Look back at the story of Ramon Trujillo at the beginning of this chapter. Like Ramon, most people do a certain amount of persuading every day in normal conversation. Keep journal of your communication activities for an entire day, making special note of all instances in which you tried to persuade someone else to your point of view. Choose one of those instances and prepare a brief analysis of it.
In your analysis, answer the following questions:
1. Who was the audience for your persuasive effort?
2. What were the specific purpose and central idea of your persuasive message?
3. Did you rehearse your persuasive message ahead of time, or did it arise spontaneously from the situation?
4. Were you successful in achieving your specific purpose?
5. If you faced the same situation again, what strategic changes would you make in your persuasive effort?