Archive: Persuasion

Giving Thanks May Be Persuasive

Giving Thanks May Be Persuasive

Nov 20, 2017 | Persuasion

Thanksgiving is just the start of the season of giving. Although it is traditional to give thanks as we gather at the dinner table this year, we also need to remember to give thanks where we work and in our corporate writing.  As a leader, corporate communicator, or...
Persuasion Tip: How to Motivate Employees

Persuasion Tip: How to Motivate Employees

Nov 1, 2017 | Persuasion

How can you persuade employees to improve their job performance? It can be as easy as showing them how their jobs benefit others. Psychologists have often said that a manager can improve job performance by changing a person’s perception of how the job benefits...
Persuasive Writing Tip: Express Displeasure Politely

Persuasive Writing Tip: Express Displeasure Politely

Oct 24, 2017 | Persuasion

Learning to express displeasure politely invites a civilized discussion and increases the likelihood that the other person will accept your point of view. This was a lesson that a Harvard Business School professor apparently did not consider before sending a series of...
Public Relations Writing Tip: Use Flattery to Persuade

Public Relations Writing Tip: Use Flattery to Persuade

Sep 11, 2017 | Persuasion

If you want someone to comply with your request, try using flattery to persuade.   Flattery, compliments and exaggerated tributes, are among numerous ingratiation tactics that people use to induce someone to perform a particular behavior. Flattery brightens a...
Persuasive Writing Tip: Focus on the Number of Readers

Persuasive Writing Tip: Focus on the Number of Readers

Jul 10, 2017 | Persuasion

If you send a persuasive message to a group, consider two important factors: the strength of your argument and the number of people who will process it. For persuasive writing to be effective, an audience needs to be motivated to read the message (or hear it). And one...
Persuasive Writing Tip: It’s Not Just About the Message

Persuasive Writing Tip: It’s Not Just About the Message

Jun 27, 2017 | Persuasion

If you sit down to write a persuasive message, you probably focus on carefully selecting the right words and emphasizing the appropriate points. But the success of your message might depend on something else. People often decide how to respond to your persuasive...