Writing Plan for a
Persuasive Request
Opening Body Closing
Obtain the reader’s interest.
Describe a problem, state something
unexpected, suggest reader benefits,
offer praise or compliments, or ask a
stimulating question.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 1
Opening Body Closing
Build interest. Reduce resistance.
Explain logically Anticipate objections.
and concisely the Offer counter-
purpose of the arguments.
request. Establish credibility.
Prove its merit. Demonstrate
Use facts, statistics, competence.
and expert opinion. Show the value of
your proposal.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 2
Writing Plan for a
Persuasive Request
Opening Body Closing
Motivate action.
Ask for a particular action.
Make it easy to respond.
Show courtesy, respect, and gratitude.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 3
Requesting Favors and Actions
Requests for time, money, information,
special privileges, and cooperation require
persuasion.
Requests may be granted because the
receivers
• Are genuinely interested in your project.
• See benefits for others.
• Expect goodwill potential for themselves.
• Feel obligated as professionals to contribute
their time or expertise to "pay their dues."
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 4
Persuasive Favor Request
Before Revision
Open letter
by clicking
icon at right.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 5
Persuasive Favor Request
After Revision
Open revised
letter by clicking
icon at right.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 6
Persuading Within Organizations
Use the direct plan for messages involving
instructions and directives. Moving
downward, they usually require little
persuasion.
Use the indirect plan for requests that ask
employees to perform outside their work
roles or to accept changes that affect them
negatively, such as pay cuts, job transfers,
and reduced benefits.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 7
Persuasive Memo
Before Revision
Open letter
by clicking
icon at right.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 8
Persuasive Memo
After Revision
Open revised
letter by clicking
icon at right.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 9
Which of the following openings is
effective for a persuasive request?
1. We need a speaker for our graduation ceremony,
and your name was suggested.
2. We realize that you are an extremely busy
individual and that you must be booked up
months in advance, but would it be possible for
you to speak at our graduation ceremony June 7?
3. You were voted by our students as the speaker
they would most like to hear at graduation on
June 7.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 10
Discuss the Faults in
This Favor Request
Quick
Check
Open letter
by clicking
icon at left
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 11
Examine the Improved
Favor Request
Open revised
letter by clicking
icon at left.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 12
Making Claims and Requesting
Adjustments (Complaint Letters)
Avoid sounding angry, emotional, or
irrational.
Begin with a compliment, point of
agreement, statement of the problem, or
brief review of action you have taken to
resolve the problem.
Provide identifying data.
Explain why the receiver is responsible.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 13
Enclose document copies supporting your
claim.
Appeal to the receiver's fairness, ethical and
legal responsibilities, and desire for customer
satisfaction.
Describe your feelings and your
disappointment.
Close by telling exactly what you want done.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 14
Examine This Effective
Claim Request (Complaint Letter)
Open letter
by clicking
icon at right.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 15
Which of the following openings is effective
for a claim request?
1. About 15 months ago your smooth-talking
salesperson seduced us into buying your Model RX
copier, which has been nothing but trouble ever
since.
2. If you will check your records, you will undoubtedly
discover that we first obtained our model RX copier
15 months ago. It was installed in our Legal
Department.
3. When we purchased our Model RX copier 15
months ago, we had high expectations for its
performance.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 16
Discuss This Ineffective
Claim Request (Complaint Letter)
Quick
Check
Open letter
by clicking
icon at left
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 17
Examine the Improved
Claim Request
Open revised
letter by clicking
icon at left.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 18
Writing Plan for a
Sales Letter
Opening Body Closing
Capture the attention of the reader.
Offer something valuable, promise
a benefit, ask a question, provide a
quotation, and so forth.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 19
Gaining Attention
1. Offer
Take your old cell phones to one of our
collection centers, and we'll recycle it
and donate a portion of the proceeds to
charity.
2. Benefit
You'll help our environment and help
your neighbors in the process.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 20
Gaining Attention
3. Question
Microsoft has evolved. Have you?
4. Quotation or proverb
Opportunity seldom knocks twice.
5. Related fact
A virus is a computer program written to
perform malicious tasks.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 21
Gaining Attention
6. Testimonial
"I never stopped eating, yet I lost 107
pounds."—Tina Rivers, Greenwood,
South Carolina
7. Startling Statement
Drunk drivers injure or cripple more than
500,000 victims every year.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 22
Gaining Attention
8. Other options
Product feature
Personalized action setting
Solution to a problem
Anecdote
Personalized statement using
receiver’s name
Relevant current event
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 23
Writing Plan for a
Sales Letter
Opening Body Closing
Build interest.
Emphasize a central selling point. Make rational
and emotional appeals.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 24
Student Only Version
© 2007 Thomson South-Western
Rational Appeals
The Signature Air Purifier uses an electronic
filter that never needs replacing. Just rinse it
off, and it's as good as new. No costly
replacement filters means that the unit will
literally pay for itself.
Build
Interest
(Example)
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 26
Student Only Version
© 2007 Thomson South-Western
Writing Plan for a
Sales Letter
Opening Body Closing
Build interest.
Emphasize a central selling point. Make rational
and emotional appeals.
Reduce resistance.
Use testimonials, money-back guarantees, free
samples, performance tests, or other
techniques.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 28
Include
testimonials.
List
Name
performance satisfied
tests, polls, Reducing users.
or awards. Resistance
Offer a Promise
money-back
free trial
guarantee or
or sample. warranty
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 29
Writing Plan for a
Sales Letter
Opening Body Closing
Motivate action.
Offer a gift, promise an incentive,
limit the offer, set a deadline, or
guarantee satisfaction.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 30
Offer a gift.
Include a P.S.
Promise an
with a special
incentive.
inducement.
Motivate
Action
Guarantee Limit
satisfaction. the offer.
Set
a deadline.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 31
Checklist for
Analyzing a Sales Letter
At what audience is the letter aimed?
Is the appeal emotional or rational? Is the
appeal effective?
Is the opening effective?
What techniques capture the reader's
attention?
Is a central selling point emphasized?
Does the letter emphasize reader benefits?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 32
How does the letter build interest in the
product or service?
How is price introduced?
How does the letter anticipate reader
resistance and offer counterarguments?
What action is to be taken and how is the
reader motivated to take that action?
What motivators spur the reader to act
quickly?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 33
Examine This Effective
Sales Letter
Open letter
by clicking
icon at right.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 34
Writing Successful
Online Sales Messages
Communicate only Make the message
with those who have short, conversational,
given permission! and focused.
Craft a catchy Convey urgency.
subject line. Sprinkle testimonials
Keep the main throughout the copy.
information "above Provide a means for
the fold." opting out.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 7e Chapter 7, Slide 35