FEATURE | PROPOSALS
CLASSIC SALES SPEAK SARAH HINCHLIFFE explores how the ancient art of public oratory can help you build more compelling proposals
ethos is the impression you create through your communication – for example whether you show care, consideration and commitment. An often-quoted speech that demonstrates ethical appeal is Barack Obama’s presidential candidate’s address at the Democratic National Convention in Denver on 28 August 2008. It exudes authority and conviction: “I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.”
It is easily possible to create an impression through text. Think of the different styles of, say, Jeffrey Archer and John Steinbeck, or newspapers The Sun and The Times. Here are some simple steps to improve the ristotle created his seminal work, ethical appeal of your business writing: On Rhetoric, over 2,300 years ago. l Use authoritative language: take responsibility It included his theory of the by using “will” not “would”; use the active voice; three persuasive appeals – ethos be clear and concise, avoiding fluffy wording (credibility), pathos (emotion), l Write objectively: show your customers you and logos (logic). This are fair and unbiased – you are seeking to work is still regarded as the bible of solve their problems not just sell for public speaking, but the three the sake of it PROPOSAL appeals can be applied to any form l Include evidence of your GRAPHICS TO of communication. expertise or pedigree: use case SUPPORT ETHOS While we often talk about studies, customer testimonials and l Customer testimonials emotion being the keystone of third party reports. Make these l Mini case studies the early stages of the business relevant and quantified, find the l Third party reports development lifecycle, and logic closest matches, explain what you l Recognised being the keystone of the proposal did, how you did it and the result publications phase, all three appeals apply equally l Ensure your spelling and grammar to proposals – they play to the are accurate: this shows care and emotional and logical aspects of buying attention to detail – and serve as an and the need to provide proof to be convincing. example of the excellence of your deliverables. So, let’s explore each of the three appeals and If you are tempted to think that long, complex how we can bring them to life on the page. words and sentences make you seem more intelligent, think again. Fascinating research by ETHOS psychologist Daniel Oppenheimer of Princeton Although ethos is the Greek word for University has proved that people who write “character”, we typically associate it with ethics simply are thought to be smarter and more and think of trust. Indeed, by ethical appeal, trustworthy. Perhaps George Orwell worked that out years ago when he said: “Never use a foreign Aristotle means convincing our audience we are word, a scientific word or a jargon word if you believable, reliable and trustworthy by showing can think of an everyday English equivalent.” that we are of good character. If we dig a little bit deeper, we find extrinsic and intrinsic ethos. PATHOS Extrinsic ethos is your undisputable experience Pathos, the Greek word for both “suffering” and and authority. It is also your reputation, created “experience”, is all about emotion. Think about by what others think and say about you. Intrinsic
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