businessenglishpod.

com
The Business English podcast for professionals on the move

BEP 60 ADV - Persuasion 2: Establishing the Need

Welcome to the second in this three-part series on persuasion.

What are the five steps of the persuasive process? Let’s review the Monroe
Sequence:

1) Get the audience’s attention

2) Establish a need
3) Satisfy that need
4) Visualize the future
5) Ask for action

Last time we heard a bad example and a good example of persuasion. Then we
covered the first step of the Monroe Sequence: We learned that to be persuasive,
you first need to get the audience’s attention by establishing the relevance of the
topic. We also talked about how it’s extremely important to relate your proposal
directly to your audience’s needs.

In today’s show, we will be continuing on that theme by looking in detail at the

second step in the Monroe Sequence, the need step. This is where you demonstrate
to the audience that there is a serious problem with the current situation. This
prepares them psychologically to accept your solution.

Let’s continue listening to the good example of persuasion that we started last time.
Remember Steve has just gotten his audience’s attention by pointing out the
amount of money that Swift loses every year due to turnover. He has also posed a
problem: How can we reverse the trend and turn the situation around?

During the listening, you will hear Steve’s managers, Glen and Sally, make
occasional comments as Steve presents his idea.

And while you listen, see if you can answer these questions. You can check your
answers in a few days on the website.

Listening Questions

1. What’s the highest temperature in the welding room?

2. What does Steve present first – the problem or the solution?

3. What kind of strategies does Steve use to paint a vivid picture of the need for
his solution?

© 2007 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com 1

BEP 60 ADV – Persuasion 2: Establishing the Need

Dialog

Glen: What do you have in mind Steve?

Steve: Well, the problem starts in the welding room. <Need step 1: Origin of
problem> Due to high turnover and low efficiency from replacement workers, we
just don’t make as many frames as we do during the rest of the year. And if we
don’t have frames, we can’t make bikes. <Need step 2: Explaining the background
of the problem>

Sally: Where’s the high turnover come from?

Steve: Good question. Both the high turnover and low efficiency are because of the
extreme heat in the welding room. Temperatures average 6°C over the outside
temperatures. During the summer, when work starts at 8, it’s already 31°C in
welding room. By 11:30, it’s at least 37. On six days last summer, it hit 41°C.

Glen: That’s hot!

Steve: Yes, and when the temperatures are that high, we may be violating
government regulations.

And as you know, these production workers are always working on, moving or
carrying frames, which weigh as much as 8 kilos. <Need step 3: Relating to the
audience’s knowledge> When temperatures hit 35°C, they slow down. With no
relief in sight, many of them quit.

Sally: How many was it again last year?

Steve: Well, this summer we have already replaced 11 of the 36 employees in

welding room. Turnover for the whole summer will usually run over 50%. When
someone quits, it takes an average of five days to find and train a replacement.
During that time, the trainee produces nothing. For another five days, the new
person can work at only about half speed. According to my calculations, we are
producing 12,300 less units per summer than we would without this turnover.
<Need step 4: Quoting figures>

Glen: Wow 12,300, is it really that much?

Steve: Yes, and figuring a profit of $16 on every bike we sell, those 12,300
products we aren’t making are costing us two hundred thousand dollars in potential
earnings. <Need step 5: Talking about the bottom line>

Glen: That’s pretty significant. What will it take to fix the problem?

NB: A second copy of the above transcript with the <steps> removed is
available on the last page.

© 2007 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com 2

BEP 60 ADV – Persuasion 2: Establishing the Need

Vocabulary

bike frame: This is the main metal part of the bike to which wheels, pedals, a seat,
etc., are attached.
communication breakdown: This refers to a miscommunication. “Break down”
means to get broken or to stop working. For example, when a car stops working,
we say, “The car has broken down.”
root cause: The root of a plant is the part that sticks into the ground. The root of
the problem is the basic cause, the fundamental origin.
trace the origin: “Origin” means the beginning. With regard to problems, it refers to
the cause. To “trace” means to follow. So “to trace the origin” means something
like to find or identify the cause.
risk controls: In finance or banks, these are the measures (rules, regulations,
procedures) that you take to control risk, i.e., to try to prevent or reduce the risk
(the possibility) of bad outcomes.
in a nut shell: This is a phrase used to sum up. It’s similar in use to “in a word” or
“to sum up.”

Debrief
So far Steve has not yet said a single word about the solution to his problem, has
he? Up to this point, he has just been focusing on establishing a clear need. This is
a key strategy in the Monroe sequence: First, demonstrate a serious problem with
the current situation. When the audience feels a clear need to solve the problem,
they will be ready to accept your proposal.

This form of persuasion – presenting the need before the solution – is often called
the “indirect” method. When is the indirect method more appropriate than a direct
approach? You’ll have to rely on your knowledge of the situation, the culture and
the audience to make that judgment. Generally, the direct method – giving the
solution first – may be more useful when you’re dealing with a small problem or
when you know the individuals involved very well.

But there is not doubt that indirect persuasion is a powerful tool. As Monroe would
say, by following the natural human decision-making process – first we feel a
need, then we look for a solution – you can more easily overcome all kinds of
resistance or opposition to your ideas.

How does Steve establish a need for his proposal? Let’s look at some language he
uses. First he discusses the origin or beginning of the problem.

Well, the problem starts in the welding room.

What are some other ways you can refer to the origin of a problem?

• Well, this issue goes back to a communication breakdown.

• The root cause of the problem has to do with lack of supervision and poor
training.
• We can trace the origin of this issue to poor implementation of risk controls.

© 2007 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com 3

BEP 60 ADV – Persuasion 2: Establishing the Need

Next Steve explains the background of the problem.

Due to high turnover and low efficiency from replacement workers, we just don’t
make as many frames as we do during the rest of the year. And if we don’t have
frames, we can’t make bikes.

Steve is building up the reasons for the problem here. He is painting a vivid picture
of the causes. What are some other phrases you can use to do this?

• Because of an overall decrease in the numbers of face-to-face meetings, our

staff just don’t get to know each other, so that basic element of trust is
lacking.
• Owing to high turnover, there are really no qualified mentors in this team.
On top of that, management has not been conducting sufficient oversight of
new hires.
• Since every local office had its own vested interests, there was very little
willingness to submit to central oversight.

Note again that we haven’t said anything yet about the solution. In the indirect
method of persuasion, we must avoid talking about the solution at all costs until we
have established a clear need. The mistake most often made by beginners and
inexperienced persuaders is that start talking about the solution much too early in
their presentation.

Now, let’s practice what you have learned so far today.

In a moment you’ll be hearing a series of hints or cues. First you’ll hear the origin
of a problem, then some words explaining the background. Use the phrases we
have just studied to make a short statement on the origin and background of each
issue. For example, if you hear “High summer temperatures: Increased use of air
conditioners, lack of electricity,” you will say something like: “The root cause of this
problem is the high summer temperatures. Because of increased use of air
conditioners, we are facing a lack of electricity.” Feel free to invent details. Then,
after each exercise, you will hear an example answer that you can compare with
your own.

Cue 1: Poor training: Poor computer knowledge, waste time.

Learner:

Cue 2: Overuse of photocopier: Too much personal use, a lot of paper gets wasted.
Learner:

Cue 3: Increased cost: Excessive prices, lose customers.

Learner:

© 2007 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com 4

BEP 60 ADV – Persuasion 2: Establishing the Need

Answer 1: The root cause of this problem is poor training. Because we have poor
computer knowledge, we end up wasting a lot of time.

Answer 2: This issue goes back to the overuse of the photocopier. Because staff
are using it for personal use, a lot of paper gets wasted.

Answer 3: We can trace the origin of this problem to increased cost. Owing to
excessive prices, we lose a lot of customers.

How did you do? It’s a good idea to go back and try the practice again to build up
fluency. Also, try substituting different language to build up a range of expressions.

Now let’s get back to the dialog. So far we’ve studied talking about the origin and
background of the problem. What are some other ways that Nick uses to establish a
clear need for his proposal? For one thing, Nick paints a vivid picture of the
conditions in the welding room as the temperature increases throughout the day.

During the summer, when work starts at 8, it’s already 31°C in welding room. By
11:30, it’s at least 37. On six days last summer, it hit 41°C.

This is a kind of detailed example that illustrates the problem.

As he continues demonstrating the problem, another way that Steve adds

persuasiveness to his presentation is by relating to the audience’s own knowledge
of the issue.

And as you know, these production workers are always working on, moving or
carrying frames, which weigh as much as 8 kilos.

“As you know” is a way of using your listeners’ own knowledge as a tool of
persuasion. This is an effective strategy. What are some other ways to refer to the
audience’s knowledge?

• I know the people in this room would be the first ones to tell me that trust is
essential to a harmonious and productive work environment.
• As you all can appreciate, excellent training and supervision are essential to
our work.
• I don’t need to tell you that we must have adequate oversight of branch
office accounting practices.

Another way that Steve demonstrates need is to use numbers to very good effect.
Though he is careful not to overwhelm his audience with statistics, he does know
his figures: Last time we heard about “a 16% drop in productivity” and a “$181,000
dollars lost in potential profits.” This time he mentions that the welding room has
“already replaced 11 of 36” employees and “turnover for the summer will often
usually run over 50%.” Let’s listen to one of Steve’s particularly effective uses of
statistics:

According to my calculations, we are producing 12,300 less units per summer than
we would without this turnover.

© 2007 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com 5

BEP 60 ADV – Persuasion 2: Establishing the Need

“According to my calculations” is a great way to introduce numbers. What are some

other ways to quote figures?

• According to the latest figures, there has been a 25% drop in productivity
over the past two months.
• The latest statistics demonstrate that new workers are taking on average
65% longer to become fully trained.
• Our numbers show that as much as 5% of our earnings may be wasted
because of excess tax due to outdated accounting procedures.

Let’s continue on with the theme of using numbers to add persuasive weight to the
problem. Nothing is more convincing than talking about the bottom line. The
bottom line refers to the last line on a company’s profit and loss statement. It tells
us whether we made a profit or a loss. Idiomatically, “bottom line” also means the
net result or the final analysis.

In the need step, it’s a good idea to provide a vivid summary of the business
impact of the problem in terms of profit or loss, the bottom line. Let’s listen to how
Nick does this.

…figuring a profit of $16 on every bike we sell, those 12,300 products we aren’t
making are costing us two hundred thousand dollars in potential earnings.

What are some other ways to talk about the bottom line?

• The bottom line is that this lack of trust between business units has resulted
in at least 45% drop in customer retention last year.
• Taking into account this loss in productivity, poor training and lack of
oversight have incurred immeasurable costs.
• In a nut shell, poor implementation of risk management systems at the local
level could be costing us as much as $22.5 million per year.

To sum up, in your need step you will make a convincing demonstration of the
problem and how it directly affects your audience. In business, this usually means
using figures to paint a vivid picture a clear business need in terms of profit and
loss. However, depending on the situation and your audience, you may also want to
talk about how the problem affects their health, happiness, security, or other
interests.

It is no accident that Steve spends the majority of his time on the need step. By
then end of this step, your listeners should be so concerned about the problem that
they are looking, searching, even begging for a solution. They are now
psychologically prepared for your answer to their problem. That’s where the next
step comes in – satisfying the need. We’ll be taking a close look at this step, as well
as visualizing the future and asking for action, in the third and final episode of this
series.

In the meantime, be sure to read the study notes for this episode, which are
available at www.businessenglishpod.com. You’ll find a full transcript and additional
practice exercises, as well as a list of vocabulary used in this show.

© 2007 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com 6

BEP 60 ADV – Persuasion 2: Establishing the Need

Language Review

A. Need step strategies: Put the words in the correct order, then decide if the
sentence is talking about the origin of the problem (P) or relating to audience
knowledge (R). The first one has been done for you.

1. this well to issue goes back a breakdown communication. P

Well, this issues goes back to a communication breakdown.

2. practices need to don’t tell I you that we adequate have must oversight of
office accounting branch. R

3. know I harmonious the in this the room would be first environment people
ones to tell me that trust is and essential to a productive work. R

4. this we can trace the issue origin of to implementation controls of poor risk. P

5. you work all our can as are training excellent and appreciate supervision
essential to. R

6. cause the root and supervision problem of the has to poor do with lack of
training. P

B. Quoting figures and talking about the bottom line: To review key language
and collocations, fill in the blanks with words from the box.

poor implementation of taking into account may be disappearing

drop in productivity the bottom line taking on average

1. According to the latest figures, there has been a 25% over

the past two months.
2. The latest statistics demonstrate that new workers are 65%
longer to become fully trained.
3. Our numbers show that as much as 5% of our earnings
because of excess tax caused by poor local accounting.
4. is that this lack of trust between business units has
resulted in at least 45% drop in customer retention last year.
5. this loss in productivity, poor training and lack of
oversight have incurred immeasurable costs.
6. In a nut shell, risk management systems at the local level
could be costing us as much as $22.5 million per year.

© 2007 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com 7

BEP 60 ADV – Persuasion 2: Establishing the Need

Example Phrases

Need step 1: Origin of problem:

• Well, this issue goes back to a communication breakdown.
• The root cause of the problem has to do with lack of supervision and poor
training.
• We can trace the origin of this issue to poor implementation of risk controls.

Need step 2: Explaining the background of the problem:

• Because of an overall decrease in the numbers of face-to-face meetings, our
staff just don’t get to know each other, so that basic element of trust is
lacking.
• Owing to high turnover, there are really no qualified mentors in this team.
On top of that, management has not been conducting sufficient oversight of
new hires.
• Since every local office had its own vested interests, there was very little
willingness to submit to central oversight.

Need step 3: Relating to audience knowledge:

• I know the people in this room would be the first ones to tell me that trust is
essential to a harmonious and productive work environment.
• As you all can appreciate, excellent training and supervision are essential to
our work.
• I don’t need to tell you that we must have adequate oversight of branch
office accounting practices.

Need step 4: Quoting figures:

• According to the latest figures, there has been a 25% drop in productivity
over the past two months.
• The latest statistics demonstrate that new workers are taking on average
65% longer to become fully trained.
• Our numbers show that as much as 5% of our earnings may be disappearing
because of excess tax caused by poor local accounting.

Need step 5: Talking about the bottom line:

• The bottom line is that this lack of trust between business units has resulted
in at least 45% drop in customer retention last year.
• Taking into account this loss in productivity, poor training and lack of
oversight have incurred immeasurable costs.
• In a nut shell, poor implementation of risk management systems at the local
level could be costing us as much as $22.5 million per year.

© 2007 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com 8

BEP 60 ADV – Persuasion 2: Establishing the Need

Links - Online Activities

BEP 60 ADV - Persuasion 2 - Quiz
BEP 60 ADV - Persuasion 2 - Gap-fill
BEP 60 ADV - Persuasion 2 - Language 1
BEP 60 ADV - Persuasion 2 - Language 2
BEP 60 ADV - Persuasion 2 - Language 3
BEP 60 ADV - Persuasion 2 - Flashcards

Answers

Listening Questions

1. On six days last summer, it hit 41°C.

2. ? Following an indirect approach, Steve first presents the problem then the
solution. By first making a convincing statement of an urgent need, Steve is
preparing his audience to accept his solution.
3. Steve uses a number of strategies to make a convincing statement of the
turnover problem. He starts with the origin of issue. Describing how the
welding room gradually heats up during the day, he paints a vivid picture of
the background to the problem. Then he uses a number of figures to show a
real business need for addressing the problem because of its impact on the
“bottom line” or profit of the company.

Language Review

A.
1. (answer given)
2. I don’t need to tell you that we must have adequate oversight of branch
office accounting practices. R
3. I know the people in this room would be the first ones to tell me that trust is
essential to a harmonious and productive work environment. R
4. We can trace the origin of this issue to poor implementation of risk controls.
P
5. As you all can appreciate, excellent training and supervision are essential to
our work. R
6. The root cause of the problem has to do with lack of supervision and poor
training. P

B.
1. drop in productivity
2. taking on average
3. may be disappearing
4. the bottom line
5. taking into account
6. poor implementation of

© 2007 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com 9

BEP 60 ADV – Persuasion 2: Establishing the Need

Dialog

Glen: What do you have in mind Steve?

Steve: Well, the problem starts in the welding room. Due to high turnover and low
efficiency from replacement workers, we just don’t make as many frames as we do
during the rest of the year. And if we don’t have frames, we can’t make bikes.

Sally: Where’s the high turnover come from?

Steve: Good question. Both the high turnover and low efficiency are because of the
extreme heat in the welding room. Temperatures average 6°C over the outside
temperatures. During the summer, when work starts at 8, it’s already 31°C in
welding room. By 11:30, it’s at least 37. On six days last summer, it hit 41°C.

Glen: That’s hot!

Steve: Yes, and when the temperatures are that high, we may be violating
government regulations.

And as you know, these production workers are always working on, moving or
carrying frames, which weigh as much as 8 kilos. When temperatures hit 35°C,
they slow down. With no relief in sight, many of them quit.

Sally: How many was it again last year?

Steve: Well, this summer we have already replaced 11 of the 36 employees in

welding room. Turnover for the whole summer will usually run over 50%. When
someone quits, it takes an average of five days to find and train a replacement.
During that time, the trainee produces nothing. For another five days, the new
person can work at only about half speed. According to my calculations, we are
producing 12,300 less units per summer than we would without this turnover.

Glen: Wow 12,300, is it really that much?

Steve: Yes, and figuring a profit of $16 on every bike we sell, those 12,300
products we aren’t making are costing us two hundred thousand dollars in potential
earnings.

Glen: That’s pretty significant. What will it take to fix the problem?

© 2007 All rights reserved: businessenglishpod.com 10