Four Part Plan for Persuasive Messages

Four part plan for overcoming resistance and crafting successful persuasive messages

1. Gaining Attention

• Summary of problem
• Unexpected statement
• Reader benefit
• Compliment
• Related fact
• Stimulating question

2. Building Interest

• Facts, figures
• Expert opinions
• Examples
• Specific details
• Direct benefits
• Indirect benefits

3. Reducing Resistance

• Anticipate objections
• Offer counterarguments
• Employ What if? scenarios
• Establish credibility
• Demonstrate competence
• Show value of proposal

4. Motivating Action

• Describe specific request
• Sound confident
• Make action easy to take
• Offer incentive
• Don't provide excuses
• Repeat main benefit

Persuasive Messages - Motivating Action

The final element in writing a persuasive message or request is motivating action. Once you have laid all the ground work by gaining attention, building interest and reducing resistance, you want to inspire the reader to act. In the same way you need to know your audience before you begin writing, you need to know exactly what outcome you favour.  This will enable you to point your ideas and arguments in the same direction in the all important final paragraph.  Your recommendation should be as confident and specific as possible and in making any requests, never sound apologetic " I'm sorry to ask you this, but...." or supply any excuses "If you can spare the time".

Examples of closing for a persuasive memo recommending training seminars.

Too General

We are certain we can develop a series of training sessions that will improve the communication skills of our employees.

 Too Timid

If you agree that our training proposal has merit, perhaps we could begin the series in June.

 Too Pushy

Because we are convinced that you will want to begin improving the skills of your employees immediately, we have scheduled your series to begin in June

Effective

You will see decided improvement in the communication skills of your employees. Please call me at 800-439-2201 by May 1 to give your approval so that training sessions may start in June, as we discussed. 

The last closing is ideal as it suggests a specific and easy to follow action, stating a deadline and a reason for that date.

Persuasive Messages - Reducing Resistance

The next element in writing persuasive messages or requests is reducing resistance. As mentioned in a previous post regarding gaining attention, your request or proposal may be met with strong resistance. A common mistake that most people make is failure to anticipate and offset that resistance, how will your audience object to your request? 

This is where the What if ? question comes into play. By brainstorming the possible what if scenarios, addressing them with counterarguments and establishing credibility you can effective reduce resistance in your persuasive messages and requests. For example you are trying to convince management to switch from paper and plastic cups and plates to ceramic in the employee cafeteria. In writing your proposal to switch to ceramic you must anticipate managements resistance. What if managers say it's too expensive or that it may cause an increase cafeteria labour and energy costs. They may even argue that ceramic is less hygienic. You must be prepared to counter the resistance with finesse and emphasize the benefits, "Although ceramic dishes cost more at first, they actually save money over time" and "Ceramic dishes may require a little more effort in cleaning, but they bring warmth and graciousness to a meal. Most important, they help save the environment by requiring fewer resources and eliminating waste"  An important point to remember is to try and avoid bringing up objections that may never have occurred to the reader in the first place. 

Establishing Credibility

Establishing credibility is another way to reduce resistance. A reader is less likely to object to your request if it is reasonable and believable and by establishing your expertise and demonstrating your competence in the subject at hand you can significantly influence the reader to agree to your request. 

Seven ways to establish credibility 

1. Use simple language
2. Support your request/message with facts
3. Identify your sources
4. Establish common ground
5. Be objective
6. Display good intentions
7. Avoid the "hard sell"

Persuasive Messages - Building Interest

The next step in forming a persuasive message or request is building interest.  Once you have captured your audience attention you must use the second key element in successful persuasive messages to retain that attention and convince your audience that your request is reasonable.

Persuasive requests are more likely to be longer than direct request.  More often than not you must justify your requests to your reader, so the likely hood is you will provide an explanation by way of a few paragraphs. Bare in mind that a persuasive request must convince it's audience rather than just instruct it.  Showing how an audience can directly or indirectly benefit from your request is a key factor in building interest in persuasive request and messages

Key Factors in Building Interest

• Use of facts and statistics
• Expert opinions
• Examples
• Specific dates
• Direct and Indirect benefits

Through the use of direct and indirect benefits you can build interest and conviction in your requests.  For example, if you were asking alumni to contribute money to a college foundation you can promote the direct benefits of their donation such as a tax write off for the contribution or the donor's names being listing in the alumni magazine or school newspaper. On the other hand a more subtle approach would be to mention the indirect benefits of their contribution.  Implying that the reader would feel good about helping the foundation and how the students would benefit from their donation. What is all comes down to is knowing your audience and deciding which approach would work best and garner the biggest response. A vast majority of charities rely on indirect benefits to promote their causes and raise donations.

Persuasive Messages - Gaining Attention

The first element in forming a persuasive message is gaining attention.  Half the battle when communicating with someone or even a group is grabbing their attention. In general the opening statement of a persuasive message or request should do just that, grab the readers attention and engage them to read more.

When writing an opening statement one must keep in mind that is should be brief, relevant and engaging. For example, in a message to company executives who are considering restricting cellphone use by employee drivers:

A recent study revealed that employers pay an average of $16,500 each time an employee is in a traffic accident

This relevant fact sets the scene for the interest-building section of the message that follows.

Of course different situations call for different approaches, if mild persuasion is needed the opening statement should be low key and factual. For example, in a memo to encourage employees to attend an optional sensitivity seminar:

Men and women draw the line at decidedly different places in identifying what behaviour constitutes sexual harassment

Although this opener is low key, it grabs the readers attention and gets them thinking immediately.
  
There are some situations however that call for stronger persuasion in the opening statement.  If the request is substantial or resistance is anticipated, the opening statement must be thoughtful and proactive. For example, in a recommendation to hire temporary employees:

Last month legal division staff members were faced to work 120 overtime hours, costing us $6,000 and causing considerable employee unhappiness

 This well thought out opening statement not only grabs the readers attention but is also proactive in  presenting a capsule of the problem your proposal will help solve.

Persuasive Messages, what are they?

Merriam Webster dictionary defines persuasive as the ability to cause people to do or believe something : able to persuade people.The ability to use an argument or discussion to influence an individual's beliefs or actions.

 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persuasive

In today's business world ones success depends largely on how well one is able to persuade people to believe, accept, and act on what you are saying, convincing others that you point of view is correct is a critical business communication skill. Persuasive messages are a way of presenting information to others in such a way that they are able to see the benefits of your idea, without coercion or tricking them into agreement. Successful persuasive messages blend together four key elements (steps) into a seamless whole. The sequence of the elements may change, all depending on the situation and what the emphasis of the message is, but regardless of where they are placed each plays a vital role in the success of the message.

The four key elements are;

1. Gaining the audience's attention
2. Building interest by convincing your audience that your proposal in worthy
3. Reducing resistance
4. Motivating action

The following posts will delve further into each element explaining how to use each one effectively and in conjunction with each other to form a seamless persuasive message.