Persuasive writing is more than relaying information. It’s about convincing, compelling, and impacting the reader. In order to be good at this type of writing you must know your audience. And in order to know your audience you must be an exceptional listener. Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. Listening is key to effective communicating, and persuasive writing. If you listen to your audience, you will learn, if you learn you will know your audience. It is when you know your audience then you can use the angles of persuasion in your writing.
In your persuasive writing always understand that the reader is human, selfish, and innately looking for ‘what is in it’ for them. In order to effectively answer that question and write persuasively you must understand what motivates people, and what people want. People want to make and save money, people want to make and save more time, they want to reduce risk, they want to be recognized etc. Its understanding and applying these motivators and wants in your writing that will help the reader attach themselves to your opinion. Thus making your persuasive writing more effective.
Cheney and Tompkins, essentially masters on the subject of human communication, have regarded four principals as the process of persuasive negotiating. Those being Guardedness, Accessibility, Nonviolence, and Empathy. Gaurdedness, you are you, and just because you listen/read doesn’t mean you have to agree. Accessibility, be willing to change your opinion, and consider the fact that you might be wrong. Nonviolence, Threats have no place in ethical persuasion. And lastly Empathy, you should truly listen, motivated by a desire to find a solution that’s best for everyone. By adapting these four principles into your persuasive writing, I believe you can connect with a wider scope of people, and