Unit 3

Developing and Testing the Verbal and Visual Information

• 8 – Communicating Persuasively• 9 – Writing Coherent Documents• 10 – Writing Effective Sentences• 12 – Creating Graphics• 13 – Reviewing, Evaluating, and Testing

Documents and Web Sites

Chapter 8• Considering the Context of Your Argument

– Understanding Your Audience’s Broader Goals– Working Within Constraints

• Crafting a Persuasive Argument– Identifying the Elements of Your Argument– Using the Right Kinds of Evidence– Considering Opposing Viewpoints– Appealing to Emotions Responsibly– Deciding Where to Present the Claim– Understanding the Role of Culture in Persuasion

• Avoiding Logical Fallacies• Presenting Yourself Effectively• Using Graphics as Persuasive Elements• A Look at Several Persuasive Arguments

Introduction

• All writing calls for making persuasive claims and supporting them effectively

• Sometimes it is clear, sometimes it is not• Tech Com is not only about facts• Need to find out which facts are appropriate,

make sure context that helps people understand what those facts mean, and presenting a well-reasoned argument about those facts

Your Job as a Communicator

• Convince a reader of a viewpoint• What factors cause a situation• May be reinforcing a viewpoint• Sometimes you will try to change a person’s

mind• Presenting an argument: an arrangement of

facts and judgments about some aspect of the world

Considering the Context of Your Argument

• Arguments can be as short as a sentence, or as long as a multi-volume report

• Can be written or oral• Examples

– From a description of a construction site:• Features A, B, and C characterize the site.

– From a study of why a competitor is outselling your company:• Company X’s dominance can be attributed to four major factors: A, B, c, and

D.

– From a feasibility study considering four courses of action:• Alternative A is better than alternative B, C, and D.

– From a set of instructions for performing a task:• The safest way to perform the task is to complete task A, then B, and so on.

Understanding Your Audience’s Broader Goals

• When analyzing your audience, consider the values that motivates them

• People are often concerned with their own welfare

• Argument is most likely to be effective it is responds to four goals that most people share

Four Goals that Most People Share

• Security– People resist actions that might hurt their own

interests• Recognition– People like to be praised

• Professional Growth– People want to develop and grow at their job

• Connectedness– People like to be part of a community

Working Within Constraints• Need to work within the constraints that shape your environment on

the jobEthical Constraints- How you define ethicsLegal Constraints- Have to abide by all applicable laws or labour

practicesPolitical Constraints- Don’t spend all your energy on a losing causeInformational Constraints- Cannot always get the information

that you needFinancial Constraints- Very few people have unlimited fundsTime Constraints- DeadlinesFormal and Tone Constraints- Expected to work within one

additional set of constraints

Crafting a Persuasive Argument

• Persuasion is important• Wish to affect a reader’s attitude or merely

present info clearly• Must identify the elements of your argument,

use the right kinds of evidence, consider opposing viewpoints, appeal to emotions responsibly, decide where to state your claim, and understand the role of culture in persuasion

Identify the Elements of Your Argument

The evidence: the facts and judgements that support your claim

The claim is the conclusion you want your readers to accept.

The reasoning: the logic you use to derive the claim from the evidence

The evidence is the information you want your readers to consider.

The reasoning is the logic that you use to connect the evidence to your claim.

The claim: the idea you are communicating.

Using the Right Kinds of Evidence

• People most often react favorably to four kinds of evidence:– “common-sense” arguments– Numerical data– Examples– Expert testimony

Considering Opposing Viewpoints

• When you present an argument, you need to address opposing points of view.

• Not doing do will make your opponents think that your presentation is flawed

• Several Tactics used for presenting opposing viewpoints:– The opposing argument is based on illogical reasoning or

inaccurate or incomplete facts– The opposing argument is valid but less powerful than your

own.– The two arguments can be reconciled.

Appealing to Emotions Responsibly

• Usually combine emotional appeals with appeals to reason

• Important not to overstate or overdramatize or you risk alienating readers

Deciding Where to Present the Claim

• Best place to state your claim is at the start of the argument- then provide evidence and reasoning

• Sometimes it is more effective to state the claim after the evidence and reasoning– Best if you think the audience may oppose your

claim

Understanding the Role of Culture

• Keep in mind that cultures differ significantly• Not just in business, but in many of the most

fundamental values– What makes an argument persuasive– How to structure an argument

• Be sure to study a culture before presenting and make your argument fit that culture

Avoiding Logical Fallacies

• A logical fallacy is a mistake in reasoning– Ad hominem– Argument from ignorance– Appeal to pity– Argument from authority– Circular argument– Either-or argument– Ad populum– Hasty generalization– Post hoc reasoning– oversimplifying

Presenting Yourself Effectively

• Showing that you know the appropriate information

• You need to seem professional• Creating a professional persona– Cooperativeness– Moderation– Fair-mindedness– Modesty

Using Graphics as Persuasive Elements

• Graphics help convey both technical data and non-technical information

• Graphics are not just charts and graphs, but photographs, drawings, anything that is visual in nature