Correspondence

Reflection

Attached below are my Persuasive Letter and Bad News Letter. These were assigned to assess and present my knowledge and understanding of the 8 Cs of writing, rhetorical appeals, and design principles. They served as an opportunity to practice writing according to the rhetorical situation of workplace contexts. The persuasive letter features a hypothetical complaint about potholes which have been damaging cars in the neighborhood. It was written from the perspective of a townsperson and addressed to a councilman. In this instance, it was of necessity to utilize the rhetoric appeals, specifically Pathos. I used Pathos in the statement “the problem was first brought to my attention upon the tragic news of Mr. Brown’s accident”. The success of persuasion is more likely through emotional appeal. Logos was also used, “this past week, a total of 17 traffic incidents due to potholes were reported in Rocheport”. By including factual information, I am appealing to logic.

My Bad News Letter is a memo from the Manager of The Cosmos Street branch of the Terrapin Insurance Corp. The letter serves to inform the employees that casual Fridays have been cancelled. It is of extreme difficulty to deliver a negative message, so it was necessary to utilize the 8 Cs of writing, particularly courteous. I avoided the use of the word “no” to avoid a negative connotation to my statements, “the team seems to be most diligent when wearing professional attire, and we have therefore decided to extend this policy in place of casual Fridays”. I included the substitution of “Food Truck Friday” as a way to ease the blow. Interpersonal skills are pivotal in professional success.