While reading Martin Luther Kings "Letter from Birmingham Jail" I quickly realized that the ethos, logos, and pathos in his persuasive writing was going to be unparalleled with other letters. He soundly gave evidence of his expertise on the subject early on. He waste no time in building his ethos through his words as well as his overall moral character prior to writing the letter. He explains in the first few sentences why he is in jail in the first place. He goes on to use pathos to his advantage by using the bandwagon tactic several times over. He backs up his statements with hard evidence which is hard to manipulate and thus builds his logos.

Lets take a look at this persuasive business letter.

Author: Alan Sharpe

Target audience: General managers of auto dealerships

Mailer: Sharpe AutoCards [a fictional company for the purposes of this sample letter]

Purpose: Generate appointments for salespeople

Dear Mr. Carling:

Go ahead, pull this amazing little card off the paper.

It's made of plastic. It costs you $2 to buy. But it's worth the price of a new car, sold off your lot. This card is worth the lifetime value of a loyal customer. In sales, service, parts, accessories and referrals. And goodwill. And free word-of-mouth advertising.

Hold it in you hand for a minute, and think of your competition. Consider your revenue goals for the next quarter. Do you need to increase your new and used vehicle sales? Boost your parts & service department revenue? Multiply your accessories department revenue? Retain customers after their warranty runs out?

This card will help. Big time. It's a vital part of Sharpe AutoCards, a custom-branded loyalty and gift card program that generates revenue for your dealership. But first, how it works.

Take a look at the front of your card. As you can see, you customize the card to match your dealership's brand image and visual identity. Now turn it over. See that magnetic stripe across the back? It stores information about the card's dollar value and each transaction.

You hand cards like this to everyone whose business you want to attract and whose loyalty you must keep. Walk ins. Be Backs. Looky-Lous. Current customers. Even former customers. They all use the card to buy products and services at your auto dealership only.

You manage the program using a simple card reader hooked to a personal computer at your dealership running our software. For an average auto dealership, the start-up cost of buying the system and operating it for one year is less than $2 per car sold that year.

That's what the card does. Here's what it does for you.

Please read the brochure I've enclosed for the compelling specifics. You use the Sharpe AutoCards card to:

1. Close more sales by beating competitors' discounts

2. Boost your service department revenue and repeat business

3. Multiply your accessories department revenue

4. Retain customers for years after the sale

5. Attract potential customers and increase traffic in your showroom

6. Increase referral business

7. Increase revenue on the back end

8. Promote brand awareness of your dealership

The Sharpe AutoCards system is up to five times less expensive than competing offerings. Plus, you pay no transaction fees and you don't have to buy any annual maintenance contracts. I call that a win-win-lose proposition for you, your customers and your competitors.

Use your card today to receive free coffee and donuts for four.

The gift card you are holding in your hand has been pre-loaded with $10 worth of coffee and donuts. Get a first-hand demonstration of how the card works by inviting me to your showroom for a complimentary consultation about the Sharpe AutoCards system. Hand me your gift card, I'll swipe it, process your transaction, and hand over your free coffee and donuts. Like the gift cards you'll use one day, this one can only be redeemed at the place of business on the card, which is to say, Tri-City Chev-Olds.

When is a good time for us to get together for coffee and a chat at your showroom? Call me at 123 456-7891 today and let's set up an appointment.

Yours sincerely,

[signature in blue ink]

Brad K Phillips, Director, Sales

This letter is loaded with ethos, logos, and pathos. Alan Sharp uses the advantages of the card in a bullet format and quickly embeds logos into the letter. This in turn makes the author look prepared for the subject and in turn builds his ethos. But of the three I think the pathos is what is the authors strong point. He instills a sense of attachment to the card by telling the reader to hold it in his hand, look at the strip on the back, and think of dollar signs while doing so. Pathos is also used when the author tells the reader to think of his competition. This creates a band wagon effect of his own. I almost want that card myself, laugh, I really like this letter as a piece of persuasive writing. It is built extremely well!