Writing Persuasive
Messages
Chapter 10
Purpose
To change your audience’s beliefs, actions,
or values by providing sound, credible
advice to solutions, suggestions, and
advice.
3 step process
1. Plan your message
2. Write your message
3. Complete your message
Step 1: Plan your message
 Situation
 Clarify your purpose
 Express your purpose clearly
 Realize if your expectations are too high
 Gather information
 Find out who your audience is
 What appeal should you use
 Logical or emotional
 Organize your information
 Direct or indirect
Step 2: Write your message
Use the “you” attitude
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Positive language
Understand and respect cultural differences
Be sensitive to organizational culture
Take steps to establish credibility
 Simple language
 Support your message with facts
 Identify your sources
 Be an expert
 Establish common ground
 Being objective
 Display good intentions
Step 3: Complete your message
 Evaluate the content you’ve chosen to
include in your message.
 Make sure you followed the A.I.D.A.
structure for persuasive messages
A.I.D.A.
objectives
 Attention
 Encourage your audience
 Interest
 relevance
 Desire
 Embrace your idea(s)
 Action
 Suggestions you want your audience to take
Appeals
 Pathos
 emotional
 Logos
 Logical
 Analogy – reasons from specific to specific
 Induction – reasons from specific to general
 Deduction – reasons from general to specific
 Ethos
 ethical