Chapter 10 Solutions to Activities
Zooming In: Applying Your Skills at Natural Capitalism Solutions
Current date
Dear Business Owner:
Your attendance at this workshop shows that you have already taken the first step to increasing
Research has shown repeatedly that engaging your employees will lead to a better bottom line by
driving profitability. We have found that engaged employees are more productive and easier to
Share the materials we’ve included for you on this CD with your staff. Your business will reap
10.1 Document for Analysis: Poor Persuasive Request Going to Texas 7-Eleven Owners
(Objs. 1-3)
Documents for Analysis are available at the student premium website (www.cengagebrain.com).
Weaknesses
Fails to think through what he wants this message to achieve.
Should begin with a statement of the problem (brown bananas) and the company proposal
Revision
To: 7-Eleven Franchise Owners Association of Texas
From: Terry Navarro <terrynavarro@yahoo.com>
Subject: Finding a Better Way to Sell Fresh Bananas
Cc:
Bcc:
Fresh Del Monte has suggested that 7-Eleven stores sell fresh bananas wrapped in plastic.
I suggest that we urge Fresh Del Monte to develop a wrapper that is biodegradable. Until we
have a biodegradable wrap, we franchisees should not support the move to plastic-wrapped
Please let me know by January 20 whether you agree that a biodegradable wrap would be more
Terry
[Full contact information]
10.2 Document for Analysis: Weak Persuasive Request Inviting Small Planet Speaker
(Objs. 1-3)
Documents for Analysis are available at the student premium website (www.cengagebrain.com).
Weaknesses
Fails to open with an attention-getting technique or an appeal to the reader.
Focuses primarily on “I” and “we” statements instead of framing request from reader’s
perspective.
Does not build interest by showing how the vision of the writer’s organization closely
Revision
Current date
Ms. Anna Lappe
418 North Jay Street
Brooklyn, NY 11212
Dear Ms. Lappe:
You have written that this country’s food sector is both a central culprit in global warming and a
Sustainable Enterprises of Seattle is a nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping the
Our board would be honored to have you address members and guests at our March 14
conference in Seattle. We’re hoping that you can connect the dots between the food on our plate
Please consider being our keynote speaker for our spring member drive. Although we can offer
only a small honorarium, we can provide you with first-class accommodations at Seattle’s
If your schedule is free for March 14 and if you like an opportunity to share your sustainability
message, please let me know before November 15, when our next board meeting occurs and we
Sincerely,
10.3 Document for Analysis: Poor Claim Letter From Unhappy Copier Owner (Objs. 1-3)
Documents for Analysis are available at the student premium website (www.cengagebrain.com).
Weaknesses
Fails to open with a compliment, point of agreement, statement of the problem, or brief
review of action taken to resolve problem.
Does not provide a logical explanation of what happened.
Revision
Current date
Mr. Trenton Khalifa
VIP Copier Specialists
1532 Nashville Pike
Gallatin, TN 37012
Dear Mr. Khalifa:
Although we told your salesperson, Carol Finley, that we average 3,000 copies a day, she
recommended the BizStar C500. This model appears to have been the wrong choice for our
When I discussed this possibility with your district manager, William Tanaka, he said that we
would be charged 50 percent depreciation if we traded in the four C500 copiers. That amounts to
The BizStar C500 machines were used a short time, and they can be resold easily.
We purchased the BizStar C500 copies in good faith on the recommendation of your salesperson.
Please approve my request to trade in four BizStar C500 copiers for a value of $7,380 (allowing
10.4 Document for Analysis: Poor Persuasive E-Mail Flowing Upward—Miserable
Meetings (Obj. 1, 2, 4)
Documents for Analysis are available at the student premium website (www.cengagebrain.com).
Weaknesses
Fails to develop a logical argument for a persuasive request.
Sounds flippant, accusatory, and exasperated rather than helpful.
Should capture attention by describing the problem from the viewpoint of the
organization.
Revision
To: Charlotte Cohen <ccohen@mitenterprise.com>
From: Clint Johnson <cjohnson@mitenterprise.com>
Subject: Improving Productivity and Morale With Better Meetings
Cc:
Attached:
Good morning, Ms. Cohen,
This past week I attended five in-house meetings and participated in three conference call
meetings. Some were well-run and necessary; others were poorly run and wasted my time. Some
Although most of our managers have business training, some are unaware of how expensive
I suggest that our division develop a meeting policy that outlines effective meeting procedures.
Here are a few examples:
Meetings should be called only if decisions need to be made, and only key people should
be invited.
These are just a few ideas for improving our division meetings. Clearly, our division could
Could we schedule a time within a week to discuss this matter further? This is an opportunity to
10.5 Understanding the Art of Persuasion—Aristotle’s Rhetoric (Obj. 1)
Some students may be familiar with the three elements of Aristotelian rhetoric from freshman
composition and other expository writing courses. Being able to recognize persuasive appeals
will be important for students and their success as workers and citizens. It will also make them
Examples of shaky ethos are easy to find in the contentious gun-control debate. Call-in radio host
Alex Jones caused massive social media buzz after what many considered his meltdown on the
Jones dodged Morgan’s dispassionate questions and was instead ranting and steamrolling his
host. Again, behavior that might be off-putting to some can seem justified to others. Without a
Students may cull less controversial examples from advertising and blog entries. TV car
commercials in particular tend to be high on pathos, showing pristine landscapes and successful
10.6 Mastering the Strategies of Persuasion—Hugh Rank’s Model (Obj. 1)
As a marketing expert points out, the tactics described in Hugh Rank’s model can be used by
appealing to emotion as well as logic. They can be found in traditional as well as the new,
interactive digital media. [Larson, C. U. (2013). Persuasion: Reception and responsibility (13th
One way to test Rank’s model is to examine any current controversy and compare both sides.
Often, the rival parties are not talking about the same things. Opponents of the death penalty may
argue (i.e., intensify) that it’s a barbaric punishment and point out the high cost and length of the
The question of ethics arises whenever the persuader intends to manipulate and deceive.
Perceptive students might note that it’s not always easy to discern when a healthy emphasis on a
10.7 Analyzing a Persuasive Appeal: From the Zappos Family to Yours (Objs. 1, 5)
The online shoe and apparel seller Zappos is known for its zany culture and quirky online
presence. The Amazon.com-owned company is also among the “100 best companies to work
for,” currently ranked 11th by Fortune magazine. Here the appeal is primarily an emotional one
The other persuasive tactic used is limiting the offer to prompt action by stating that the coupons
are very rare. Of course, saying “We are a service company that happens to sell” is in itself
clever yet tongue-in-cheek because like any other online retailer, Zappos is primarily in the
10.8 Persuasive Request: Please Write Me a Letter of Recommendation (Obj. 3)
To: [Professor’s e-mail address]
From: [Student’s e-mail address]
Subject: Letter of Recommendation Request
Cc:
Bcc:
Dear Professor [last name]:
Your credentials have always been intriguing to me. In particular, your position as the head of the
campus Diversity Matters club demonstrates to me your commitment to fostering minorities.
Your letter of recommendation would be the centerpiece of my law school admissions file. I have
In the fall semester of 2009, I took your Business Writing course 201 and received a B+. In
It has been a while since we’ve last had contact. I know this may cause some difficulty in writing
a letter for me. However, if you agree to write me a letter, I will be happy to meet with you at
your convenience and forward to you my personal statement, résumé, and a letter of
10.9 Persuasive Request: Seeking Dumps for TV Makeovers (Obj. 3)
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner:
How do you feel about your home? If you’re not fully pleased with its appearance, this is an
We’ve heard that you are beautiful people but that, for whatever reason, maybe your home needs
To be eligible, you must own the house, have a front yard, and identify two areas that need
If you are interested, please call me at 310-457-7330 before June 30 so that I can personally
10.10 Persuasive Request: Making a Case for Tuition Reimbursement (Obj. 3)
Date: Current
To: [Your boss’s name]
From: Student’s name
Subject: Improving Employee Productivity, Morale, and Recruiting
We employees here at First Federal think that the two most important elements in workplace
Both of these elements can be boosted through an employer-sponsored tuition-reimbursement
Many local employers—such as Bank of America, Chase, GE, and Computer Associates—
already have such programs in operation. Enclosed are several articles and printouts describing
My colleagues and I have done research on these programs at other companies. In a meeting