Persuasive communication – From the Sender to Receiver

Role of Sender, Message, Channel and Receiver in Persuasive Communication

Communication begins from the source. It is the person who sends the message. However, just sending the message does not mean audience will feel persuaded to act. It depends on how the source is going to be perceived by the receiver or the target audience. In this way communication from a credible sender or source is received well. A trustworthy source is a very important aspect of persuasion and message from such source is received with confidence. Such messages are generally successful at persuading the source to act in the intended manner.

After the source it is the message itself that is an important part of persuasion. The content of the communication and how well it is drafted also decides if the audience is going to be persuaded.  A poorly written mail generally gets a no response or a poor response. Similarly, messages that are unclear in how they want the audience to respond are not treated with attention. Messages that intend to persuade the audience should have a clear call for action. There are many more things that need to be taken care of while writing a message.

Messages must not be one sided either. If they do not consider both sides but just talk of one side of the argument are not taken favorably. Senders should consider both sides before writing a message. Moreover, it is important to have a clear knowledge of the audience in order to draft an appropriate message. A clear knowledge of the receiver or the audience’s attitude is important for the person who is going to draft the message.

A poor knowledge of the receiver’s attitude leads to a poor message that does not reflect the values and intentions of the receiver. Receiver is the target and you cannot keep him apart for he is the one to be most affected by the communication. Another important thing is the channel utilized to send a message. Messages are generally sent electronically in this era. However, particular channels are more suitable for particular type of messages. The suitability of the channels must be judged before using them to communicate.

There are two important areas where the persuasiveness of the message is considered very important. The first one is politics and the second one is business. In both the environments the four elements must be kept in mind to deliver a message successfully. Suppose a politician is  trying to deliver a message to his voters.

The first important thing in this regard to consider would be his image and credibility. If he has a good image in the public and has a trusted image, his message will be welcomed and taken seriously. On the other hand if he has got a bad image the message he sends will not be received credibly.

Even a new politician must think about his image and pose credibly before his audience to be received well. Moreover, a speaker must also check that the message he is trying to send is not biased and is clear about the arguments it makes. Unless the speaker sends a clear and balanced message it will not be effective at persuading the audience.

Neither should a politician try to contradict his audience. If a politician tries to contradict the beliefs and values of his audience then the audience may react in ways he has not expected. Even for the politician it is now important that he uses the right channel to deliver his message. The channels are to be used the right way to reach the audience and the right channels increase the effectiveness of the message. The use of the right channel also lends appeal to the message.

In business while the use of communication is important in nearly every area, advertisement is an area where brands convey important messages and talk to a very large audience. For ads to be effective, they should be persuasive. The importance of persuasion especially increases in case of advertising where the purpose is to increase sales. Ads must be designed in a manner that they appeal to the customers and persuade them successfully to buy.

Advertisers while trying to create successful ads keep the tastes and preferences as well as values and beliefs of the customer segment in their mind. They should consider creating advertisements that do not contradict their customers’ personal values but leave a favorable impression.

Apart from it persuasiveness or effectiveness also increases with the right choice of channels. Choosing the right media is important so that the audience can be reached without any difficulty or without overrunning expenses. It is important that the right media is selected like the TV, Radio or the internet such that the message is relayed to the right audience. Moreover, the content of the ads delivered over the internet might differ from those delivered over the television.

It is because the meaning of the message does get to change with the channel utilized to serve it. Even in your daily lives you may come across circumstances where it is important to persuade the audience. In that regard it is important to consider the four elements and how they lend effectiveness to the message. Understanding the role these messages play helps at making the message persuasive. If a message loses persuasive value then it is because one of the above discussed elements has been neglected.