Persuasive Writing

Persuasion Isn’t Manipulation

In the previous lesson, we explored adapting your style. Now let’s build on that foundation. Persuasive writing moves people from Point A to Point B.

This isn’t about tricking anyone. It’s about helping them see something they might not have seen. Good persuasion serves the reader.

Bad persuasion: getting someone to do something against their interests. Good persuasion: helping someone see why something is in their interests.

The Persuasion Foundation

Before you write, understand:

1. Where they are now: What do they currently believe? What have they tried?
2. Where you want them to be: What do you want them to think, feel, or do?
3. What’s in the way: What objections or concerns would stop them?
4. Why should they care: What’s in it for them?

Your writing bridges the gap between where they are and where you want them.

The Problem-Agitate-Solution Framework

PAS Structure:

Problem: State the problem they face. Show you understand it.

Agitate: Make the problem feel real. What happens if nothing changes?

Solution: Present your solution. Show how it fixes the problem.

Example:

Problem: “Your team spends 10+ hours a week on repetitive data entry.”

Agitate: “That’s 500+ hours a year—time that could go to work that actually grows your business. And the errors from manual entry cost even more to fix.”

Solution: “Our automation system eliminates manual entry entirely. Most clients see 15 hours back per week within the first month.”

The Before-After-Bridge

BAB Structure:

Before: Describe their current frustrating reality.

After: Paint the picture of life with the problem solved.

Bridge: Show how your solution gets them from before to after.

Example:

Before: “Right now, your email outreach takes hours per week and gets a 2% response rate.”

After: “Imagine sending personalized emails in minutes and getting 15% response rates.”

Bridge: “Our templates and AI personalization make this possible. Here’s how it works…”

Making Your Case

Strong arguments have:

• A clear claim: What exactly are you arguing for?
• Evidence: Facts, data, examples that support your claim
• Logic: How the evidence actually supports the claim
• Acknowledgment of alternatives: Why other options aren’t as good

Weak arguments have:

• Vague claims (“This is better”)
• Assertions without evidence (“Everyone knows…”)
• Evidence that doesn’t actually support the claim
• Ignoring obvious counterpoints

Addressing Objections

Don’t avoid objections. Address them.

If your reader is already thinking “But what about X?"—and you don’t mention it—you lose credibility.

How to address objections:

1. State the objection fairly (don’t strawman it)
2. Acknowledge why it makes sense
3. Explain why your position is still stronger

Example:

“You might be thinking: this sounds expensive. And upfront, it is a real investment—$5,000 for the system plus setup time. But consider: if it saves 15 hours per week at $50/hour, you recover the cost in under 7 weeks. Everything after that is pure gain.”

Quick check: Before moving on, can you recall the key concept we just covered? Try to explain it in your own words before continuing.

Ethos, Pathos, Logos

The classic persuasion trifecta:

Ethos (Credibility): Why should they trust you?

• Your experience or credentials
• Social proof (others who succeeded)
• Acknowledgment of limitations

Pathos (Emotion): What do they feel?

• Frustration with current state
• Hope for improvement
• Fear of missing out or falling behind

Logos (Logic): Does your argument make sense?

• Data and facts
• Cause and effect
• Comparisons and analysis

Balance all three. Logic alone doesn’t move people. Emotion alone doesn’t sustain. Credibility alone doesn’t convince.

AI-Assisted Persuasion

Strengthen an argument:

AI: "Strengthen this persuasive argument.

My claim: [What I'm arguing for]
My audience: [Who I'm trying to convince]
Current draft:
[Your text]

Improve by:
1. Making the claim clearer
2. Adding stronger evidence
3. Addressing likely objections
4. Making the call to action clearer"

Find objections:

AI: "I'm writing to convince [audience] to [action].

What objections might they have?
For each objection, suggest how I could address it."

The Call to Action

Every persuasive piece needs a clear ask.

Weak calls to action:

• “Let me know if you have questions.”
• “Think about it.”
• “We should discuss.”

Strong calls to action:

• “Schedule a demo this week—here’s my calendar link.”
• “Approve the $5K budget by Friday so we can launch in March.”
• “Reply with your top concern, and I’ll address it.”

Make it easy. Tell them exactly what to do, and make doing it simple.

Persuasion Across Formats

Emails: Be brief. One clear ask. BLUF structure.

Proposals: Problem-solution structure. Include options. Make saying yes easy.

Presentations: Tell them what you’ll tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them.

Reports: Recommendations section should be crystal clear with supporting evidence.

Exercise: Build a Persuasive Argument

Think of something you want someone to do (approve a budget, change a process, take an action).

1. What do they currently believe about this?
2. What objections would they raise?
3. What’s in it for them if they say yes?
4. What evidence supports your case?
5. Write a 3-paragraph argument using Problem-Agitate-Solution.

Key Takeaways

• Persuasion bridges the gap between where readers are and where you want them
• Understand their starting point, objections, and what they care about
• Problem-Agitate-Solution: name the pain, intensify it, offer relief
• Before-After-Bridge: current reality, future vision, how to get there
• Address objections—ignoring them loses credibility
• Balance ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic)
• End with a clear, specific call to action

Next: Developing your authentic writing voice.

Up next: In the next lesson, we’ll dive into Finding Your Voice.