Persuasive Writing and How You Get Your Point Across in the Workplace | by Saga Moss Lundström
Picture this, you are two weeks into a new job, and your manager asks you to send an update to the whole company on the current status of the project you are working on. Your manager also asks you to take over the communication with the project team as a whole and send out an email that outlines their next “tasks”.
Feeling a little overwhelmed? Nervous? Yep, I would be as well. Not only do you need to include a lot of information and make sure people understand what you are saying, but you also need to make sure that there are actions being taken on the back of your email.
In today's digitally oriented, partially remote world there are many things that are vital in our journey towards success in the workplace. One of these things is the way we communicate, specifically our written communication. Being able to write in a way that is persuasive and professional is essential when it comes to trying to change the outcome of a project or simply arguing one's point. In this article, we are going to explore a few key tips and strategies to help you feel more comfortable and confident in your persuasive writing skills.
- The first thing to think about is who your audience is. Do the research and walk in their shoes. Who are you sending this email to? What are they passionate about? What are their needs, their concerns? What is their viewpoint? Is there anything you could say that would negatively affect the way they might react to what you are writing?
- The second thing to think about is how you establish your credibility. Share your experience and your expertise to ensure you gain the trust you need with your audience to make sure they will listen to the message you are delivering. You want to make sure your resources and data are reliable. Think about questions like, who are you (in your audience's eyes) and why are you the person delivering this information to them? What research have you done? Check the facts!
- Make a call to action! What exactly are you asking them to do? Be clear, concise and emphasise the overall impact their actions will have. The fewer words the better, be direct and clear.
- Now it is time to structure your argument and build your message. There are a few components to this. First of all, grab their attention. What statement can you make in the first few sentences that will ensure people keep reading your email? Then, give them some facts and address any potential counterarguments or disagreements (by doing this you will show more credibility, prove that you have done the research, and that you have thought of all the potential different sides and thought “outside of the box”). And finally, embrace the storytelling! Evoke thoughts and emotions and try to connect with your audience on a personal level. By this, I don’t mean that you should include an emotional story without any relevance to what you are discussing. I mean that you should focus on the connection between the tasks they are given and the effect those actions will have on the project as a whole. Think about questions like; how will their actions help the project's overall success? What impact will their actions have on the clients you are working with? What changes will their actions bring to the company?
- Finally, keep it professional and make sure your message has been double, triple and quadruple-checked. Use professional and clear language that won't detract from the message you are trying to convey. There is no need to throw in any ‘fancy’ words to make you sound more credible. The easier to read and understand the better! The last thing you want is people having to google what certain words mean as this will likely lead to people not even finishing reading your email. Make sure you proofread your writing, or even better, get someone else to do it. Ask the person proofreading it to feedback on what the message was in your writing. Did they get it right? Did they have any questions that show you might have missed some important information? Asking for support is never a bad thing!
Do you ever copy and paste a previous email when you need to send something out about a similar topic? Don’t do it! Stop and think about what you are trying to deliver. Think about the points above and make sure the message is being constructed for the specific audience you are communicating with. Just like we change the way we interact with different people depending on our relationship with them, we need to change the way we communicate and the words we use.
Persuasive writing is a highly valuable skill to have, regardless of your job role. It is something that can have a significant impact on your ability to communicate and ability to influence others in your place of work beyond. It’s a skill that you can keep refining and developing until you find the way of writing persuasively that works the best for you. A well-edited message will reflect high levels of professionalism and showcase your attention to detail. Now, go deliver that message and persuade your audience to do what you need them to do!
Interested in more examples of different tips on persuasive writing? Check out these resources:
- https://www.grammarly.com/blog/persuasive-writing/
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z84sk7h/revision/2
- https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/persuasive-techniques-to-improve-your-writing
This article was written by Saga Moss Lundström, a Business Transformation coach at Multiverse.