Please refer to Word Document for instructions.
Prepare:
Prior to beginning this discussion, read the following:
·
8.2: Thinking About Tone and Language
Write: 2-3 Paragraphs
In this discussion, you and your classmates will reflect on what makes writing persuasive. Much practical writing (noncreative) is intended to persuade in some way or another. As you have read, business writing always makes an ask of the reader, even if it is just for their attention. In this discussion, reflect on the following topics and address them in your post:
· Share with the group something you have read recently and found persuasive. It might have been an opinion piece in a newspaper or magazine, a post on social media, a brochure, or a billboard.
· Explain what makes the writing persuasive. How did the writer convince you? Provide evidence from the writing to support your explanation.
· Think of a piece of writing you have seen in a work context that you found persuasive. It might have been an email, a memo describing a new policy, or a recommendation for a change in procedures. Share that example with your classmates.
· Explain what makes the work context writing piece persuasive. Again, how did the writer convice you? Provide evidence from the writing to support your explanation.
· Working from these two examples, generalize about what makes writing persuasive. Are there elements that all persuasive writing has in common?
Respond to at two classmates post
Use this discussion as an opportunity to get to know each other, share ideas, ask questions, explore differences, and think critically about your assumptions. 2-4 Sentences
POST 1
Good afternoon Class,
This discussion forum is tough to complete as I haven’t purchased a newspaper in years. I discontinued social media and rarely get out of the house due to COVID. I remember a past billboard about electronic cigarette vaporizers and how they were unhealthy for users. The add was persuasive because the billboard had a picture of a metallic monster that was attacking a person.
An email that comes to mind when thinking of a persuasive piece is from a recent incentive. The email detailed teaching my agents a task to implement over the course of a week. The supervisor with the highest score on the learned technique would earn a gift card. This was persuasive as I enjoy anything free. I love a good competition. I’m very competitive so the incentive was intriguing. This persuaded me to teach my agents the technique. Reviewing both of my examples I would say persuasive writing will invoke thought for the reader. Persuasive writing is meant to talk someone into doing something.
Thank you for reading,
I recently saw a billboard that was advocating against drunk driving that I found to be especially be persuasive. While I already understood that drunk driving is a terribly dangerous and irresponsible thing to do, this billboard really cemented that idea in my mind. This billboard specified the amount of money one would potentially have to pay if they failed a breathalizer test: $10,000. It was a very blunt and direct way to highlight the magnitude of consequences one would face if they were to drink and drive. It forces one to think that the crime of drunk driving must truly be terrible for the fine to be that high.
As far as a persuasive piece of writing I have recently come across in a work setting, there isn’t much for me to work with. As I have stated before, I don’t have a lot of professional experience. That being said, I do remember that I was required by my casting agency to take a brief online sensitivity training course. Throughout this course, it was explained to me in rigorous detail how to avoid potentially harassing others in a work environment. The writer of this course convinced me by placing me in the shoes of individuals involved in a workplace harassment situation. I was asked to answer multiple choice questions after reading about various hypothetical scenarios as to how I would have handled those situations. Much like the anti-drunk driving billboard I previously mentioned, I already understood that workplace harassment is a serious issue, but the course I had to take helped me understand the specifics as to why it was such a serious issue.
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8.2 Thinking About Tone and Language
The words we choose to express our attitudes and opinions say a lot about the intelligence of our arguments and
the persuasiveness of our writing. Be sure to choose your words carefully. Bear in mind that different audiences
will be persuaded by different language. For example, some words are politically sensitive. Terms like “capital
punishment,” “right-winger,” “liberal,” or “entitlement” are especially charged, depending on the audience.
Knowing the words that can persuade your particular audience is critical.
To be truly persuasive, writers must think about their readers, imagining a typical recipient who needs to be
persuaded and remembering to write in plain English.
Writer’s Sidebar: The Magic Dozen
Often quoted is a study of the twelve most persuasive words in the English language. The study is
credited to researchers in the Yale University psychology department, although Yale disavows
ownership. Regardless of the study’s origin, the twelve words cited make sense. Here they are:
You
Money
Save
New
Results
Easy
Health
Safety
Love
Discovery
Proven
Guarantee
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Writer’s Sidebar: The Deadly Dozen
Just as there are tried-and-true words and phrases to attract readership, so, too, are there hoary clichés
that must be avoided if one is interested in persuading. These words and phrases are so overused as
verbal crutches that reading or hearing them yet again will cause one’s eyes to glaze over. In the 21st
century, the following clichés are as stale as it gets:
tipping point
hot button issue
first and foremost
easier said than done
push comes to shove
the point of no return
rock star
pivoting
game changer
guilty pleasure
just wait and see
at the end of the day
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8.3 Final Tips
Persuasive writing—writing in which you want to convince readers, listeners, or viewers to agree with your
opinions—isn’t easy. It requires thought, practice, and passion, especially the last. You may ultimately disagree
with the point of view of a really good persuasive writer, but you can’t doubt his or her sincerity or passion. A
persuasive writer must also present content that invites people to read. In an Internet era in which millions
publish their own blogs, the more shareable the content, the more readers are reached and potentially persuaded.
The following types of content tend to work best:
Lists. People love lists. They will click on articles such as “Top 10 Tips for Producing YouTube
Videos” or “10 Powerful Ways to Enhance Facebook Fan Engagement” or “Five Devices to Make
Your Writing More Persuasive.”
Negative stories. Sorry to say it, but bad news works. People enjoy the negative angle, particularly
when it concerns someone else. That’s why negative political advertising is so persuasive. Adopt a
negative angle, and people will read.
How-to stories. People also appreciate simple, step-by-step instructions that may help them master
a difficult concept or activity. Explaining how things work will persuade many to listen.
Case studies. By the same token, people also appreciate examples that work in similar
organizations or industries. If you can learn what worked someplace else, you can save time in coming
up with a likely solution.
Timely news. People want to know what’s going on—in their organization, industry, region, or
world. If you provide commentary, advice, or knowledge that is related to what’s happening in a
timely manner, people will be interested.
The simple always triumphs over the complex. And when the concepts are complex, consider using infographics,
videos, and other media to make your content easier to decipher and more accessible. The most effective
persuasive writing is that which exhibits logic and passion in a fresh and fascinating manner while taking
advantage of the methods of content delivery that regularly attract a large audience.
