Scenario:

Subject: PERSUASIVE LETTER ASSIGNMENT

For this assignment, you will prepare complaint letter, request letter, or goodwill letter that persuades a specific audience to take action of some kind. This assignment will familiarize you with how to develop your argument for writing persuasive letters and effectively edit your own or someone else's letter if you have a peer writing partner.

Assignment Write a letter persuading a specific audience to take action of some kind. Think about recent news topics, issues and concerns in your daily life or news that you can address.

Perhaps you have a complaint regarding a product or service that you have purchased. Maybe there is an environmental issue you would like your local representative to address or something you wish the city elected officials to address. Or perhaps you would simply like an employee or colleague to take an action.

Examples are:

• If you have had an issue with a company consider writing a letter of complaint to the general manager, president, or chairperson help raise awareness of the situation and prevent it from happening again.
• Perhaps there is a company policy or governmental policy you would like to see changed or addressed. How would you write to persuade the person in charge of changing that policy or taking steps to initiative change?
• How would you write a letter of recommendation for a friend or colleague who you believe merits advancement?
• Is there an employee at a company who consistently gives excellent customer service and might benefit from a letter of recognition?

Remember that effective persuasive letters make arguments backed by solid evidence. Non-verbal persuasive strategies (e.g., tone, "you" viewpoint, layout and design) and verbal persuasive strategies (e.g., indirect pattern of organization, reader benefits, clarity of purpose) are equally as important.

Letters making a complaint or request and goodwill letters recognizing someone for their accomplishments or recommending someone for a position or award are appropriate for this assignment.

Assignment Requirements Your letter should be in full-block-style format and be about a page in length. Please see the example letters in the Textbook. Your letter should be single-spaced (double-space between paragraphs), use the direct or indirect pattern of organization (depending on the situation), and use headings, lists, and other graphical elements where appropriate. You will use the INDIRECT APPROACH AND THE AIDA METHOD TO DEVELOP YOUR LETTER.