Chapter 9 - KEY - Key PDF

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CHAPTER 9: PERSUASIVE AND SALES MESSAGESEXERCISE V: CLASSIFY THE FOLLOWING ITEMS INTO FOUR GROUPS of activities according to the AIDA Strategy to request actions, make claims, and deliver complaints. Groups A. Gain Attention B. Build Interest C. Elicit Desire and Reduce Resistance D. Motivate Action...

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CHAPTER 9: PERSUASIVE AND SALES MESSAGES

EXERCISE V: CLASSIFY THE FOLLOWING ITEMS INTO FOUR GROUPS of activities according to the AIDA Strategy to request actions, make claims, and deliver complaints. Groups A. Gain Attention B. Build Interest C. Elicit Desire and Reduce Resistance D. Motivate Action

Items 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Add a deadline Anticipate objections Be objective Compliment Demonstrate credibility and competence 6. Establish credibility 7. Express appreciation 8. Give specific details 9. Make a precise request 10. Offer an incentive 11. Problem description

12. Provide compelling counterarguments 13. Reader benefit 14. Reasonable request 15. Related facts 16. Repeat a key benefit 17. Stimulating questions 18. Tie facts to benefits 19. Unexpected statement 20. Use a moderate, unemotional tone 21. Use facts, statistics, examples

ANSWER KEY A. Gain Attention

6. Establish credibility

11. Problem description

18. Tie facts to benefits

19. Unexpected statement

3. Be objective

13. Reader benefit 4. Compliment 15. Related facts

C. Reduce Resistance

17. Stimulating questions

2. Anticipate objections

B. Build Interest

12. Provide compelling counterarguments

14. Reasonable request

5. Demonstrate credibility and competence

21. Use facts, statistics, examples

20. Use a moderate, unemotional tone

8. Give specific details

D. Motivate Action

1

1. Add a deadline

7. Express appreciation

16. Repeat a key benefit

9. Make a precise request

10. Offer an incentive EXERCISE VI. Identify errors & revise messages In the following message, Luke tries to convince his boss, the vice president of marketing, that their organization could save money by importing T-shirts from China. However, his message could be improved by employing several strate- gies for persuasion. YOUR TASK Analyze the following e-mail and list its weak- nesses. If your instructor directs, revise the message. To: Bryanna Mazzetta From: Luke Downey Subject: Possible Chance for Saving Money We always try our best to meet customers and sell World- class Trainer equipment at numerous trade shows. But instead of expanding our visits to these trade shows, the company continues to cut back the number that we attend. And we have fewer staff members attending. I know that you have been asking us to find ways to reduce costs, but I don’t think we are going about it right. With increased airfare and hotel costs, my staff has tried to find ways to live within our very tight budget. Yet, we are being asked to find other ways to reduce our costs. I’m currently thinking ahead to the big Las Vegas trade show coming up in September. One area where we could make a change is in the gift that we give away. In the past we have presented booth visitors with a nine-color T-shirt that is silk-screened and gorgeous. But it comes at a cost of $23 for each and every one of these beauties from a top-name designer. To save money, I suggest that we try a $6 T-shirt made in China, which is reasonably presentable. It’s got our name on it, and, after all, folks just use these shirts for workouts. Who cares if it is a fancy silk-screened T-shirt or a functional Chinese one that has “Worldclass Trainer” plastered on the chest? Because we give away 2,000 T-shirts at our largest show, we could save big bucks by dumping the designer shirt. But we have to act quickly. I’m sending a cheap one for you to see. Let me know what you think. Luke [Full contact information] ANSWER KEY Weaknesses a. Fails to provide a descriptive subject line. b. Opening paragraphs sound whining, negative, and critical. c. Fails to begin with an engaging statement or a description of the existing problem. d. Does not develop a logical, focused description of the problem or the proposal. e. Fails to emphasize savings in a highly readable form. f. Does not promote the proposal with positive arguments. 2

g. Fails to present counterarguments to possible objections. h. Fails to guide the reader to a positive response to the proposal or the sample garment. i. Does not put forth a specific recommendation. j. Fails to close with a specific action to be taken and an end date. Omits a motivation to act.

Revision To: Bryanna Mazzetta From: Luke Downey Subject: Possible Chance for Saving Money

At your suggestion, I’ve been searching for ways to reduce our trade show exhibition costs. One of our major expenses is the booth gift that we present to visitors. At past trade shows we’ve given away a nine-color, silk-screened T-shirt designed by a highpriced outside designer. Each shirt cost $23 to produce. However, I’ve located a Chinese supplier who can produce good-looking T-shirts, and the cost is only $6 each. Look at the savings: 2,000 silk-screen T-shirts @ $23 2,000 cheaper T-shirts @ $6 SAVINGS

$46,000 12,000 $34,000

Please take a look at the T-shirt sample I recently sent to you. You might expect a cheaper shirt to be less acceptable, but as you can see, this shirt is quite presentable. What’s more, it advertises our name just as well as the more expensive silk-screened T-shirts. We expect folks to wear this shirt when they work out, and the cheaper shirt serves the purpose just as well as the more expensive one. With increasing travel costs and decreasing trade show budgets, we at Worldclass Trainer have had to look carefully at how we spend our limited funds for exhibitions. We have decreased the number of shows in which we participate, and we take fewer booth staffers. However, here is a significant way we can reduce a substantial expense. To save $34,000 in exhibition costs, please authorize the purchase of 2,000 T-shirts for our next major trade show. If I receive your authorization before April 6, we can be sure of receiving a supply from our Chinese supplier for the September Las Vegas trade show. Enclosure EXERCISE IX. Compose a message As public relations director for the Business and Account- ing Association on your campus, you have been asked to find a keynote speaker for the first meeting of the school year. The owner of a successful local firm, TempHelp4You, is an alumna of your university. You think not only that many students would enjoy learning about how she started her business, but also that some might like to sign up with her temporary help agency. She would need to prepare a 30-minute speech and take questions after the talk. The event will be held from noon until 3

1:30 p.m. on a date of your choosing in Branford Hall. You can offer her lunch at the event and provide her with a parking permit that she can pick up at the information kiosk at the main entrance to your campus. You need to have her response by a deadline you set. YOUR TASK Write a direct-approach e-mail to Marion Minter in which you ask her to speak at your club’s meeting. Send it to [email protected]. ANSWER KEY To: Marion Minter From:

Subject: Sharing Your Success Story With Business Students

Dear Ms. Minter: As a former [name of school’s team], please accept my invitation to be the keynote speaker at the Business and Accounting Association’s annual kick-off meeting. Because of our club’s focus on business and your success as an entrepreneur, you would be the perfect speaker to get our club off to an impressive start this year. Your expertise as well as your history with our campus will make your talk a big draw for our members. With their business and accounting backgrounds, some students in our club may even be potential employees at TempHelp4You. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 10, from noon until 1:30 p.m. in Branford Hall. We would like you to speak for about 30 minutes and then take questions from the audience. On the day of the event, we would provide you with lunch and a complimentary parking permit, which you could pick up at the information kiosk at the main campus entrance. Please let me know if you can speak at our meeting by August 20 so I can make the appropriate arrangements. You can phone me at [student phone] or e-mail me at [student email] if you have any questions. We hope you will share your success story with us in September! Sincerely, [Student’s name and contact information] EXERCISE X. Share your experience. Think of a TV commercial you watched or an advertisement poster you saw. If it follows the four steps of the AIDA principle, analyze in detail what techniques were employed. If it does not, how can you improve its effectiveness with suggestions of how to follow the AIDA principle?

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