Business and Administrative Communication 10th Edition by Kitty Locker,Donna Kienzler

Exercise 14

Collect the sales and fund-raising messages that come to you, your co-workers, landlord, neighbors, or family. Use the following questions to evaluate each message:
What mode does the opener use Is it related to the rest of the message How good is the opener
What central selling point or common ground does the message use
What kinds of proof does the message use Is the logic valid What questions or objections are not answered
How does the message create emotional appeal
Is the style effective
Does the close tell people what to do, make action easy, give a reason for acting promptly, and end with a positive picture
Does the message use a P.S. How good is it
Is the message visually attractive Why or why not
What other items besides the letter or e-mail are in the package
As your instructor directs,
a. Share your analysis of one or more messages with a small group of your classmates.
b. Analyze one message in a presentation to the class. Make a copy of the message to use as a visual aid in your presentation.
c. Analyze one message in an e-mail to your instructor. Provide a copy of the message along with your e-mail.
d. With several other students, write a group e-mail or report analyzing one part of the message (e.g., openers) or one kind of letter (e.g., political messages, organizations fighting hunger, etc.). Use at least 10 messages for your analysis if you look at only one part; use at least 6 messages if you analyze one kind of message. Provide copies as an appendix to your report.