Hello everyone,

Before we start our assignment two next week, I would like to share my notes on The 3-step
process for persuasive message in order for everyone to write a good recommendation letter.

The First Step: Plan your message
Conveying a clear message is really hard and sometimes takes a lot of work; especially in persuasive
messages, you have to set a specific goal that you want to achieve and it has to be closely connected
with the audiences desires and interests. In order to have a chance to motivate your audiences to agree
with you, you need to examine your situation, where you are, what your audience expect from you, and
most importantly who your audiences are.
Everything from demographics (sex, age, gender, occupation, income, education and other quantifiable
characteristics) to psychographics (personality, attitudes, lifestyle, and other psychological
characteristics), the more you understand your audience the better.
*Side notes* Culture greatly influences your audience, when evaluating your audiences remember to
take in consideration of culture expectations and practices.
To persuade someone is to give them the motivation to act upon something or someone due to specific
reason(s). To motivate someone you need to identify their need, the action they would need to take to
fulfill the need, and the outcome of the action.
Follow this three step to plan your message:
Gathering information: Gather as much information as possible on your audience in order to close the
gap between what your audience knows, believes, or feels right now and what you want them to know,
believe, or feel as a result of receiving your message.
Selecting the right medium: Out of all the mediums you are able to use, determine the one that your
audience would prefer using the data you have gathered and choose it
Organizing your information: Define your main idea, limiting your scope (only use the information you
need), choosing a direct or indirect approach, and grouping your point in a meaningful way. The most
effective main ideas for persuasive message have to be about the receiver and not the sender.
Ex. convincing someone to buy a product, explain how this product would change their lives, not how it
changed yours.
The Second Step: Write your message
4 points to keep in mind when writing a persuasive message:
1. Use positive and polite language
o Do not insult your audience
o Be positive when promoting an idea or product you believe in
2. Understanding and respecting culture differences
o Demonstrate the understanding and respect for a culture is important because every
culture values something different and depending on their culture choose the right
technique to approach them
Ex. Germany focuses on technical matters, make sure you provide solid
supporting evidence for all messages
French audiences do not like hard-selling techniques

3. Being sensitive to organizational cultures
o Culture within various social groups affects the success of persuasive messages, so too
does the culture within various organizations.
o Different cultures and organizations have different approaches when handling a
problem, by following their traditions you show the audience that you understand them
and respect their values.
4. Taking steps to establish your credibility
o Persuade a skeptical or hostile audience
o Establish the fact that you are not trying to mislead them
o Without credibility your efforts to persuade will seem ineffective at best and
manipulative at worst.
o Use the following technique to strengthen your credibility
Using simple languages express your idea clearly and as simple as possible.
People are often cautious and most likely constantly watching for claims that
are insupportable, do not claim something that is not right.
Supporting your message with facts documents, statistic, research result adds
to your credibility.
Identifying your sources tell your audience where you are getting your
information and how reliable is the information will further improve your
credibility; especially when your audience know the source as well
Establishing common ground Establish a common belief, attitude, or
background. A technique used to connect with your audience, helps them
understand where youre coming from and what your motives are.
Being Objective Understand and acknowledge all side of an issue helps you
present an unbiased argument, the argument have to be fair and logical to your
audience.
Displaying your good intentions show your audience your genuine concern,
good faith, and truthfulness.
Avoiding the Hard sell aggressive approach is too strong, and often causes
your audience to feel uncomfortable. Audiences tend to instinctively resist this
approach.
The Third Step: Complete your message
When you are evaluating your own content, be sure to NOT overestimate your own credibility.
Make sure your idea is clear and concise. If possible ask an experienced colleague who knows
your audience well to review your draft.
Last but not least, ensures your distribution methods fits your audiences expectations and
preferences as well as your purpose.