Write a rough draft of your Persuasive Message assignment, responding to the prompt below. Upload it to this Canvas drop box by the deadline specified on Canvas. At the top of your draft document, before your message headers, you should also include 1 – 2 sentences identifying the kinds of errors or issues you would like your reviewers to pay special attention to.
PROMPT
For this assignment, you may either write a cover letter, craft a persuasive proposal aimed at solving a problem at a company or organization you work or volunteer for.
OPTION 1: Apply to a Job
Complete the following steps:
- Find a job or internship listing to which you would like to apply
- Copy and paste the contents of the job ad into a Word document along with a link to the original ad
- Produce a persuasive cover letter targeted at the job you chose
Your cover letter should:
- Use formal letter formatting (including the complete date of transmission, the recipient’s address, as well as opening and concluding salutations)
- Follow class guidelines for persuasive messages and cover letters
- Adhere to all four of the 4-C style guidelines
- Use block formatting to create a visually-appealing document
- Conclude with tailored, personalized goodwill
When writing this message, channel John F. Kennedy: focus on what you can do for the company, not what getting the job would do for you!
Note: Please upload a single .doc, .docx, or .pdf file containing both the text of the job ad you’re applying to and your cover letter.
OPTION 2: Solve a Problem at Work
Submit a short persuasive memo in which you propose a well-supported solution to a problem at a company or organization you work or volunteer for (or that you have worked or volunteered for in the past). Your message should be less than one page in length and should be addressed to someone with the ability to implement your solution.
Below are some suggested topics for your proposal. You could:
- Propose a plan to decrease employee turnover
- Convince your boss to adopt your plan to streamline / change a procedure
- Persuade management to adopt your plan to boost employee / member morale
- Argue for your plan to promote customer satisfaction
- Justify a budget increase or suggest a cost-cutting measure
- Promote an innovative business strategy or procedure
- Convince management to start / continue with a worthwhile program
- Assure the boss of the merits of a new venture or procedure they are dubious about
Your persuasive memo should:
- Use standard memo formatting (meaning it should include To, From, Date, and Subject lines and exclude opening and concluding salutations)
- Have an action-oriented subject line (that uses a polite question or command to either identify the reader’s problem / need or indicate the action you want the reader to take)
- Follow class guidelines for persuasive messages (i.e. clearly identify a problem; state a solution; support that solution with logic and, if appropriate, additional persuasive appeals; and close with a call-to-action and tailored, personalized goodwill)
- Reflect best practices for document design and, if appropriate, include graphics and/or data visualizations
- Adhere to all four of the 4-C style guidelines
Also make sure that your memo is reader-focused. Use reader-focus to demonstrate your authority, motivate your reader to agree with your recommendation, and make next steps easy for your reader to take. You can accomplish these goals by:
- Establishing specific, sincere common ground with your reader
- Making your message easy to read and understand by organizing it to include specific headings and well-structured paragraphs
- Connecting aspects of your recommendation to your reader’s priorities, thus showing how your ideas benefit your reader
- Closing with a specific action step/call to action
Note: In addition to your memo, you may also include 2-4 sentences of background information on your problem, company / organization, and / or audience. This background information will not be graded nor will it count toward the one-page limit for this assignment.
Please upload a single.doc, docx, or .pdf file containing both the your persuasive memo and your optional background information.
