Business Communication: In Person, In Print, Online
INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE
Chapter 7
Persuasive Messages
Overview
Writing a successful persuasive message requires an audience analysis
and a combination of credibility, emotional appeal, and logical
arguments.
Learning Objectives
• Plan a persuasive message for your audience.
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Quick Links for Chapter 7
PPT Slides | Solutions to Exercises | Handouts | Video Suggestions | Company Examples | BizCom in the News
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Teaching Suggestions
Resources
LO1: Plan a persuasive message for your audience.
INTRODUCE importance of planning a persuasive message according to the
audience’s needs and characteristics.
After the analysis, students may be asked to write collaboratively (e.g.,
through Google Drive) a message from Wendy’s CEO to employees. First,
ask students to identify the objectives of the message. Encourage students
to use their audience analysis skills to revise the message to meet the
company’s objectives.
effective?
REFER TO the three persuasion principles. Instruct students to find a
persuasive message (e.g., an ad or a sales letter) and analyze how
effectively—or ineffectively—these principles are used within the
messages. Encourage students to share their observations with the class.
the clip on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C6ZeKpx7xY)
pathos, and logos in the Solutions to Exercises (Exercise 2).
Resources
LO2: Write a short persuasive message.
INTRODUCE techniques of writing short messages that persuade an
audience to accept an idea or fulfill a request.
14-week business: INSTRUCT students to select several short messages
they wrote recently using the direct plan. Ask students to change their
audience and contexts and to rewrite the opening for each message to fit
the new situation. Encourage students to use the information from the
textbook and PPT.
SHOW the mayor’s video on the blog. Explain that part of his argument is
that the size of drinks has increased. How do you assess this argument? Do
you find this to be a convincing data point for his decision to cap the size
of soft-drinks? Why or why not?
INSTRUCT students, as homework, to read Katie Bayne’s response and to
do their own research about whether sugar in soft drinks has addictive
qualities. What do they find? Do their findings support or contradict Katie
Bayne’s response that there’s no scientific evidence linking the two?
Resources
LO3: Write a sales letter.
INTRODUCE the strategies of writing effective sales letters.
Alternatively, ask students to analyze the letters referring to just one or
two items from the handout, e.g., Create Interest and Build Desire. This
way, the activity could be completed step-by-step.
To vary the activity, instruct students to work individually and select
several sales letters from their own mailboxes or inboxes. Ask students
to analyze the letters using the handout and to share their analysis with
the class.
to work collaboratively to write a sales letter for the product. Then, ask
teams to email their letters to all students in class. Encourage the class
to respond only to the letters that they find effective in soliciting
customer interest. Share the results with the class.
Resources
LO4: Write and respond to negative customer feedback.
INTRODUCE ways to provide and respond to negative feedback.
Resources
LO4: Write and respond to negative customer feedback.
DISCUSS strategies for writing complaints and negative online reviews.
Ask students to recall a recent negative experience with a product or
service.
INSTRUCT students to write and post a complaint or an online review
about the product. Encourage students to share their reviews with the
class. If the company responds to the review, ask students to share the
response with the class as well. Students also may discuss how
effective the response is.
DISCUSS strategies for responding to negative online feedback.
14-week non-business: ASK students to select several negative reviews
from various social network sites. Instruct students to practice writing
responses to these reviews. Share and discuss several responses with
the class.
14-week business: ASK students to select negative online reviews for a
company where they previously worked. With information from their
experience, instruct students to respond to several of these reviews.
Resources
LO4: Write and respond to negative customer feedback.
prepare their arguments, you may have students first discuss their
rationale in separate groups.
• How do you assess Nike’s tweets to BizCom in the News?
• What do you think about the ethical aspect of these
communication and marketing strategies?
Solutions to Exercises
3Ps in Practice: Requesting a Visit to Another Service Center
Process
To plan your email, you first answer the following questions.
1. What is your main point? How will you clearly and concisely describe your
request? Be as specific as possible.
2. What are your communication objectives? What, specifically, do you want Jalisa
to do after she reads your email?
3. What are the key benefits of your idea—to you and to the company? How can
you focus your email around these points?
With a better understanding of best practices for operating a Service Center, I can
4. How will you create interest? What would inspire Jalisa to accept your idea?
Since Jalisa is the Midwest regional director, her interests lie in the success of the
5. How can you justify your request? What evidence will you present to support
your points? How can you quantify the costs? (Here’s where you’ll need some
research—and some imagination.)
Students should think through all the costs of this request: transportation, wages
6. What obstacles should you address in your email? Realistically, what objections
might the regional director have (e.g., travel expenses)? How will you address
these in the email?
7. Write your opening paragraph. How will you describe your purpose and main
points up front?
8. How will you summarize your main points and inspire action in your closing?
Product
Students’ emails should address all of the process questions.
1. Assess what is important to team members.
Students will have varying responses depending on the student’s team and perception of team
2. Analyze use of ethos, pathos, and logos in a sales call.
Ethos
Pathos
Logos
Seth is an employee at J.T.
Marlin, which sounds like J.P.
Morgan, a credible firm.
Seth jokes, “Tell me Harry, are
you married or happy?”
Seth says, “What have those
Blue Chips done for you since
you got married?” and “We
deal in stocks that really
move.”
3. Analyze Facebook’s video message.
Some examples from the video include the following:
Emotional appeals: Connections between people visualized via a social map; “Able to see
what’s going on in the lives of the people we care about”; “Your life is an amazing story that
4. Discuss the ethics of an advertisement.
Examples of pathos include the couple who are now extremely happy because they received
cash and the visual appeal of the website with cash everywhere. Examples of logos include the
Ethos
Pathos
Logos
appeal based on credibility.)
Seth affirms Harry’s response
to marriage by saying that
he’s been married for six
years. (It’s a lie: he’s not
married.)
Seth describes the drug as
helping “premature babies
develop properly.” (The drug
doesn’t exist.)
Seth’s comparison to decision
making and using coupons at
Pathmark are also an appeal
based on logic (as well as
emotion).
5. Write an article on a blog to warn people about quick cash businesses.
Students may consider the following in their article to discourage people from signing up at the
“Promise Cash Center” site:
1. What evidence will you use? Students may use research about the negative
2. What will you write up front to capture and keep the reader’s attention? Students
3. How will you address potential obstacles or objections from readers? Students may
acknowledge how badly people need cash—and how tempting this offer is. They also
4. What is a catchy title for your article? Students may be creative with the title.
6. Identify the organization of a persuasive letter.
This letter is organized indirectly—the main request of financial support is located at the end.
Students should find examples of how the letter builds credibility (ethos) and creates emotional
appeal (pathos) before delivering the request for financial support. In their analysis, students
should understand the benefit of each approach.
7. Write an email requesting a recommendation.
Students’ emails should include the following:
• A clear, specific subject line
8. Write an email to suggest an idea.
Students’ emails should include the following:
• A clear, specific subject line that captures attention
The following notes apply to Exercise 9-11.
9. Write a magazine subscription letter.
10. Write a fundraising letter to recent alumni.
11. Write a fundraising letter to older alumni.
Based on the guidelines provided in the chapter and the details provided in the exercise,
students should write persuasive sales letters. Students should demonstrate the following in
these letters:
• An understanding of their audience (Did they tailor their message to the audience?)
12. Analyze a sales letter or email you receive.
Student discussions will vary based on the letters they receive. Have students think critically
about the effective and ineffective tactics of each letter.
13. Write text for a small business website.
Students should think critically about the purpose of this text: to accurately represent the
14. Write a complaint letter to a business owner.
Students’ letters should build credibility and convey the message in a tone such that the
15. Give feedback on someone else’s letter.
Students have an opportunity to practice giving a peer review. The reviewer should provide
positive and constructive comments. Encourage students to give a range of ratings (see
handouts).
16. Respond to a complaint letter.
This response letter is an opportunity to restore the company’s image and rebuild the customer
17. Write a negative review online.
Every message must be written with the audience in mind. The complaint letter from Exercise 15
should be changed to appeal to the public. Students should incorporate their analysis of an
example from Exercise 18 to write an influential review.
18. Respond to another student’s review.
The following notes apply to Exercise 19–21.
19. Write a letter to respond to illness at a restaurant.
20. Write an email reply to a customer demanding a refund.
21. Write a letter to complain about damaged equipment.
Given the guidelines in the chapter and the details in the exercise, students should demonstrate
the following in these responses:
• An understanding of their audience (Did they tailor their message to the audience?)
22. Write an email to a customer who posted negative feedback.
The video for this scenario is in the PPT and may be found on YouTube:
Students must handle this situation with care. With this review, many potential guests may
choose to never stay with Colonnade Hotel and Resort. The service recovery in this circumstance
is vital. Students should address negative aspects directly. Students need to both explain how
they will correct the situation for the future and how they will make it up to the guest (for
example, offering a discount or a free dinner at the hotel restaurant in the future). Students
Following is one response to the assignment:
FROM: Pat Fielding <patricia.fielding@colonnadehotel.com>
TO: Kevin Ward <kevinward@gmail.com>
DATE: March 2, 2011
SUBJECT: Your Visit to The Colonnade Hotel
Dear Mr. Ward,
On behalf of The Colonnade Hotel, I would like to sincerely apologize to you and your family for the
problems with your booking last weekend during your parents’ 50th anniversary celebration.
In the future, we would be privileged to have you back to The Colonnade. This would give us the
opportunity to prove to you that The Colonnade is worthy of its reputation of exceptional customer
service and extraordinary experiences. I would like to offer your family an upgraded room and
complimentary dinner in our restaurant should you choose to return.
I hope that this begins to repair your relationship with The Colonnade and motivates you to share
your positive experiences with the hotel with your family, friends, and the online community. We
very much value our strong reputation and strive to serve customers in ways that support it.
23. Rewrite a management response.
Amy’s response has many flaws: she is too defensive, insults the guest personally, questions his
credibility, and doesn’t use proper grammar. Students should eliminate all of these flaws in their
revision. The goal is to restore the relationship with this customer. Amy should also acknowledge
