Once again, Brian Clark, at Copyblogger hits a home run with his recent post 10 Timeless Persuasive Writing Techniques.

In quick review, his ten tips are:

1. Repetition
2. Reasons Why
3. Consistency
4. Social Proof
5. Comparisons
6. Agitate and Solve
7. Prognosticate
8. Go Tribal
9. Address Objections
10. Storytelling

His post goes into detail on each one.

I would add another:

11. Talk like your audience: If you want to effectively communicate with your target audience, they need to be able to relate to your message. If you are a CEO communicating with the front line staff, using jargon, acronyms and profit margin talk will not impress your audience. Put yourself in their shoes and communicate in a manner that they'll understand. This should not be confused with "talking down."

Another example would be generational. In the old days something was "the best thing since sliced bread." Today's audience has only ever known sliced bread so it doesn't resonate with them. A better example might be "the best thing since MySpace."

What other examples have you used successfully to persuade your audience - other than lies and manipulation?

Deborah Chaddock Brown