BIG PICTURE:
USE THE MATRIX OF PERSUASION
We’ve focused on you and your needs (your objective) and your readers
and their needs (those benefits that are likely to motivate them). We’ve
considered the proper level of formality—a time-saver if you consider it
early on in the writing process. Now it’s time to pull your thinking together
by pausing for a moment and considering the big picture. The Matrix of
Persuasion allows you to analyze your overall writing assignment.
In the Matrix of Persuasion, two variables are contrasted: Is your
target audience on your side or not on your side; and do your readers
have the requisite resources or are they constrained? (See Exhibit 1.1.)