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How often do you need to produce a piece of persuasive writing? Probably more often than you think. While a sales pitch or a tender document might be the obvious examples that spring to mind, people are trying to persuade each other all the time. When did you last send an email asking someone to do something for you? When did you last give some feedback on a project with suggestions for improvements? When did you last get into an argument on social media? Any time you try to convince a person to see something from your perspective, you’re writing persuasively; and persuasive writing is a skill you can improve.
1. Focus
First of all, be completely clear about what you’re trying to achieve, and why. What is it that you want your reader(s) to do as a result? You have to have this clear in your head at the start, to allow you to structure an argument towards it.
2. Know Your Audience
Once you’re sure of what you want, think about who you’re trying to convince. What do they care about? What factors will influence their decision? What’s their preferred communication style? If it’s someone you know well, you might know this information, but if not, you may need to do some research.
If you’ve exchanged emails before, look back and see how they communicate – are they quite formal or relaxed and chatty? If you’re writing to multiple people, this can be harder to gauge, and you may have to opt for a more generic style. Still, try to identify some things your audience might have in common, like cultural references or experiences. Always have the reader(s) in mind as you write.
3. Make a Plan
It’s worth jotting down your main points in advance and thinking about the structure and order you want to make them in. As a general rule, make your strongest point last, where it will have the greatest effect. This will also ensure you don’t forget anything when you get into the flow of writing.
4. Make Your Case
There are three classic ‘appeals’ you can make in persuasive writing: ethos, logos and pathos. No, they’re not the Three Musketeers; they’re Greek words equating to ‘credibility’, ‘logic’ and ‘emotion’. Aristotle himself used them to represent the three modes of persuasion.
- Ethos (credibility): this works by establishing you as an expert whose opinion should be taken seriously. You could do this by using phrases like “when we did something like this before” or “in my experience”. If you’re already established as an expert on the topic, you may not need to expressly make this point, but it can still be helpful to use the kind of language that reminds your reader of your experience without straying into bragging.
- Logos (logic): one of the most obvious ways to make an argument is to appeal to logic. The more evidence you can bring in here, the better. Make sure the progression of your argument matches the facts and that your sources of evidence are credible - a common failing in those social media arguments!
- Pathos (emotion): making an emotional appeal can be the most difficult. This is where emotive language, storytelling and metaphors come in. How you do this will depend on the subject and your audience, and this is where knowing them will come in handy. By understanding their wants and needs, you can really make an emotional impact. Again, if you have a varied audience, you’ll need to go for more global connections.
The most effective arguments use all three elements, but if you only have one or two of them available, make the most of the ones you can.
5. Handle Objections
Chances are that if you’re trying to convince someone of something, there is at least one counter argument. The best way to take away the power of an objection is to raise it yourself, and dismiss it. By doing this, you’re showing you’ve taken a balanced view. So think through the potential counter arguments and why they’re not valid, or at least not enough to change your mind.
6. Summarize
Finish by briefly restating your main points and strongly making your conclusion with a clear call to action for your reader. This should leave them in no doubt what you want them to do and why.
7. Edit
Once you’ve written your piece, edit it. If you can, take a little break, then come back to it with fresh eyes. Read it through from start to finish and see how it works. Does it flow well? If anything feels clunky, reword it until you’re happy with it. Does the order of your points make sense? And finally, look back at your notes: have you left anything out?
Give it a final check over for typos before you hit send, just to be sure. Then relax in the knowledge you’ve done your best to make your case and, hopefully, get a result!
