by Elizabeth Evans Fryer and Judith Harper

Almost all technical writing benefits from the technique of persuasion. Grants and proposals must have persuasive elements to be effective; operating instructions should convince customers that they have bought the best product for the job; hospital literature should assure patients that they have chosen the most well-equipped place to recover from surgery; cover letters (and all correspondence with a prospective employer or client) should leave no doubt in the employer's mind about your excellent qualifications for the job or assignment under discussion.

Techniques of Persuasion

1. Attach an expert’s name to a paper or statement.

   If you’re selling results—enticing people to react positively to you—people must believe those results to take them seriously. Presenting the conclusions of a satisfied and happy employer or client is persuasive.

   Rather than patting yourself on the back like this:

   I am a clear and persuasive writer who pays close attention to detail to produce accurate user guide materials.

   try something like this:

   Tom Smitherman, president of Foreground Systems, said this about the Scanner Operations manual I wrote for them: "Your diligent research and hard work produced an accurate, polished manual on an extremely tight deadline. Great job!"

2. Use numbers—but not so many as to confuse your audience.

   An interesting, relevant fact (not opinion) that is news to your audience is persuasive. Surprising statistics can be persuasive, and sometimes move people to action. According to Patricia J. Parsons in her e-book Beyond Persuasion: The Healthcare Manager’s Guide to Strategic Communication, the statistic should be something “that is not likely to be known already by your audience, something that happened, a startling amount of money, something that is quick, to the point, and wakes up your audience.” Consider this cover letter example:

   In the past 15 years, I have written hundreds of magazine articles and book chapters, as well as more than 150 user and training guides, brochures, procedures, and how-to manuals for small businesses and major national corporations.

   Peppering your cover letter and resume with impressive statistics makes it persuasive.

3. Echo your reader’s concerns and allay them.

   Everyone wants empathy when taking a risk–and a new employee or freelancer is definitely a risk. Client and employer concerns may be serious or minor, but showing that you care about their concerns is a way of convincing them that your are the right person for the job.

   When responding to an ad or Internet posting, you can echo each of the poster's desired qualifications and show how you meet or exceed them, like this:

   You're looking for a freelance editor who has:

   • Strong copyediting skills. For 10 years, I've been a technical editor responsible for ensuring that copy is clear, compelling, and correct. In the process, I've amassed a long list of clients who attest to my ability.
   • An expert working knowledge of Word. I've formatted tables, illustrations, borders, watermarks, drop caps, and other page elements based on original or standard templates for manuals, books, brochures, greeting cards, and booklets, using every version of Microsoft Word for Windows since 1.1. (And most versions of Word for the Mac.)
   • Decent working knowledge of Excel and Powerpoint. I've done a fair amount of work in Excel and developed more presentations that I care to think about in Powerpoint.
   • A basic grasp of statistical analysis. I don't know statistics in the same way I know Microsoft Office applications, but I am a quick study.

   Let employers or clients know that you understand their concerns, and offer solutions if you can.

4. Use repetition—but don’t overdo it.

   Nothing brings home your message like repetition, as long as it's not obvious or jarring. Remember, too much repetition can backfire, because many people are resistant to obvious persuasion. You can, however, make your letter more persuasive by emphasizing the central theme of your competence differently each time you mention it.

5. Reward people for following through with a desired action.

   Never close your cover letter without assuring your reader that you will follow up. Reward him or her with the anticipation of a call from a competent, concerned writer who brings a cartful of assets to some lucky company.

   Rewards, tangible or intangible, are persuasive.

6. Omit hedge words.

   Hedge words are words that indicate less commitment or confidence. Confidence itself is inherently persuasive. Hedge words that you should avoid in talking or corresponding with a potential employer or client include may, might, perhaps, probably, approximately, likely, and suggest (as in “I think I can offer you" or "My years of experience suggest.” No and no. Instead say "I can offer…" and "my years of experience show…")

   If you are not confident in what you can do, your prospective client or employer won’t be confident, either.

7. Persuade through careful charting and graphing of data.

   This is especially effective for technical communicators. Try a small chart or table that shows visually exactly how your qualifications match up against requirements. It's unexpected in a cover letter, yet entirely appropriate for left-brain-heavy assignments. Invariably, some in your audience are more comfortable processing information verbally and some visually. Presenting data verbally and in chart and graph form will affect a wider range of readers, making your communication more persuasive.

Summing Up

Becoming comfortable with these persuasive methods will improve your writing. If you want to find other ways to make your writing more effectively convincing, entering “persuasive writing” into the search engine at Amazon.com yields dozens of good titles. Most are general, but some are specific to economics, education, law, business, the news media, even job-seeking.

Persuasion is appropriate to every specialty. No one is immune to it. Use it to your advantage.

The major points in this article are based on "Seven Simple Steps to Persuasive Writing," by Elizabeth Evans Fryer, originally published in the March 2004 issue of Intercom.