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Persuasive Messages. Kenneth Burke, A Rhetoric of Motives (1950). “You persuade a man [or woman] only insofar as you can talk his language by speech, gesture, tonality, order, image, attitude, idea, identifying your ways with his [or hers].”. What is Persuasion?.
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Kenneth Burke, A Rhetoric of Motives (1950) “You persuade a man [or woman] only insofar as you can talk his language by speech, gesture, tonality, order, image, attitude, idea, identifying your ways with his [or hers].”
What is Persuasion? • An attempt to change your reader’s attitudes, beliefs or actions. • Requires an understanding of what is important to and motivates your reader.
Is Persuasion a Good Thing? Persuasion is ethical when you are: • Influencing your reader by providing information and aiding understanding – and trusting your reader to choose. • Being truthful and non-deceptive. • Backing your claims with evidence.
Feasibility “Whoever writes to a Stranger should observe 3 Points; 1. That what he proposes be practicable. 2. His Propositions should be made in explicit Terms so as to be easily understood. 3. What he desires should be in itself reasonable. Hereby he will give a favourable Impression of his Understanding, and create a Desire of further Acquaintance.” • -Benjamin Franklin 1777
Feasibility Issues – Which Ones Apply to Your Proposal? • Cost/Benefits • Time • Safety • Efficiency • Motivation • "Master-Plan” • Human Inertia • History
Frame Your Argument Direct or Indirect? Use AIDA (works with either!) • A – Use an attention-getting device. • I – Build interest by expanding on and supporting the promises in your attention-getting opening. • D – Add details and benefits to increase desire to act. • A – Make it easy for readers to take the preferred action.
Balance Emotional and Logical Appeals • Emotional appeals • Logical appeals • Avoid Fallacies!
Faulty Logic and Manipulative Appeals • Create impediments to constructive discourse. • Errors in logic or manipulative appeals can shut down a discussion or exploration of ideas that needs to take place.
Faulty Logic and Manipulative Appeals • Break the trust (good faith) needed for legitimate argument. • The connection needed between writer and receiver is broken if the writer resorts to manipulation and/or deception.
Some Common Fallacies Hasty Generalization Circular Reasoning (Non-sequitur) Attacking an Opponent (Ad Hominem) Oversimplification (False Dilemma ) Faulty Causality Faulty Analogy
How Can We Avoid Faulty Logic and Manipulative Appeals? • Demonstrate that you have adequate information and sufficient evidence to back your points. • Qualify, Qualify, Qualify! Use qualifying words such as “some,” “a few of,” “many,” “most,” “occasionally,” “under certain circumstances,” “in my experience,” etc. Qualifying words will help to narrow your focus and ensure accuracy. Avoid words like “all,” “always,” “everybody,” “everyone,” unless they are truly accurate. • Stay focused on the subject at hand. • Respect the intelligence of your readers.
Reinforce Your Position • Bolster your word choices. • Use the most convincing evidence. • Put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Graph: Why You Should Continue to Date Me.
Deal with Objections • Anticipate! Address objections head on. • Poke holes in your own arguments. • Avoid an up-front hard sell.
