persuasion
Talented persuaders have the power to capture an audience, sway(影响) others' opinions, and convert opponents to their cause. They wield influence and eloquence to convince others to align with their perspective, support their position or ideas, and help implement their solutions.
What exactly is persuasion? Persuasion is a process that enables you to change or reinforce others' attitudes, opinions, or behaviors. It can take place in a single meeting or over time through a series of discussions. Persuasion is a skill that's essential for success in all relationships—personal and business alike. What's more, persuasion is not just a matter of making a rational case, but about presenting information in a way that appeals to fundamental human emotions. It's about positioning an idea, approach, or solution in a way that appeals to the people who are affected by it.
In many ways, persuasion blends art and science. It's an art in that it requires the ability to establish trust and strong communication skills. It's a science in that it hinges on the disciplined collection and analysis of information and solidly researched principles of human behavior. By leveraging proven techniques, anyone can enhance his or her persuasion skills.
To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. To be credible,
we must be truthful.
–Edward R. Murrow
Audience Receptivity and Persuasion Strategies
Audience Type Persuasion Strategies
Hostile—disagrees with you
•Use humor or a story to "warm them up" to you.
•Focus on areas you agree on.
•Demonstrate your expertise and cite experts.
•Support statements with solid evidence.
•Stress that you're looking for a win-win outcome.
•Identify benefits that they would value.
Neutral—understands your position but still needs convincing
•Spell out your proposition's benefits to listeners.
•Present just three clear, compelling points, backed by expert evidence, data, and concrete examples.
•Use stories, personal experiences, and anecdotes to appeal to their emotions.
•Point out any downside of not accepting your proposal.
•Discuss the alternatives you've considered or you believe others might raise.
Uninterested—informed about your subject but doesn't care about it
•Grab their attention with a heart-stopping story, headline, or fact.
•Show how the topic affects them.
•Support your case with three to five compelling facts backed by expert testimony or statistics.
Uninformed—lacks information needed to become convinced
•Establish your credibility by showcasing your experience or qualifications.
•Keep your presentation simple and straightforward; don't confuse them with complex evaluations.
•Create an emotional link by sharing several personal anecdotes.
Supportive—already agrees with you
•Recharge their enthusiasm with success stories and vivid testimonials.
•Help them to anticipate and refute possible arguments from opponents.
•Hand out a detailed action plan with clear deadlines.
Mixed—contains a cross-section of attitudes and views
•Identify listeners whom you most have to win over and who have the most power. Concentrate your efforts on them.
•Appeal to different subgroups with different messages; for example, snack-food commercials promise kids great taste and parents nutrition.
•Avoid promising everything to everyone.
Decision-making styles
To further boost your odds of persuading those who have the power to accept or reject your proposal, tailor your arguments to fit their decision-making style. People have distinct styles of decision making. The table below lists five styles, their characteristics, and corresponding persuasion strategies.
Decision-Making Styles and Persuasion Strategies Decision-Making Style
Decision Maker's Characteristics
Persuasion Strategies
Charismatic
•Initially enthralled, but bases final decisions on balanced information
•May mislead you into thinking you've scored an immediate success
•Focus discussion on results.
•Make simple, straightforward arguments.
•Use visual aids to demonstrate features and benefits of proposal.
Thinker
•Cerebral, logical, and risk-averse
•Needs extensive detail
•Gather as much supporting data as possible.
•Use a fact-based approach to persuading.
Skeptic
•Challenges every data point
•Decides based on gut feelings
•Establish as much credibility as possible.
•At the beginning of a meeting, invite them to challenge you—indicating you value their ideas and will use them to create the final idea or proposal.
Follower
•Relies on own or others' past decisions to make choices
•Takes plenty of time to decide whether to adopt idea
•Follows the lead of bosses or others who are "politically important"
•Focus on proven methods such as references and testimonials.
•Understand whom they like to follow or defer to and get their support.
Controller
•Unemotional and analytical
•Abhors uncertainty
•Inclined to implement only his or her own ideas
•Ensure your argument is sound and well structured.
•Identify outcomes of value to them.
What exactly is persuasion? Persuasion is a process that enables you to change or reinforce others' attitudes, opinions, or behaviors. It can take place in a single meeting or over time through a series of discussions. Persuasion is a skill that's essential for success in all relationships—personal and business alike. What's more, persuasion is not just a matter of making a rational case, but about presenting information in a way that appeals to fundamental human emotions. It's about positioning an idea, approach, or solution in a way that appeals to the people who are affected by it.
In many ways, persuasion blends art and science. It's an art in that it requires the ability to establish trust and strong communication skills. It's a science in that it hinges on the disciplined collection and analysis of information and solidly researched principles of human behavior. By leveraging proven techniques, anyone can enhance his or her persuasion skills.
To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. To be credible,
we must be truthful.
–Edward R. Murrow
Audience Receptivity and Persuasion Strategies
Audience Type Persuasion Strategies
Hostile—disagrees with you
•Use humor or a story to "warm them up" to you.
•Focus on areas you agree on.
•Demonstrate your expertise and cite experts.
•Support statements with solid evidence.
•Stress that you're looking for a win-win outcome.
•Identify benefits that they would value.
Neutral—understands your position but still needs convincing
•Spell out your proposition's benefits to listeners.
•Present just three clear, compelling points, backed by expert evidence, data, and concrete examples.
•Use stories, personal experiences, and anecdotes to appeal to their emotions.
•Point out any downside of not accepting your proposal.
•Discuss the alternatives you've considered or you believe others might raise.
Uninterested—informed about your subject but doesn't care about it
•Grab their attention with a heart-stopping story, headline, or fact.
•Show how the topic affects them.
•Support your case with three to five compelling facts backed by expert testimony or statistics.
Uninformed—lacks information needed to become convinced
•Establish your credibility by showcasing your experience or qualifications.
•Keep your presentation simple and straightforward; don't confuse them with complex evaluations.
•Create an emotional link by sharing several personal anecdotes.
Supportive—already agrees with you
•Recharge their enthusiasm with success stories and vivid testimonials.
•Help them to anticipate and refute possible arguments from opponents.
•Hand out a detailed action plan with clear deadlines.
Mixed—contains a cross-section of attitudes and views
•Identify listeners whom you most have to win over and who have the most power. Concentrate your efforts on them.
•Appeal to different subgroups with different messages; for example, snack-food commercials promise kids great taste and parents nutrition.
•Avoid promising everything to everyone.
Decision-making styles
To further boost your odds of persuading those who have the power to accept or reject your proposal, tailor your arguments to fit their decision-making style. People have distinct styles of decision making. The table below lists five styles, their characteristics, and corresponding persuasion strategies.
Decision-Making Styles and Persuasion Strategies Decision-Making Style
Decision Maker's Characteristics
Persuasion Strategies
Charismatic
•Initially enthralled, but bases final decisions on balanced information
•May mislead you into thinking you've scored an immediate success
•Focus discussion on results.
•Make simple, straightforward arguments.
•Use visual aids to demonstrate features and benefits of proposal.
Thinker
•Cerebral, logical, and risk-averse
•Needs extensive detail
•Gather as much supporting data as possible.
•Use a fact-based approach to persuading.
Skeptic
•Challenges every data point
•Decides based on gut feelings
•Establish as much credibility as possible.
•At the beginning of a meeting, invite them to challenge you—indicating you value their ideas and will use them to create the final idea or proposal.
Follower
•Relies on own or others' past decisions to make choices
•Takes plenty of time to decide whether to adopt idea
•Follows the lead of bosses or others who are "politically important"
•Focus on proven methods such as references and testimonials.
•Understand whom they like to follow or defer to and get their support.
Controller
•Unemotional and analytical
•Abhors uncertainty
•Inclined to implement only his or her own ideas
•Ensure your argument is sound and well structured.
•Identify outcomes of value to them.