Chapter 6

Persuasive messages
Enquiry and invitation messages ( thư yêu cầu và thư mời)
Introduction:
- Invitation messages are normally put under goodwill messages used mainly
to invite people to banquets or events including factual details of
the event
- enquiry message should contain: (1) opening; (2) asking for catalogs and
price lists; (3) asking for details; (4) asking for samples, patterns, and
demonstrations; (5) suggesting terms, methods of payment, and discounts;
(6) asking for goods on approval or on sale or return;
(7) asking for an estimate or tender;
and (8) closing
The tone of writing should not be too causal or too formal
- Enquiry message:
+ the first paragraph: is to ask the question we want to have answered
(e.g. I would appreciate further details about . . ./We would like you to send
us . . ./Could you give some idea about . . .?).
+ The second paragraph is to give details about why you are
writing to him/her (e.g. the name of his shop was featured in the
newspaper, you saw an advertisement, a friend gave you his name, etc.). We
should also give some background information about ourselves, the
writer.
+ The last paragraph ends with an expression of how much we appreciate
the help.

Enquiry messages
Enquiry messages refer to the messages that are mainly requests or
responding to requests in the workplace. The request is the core move in
the first email that carries the enquiry, and the response is the main one in
the second email in the chain that carries the reply.
MOVES
Move 1: Establishing the negotiation chain (e.g. through addressing and
greeting the addressee, defining participants)
Move 2: Opening (providing information)
 Move 3: Requesting information (e.g. asking for catalogues, price lists;
asking for details; giving opinions, indicating intention)
Move 4: Closing.
Enquiry messages are mainly about asking for information, advice or
help for different individual purposes.

first paragraph ( Introduction) could be improved in three ways:

(1) Identify oneself.
(2) The desire of having a meeting could be mentioned towards the end of
the letter after the recipient has been convinced that there is a need for the
cooperation, and then the meeting.
(3) The idea/purpose of the project could be made clearer.
TIPS TO HAVE AN EFECTIVE ENQUIRY MESSAGES:
1. The idea of partnership should be clearly stated in the letter.
2. More information about why and how the project is innovative and
significant should be included
3. Try to highlight how it is honored to work with the company in such a
meaningful project
4. Highlight how the partnership can benefit both parties

Invitation messages
- An invitation is a directive and politeness behavior intended to “commit the
reader to some future course of action”
- aims at inviting a reader to participate in a social-business activity
organized by the writer or the writer’s company for social or business
purposes
- The typical moves for invitation:
- Move 1: Inviting;
Move2:Establishingthecontext;
- Move3: Detailing:(a) Structure of the event;
- (b)prominence of the event;
- (c) evaluation/indication of benefit
- Move 4: Soliciting response/anticipating acceptance
- Move 5: Statement of limitation
- Move 6: Expressing thanks.
Move structure analysis
Move 1: Headline: Prepositions are commonly used in headlines to highlight
the target
audience or the promoted items
Move 2: Establish credentials
Move 3: Introduce the event
Move 4: Offer incentives
Move 5: Enclose documents
Move 6: Solicit response
Move 7: Use pressure tactics
Move 8: End politely
Semantic categories involved in the moves using emotional appeal:
- Emotional appeal is frequently used in the sub-move Offer the event. The
semantic category of perception (e.g. emotion of liking) is commonly used
(e.g. I would like to invite . . .,I have the pleasure to invite…)
- Emotional appeal is also formed by the semantic category of culture, mainly
in the aspects of social action (e.g. respect) and relation
- The semantic categories of emotion and respect form a polite invitation
altogether and the category of relation we/you creates solidarity between
the writer and the readers.
- the invitation is closed in the sub-move Situational ending by another
category of perception (e.g. We look forward to seeing you).

Semantic categories involved in other persuasive moves:

mainly related to the category of concept about time and quantity and that
of life experience about money value.
Move structure comparison between sales correspondence
and invitation messages:
- Sales messages have significant use of Offer incentives and Attach
document
- Invitation messages, on the other hand, tend to focus on mutual business
relationships.