Applying Persuasive Writing in the World
Persuasive writing is everywhere in our world. In fact, it is probably one of the most influential forms of writing that our civilization has. We are all trying to convince each other of something, either true or not. We all want to prove that our side is right, or that there is a better way to do something. If there is one thing humans are not always eager to do, it is to change, and persuasive writing is all about change.
Our civilization has been shaped by persuasive writing. Every political speech ever written has been based on persuasive writing. In political spheres, you are trying to always convince the other person to vote with you or for you, and you have to persuade them to do so. Typically, this is done with the appeal to emotion, as most people will vote with their emotions.
When you take your skills at persuasive writing out into the world, many doors will open up for you. Companies are always looking for people who can effectively write something that is persuasive, either for their employees or for their shareholders. It is a great skill to have. For example, in a company you may need to write a memo to the employees that a pay cut will help the company stay alive. Many people will not want this pay cut, but by appealing to them through a persuasive memo, you may be able to convince them that by cutting their pay briefly, they can stay employed longer. As well, if you are writing something for shareholders, you want to convince them the company is viable and strong, so that they will continue putting their money into the company.
Outside the world of business there are many things you can do with your persuasive writing talents. Perhaps you want to run for political office, write up an ad promoting a community event, or to just get people out to your garage sale. All of these are good examples of where you can use persuasive writing outside the world of business.
Knowing how to write persuasively will help you see verbal persuasion when it is being used on you. Car dealership salespeople are experts at persuasion, and they will do what they need to convince you to buy from them. They will use the appeal to reason and even the appeal to a person's character to get you to buy from them. By knowing the concept of persuasive writing, you can stop their tactics before they are used on you and that puts you on the offensive, which is exactly where you want to be.
Our world is shaped by persuasion and every day we are persuaded to listen to someone, watch a show, purchase a product, or to take part in an activity, all based on persuasion. Whether you want to choose to follow that persuasion or not is your choice, but at least you now know how to recognize persuasion. The better you can recognize persuasion, the less likely you will be fooled by it.