Writing Persuasive Messages – Flashcards
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How to persuade:
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- letting audiences know they have choices - presenting your offering in the best possible light - more challenging to write than routine message
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Persuasive messages ask audiences to
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to give something of value (money in exchange for a product, for example) or take substantial action (such as changing a corporate policy),
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Plan for Persuasion
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- analyze the situation - select the medium - gather info - organize message
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Analyze the Situation
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- audience: close to needs (use Demographics, motivation and psychographics) - purpose: be clear
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demographics
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age, gender, occupation, income, education, and other quantifiable characteristics
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psychographics
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Personality, attitudes, lifestyle, and other psychological characteristics
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motivation
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the combination of forces that drive people to satisfy their needs
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Gather information
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- Sales - Marketing - Persuasion
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Select the Medium
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- Persuasive Media: some audiences prefer some mediums to others - Personal Service: combine with technical research
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Organize Information
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-audience: messages are about the receiver, tell them how they will benefit - scope: should be limited and focused on one thing they care about - Approach: direct v. indirect: -authority: helps pick indirect or direct
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why use indirect approach:
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nature of persuasion is to convince your audience to change their attitudes, beliefs, or actions, so most persuasive messages
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Use direct approach
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close relationship with your audience, and the message is welcome or neutral
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Write the Message
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- persuasive message require you attitude by: Positive Language Other Cultures Corporate Culture Your Credibility
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Complete the Message
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- evaluate: don't overestimate credibility -produce: design elements compliment argument - proofread: spelling mistakes weaken persuasion -distribute: best methods for audience
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Developing Persuasive Business Messages
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you will be delivering persuasive business messages designed to elicit a preferred response in a non-sales situation
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4 essential strategies for persuasive messages
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- Framing your arguments - Balancing emotional and logical appeals - Reinforcing your position -Anticipating objections
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Frame the Argument
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AIDA - Attention: engage, brief, find common ground (don't be pushy) -Interest: emphasize relevance - Desire: explaining how the change will benefit them and answering potential objections. Action: tell them what you want them to do
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Limitations of the AIDA model
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- Talking at audiences rather than with them - Focusing on one-time events, not long-term relationships
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Balance the Message: Emotion and Logic
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To find the optimum balance, consider four factors: - The actions you hope to motivate - Your readers' expectations - The degree of resistance you need to overcome - How far you feel empowered to go in order to sell your point of view
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persuasive business messages rely more on:
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logical appeals than on emotional appeals the main idea is usually to improve some other practical, measurable
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emotional appeal:
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calls on human feelings, basing the argument on audience needs or sympathies -need to use logic also
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logical appeal
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calls on reasoning and evidence Analogy: you reason from specific evidence to specific evidence. Induction: you work from specific evidence to a general conclusion Deduction: you work from a generalization to a specific conclusion.
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Reinforce Your Position
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- believable evidence - powerful words: use strong verbs, vivd lango - metaphors and stories: brief stories help convey message - audience benefit: help them grant request
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Anticipate Objections
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- Address Potential Objections - Uncover Potential Objections: poke wholes in your own theory - Present All Sides of the Situation: explain pros and cons of all sides
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Common Mistakes
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The "Hard Sell": don't be pushy No Compromise: give and take is necessary Great Arguments: need to also connect emotionally One-Shot Plan: persuasion is a process, listen to others, then make a new position
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3 Kinds of persuasive messages
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- Requests for Action: direct approach if request is anticipated, others might require you to introduce indirectly - Presentations of Ideas: to re-examine long-held opinions or admit the possibility of new ways of thinking - Claims and Adjustments: claims are routine messages, so use the direct approach
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Claims ingredients:
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- a complete and specific review of the facts - a confident, positive tone. 1: outlining problem 2: review what's 3: give the reader good reason to grant claim, (fair play or goodwill) 4: close on a positive note
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Marketing messages
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lure potential buyers through the purchasing process without asking them to make an immediate decision
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Sales messages
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encouraging potential buyers to make a purchase decision then and there. (after marketing)
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Planning Messages
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- audience needs - competition: crowded market- unique messages - selling points and benefits - purchase objections: identify upfront
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Selling points:
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most attractive features of an idea or product
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benefits
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advantages users will realize from selling points
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Writing Messages
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marketing attention: product benefit, pics interest: pay off: the promise made headline by explaining how benefits will be delivered desire: hi light how they will benefit action: make it easy
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Social Media Promotion
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Shift Focus: Encourage and participate in online conversations Build Community: audiences can connect with your company Listen Effectively: Listen at least as much as you talk, makes good convos Start Conversations: Use an objective, conversational style, not "advertising speak
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Social Media Promotion
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Provide information that people want: offer information about your company and its products. Identify and support your champions: In marketing, enthusiastic fans of products = champions, spread your message, defend against detractors, and help other customers use your products. Be real: respond poorly to superficial attempts to be "social." respond positively to companies that are open and conversational Integrate conventional marketing and sales strategies at the right time and in the right places: Use the AIDA approach for specific tasks
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persuasion as a positive force:
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-aligning their own interests with what's best for their audiences - giving them the freedom to choose
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Promotional Messages
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- Federal Laws and Regulations - State Laws and Regulations - International Laws and Regulations legal aspects of promotional communication can be complex, varying geo FTC: regulate advertising
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Legal Considerations
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-Be truthful and non-deceptive - Back up claims with evidence - Don't use "bait and switch" tactics - Obey rules if marketing to children - Respect contractual obligations (marketing is a binding contract) - Respect the rights of individuals
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Etiquette Decisions
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- Taking an audience-centered approach (YOU attitude) should help you avoid etiquette missteps - consider audience needs
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The 3 step process
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1. plan 2. write 3. complete
