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.