Solutions – Chapter 8 ⚫ 12
8.10 Persuasive Request: Junk Food Props Up School Budget
Current date
Board of Directors
Gresham-Barlow School District
P.O. Box 310
Gresham, OR 97033
Dear Directors:
Recent surveys show that approximately one third of U.S. children aged 6 to 19 are overweight,
and this obesity epidemic threatens the health of current and future generations. Obesity is
known to be associated with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and arthritis.
Although many factors including lack of exercise contribute to the obesity problem, a significant
element is poor nutrition. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that cutting out soda would
help to reduce obesity among school-age children. Cans of sugar-loaded carbonated drinks
provide empty calories and should not be readily available to our children. For this reason, the
PTA strongly opposes an extension of the Coca-Cola vending machine contract now under
consideration.
Solutions – Chapter 8 ⚫ 13
8.11 Persuasive Claim: Pricey Hotel Breakfast
Current date
Customer Service
Country Inn & Suites
1310 Darby Drive
Lexington, KY 40505
Dear Customer Service Representative:
In recent years my company has recommended that its traveling employees use the Country Inn
& Suites in Lexington because we have been pleased with your accommodations, your rates, and
especially your service. That’s why I’m sure you will want to reverse a charge that I believe was
made in error to our account.
On May 9 and 10 two employees and I attended a conference in Lexington. We spent the
evening of May 9 at your hotel and had breakfast on May 10 in the Atrium. Because this was a
Solutions – Chapter 8 ⚫ 14
8.12 Persuasive Claim: Nothing Magical About These Legal Fees
Current date
Mr. Henry Giordano, Esq.
Attorney-at-Law
Giordano, Murphy, and Associates
254 Sherborn Street
Boston, MA 02215
Dear Mr. Giordano:
Mystic Pizza has a reputation for excellent pizzas made from its secret recipes. Naturally, when
Mystic Pizza was asked to distribute its product in grocery and convenience stores, the company
sought only excellent legal advice for doing so.
Solutions – Chapter 8 ⚫ 15
8.13 Persuasive Claim: Toner Scam at Tony Florida Resort
Current date
Copyco Supplies
8548 NW 88th Street
Miami, FL 33135
Dear Copyco Supplies Representative:
Subject: Returning Two Bottles of Toner
Your telephone marketer misrepresented himself in a recent call to the Aqualina Resort & Spa.
As a result, our assistant ordered two bottles of inferior toner. With this letter, we are returning
those bottles.
Solutions – Chapter 8 ⚫ 16
8.14 Persuasive Organizational Message Flowing Upward:
Training Telecommuters
To: Chris Crittenden <chris.crittenden@beta.com>
From: [Your Name <your e-mail address>]
Subject: Improving Training for Telecommuters and Their Managers
Cc:
Bcc:
An increasing number of our employees are becoming telecommuters. Although working at
home or at remote locations promised reduced overhead costs and higher productivity, not all
telecommuting has been successful. Many teleworkers do not succeed because they and their
managers have not been trained in effective procedures.
Currently, we have 83 telecommuters, and an increasing number are asking for permission to
work at remote locations. These workers and their managers could be more effective if we better
prepared them for the telecommuting experience.
Some of the problems telecommuters typically face are lack of face time, resentment from office
workers, difficulty coordinating projects, lost creativity from lack of stimulation, and unmet
expectations. They assume that somehow home is going to be a friendlier, easier, and quieter
place to work than the office—and that is not always the case.
A good training program, according to one consultant, integrates four key issues:
Solutions – Chapter 8 ⚫ 17
8.15 Persuasive Organizational Message Flowing Upward:
Hey, Boss, I Have an Idea
Solutions will vary.
8.16 Persuasive Organizational Message Flowing Downward:
Saving Cash on Shipping
Date: Current
To: All Employees
From: [Your Name], Manager
Subject: Reducing Overnight Delivery Costs
Overnight delivery services are wonderful, but they are costing us a bundle! To avoid strict
future restrictions imposed by the CEO, I’m asking you to voluntarily reduce your use of these
delivery services by 50 percent in the next two months.
Rather than face a ban on all overnight services, let’s work together to reduce our costs. Here are
some suggestions:
• Ask yourself whether the recipient will really use the information immediately. If not,
use a cheaper method.
Solutions – Chapter 8 ⚫ 18
8.17 Persuasive Organizational Message Flowing Downward:
Become an Urban Farming Volunteer
To: Staff <staff_list@paychex.com>
From: Your Name <your name@paychex.com>
Subject: Urban Farming Volunteer Opportunity
Cc: wp@paychex.com; cms@paychex.com; mc@paychex.com;
library@paychex.com
Bcc:
Would you like to increase your commitment to your community while enjoying the great
outdoors and learning a thing or two about healthy eating? Urban Farming is an opportunity for
employees to educate and help feed needy families by starting community gardens. After initial
training, volunteers join the battle against urban blight by converting vacant lots to green oases.
The process includes teaching members of the community how to manage the new gardens and
encouraging them to make healthier food choices.
Solutions – Chapter 8 ⚫ 19
8.18 Identifying the AIDA Strategy in Sales Messages
Students are to select a sales letter or e-mail and analyze it by answering the following questions.
Answers will vary.
a. What techniques capture the reader’s attention?
b. Is the opening effective? Explain.
c. What is the central selling point?
8.19 Sales Letter: Pitaya—The Next “Superfruit”?
Current date
JJ’s Power Gym
800 Union Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Dear Jay:
As a fitness and health food expert, you love juicing. You are familiar with the wonderful taste
and health benefits of pomegranate and açaí berry juices. Perhaps you are already offering these
deliciously wholesome nectars to your customers.
How about superpremium juice from the pitaya fruit?
Biologically related to the Vietnamese dragonfruit, the pitaya is a superfruit packed with
It’s delicious and it’s so good for you!
Yet this refreshing exotic fruit is largely unknown in North America. This is about to change!
Solutions – Chapter 8 ⚫ 20
8.19 Sales Letter (Cont.)
You can be among the first juice and smoothie bars to offer this superfruit to your customers.
Demonstrate your expertise and educate your clients about the wonderful benefits of pitaya.
We believe that you have to give your customers what they want, but also what they should be
trying. You don’t have to take our word for it. David Wolfe, author of Superfoods, has this to say
about the pitaya: “It’s one of my favorite fruits of all time. It’s superhigh in vitamin C and
superhydrating.”
Solutions – Chapter 8 ⚫ 21
8.20 E-Mail Marketing Message or Direct-Mail Sales Letter:
Promoting Products and Services
8.21 Micromessages: Analyzing Twitter Feeds for AIDA Components
Solutions will vary, as do the examples in Figure 8.9. Here are a few more model tweets with
comments:
8.22 Writing Persuasive Tweets and Posts
8.23 Examining Puffery in Advertising
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) helps readers distinguish between puffery and deceptive