Q What is it: A sales email is a rhetorical situation we are all exposed to on a daily basis with the emails that are clogging our inboxes and trying to sell us on a sale, a new product, a service, etc. Purpose: A sales email is drafted much like a persuasive letter, but it uses the email form and normally includes an extensive use of graphics while still utilizing the AIDA format. Topic: In a previous module, you worked in a group for the company Profit, Inc. and in later work, you changed the name and type of business to one that interests the members of your group. For this assignment, though you are working alone, you should imagine yourself owning a company. As part of launching your business, or maintaining your profit margin, you need to send out sale and promotional materials through email. This email should be about one single product or service that you are advertising to your customers utilizing the AIDA format and rhetorical appeals (pathos, ethos, and logos). Goals: A persuasive appeal aims at three possible outcomes: • It wants to change the actions, the thoughts, or the feelings of the audience. • Your audience should behave, think, or feel differently based upon your appeal. Assignment Instructions Tasks: You will have multiple tasks to accomplish to generate the persuasive email for your company. • Determine your audience – Who will you market your product to? You won’t want to send it to everyone, so who is your audience? Are you marketing to other businesses (b2b), to consumers (b2c), or to specific sections of consumers (targeted marketing)? • Provide compelling content – You can review the table on page 195 for some help with this, but you will want to maintain the AIDA format. • Sell your idea – This is the focus of the “action” portion of the AIDA format, and it is where you will change the actions, thoughts, or feelings of your audience. Think and consider what rhetorical appeals are the best approach for your specific product and result. Format: Sales emails do not have a specific format, but each features some specific content that you want to model in your email. • Subject – Your subject line needs to be compelling enough to get your audience to open the email. That’s the goal here. Spend some time on this short piece, as without a compelling or interest drawing subject line, nothing inside the email will be read. • Graphics – Even for established companies that don’t necessarily “need” to utilize pictures, there are always graphics in email marketing. What pictures work best for your idea? How will those graphics appeal to your audience? • Text – Short paragraphs or groupings of words, often separated by additional graphics or close-ups of the product. • Link – There should be at least one link to the product or company home page, plus a direct link to call the company, etc. This is a necessary portion of the marketing email. You do NOT need to use a real link here, but you should use “click here” and make it a hyperlink that goes to the Palm Beach State homepage. Length: 100-200 words • Most people won’t even read an email much longer than this, and they won’t read a long email that is trying to sell them something. However, the more graphics that break up the text, the better chance you have to keep the attention of your audience. Remember: Word choice and style are part of creating the personality of your company and building the characterization of your company as positive in the minds of potential customers or neighbors. View Rubric GEB3213 Assignment Rubric GEB3213 Assignment Rubric Criteria Ratings Pts Rhetorical Situation view longer description 25 pts Exemplary The writing engages the correct audience, purpose, and genre for the assignment. It does so through a thoughtful analysis of the prompt and creates an expected document that conforms to genre conventions in style. 21 pts Accomplished The writing engages the correct genre, purpose, and audience. Document only conforms to most of the genre expectations. 17 pts Developing The writing is in the correct genre, but audience or purpose may be incorrect at the outset or fluctuate during the written text. Document conforms to some genre expectations, but not a majority of them. 10 pts Beginning The writing fails to meet the minimum requirements of the assignment. It does not engage the prompt through the correct genre, audience, or purpose. The document produced does not conform to genre expectations. / 25 pts Organization view longer description 25 pts Exemplary The writing flows smoothly and logically. It contains the appropriate organizational style for the assignment and shows evidence of consideration for the audience beyond expectations for level of course. 21 pts Accomplished The writing is organized logically and flows well. The organizational style may shift once in the assignment but the attempt to adhere to one style is clearly identified. Section headings are utilized when appropriate. 17 pts Developing The writing demonstrates some attempts at organization but is not consistent and needed to be revised before submission to adhere to prompt guidelines. Some section headings may be present when appropriate. 10 pts Beginning The writing is noticeably lacking in organization. Paragraphing and/or header sections may not be appropriate. / 25 pts Style view longer description 25 pts Exemplary The writing engages the reader through a prose style appropriate to the assignment. Language is precise. Conforms to the 7 Cs and proper APA style for format and citation (internal and final). 21 pts Accomplished The writing keeps the reader’s attention through a carefully crafted prose style. Language chosen is appropriate to the subject but may need further work on one or two of the 7 Cs. Often conforms to APA format and citation but may have some errors in either. 17 pts Developing The writing is clear but could be expressed in a style more appropriate to the subject. Some specific terms are not explained when necessary. Needs additional work on more than three of the 7 Cs. Adheres to some APA format and citation rules, but the citations and/or format may be incorrect more often than correct. 10 pts Beginning The writing lacks clarity and is sometimes confusing. The language chosen is not appropriate to the subject nor the assignment. Needs additional work in nearly all categories of the 7 Cs of communication as defined in the course. No evidence of attempt at engaging APA format or citation in the document. / 25 pts Mechanics view longer description 25 pts Exemplary The writing contains sentences that are nearly always complete and grammatically correct, and free of confusion and ambiguity. 21 pts Accomplished The writing contains sentences that are incomplete, or which imply unstated connections and/or conclusions. The writing may exhibit a few patterns of error, but understanding is not impeded. 17 pts Developing The writing contains some patterns of error, but the reader can understand the meaning of the sentence with some effort. There is some evidence of proofreading, editing, or rewriting. 10 pts Beginning The writing contains multiple patterns of error, and the reader cannot understand the meaning of the sentence. There is no evidence of proofreading, editing, or rewriting. / 25 pts Total Points: 0