Persuasion is truly an art and I think I should start with the definition of persuasion : “the process of influencing attitudes and behavior”. It’s a way of “forcing” someone to adopt an idea or an attitude and such techniques are being used in sales, diplomacy, politics, religion, military, training and management.

What persuasion involves

The first think you need, is to understand what your audience wants and needs – research and careful preparation – so that you can target them extremely well by creating an emotional connection. You should consider your position from every angle.

Second thing is to work for a shared solution understanding that you should pay attention to the whole discussion taking in consideration all those small aspects that you could use in your favor.

Four major persuasion traps are

• attempting to make your case with your upfront hard sell
• resisting compromise
• thinking that the secret of persuasion is to present great arguments
• assuming persuasion is a one-shot effort.

When you’re trying to persuade someone you should know there are a few weapons you can use. These are just a few of the principles of persuasion, that I thought are the most important.

1. People enjoy experts. If you are an expert then you should know you have a small advantage because people usually need to be assured they’re talking with someone that will get the job done or with someone that could be trusted. A speaker will be more persuasive if he is perceived as an authority in the domain, with great competences and knowledge.
2. People like those that like them. It’s all about liking. If you are trying to sell someone a product you’d better smile and show that you enjoy the discussion and the person you’re talking with.
3. Give them what they can’t have. Ever since we are little we always do what we are told not to do, and we wish what we can’t afford or not allowed to buy. It’s in the human nature to want more of what they can have less of, rather than something they can easily get.
4. Make them think it’s their idea. If you’re trying to convince someone of anything then you will have a very good response if they think they brought the idea up.
5. It’s all about reciprocity. You should usually give something to get anything in return. Think of those that serve you in a restaurant. It’s their nature to remember those that tip the best and those that don’t, so if you really need your food really well cooked give something in return (tip well). A “reward” is always welcome, to persuade someone.
6. Social proof. This is something we all use. Take the iPhone for example. It may not be the best mobile phone in the world but if everyone is getting one, the trend will begin. People tend to follow trends and what others do.
7. Everyone wants reasons. If they are not doing something just because it’s trendy and everyone does it, you should supply arguments.

I will cover other aspects of persuasion in my future articles. If you like what you read on SocialPacks you can subscribe to my feed.