Essentials of Business Communication 8th Edition by Mary Ellen Guffey

Exercise 9

Your Task. Select a one- or two-page sales letter or promotional e-mail received by you or a friend. If you are unable to find a sales message, your instructor may have a collection. Study the sales message and then answer these questions:
a. What techniques capture the reader's attention?
b. Is the opening effective? Explain.
c. What is the central selling point?
d. Does the message use rational, emotional, or a combination of appeals? Explain.
e. What reader benefits are suggested?
f. How does the message build interest in the product or service?
g. How is price handled?
h. How does the message anticipate reader resistance and offer counterarguments?
i. What action is the reader to take? How is the action made easy?
j. What motivators spur the reader to act quickly?