Business Communication

Business Communication Lecturer: Gareth Jones Class 12: Persuasive Messages

Today • Persuasive Messages • Complaint • Reference Request Business Communication (BUS-100)

Persuasive Messages • Used to change an audience’s beliefs, attitudes, and actions • Present an argument that readers will agree with and support Business Communication (BUS-100)

Persuasive Messages • Used when: • We are trying to sell something • Asking people to support an idea • Asking for an increase in salary • Asking your boss to use your ideas Business Communication (BUS-100)

Persuasive Messages • Longer and more complicated than routine messages • Require much more planning Business Communication (BUS-100)

3 Step Writing Process • Planning • Writing • Completing Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Analyse your purpose • Analyse your audience • Establish Credibility • Be ethical Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Purpose • Difficult because: • Audiences are busy • There are competing requests Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • For these reasons, purpose must be clear, necessary and appropriate for the written channel Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Audience • Search for common ground • Find points of agreement • Show how you can satisfy their needs Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Ask • Who is my audience? • What do they need? • What do I want them to do? • How might they resist? • What other offers exist? Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Appeal to your audiences needs! • Find out their age, gender, occupation, income, etc. • Change your message around this info Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Credibility • This is your capability for being believed because you’re reliable and worthy of confidence. • Credibility = believability Business Communication (BUS-100)

Getting Credibility • Support your message with facts. • Documents, statistics, research results • Name your sources • Where did this information come from? • If audience respects your sources, this is very effective Business Communication (BUS-100)

Getting Credibility • Be an expert • Clearly demonstrate your knowledge of the subject • Establish common ground • Highlight the beliefs that you share with the audience. Business Communication (BUS-100)

Getting Credibility • Be enthusiastic • Be excited about your subject • Be objective • Show all sides of the issue to present fair arguments Business Communication (BUS-100)

Getting Credibility • Be trustworthy • Earn audiences trust with honesty and dependability • Have good intentions • Keep audience’s interest at heart Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Be ethical • To be ethical is to do things in an honest, moral way • Are morals universal？ Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Do not try to manipulate or trick your audience. • Persuade your audience, but keep their needs at heart • Why? Business Communication (BUS-100)

Writing • Direct? Indirect? • Based on audience’s reaction Business Communication (BUS-100)

Writing • When to use Direct approach • When audience is objective • When a message is long • When audience has little time Business Communication (BUS-100)

Writing • Since the purpose is to convince or to change our audience’s mind, we should usually use: • The Indirect Approach Business Communication (BUS-100)

Completing • Use the same techniques • Edit for style, content and readability • Correct Errors Business Communication (BUS-100)

Persuasive Strategies • 4 strategies in successful persuasion • Framing your argument • Balancing your appeals • Reinforcing your position • Overcoming audience resistance Business Communication (BUS-100)

Persuasive Strategies • Framing your argument • Similar to indirect approach, but even more involved. • Use the AIDA approach Business Communication (BUS-100)

AIDA approach • AIDA – 4 step argument • Attention (Opening) • Interest (Body) • Desire (Body) • Action (Closing) Business Communication (BUS-100)

AIDA approach • Attention • Begin persuasive messages with an attention getting statement that is: • Personalised • ‘You’ oriented • Straightforward • Relevant Business Communication (BUS-100)

AIDA approach • Interest • Explain relevance of message • Give more details Business Communication (BUS-100)

AIDA approach • Desire • Second part of your body • Provide evidence • Explain how change will help audience • Answer possible questions in advance Business Communication (BUS-100)

AIDA approach • Action • Closing • Suggest action for readers to take • Repeat audience benefits • Make the action easy Business Communication (BUS-100)

AIDA approach • Perfect for indirect messages • Save main idea for action phase • Can be used in direct messages • Use main idea as attention getter Business Communication (BUS-100)

AIDA approach • To be successful, narrow your focus • Why? • Stick to one goal or objective • One action we want the audience to perform Business Communication (BUS-100)

Persuasive message • Used when: • We are trying to sell something • Asking people to support an idea • Asking for an increase in salary • Asking your boss to use your ideas Business Communication (BUS-100)

Strategy • Analyse your purpose • Analyse your audience • Establish Credibility • Be ethical Business Communication (BUS-100)

Credibility • Credibility • This is your capability for being believed because you’re reliable and worthy of confidence. • Credibility = believability Business Communication (BUS-100)

Credibility • Use Facts • Name sources • Be an expert • Find common ground • Be enthusiastic • Be honest Business Communication (BUS-100)

Ethics • Be ethical • To be ethical is to do things in an honest, moral way • Do not try to trick your audience Business Communication (BUS-100)

AIDA approach • AIDA – 4 step argument • Attention (Opening) • Interest (Body) • Desire (Body) • Action (Closing) Business Communication (BUS-100)

Persuasive Strategies • 4 strategies for successful persuasion • Framing your argument • Appealing to the audience • Supporting your argument • Dealing with Resistance Business Communication (BUS-100)

Audience Appeal • In order to persuade our audience, we must appeal to them in some way • We can appeal to the heart and to the mind Business Communication (BUS-100)

Audience Appeal • Appealing to the audience’s heart is called an: • Emotional Appeal • This is when we try to persuade our audience by using their feelings Business Communication (BUS-100)

Audience Appeal • Emotional appeals • Use words like: success, value, only, just • This will make your audience comfortable Business Communication (BUS-100)

Audience Appeal • Emotional appeals • Make your audience think your idea is the right thing to do Business Communication (BUS-100)

Audience Appeal • Appealing to the audience’s mind is called a: • Logical appeal • This is when we use evidence and facts to convince our audience Business Communication (BUS-100)

Audience Appeal • Logical Appeals • Have plenty of evidence • Don’t attack your opponents • Make sure your claims are true Business Communication (BUS-100)

Persuasive Strategies • 4 strategies for successful persuasion • Framing your argument • Appealing to the audience • Supporting your argument • Dealing with Resistance Business Communication (BUS-100)

Supporting your argument • Increase your credibility with strong language • Use words that are strong and direct Business Communication (BUS-100)

Business Communication