Correspondence

Using a memo and block letter format, I created two letters of professional correspondence. Although these letters are both hypothetical, I practiced different rhetorical strategies that I will use in future professional correspondences. Specifically, I followed the AIDA (or Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action) organization style. AIDA is an important rhetorical tool as it aids in keeping a reader’s attention and follows information up with a call to action. Meaning, it mainly employs a pathos appeal. In the bad-news letter, we learned how to give bad news in an appropriate way. For instance, instead of opening with the problem, I opened with a kind comment about hoping everyone had a good weekend. Then, I narrowed my topic down to the specific bad news. It is also important to note that I did my best to avoid negative language and I provided an equal, if not better, alternative solution to the now-banned casual Fridays. In my letter to the town, I emphasized a logos appeal in the beginning by providing the specific number of potholes I saw. Then, I created desire and utilized a pathos appeal by emphasizing how the numerous potholes could easily lead to an accident. By finishing the letter with a solution after catching their attention and creating that desire for change, the reader is more likely to take action. Thus, writing these professional correspondence letters provided an opportunity to learn and implement various rhetorical strategies that I can apply to future professional documents.