See the letter on the next page. The dentist who wrote this letter to his patients wishes to explain a change in his office procedures: he will no longer be a "preferred provider" with the various insurance companies that cover his patients. This policy change means that he will no longer limit his charges to the amounts mandated by these insurance companies; he will charge more for those procedures that require more time or expense. The dentist begins the letter effectively by expressing his gratitude to his patients. He then goes on to explain that remaining a "preferred provider" would compromise his standards of professional care by forcing him to work too quickly. (It's not clear to me, however, how remaining a "preferred provider" forces his patients to wait longer, as he claims in paragraph 4.) His basic argument taps into most people's concerns about managed care

We don't necessarily expect our dentist to be an expert rhetorical writer, but the shortcomings of this letter are especially noticeable in view of the writer's thesis that he wishes to remain fully "professional."  Write an official memo to me, your instructor, detailing what you feel are the specific problems with this letter. Think about this letter in terms of the effective persuasive techniques that we have been discussing, and the proper professional attitude to convey to your clients.  

Please follow the model Memo in our text in Chapter 14.  Note that to fully convey the information I’m looking for from you, your memo should be at least two pages long.  Therefore you must have some form of organizing principle, such as short paragraphs with headings and subheadings under the “discussion” heading in your memo, or bulleted lists (if applicable). This will make your memo accessible and “Reader-Friendly.”

Also think about these criteria:

Clarity

Accuracy / Correctness / Honesty

Accessibility

Conciseness

Appearance

Strengths (If any)

Note that I will also grade your memo on these same criteria.