Powers of Persuasion

How do you persuade someone to do something?
Do you rely on your authority over them? Do you "sell, sell,
sell," with benefits statements and other Marketing 101
techniques? Do you cater to logic and set up rock solid arguments?
Or do you show unwavering persistence in your position and stick
with it until others agree that you are right?
All of these approaches can be tempting, but they're not always
the most effective means of persuasion. In a defining 1998 article
in the Harvard Business Review titled "The Necessary Art of
Persuasion," Jay Conger, an Organizational Behavior professor,
presented a very different view of persuasion. He said that to be
persuasive you must provide four critical elements:

Credibility
Common Ground
Vivid Evidence
Emotional Connection

We'll talk about these elements in detail, but first let's look at
why it's important to know how to be persuasive. Persuasion isn't
all about selling. Nor is it trying to convince someone to agree
with you. It's about getting to shared understanding and
agreement. From there you work together to reach a mutually
beneficial outcome.
Managers need to be good persuaders. They need
to accomplish objectives through people. They could choose to
bully, dictate, or coerce people to get the work done, but how
successful would that be in the long run? If they use persuasion
effectively, they will lead employees to want to reach a shared
solution.
Likewise, in any situation where you need to
persuade someone to work with you or you want to promote your
idea, if you badger them and sell excessively, you'll only create
resentment. Establishing mutual understanding is what leads to
an agreement; One that is negotiated not forced.
Persuasion Dos and Don'ts
It's important for people to understand persuasion for what it is – not convincing and selling but learning and negotiating.
– Jay Conger
To develop effective powers of persuasion there are essentially
four things you must do, and four things you must not do.
Do... Establish Credibility
Not everyone can be persuasive in all contexts. A professor at
a high-profile medical school has the potential to persuade people
to participate in a clinical study, for example. That same professor
will be much less persuasive when talking about bridge design,
for example. This type of credibility is based on expertise. When
you are perceived as knowledgeable in, and experienced with, a
particular subject, you are more persuasive.

The other basis for building credibility is
through relationships. When you have built a reputation for taking
a genuine interest in the well-being of your team and peers, your
proposals and ideas are infused with that trust as well.
Do... Find Common Ground
The next necessary element is making sure your position appeals
to the audience. Even the most charismatic doctor will find it
hard to recruit participants for a study testing the effects of
long term radiation.
Establishing common ground is the closest you
will get to "selling" your idea. There has to be an upside to
your position so you need to determine what the benefits are.
One of the most effective ways to do this is to analyze what has
appealed to your audience in the past.

Figure out what your audience is interested
in.
Meet with them and open up a dialogue about
the issue at hand.
Listen to their ideas and concerns.
Run your ideas past people you trust first.

If you can't offer a clear benefit then you
need to modify your position or proposal so that there is one.
By talking with your audience first you can set up your position
correctly from the start. This saves time, and it saves you from
the potential embarrassment of presenting a poorly matched pitch.
Do... Produce Vivid Evidence
By now you are probably wondering where the proof part of the
equation is. Of course you have to back up your position with
evidence that what you are saying makes sense. A well-qualified
physicist who wants to build a suit that will make people weightless
has credentials, and an appealing proposition, but if his prototype
is built on the premise that he can reverse gravity, he's going
to struggle to find any takers.
Having evidence to support your position is critical. However,
factual data and reams of spreadsheets and charts are not highly
persuasive. What people respond to is "vivid" evidence that brings
your concept or argument to life. For example:

Use metaphors to relate the concept to a
shared reality.
Supplement data with examples and direct
experiences.
Think of analogies to make your ideas tangible.

This type of experiential proof is what causes shifts in people's
perspectives and allows them to "see" the situation through the
eyes of others who support what you are doing.
Do... Create an Emotional Connection
Finally, no persuasive argument is complete unless you appeal
to your audience's emotions. Some people think an emotional pitch
has little credibility. When done correctly, however, it clearly
establishes that you are plugged into your audience's needs and
desires. So how do you appeal to emotions?

Use your own emotions – this may mean showing
emotions (enthusiasm and passion) or it may mean suppressing
them (anger and frustration).
Sense the emotions of the audience – adjust
your tone and intensity to fit your audience.

Emotions are primary factors in motivation and decision-making. As
much as we'd like to be totally objective, it just doesn't happen.
Appealing to emotions is not manipulative at all. It is a basic
premise of persuasive communication and it helps facilitate a
shared understanding of the issue and what is at stake.
With the four Dos in hand, you must also be aware of the four
classic Don'ts . Each is a common misconception about how to
persuade, so it's important you are able to avoid them and
recognize them when they are being used on you.
Don't... Rely Only on a Great Argument
An argument is one component of persuasion. One or two strong
arguments can be used as evidence that your idea is good, but
you need to connect those arguments to emotion, and make them
real by creating powerful images of what things would be like
if people adopted your viewpoint.

A strong argument example: Polls show that 82 percent of our hair salon
demographic also purchases therapeutic massage treatments on a
regular basis. If we were to offer in-house massages as an up-sell
to our hair styling services, we would tap into this business
stream and create a niche market all at once. I believe this is an
idea that deserves financial and strategic analysis.
A vivid and emotional argument example: Our customers love to be pampered
and they tell us this everyday. I was talking to Shirley Jones,
who's one of our biggest fans, just yesterday about how good the
scalp massages are. She says they are heavenly and figures Barbara
should be a masseuse. I got to thinking about this connection and
realized that our customers treat their hair appointments as an
indulgent, luxurious experience. Why not offer them more
indulgence? So I did some research and analysis and found out that
82 percent of people who match our demographic profile also purchase
massages on a regular basis. Can't you just see our customers
being treated to a massage before their appointment? Usually when
you leave a massage you look like a bedraggled mess. Here they
come in, get pampered and leave looking more fabulous than they
have in weeks.

Do you see the difference in the impact? The argument is based on
the same data but the presentation is what makes the persuasion
factor.
Don't... Make a Hard Sales Pitch
Everyone knows the hard-sell game. We are faced with every time we
go to make a major purchase like a car or home furnishings. What's
the first thing you do in those situations? You get your back up
and you resist, argue, or discount everything the salesperson
says. You become opponents even before you know what you are
fighting about.
Turn the situation around and make your presentation appealing by
finding out what you audience thinks, values, and needs. Then
compose a position that isn't a target for attack, but one that
has real merit and substance.
Don't... Take an "All or Nothing" Stance
Persuasion isn't about forcing someone to surrender to your will.
There are many points of compromise and collaboration between
your position and a shared agreement. If you are inflexible, how
do you expect to build trust? If you're not prepared to compromise,
the other person has no reason to believe you have their interests
in mind and no reason to be convinced.
Don't... Believe You Have Only One Chance
Persuasion can take time to build. Many times you will not win
people over with your first attempt. People need time to process
and assimilate what you are saying with their current perspectives,
beliefs, and circumstances. A good persuader uses that to his
or her advantage and layers his presentation using more and more
of the "Do" elements each time.

Key Points
Persuasion is an art form. To be good at it takes a great deal of
understanding and practice. At its core is the ability to relate
to people and adopt their point of view.
When you commit to
listening to people, create propositions that have value and
appeal, and remain flexible throughout the process. Then you'll be in
a great position to use your powers of persuasion.
Remember, being
persuasive means motivating people to do something you want them
to do, which in the end, they want to do too. Show them what's in
it for them, and do it in a way that is genuine and affective.