Persuasive Messages

Which of these statements about persuasion is most accurate?

• The ability to persuade will be important to success in business, but this ability is not important to personal success.

• Most persuasive requests should be written directly to show your confidence.

• Because effective persuasive appeals require creativity, you will not usually need to follow a specific writing plan in these messages.

• Persuasion is important if you anticipate resistance or if you must prepare before you can present your ideas effectively.

The best way to begin a persuasive request is to

• use a neutral but unrelated buffer that leads into the request.

• immediately prove the merit of your request.

• capture the reader's attention and interest.

• explain your request logically and concisely.

Professional marketers and salespeople follow the AIDA strategy in their sales letters because it is effective. What does AIDA represent?

• Attention, interest, desire, and action

• Attraction, innovation, determination, and activity

• Appeal, input, develop, and attune

• Access, indicate, determine, and activate

In the body of your persuasive message, you will reduce resistance by

• focusing exclusively on reader benefits.

• shifting reader attention through praise and compliments.

• avoiding any potential reasons for resistance.

• anticipating arguments and offering counterarguments.

Which of the following messages would most likely require the indirect strategy to persuade?

• Informing employees of an upcoming all-staff meeting

• Making a typical claim

• Asking an employer for agreed-upon benefits such as vacation time

• Requesting favors and action from coworkers

Select the situation that is least likely to require persuasion.

• An invitation to the CEO of Facebook to speak at your professional organization's next meeting

• A request to have a defective printer replaced within the warranty period

• A request to your colleagues to donate money to the United Way each pay period through payroll deductions

• A refund request for a software program that you opened but decided not to keep

Select the most effective opening for a persuasive letter that invites a state representative to speak at your organization's Flag Day celebration.

• If you have June 14 open, would you be interested in speaking at our Flag Day ceremony?

• Please consider this letter an invitation to address our organization on June 14.

• Your patriotism and leadership in the House of Representatives have improved the quality of life across our state.

• The Patriotic Council promotes respect for the flag and our country, just as you do, which is why we are asking you to be our guest speaker for our Flag Day ceremony on June 14.

Choose the best closing for a message persuading the president of your organization to accept your benefits proposal.

• Please e-mail me at your earliest convenience with your decision.

• Contacting me by December 1 about your support of this new benefits plan will allow me to present this proposal at the next strategic planning session.

• If you have any further questions about this new benefits plan, please do not hesitate to contact me.

• We really need to implement this new benefits plan soon.

Which of the following situations would most likely require persuasion within an organization?

• Outlining company policy on personal use of e-mail

• Explaining a new procedure that will go into effect next month

• Asking employees to accept a pay cut to avoid layoffs or plant closings

• Informing employees about optional overtime opportunities during the following month

You want to propose a workplace change to your employer. Which of these is the best advice for you?

• Focus on how much money the proposed change will save the company.

• Stress your own needs and how you will benefit from the change because this is your proposal.

• Avoid words like suggest and recommend because these words make you look weak.

• Because your supervisor should already be aware of the pros of changing the procedure, avoid providing any evidence.