Persuasion is an effort made to change or strengthen a person’s attitudes, beliefs, or behavior. A persuasion message is built on argumentation techniques so that the audience is confident and willing to take action in accordance with the expectations of the sender of the message. The process of making persuasive messages in business communication takes place through several processes namely planning persuasive messages, composing persuasive messages, and completing persuasive messages.
- Persuasive message planning includes situation analysis, information search, choosing the right media, and organizing the information obtained.
- Compilation of persuasive messages aimed at eliciting positive responses to persuasive messages by using positive and polite language, understanding cultural influences in business communicationand respecting cultural differences, being sensitive to organizational culture, and taking the steps needed in order to build credibility .
- Completing persuasive messages carried out by evaluating the contents of messages and reviewing readability to ensure clarity of information presented; emphasizing a professional and clean appearance; review writing, layout, and mechanical errors; and disseminating persuasive messages.
In the business world, persuasive messages play a large role in determining the success or failure of the business being run. For this reason, persuasive messages in business communication need to be compiled systematically.
The ways to make persuasive messages in business communication are as follows:
- Attract the attention of the audience
According to AIDDA theory in advertising , the main function of advertising is to attract the attention of the public. For this reason, if we want audiences to buy the products or services offered, we must first get the attention of the audience.
Attracting the audience’s attention can be done in several ways, for example using images, using striking colors, presenting headlines , and laying out the overall ad text.
In addition, we can also use humor or use voices that convince the audience.
- Generating public interest
After we get the attention of the audience, the next step is to generate public interest in the product or service offered. Generating the interest of the audience should be done while still paying attention to the characteristics of the target audience.
This is intended so that the audience can choose and sort out persuasive messages that are considered important for the target audience. Generating public interest can be done using factual illustrations, quotations, or valid data.
- Evoke the desire of the audience
At this stage, we help the audience to accept ideas or ideas conveyed by explaining how the changes that occur can provide benefits or benefits for the audience both personally and professionally.
Generating the desire of the audience can be done by reducing the existing resistance by identifying and answering every question posed by the audience.
If the ideas or ideas presented are very complex, then we must explain in detail how the implementation of the ideas or ideas submitted.
In addition, data and fact support can help increase the audience’s desire to do things as we wish.
- Stimulate action
Action is the stage where we influence the target audience to take action.
In order for the audience to be willing to take action as desired, what needs to be done is to provide types of information that can meet the needs of the audience to take action including deadlines and contact numbers that can be contacted.
- Motivate the audience to take action
Motivating the audience to take action is one of persuasive communication techniques .
Generally, audiences need time to take action. Therefore, we need to motivate the public to take action as desired.
This can be done by suggesting to the public to take action in accordance with what is desired, emphasizing the positive consequences that arise if the action is carried out by the public, and making it easy for the audience to take the desired action.
- Use emotional and rational appeal in a balanced way
According to the theory of advertising language , persuasive messages are generally compiled using several message appeals such as emotional appeal and rational appeal.
In psychology of communication , emotional appeal refers to the use of statements or language that touches people’s emotions.
Meanwhile, rational appeal refers to the use of a logical approach or various kinds of evidence in an effort to convince the public.
Persuasive messages in business communication generally use more rational appeal than emotional appeal.
For this reason, in composing persuasive messages you should use emotional appeal and rational appeal in a balanced way and avoid logical mistakes in order to obtain the maximum impact of persuasive messages.
- Strengthening the position in the eyes of the public
After composing the message, it’s good we look back at the message that has been made.
The trick is to build credibility, re-examine the language used given the function of language in business communication that is as a communication tool, whether the ideas or ideas conveyed are supported with sufficient and reliable data, whether quotes from experts can help convince audiences, whether words which is used strong enough to convey the message, and so on.
This is done as an effort to strengthen our position in the eyes of the public so that the audience can receive persuasive messages that are conveyed and are willing to take action as desired.
- Anticipating objections
Persuasive messages conveyed to audiences do not always get positive responses from the audience.
Sometimes, audiences are resistant to persuasive messages that are conveyed, causing business communication barriers .
The best way to overcome this resistance is to anticipate as many of the objections as possible and direct those objections into the persuasive messages that we make before the audience receives the message.
In addition, another way is to present two sides of the problem or the pros and cons of all available choices.
Thus a brief review of how to make a persuasive message in business communication.
Hopefully it can add to our insights and knowledge on how to create persuasive messages in business communication.
