How to make your Press Release Persuasive!

First, what is persuasion? 

Many people often relate techniques of persuasion to deception and trickery. But that's not the case! Although some people use persuasion unethically for personal reasons, true persuasion can benefit everyone involved.

Persuasion is all about effectively presenting information to others. Being persuasive means being able to make others see the benefits you are offering. By knowing all the facts, individuals might change their beliefs and actions. This is done without leaving out important facts, or exaggerating benefits, and misleading people to believing something thats not true. 

Being Persuasive!

Being persuasive involves many considerations. Mastering persuasion takes a lot of effort and time. Here are some important techniques to follow:

• Establish credibility: People must trust you in order for them to believe what you are telling them. If you have experience or credentials in the field, make that known. If you don't, make sure to include expert opinion, testimonials, and research to support your argument.

• Make reasonable, precise request: If your request is not reasonable, no one will accept it. Make sure what you are asking of people sounds reasonable and attainable. Asking people to donate money to send the first pig to the moon sounds ridiculous, and people will likely ignore your request. Also, tell people exactly what you want. When people know exactly what it is your asking makes it easier for them to make a decision. If your request is to vague, then people will often ignore it. 

• Tie facts to benefits: Don't just present the facts, make sure to let the reader know how those facts relate to the benefits you are offering. Presenting facts alone can overwhelm and confuse the audience, not knowing exactly how all the information relates to one another.

• Recognize the power of loss: Telling people what they will lose if they don't act on your offer can motivate people more than the benefits. Possible things people can lose is time, money, competitive advantage, profits, and reputation. 

• Expect and overcome resistance: It is normal to encounter resistance to your proposal from your audience. This is because people have conflicting beliefs, negative atitudes, apathy, skepticism, and opposing loyalties. An effective persuader is prepared to counter any opposition with well-reasoned arguments and facts. When writing a press release, a persuader should be able to recognize weaknesses in the proposed idea and possible resistance to it in advance, before submitting it to a publisher.

• Share solutions and compromise: Instead of inundating others with possible solutions to their problems, it is sometimes best to allow them to come up with their own solution. Listening to others and allowing them to be part of the solution greatly increases the chances of them accepting it. People know what they want, and it's best to allow them to express it. Engaging people in being part of the solution will make them more eager to implement it. 
  (Guffey, Rhodes, & Rogin, 2011, p. 274)
  
  
  
  

Reference:

Guffey, M. E., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2011). Business Communication, Process and Product, Sixth    Canadian Edition. Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd.