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Persuasion and writing winning proposals

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Title: Persuasion and writing winning proposals


1
Persuasion and writing winning proposals
  • Logos, ethos, pathos

2
Persuasion and proposal writing
  • Proposals are persuasive documents
  • They seek to move readers to a particular action
  • Your proposal should make an argument
  • What are the components of argument?
  • Logic
  • Credibility
  • Emotional appeal

3
Logic in a proposal
  • Logic refers to the internal consistency of your
    message
  • You make a series of claims, supported by
    evidence
  • Claims develop the main points you want to make
    about your proposed solution
  • The evidence supports the claims to convince the
    reader that you can develop and deliver the
    solution you proposal

4
How do I create a strong logical appeal?
  • Show the need for a solution to the problem you
    identify
  • Show how your solution will be superior to other
    proposed solutions
  • Explain the benefits of your approach

5
Credibility or trustworthiness
  • Refers to the extent to which your readers
    respect you and trust what you say as a writer
  • You are selling yourself and your ability to
    implement the solution

6
How do I demonstrate trustworthiness?
  • By appearing knowledgeable about your subject
    matter
  • Provide a thorough and detailed discussion of the
    issues relevant to the topic
  • Use appropriate technical language
  • Include details about your qualifications and
    resources

7
How do I demonstrate trustworthiness?
  • By submitting a realistic and detailed work
    schedule
  • Work schedule maps out the scope of the project
    and predicts the amount of time each stage of the
    process will take
  • Accuracy of your work schedule supports your
    claim that you can complete the project to
    deadline

8
Emotional appeal
  • Legitimate use of readers emotions and feelings
    to engage their minds
  • Include truthful and clear evidence to support
    your claims so readers can understand the
    importance of the situation you describe
  • Successful emotional appeal is critical to
    getting readers to act on your logical appeal and
    your appeal to credibility

9
How do I create an effective emotional appeal?
  • Use concrete examplesspecificity improves
    readers ability to imagine what you are
    describing
  • Use examples and illustrationsmake abstract
    ideas concrete and real by adding examples or
    visuals to make your points vivid
  • Use suitable word choice, metaphors, and
    analogiesappropriate connotations and
    comparisons can help readers to understand and
    feel the importance of your ideas

10
How do I incorporate persuasion into the format
of a winning proposal?
  • All three appeals work throughout the proposal,
    but sometimes one or two form the dominant appeal
    in a particular section
  • E.g., the problem statement requires a logical
    discussion of the issues, which also supports
    your credibility by showing your sophisticated
    grasp of the problem

11
How do I make my problem statement clear and
convincing?
  • Use informal logic to help you develop your
    claims and support them properly with evidence
  • Use informal logic to identify your assumptions
    and assess whether your readers will share those
    assumptions

12
Quick review of informal logic
  • Claim a statement
  • You should replace your worn-out shingles with
    metal.
  • Stated reason
  • If you do, you will not need to replace your roof
    again in your lifetime.
  • Grounds evidence supporting stated reasonfacts,
    statistics, data, examples
  • Galvanized metal will not rust or erode for
    decades, and these roofs are guaranteed for 50
    years.
  • Cite engineers tests on durability of galvanized
    metal.

13
Unstated Assumptions
  • Warrant (the unstated assumption that underlies
    the stated reason)
  • Reader values not having to replace the roof a
    second time
  • Saving money in the long run is a good thing
  • Backing (evidence to support the warrant)
  • Testimonials from homeowners with metal roofs
  • Statistics about the annual cost of the roof
    averaged over 50 years
  • Backing is only needed if you expect disagreement
    with your unstated assumption (warrant)

14
Conditions of rebuttal
  • Explore the limits of your claim and evidence
  • Under what conditions might someone disagree with
    you?
  • How can a roof that costs 3 or 4 times what an
    asphalt roof would cost be cheaper?
  • Will interest on money borrowed to pay for the
    roof negate the long-term savings?
  • If homeowner ends up moving, the purchaser will
    reap the benefits

15
Based on rebuttals, qualify your argument
  • After assessing the weaknesses of your initial
    claim, revise it to make it less open to
    counter-argument
  • E.g., If you have sufficient savings and plan to
    stay in your house for several decades, you
    should replace your asphalt shingles with a
    galvanized metal roof because you will not have
    to replace it again in your lifetime.

16
How can you use informal logic in your proposal?
  • Develop your claims in the problem statement as
    well as in the qualifications and resources
    section using informal logic
  • Assess your underlying assumptions and ensure you
    include evidence to support them
  • Evaluate the strength of your claims and evidence
    and revise them to reduce counter-arguments

17
Lab Assignment 6.1 or 6.2
  • In groups of two or three or individually, spend
    the rest of the class drafting a response to
    either Lab Assignment 6.1 (on emotional appeals
    in proposal writing) or Lab Assignment 6.2 (on
    rhetorical appeals). See pages 171 and 179.
  • Hand in a draft of your assignment at the end of
    class.

18
In-class Lab Assignment
  • Draft a problem statement for a technical
    communication project that you have the knowledge
    and ability to create.
  • Enhance the emotional appeal using the strategies
    outlined in your text (pp. 167-70).
  • Employ as many of the rhetorical schemes and
    tropes as possible in your statement (see handout)
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