Persuasive Business Writing Practical books that inspire WritingaReport Howtoprepare,writeandpresentpowerfulreports GoingforSelf-Employment Enjoythesenseofachievementandsatisfactionthatcomes frombeingyourownboss ManagementMadeSimple Theno-nonsenseapproachtodealingwitheveryday managementchallenges AndalsobyPatrickForsyth: TheManagementSpeaker’sSourcebook Howtogiveyourpresentationconfidentlyandwithstyle SuccessfulNegotiating Gettingwhatyouwantinthebestpossibleway AppraisingJobPerformance Howtoimprovejobsatisfactionandorganisational success Forfulldetails,pleasesendforafreecopyofthe latestcatalogueto: HowToBooks 3NewtecPlace,MagdalenRoad OxfordOX41RE,UnitedKingdom [email protected] www.howtobooks.co.uk Persuasive Business Writing Achieve results and raise your profile with better business communication PATRICK FORSYTH PublishedbyHowToBooksLtd, 3NewtecPlace,MagdalenRoad, OxfordOX41RE,UnitedKingdom. Tel:(01865)793806.Fax:(01865)248780. e-mail:[email protected] www.howtobooks.co.uk Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisworkmaybereproduced orstoredinaninformationretrievalsystem(otherthanfor purposesofreview),withouttheexpresspermissionofthe publisherinwriting. ©Copyright2002PatrickForsyth BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData. Acataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefrom theBritishLibrary. CoverdesignbyBaselineArtsLtd,Oxford ProducedforHowToBooksbyDeerParkProductions EditedbyDavidKershaw TypesetbyKestrelData,Exeter,Devon PrintedandboundbyCromwellPressLtd,Trowbridge,Wiltshire NOTE:Thematerialcontainedinthisbookissetoutingood faithforgeneralguidanceandnoliabilitycanbeaccepted forlossorexpenseincurredasaresultofrelyinginparticular circumstancesonstatementsmadeinthebook.Lawsand regulationsarecomplexandliabletochange,andreadersshould checkthecurrentpositionwiththerelevantauthoritiesbefore makingpersonalarrangements. Contents Listofillustrations 8 Preface 9 1 Afirmfoundationforpersuasion 15 Appreciatehowcommunicationcanbedifficultfor boththesenderandreceiverofthecommunication. Beawareofthepowerofclarity.Learnwaysto overcometheobstaclestocommunicationand,by respondingtotheseobstacles,acquireasound understandingofhowtomakeyourcasepersuasive. 2 Makingapersuasivecase 23 Understandthethinkingprocesssothatyou encouragepeopletomakeuptheirminds.Make sureyourwayofthinkingmatchesyourreaders’ wayofthinking:usepersuasion’smagicformula andstateyourbenefits.Ensureyoursuggested courseofactionisthebestchoiceyourreaders couldmake. 3 A basisforsuccess 34 Before youcommitanythingtopaper,setclear objectives,prioritiseyourintentionsanddecide howyoucanmakeyourmessagepersuasive. 5 6 / PERSUASIVE BUSINESS WRITING Appreciatethelikes,dislikes,motivationsand expectationsofyourreaders. 4 Gettingitdowninwriting 44 Worksystematicallyandtoaplan.Decideonwhat youwanttosayandestablishhowyoucanbestsay this.Settleonanapproachtowritingthatsuitsyour styleofworkingand,intheprocess,acquiregood writinghabits.Giveyourselfenoughtimetocomplete yourworkandprioritiseyourtasks. 5 Thepitfallsandopportunitiesoflanguage 52 Avoidthetrapsofgobbledegookandformulaic writing.Makesureyourintentionsareclearand understandablebykeepingyourmessagesimple butpersuasive.Ensurethelanguageyouuseand thestyleyouadoptworkforyou,ratherthan againstyou. 6 Makinglanguagemorepersuasive 65 Consideryourmessagecarefully.Giveitstructure andpayattentiontothedetails.Establishthe mostappropriatetonesothatyoureflectyour readers’wayofthinking:influenceyourreaders positivelysothattheywillcometoadecisionto acceptyouroffer.Uselanguagetothebestpossible effect–promoteunderstandingandmakeanimpact. Beaccessibleandmakesurewhatyousayhasa punch. CONTENTS / 7 7 Securingagreement 102 Toguaranteeresults,whatyousayshouldbeclear, appropriateandexpressedwithconfidence.Make yourmessageconvenient,accessibleandvisually appealing. Appendix 109 Postscript 121 Index 125 List of illustrations 1 Letterfromconferencehotel 40 2 Howpeopleread 66 3 Originalmemo 83 4 Revisedmemo 86 5 Pressrelease 90 6 Letterofcomplaint:version1 93 7 Letterofcomplaint:version2 94 8 Chasingdebtors:letter1 95 9 Chasingdebtors:letter2 96 10 Chasingdebtors:letter3 97 11 Tandemsalesletters:letter1 98 12 Tandemsalesletters:letter2 99 13 Revisedconferencehotelletter 110 14 Letterfromasecuritycompany 112 15 Revisedletterfrom asecuritycompany 114 16 Messageseekingacommission 120 Preface ‘IwritewhenI’minspired,andIseetoit thatI’minspiredatnineo’clockeverymorning’ PeterDeVries Successful communication can be difficult. Poor communi- cation can cause problems. This may involve a momentary hiatusastwopeopletrytosortoutexactlywhatismeant.Or it may cause a major misunderstanding that causes a project of some sort to be stopped in its tracks. Why is this? There are many reasons, but one is certainly an assumption that whatisbeingdoneisnotdifficult,coupledwithasubsequent unwillingness to check out the principles on which success might bebased. Perhapsthatisactuallytwo reasons already, andmore areinvestigatedinthefirstchapter. Furthermore, some kinds of communication are inherently more difficult than others. The intentions of communication may vary. It may need to inform, explain, motivate, challenge, prompt a debate or more; and such intentions are notmutuallyexclusive–one communicationmayneedtodo several of these things at once. It may well prove difficult just to succeed in even the simplest of these. Perhaps the messageissimplysuperfluous, likethemotorwaysignsaying ‘This sign is not in use’. Sometimes the message may be 9