Writing Studio Professional and Business Writing

Persuasion

You will be able to structure a proposal, pitch or professional bio so the reader sees the problem, cares about it and knows exactly what you are asking for.

Do this first

Pick something you want approved: a budget, a new process, a role. Write five lines: the problem, the stakes if nothing changes, your proposal, your strongest piece of evidence and the exact ask. Show it to a colleague and ask what they would push back on.

Steps

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Start with the reader's problem
Open with a problem the reader already recognises, in their terms: cost, risk, reputation, time or people. “Our team needs new software” is your problem; “We lose about six staff hours a week reconciling spreadsheets” is theirs.
Use problem, stakes, proposal, evidence, ask
State the problem, then the stakes (what happens if nothing changes), then your proposal in one or two sentences. Support it with your two or three strongest pieces of evidence, and end with a specific ask: who, what, by when and at what cost.
Choose evidence this reader trusts
A finance director may want numbers, a project lead a pilot result, a community partner a story or a quote from someone affected. Lead with the evidence that is most credible to that reader, and cite sources they can check.
Answer the main objection first
Name the strongest reason to say no (cost, risk, precedent, workload) and respond to it in a sentence or two. This shows you have thought it through and saves a round of emails.
Make the ask specific and easy to accept
“Approve a three-month pilot costing $4,000” is easier to agree to than “adopt the new system”. Offer a decision date and, where you can, a low-risk first step with a review point.
Apply the same logic to your bio
A LinkedIn About section or speaker bio also persuades: who you help, how, the evidence (roles, results, credentials) and an invitation to connect. Front-load the first two lines, since LinkedIn shows only the opening before readers click to see more. Use first person on LinkedIn and third person for most speaker, event and conference bios.

Templates

Five-part proposal

Problem: [what is going wrong, in the reader's terms, with one figure if possible]

Stakes: [what happens if nothing changes: cost, risk or missed opportunity, and by when]

Proposal: [what you recommend, in one or two sentences]

Evidence: [two or three strongest supports: data, pilot result, precedent, expert view]

Objection and answer: [The main concern] is fair; [how your proposal addresses it].

Ask: Could you [approve / fund / agree to] [specific action] by [date]?

LinkedIn About section

I help [audience] [achieve a specific outcome] through [your expertise or method].

[Two to four sentences of evidence: roles, projects, results with numbers, credentials.]

[One sentence on what drives your work or where you are heading next.]

I'm open to [collaborations / roles / speaking invitations] on [topics]. The best way to reach me is [email or link].

Speaker or event bio (third person)

[Full name] is a [role] at [organisation], where [they] [main work, in plain words]. [Their] work on [topic] has [concrete result, publication, award or impact]. [One credential or earlier role that builds trust]. [Optional: one human detail connected to the work].

Check your draft

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Does the opening name a problem the reader already cares about?
Have I stated, in concrete terms, what happens if nothing changes?
Can I state the proposal in two sentences or fewer?
Is my evidence the kind this particular reader finds convincing?
Have I answered the most likely objection?
Does the ask say who, what, by when and at what cost?
If this is a bio, do the first two lines say who I help and how?

In your field

Technical writers often assume the data will speak for itself. Translate results into the reader's stakes (cost saved, risk reduced, time to delivery) and put the strongest figure in the first paragraph.

Common mistakes

Opening with your own needs instead of the reader's problem.
Making the ask vague (“any support would be welcome”) or leaving it until the last line.
Piling on every piece of evidence instead of choosing the two or three this reader trusts.
Ignoring the obvious objection, so the reader raises it and the decision stalls.
Writing a bio as a list of job titles with no sense of who you help or what you have achieved.

Go further

Audience (UNC Writing Center)How to judge what your reader already knows and adjust content, evidence and tone to match.
Policy Briefs (University of Waterloo)Canadian guide to making research persuasive for decision-makers, including advocacy and objective briefs.
Stand Out Online: How to Write an Effective LinkedIn Summary (CUNY Graduate Center)Advice for graduate students and researchers on opening lines, evidence and a call to action in a LinkedIn About section.
Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan HeathWhy some ideas are remembered and acted on, with practical principles for concrete, credible messages.