Persuasive Business Messages

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 What is Persuasion?

 Ability to use argument or discussion in attempting to

change an individual's beliefs or actions.

 To present information that enables others to see the

benefits of what you are offering.

 Persuasion doesn’t involve coercion or trickery.

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 Effective Persuasion Techniques

 Readers or listeners will be more inclined to accept what

you are offering if you focus on:


 - Establishing credibility

 - Making a reasonable, precise request

 - Expecting and overcoming resistance



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 AIDA

 Attention

 Interest

 Desire

 Action
 AIDA Model in Business Letters

 Attention: Your opening does more than simply introduce

your topic; it grabs audience attention and encourages
them to hear more about your main idea
 Interest: Your explanation does more than present
reasons; it incites the interest of your audience
 Desire: Your continued explanation does more than
present benefits; it changes your audience’s attitude
 Action: Your close does more than end on a positive note;
it emphasizes reader benefits and motivates readers to
take specific action
 Attention

 Make your audience want to hear about your problem or

idea

 Write a brief and engaging opening sentence, with no

extravagant claims or irrelevant points

 And be sure to find some common ground on which to

build your case
 Beginning

 The opening does more than serve as a buffer. It grabs

your audience’s attention

 Begin every persuasive message with an attention-getting

statement that is
 Personalized

 “You”-oriented

 Straightforward

 Relevant
 Gaining Attention Samples
Problem description
 Six of our computers were recently infected with the ‘Melissa’ virus,
and we lost at least 25 work hours trying to repair the problem

 Unexpected statement
If you checked carefully, you’d probably find that 20 percent of your
customers account for 80 percent of your profits

 Reader benefit
Now you can immediately protect all your computers from the latest
viruses with our online anti-virus program
 Gaining Attention Samples

 Compliment
As no one generates as much audience enthusiasm as you do in your
presentations, we are asking you to speak . . . .

 Related fact
A virus is a computer program written to perform malicious tasks

 Stimulating question
How would you like to cut employee overtime costs in half?
 Interest

 Explain the relevance of your message to your audience

 Continuing the theme you started with, paint a more

detailed picture with words

 Get your audience thinking

 In this interest section relate benefits specifically to the

attention-getter
 Interest

 Rational Appeal
You can buy the things you need and want, pay household bills, pay off
higher-cost loans and credit card – as soon as you are approved and
your Credit Line account is opened

 Emotional Appeal

Leave the urban bustle behind and escape to sun-soaked Bermuda! All
you need is your bathing suit, a little suntan lotion, and your Credit-Line
card to recharge your batteries with an injection of sun and surf
 Interest
Scenario Building

Saturday morning dawns bright and crisp-perfect for casual browsing

through the “ treasure” shops of the Quarter- where a world of
artists, antiques and astonishing sights awaits you. From noon you
are escorted through some of the landmarks of the city: the Garden
District( where the elegance of the past lives on), the lake area, and
the most famous historical sites of the Quarter.
Late afternoon finds you approaching the famed Commander’s Palace
for an exclusive cocktail party and dinner. We promise you will
practically hear the moan of ol’ river streamers on the mighty
Mississippi as you dine.

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 Building Interest Samples

 Supply facts and figures

Currently 16,000 known computer viruses are in effect, and the number
increases by 300 to 400 each month

 Give examples
One company lost valuable data and had no recent backup disks to
replace infected files

 Cite expert opinion

“Hostile code can hit without warning,” says virus specialist Dr. Tony
Timm, “so companies must have a virus antidote or they risk all their
operations
 Building Interest Samples
 Provide specific details
In a test comparing six of the leading anti-virus programs, our program
was flawless in virus detection, easy to administer, and low in
ownership cost

 Mention direct benefits

Our anti-virus program can protect you from subtle corruptions of data
that may go unnoticed for months

 Mention indirect benefits

Your company continues to be a pacesetter in the health care industry

by setting an example for other organizations that are troubled with
the increasing number of viruses
 Desire

 Make audience members want to change by explaining how

the change will benefit them

 Reduce resistance by thinking up and answering in advance

any questions your audience might have

 If your idea is complex, explain how you would implement it

 Back up your claims to increase audience willingness to take

action that you suggest in the next section
 Reduce resistance

 Identify possible obstacles; offer counter arguments

 Demonstrate your credibility by being knowledgeable

 In requesting favors or making recommendations, show

how the receiver or others will benefit
 Reduce resistance

 Counter reluctance with testimonials, money back

guarantees, attractive warranties, trial offers, or free samples

 Build credibility with results of performance tests, polls, or

awards

Example: This important investment in sexual

harassment prevention comes with a money-back
guarantee. If you are not satisfied, your entire training
costs are returned.
 Action

 Suggest the action you want readers to take and use the
opportunity to remind readers of the benefits of taking
action

 The secret of a successful action phase is making the

action easy

 Include a deadline when applicable. Close with repetition

of the central selling point and clear instructions for an
easy action to be taken
 Case Study

 As the director of human resources in your company,

you’re desperate for some help. You want to keep
the costs of employee benefits under control while
making sure you provide employees with a fair
benefits package. However, you don’t have time to
research all the options for health insurance,
wellness programs, retirement plans, family
counseling, educational benefits, and everything
else, so you decide to hire a consultant. You receive
the following message from a consultant interested
working with you.
 I am considered the country’s foremost authority on
employee health insurance programs. My clients offer
Casepositive
universally Study (continued)
feedback on the programs I’ve
designed for them. They also love how much time I save
them – hundreds and hundreds of hours. I am absolutely
confident that I can thoroughly analyze your needs and
create a portfolio that realizes every degree of savings
possible. I invite you to experience the same level of
service that has generated such comments as “Best
advice ever!” and “Saved us an unbelievable amount of
money.”
 Case Study (continued)

 You’d love to get the results the consultant promises, but

these claims don’t ring true to you. In fact, the message
contains several instances in which this writer’s
credibility might be questioned.
 Identify the problematic claims.
 The problematic claims

 I am considered the country’s foremost authority on

employee health insurance programs. My clients offer
universally positive feedback on the programs I’ve
designed for them. They also love how much time I save
them – hundreds and hundreds of hours. I am absolutely
confident that I can thoroughly analyze your needs and
create a portfolio that realizes every degree of savings
possible. I invite you to experience the same level of
service that has generated such comments as “Best
advice ever!” and “Saved us an unbelievable amount of
money.”
 Sales Letters

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 Prepare

 Learn as much as possible about the audience,

competition and the product

 Select a central selling theme– your product’s

most distinguishing feature

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 Grabbing Attention
Technique Item Promoted Example

Rhetorical Question A high-priced car What is the difference

between extravagance
and luxury?
Thought-provoking An early morning Most of what we had to
television news say about business this
program morning was
unprintable
Unusual fact A laundry detergent If your family is typical,
you will wash one ton of
laundry this year

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 Grabbing Attention
Technique Item Promoted Example

Current event A real estate The new Arrow assembly

company plant will bring 1,700
new families to White
Rock within 2 years
Anecdote A weekly business During 6 years of
magazine college, the one
experience that helped
me the most did not
even occur in the
classroom
Direct Challenge A no-blot ball point Drop the enclosed pen
pen on the floor writing tip
first, and then sign your
name with it.
 Creating Interest and Building Desire
Interpreting Features- Do not just describe but interpret it
by showing reader benefit
Not
 The JT Laser II prints at the speed of 10 pages per minute
But
 The JT laser II’s print speed of 10 pages per minute is twice
that of the typical printer
Not
 Masco binoculars zoom from 3 to 12 power
But
 With Masco binoculars, you can look a ruby-throated
humming bird squarely in the eye at 300 feet and see it
blink
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 Creating Interest and Building Desire
Using Vivid Language- Avoid hard sell, use action verbs and
positive language, to stress what your product is, rather
than what it is not.

Not
 The paper tray is designed to hold 200 sheets

But
 The paper tray holds 200 sheets –enough to last the busy
executive a full week without reloading

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 Creating Interest and Building Desire
Using Objective, Ethical Language- Avoid generalities,
unsupported superlatives and claims
Not
 At $795 the Sherwood moped is the best buy on the market
But
 The May issue of Independent Consumer rated the $795
Sherwood moped the year’s best buy.
Not
We know you will enjoy the convenience of our Bread Baker
But
 Our bread baker comes with one feature we don’t think you
will ever use: a 30-day, no-questions-asked return policy

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 Motivating Action

 If the desired action is an actual sale, make it

easy

 For high-priced items, aim to get the reader to

take a small step towards the actual purchase

 Provide an incentive for prompt action

 Make the push very gently; it cannot afford to

smack of hard sell
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 Motivating Action
 Use confident language when asking for action
 If you want the reader to part with money, it is a good
idea to mention benefit in the same sentence
Not
 Hurry! Hurry! These sale prices won’t be in effect long
 If you agree that this ice cream maker will make your
summers more enjoyable, you can place the order over
the phone
But
 To have your Jiffy Ice Cream Maker available for use
during the upcoming July 4 weekend simply call out toll
free number today
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