasively, you must identify your major claims  Claim about what the facts are  Claim about what the facts mean  Claim about what should be done  All claims require support.

© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 3 Identify Your Specific Goal  Arguing to influence people’s opinions  Arguing to seek support  Presenting a proposal  Arguing to change people’s behavior

© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 4 Expect Audience Resistance  People who have made up their minds are more resistant to persuasion.  Remember, for people to admit you’re right often means that they’re wrong!  When people yield to persuasion, they respond in one of three ways:  Compliance  Identification  Internalization

© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 5 Know How to Connect with the Audience Power Connection = Writer  Audience Relationship Connection = Writer  Audience Rational Connection = Writer and Audience

© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 6 How to Persuade Effectively  Allow for give-and-take  Ask for a specific response  Never ask for too much  Recognize all Constraints

© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 7 Recognize Communication Constraints  Organizational  Legal  Ethical  Time  Social and psychological Recognize all communication constraints

© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 8 Support Your Claims Convincingly Provide convincing evidence  Factual statements  Statistics  Examples  Expert testimony Appeal to common goals and values

© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 9 Consider the Cultural Context  Some cultures hesitate to debate, criticize, or disagree.  Some cultures observe special formalities in communicating.  Many cultures consider the source of the message as important as the content.  Some cultures trust oral communication.  Cultures respond differently to different emotional pressures.  Cultures differ in their attitudes toward big business, technology, competition, or women in the workplace.

© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 10 Standard Shape for an Argument Introduction Attract and invite your audience and provide a forecast Body Offer support and refutation Conclusion Summarize your case and make a direct appeal

© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 11 Any Questions? For additional help reviewing this chapter, please visit the Companion Website for your text at