Persuade the Internet Has Opened

PERSUADE

The Internet has opened up a whole new opportunity for businesses to sell their products. During November 1 - December 3, 2006, retail spending on U.S. websites reached $12.42 billion. The number of online buyers increased by 17%, and the average dollars spent per buyer increased by 7%.

As you know, for the past several months, our graphics and webmaster team have been diligently working to upgrade our website, so it is compatible with the design and technology expectations of our customers. I'm really pleased how well our run through went, and look forward to our "re-grand opening." We have a newly updated brochure and customer newsletters that mention the website rebuild and address. I have placed the URL address on all print advertisements and TV and radio commercials. I'm also sending a memo out to all employees to put the website on their e-mail signatures and talk it up with friends and associates.

With your support, I would also like to expand this promotional program further. Presently, we do not have our URL address on any stationary, packaging or premiums.

Since the cost of packaging and supplies falls under your budget, I would like your suggestion on the best way to proceed. I know we have not ordered larger promotional items, such as cups and hats, for some time, so it will not be long before we have to reorder. At that time, we can decide what is best for the website address and our logo. Smaller items, such as pens and pencils, are not very costly to stock up.

Since our letterhead and packaging goes out to so many customers, of course I would like to see the address on these as well. However, I do not know how much is left in our warehouse. We have a choice of using all the stationary up or recycling what we have. I do not want to waste too much paper, but I also do not want to go too long without the address. You and I had talked about this several months back, so I hope that you did not do any major reordering.

With costs going up, I know we want to find a good balance between the amount of money spent on promoting the website and what is saved by using older materials. I believe that you and I can find an answer that fits this balance.

We are very much looking forward to the increased sales that our site is expected to generate. Even with our older, less sophisticated and user-friendly site, we were incrementally increasing sales from month to month. With the new site and promotion, I feel quite confident that the Internet is going to be a big winner for us. I will give you a call early next week to discuss this with you further. Until then, thank you, Bob, for your thoughts on this.

To all employees:

On May 15, 2007, we are going to be having a re-opening celebration of our website at http://ourcompany.com.In order to get into the spirit of this event, we would like you all to add the website address to your e-mail signature blocks as of this May date.

Congratulations to our webmaster and graphics team for doing such a great job. I know that this site is going to be very successful. As we get closer to the date, you will have additional information on the activities. Until then, start spreading the word that we are going live with a new website in May.

Over 1000 students from five schools in Smithtown County will be participating in the 3rd annual "Kids CAN Make a Difference" Program in celebration of Earth Day 2007 on April 24nd!!. This project encourages students of all ages to make a difference in their communities by learning about, protecting and improving the environment.

The students who will be conducting varied projects, based on their grade, are very excited about their role to be a friend to the environment. The first- through fifth-grade students will be picking up trash around their individual schools. The seventh- through tenth-grade science classes will be conducting a downtown clean-up project. Each group of students, along with two chaperone parents and teachers for safety, are going to be assigned an area to clean up. They were hoping to improve the appearance of their town not only for their own residents, but for anyone who comes into the town and as a gift to the earth.

Suzanne Marie Dickens, a third-grader at Trevor School says, "Sometimes it looks so horrible when walking down the street. People throw water bottles and other stuff from their cars or when running. I'm glad I can help make it clean again."

The students are studying pollution in school and how it can harm the environment. This is the culmination of a month of projects. When they are finished, all the trash will be carted away and weighed, so they can see how much there was overall.

Please sign the permission slip below, if you allow your child to participate. There will be a study hall maintained for anyone not being able to attend. This is not mandatory. We want this to be an enjoyable and interesting day.

Younger students will stay at their schools; older ones will take buses downtown. The buses will leave after school starts in the morning and return before lunch. In case of heavy rain, the day will be postponed to April 26th; otherwise children should dress accordingly in layers of clothing and boots. In case of bad whether, the Smithtown website will have notification of a delay.

Please sign the form below and have your son or daughter return it to school. Any forms that are not returned, the students will remain in the school. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to be a chaperone, please write a note below or call the school's office.

In the past two years, the students have felt very pleased at the end of the cleanup, knowing that they did their share to keep the earth beautiful.

Dear Finance Committee:

At the writing center, we are disappointed to hear that communication is playing second fiddle to other college activities and that our budget may be cut. It is a simple fact that college graduates, regardless of what career they follow, will need to write well -- either in memos, business letters, customer letters and e-mails. With the world becoming more global every day, making oneself understood is going to be more important than ever. Also, the way that a person writes quickly forms an impression on the reader. A customer who sees a grammatical error will not have much credibility in that company. (Not to mention the credibility of the university when its students graduate with poor writing ability)

It is also true that students' writing ability has been sliding downhill since the Internet, with instant messaging and e-mail, as well as with spell and grammar check. Some of the papers that are handed into the professors are quite disturbing.

Think about the importance of tutoring, as well. Many studies have demonstrated the benefits of the tutor experience either with peers or with teachers of writing. Students who have difficulty learning in larger classes have a much better chance to acquire needed skills on a one-to-one basis.

Presently, the writing center has only one paid faculty member, and she is only part time in addition to her other classes on campus. The others are graduate teaching assistants, who receive a much smaller salary for their work. The amount saved is very little compared to the large dollars the university wants to cut. Plus, even more essential, there is no way that a dollar amount can be placed on the good that such tutoring is doing for the students and their future.

We understand that the world is becoming increasingly technologically complex, and a greater emphasis is being placed on the sciences and mathematics. However, it should never be forgotten that what differentiates humans from other animals is our ability to communicate verbally and in written form. Writing will always be an essential aspect of society growth and development.

Please think twice about cutting the writing center budget. There are too many "write" reasons not to.

Dear Faculty Members:

In case you have not heard, the finance committee is considering cutting the budget of the writing center. As an educator, you know it is a simple fact that college graduates, regardless of what career they follow, will need to write well -- either in memos, business letters, customer letters and e-mails. With the world becoming more global every day, making oneself understood is going to be more important than ever. Also, the way that a person writes quickly forms an impression on the reader. A customer who sees a grammatical error will not have much credibility in that company. (Not to mention the credibility of the university when its students graduate with poor writing ability)

It is also true that many faculty members have been bemoaning the fact that their students' writing ability has been sliding downhill since the Internet, with instant messaging and e-mail, as well as with spell and grammar check. Some of the papers that you receive are quite disturbing.