To get most things you want in life requires persuasion. Pitching outside investors? You need to be persuasive. Changing business processes or technology? You need to persuade your employees to do things differently.
Note: The thing that makes these types of initiatives fail is usually people, not process or technology changes.
So, whether it’s getting your co-founders to agree with your strategic plan or getting your romantic partner to help with the housework, you need to know how to be persuasive.
New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink says persuasion is a skill you can learn. And you don’t have to be an extrovert, which will be a relief to many of you. In fact, the loudest person in the room isn’t necessarily the most persuasive. Strong extroverts, the people who we generally think of as great sales people, actually aren’t, according to studies. It was the ambiverts, which is most of us, who rocked their quotas. Who would have thought?
The next thing you will want to do is tell people specifically what the benefits are. You will get a better result if you explain your point of view and why it is important.
The third factor is leveraging the power of social proof. We are social animals and are inclined to follow what others have done, and to try to fit in. Pink says, “We take cues from the behavior of people like us in situations like ours. When we’re uncertain, we copy the crowd.” Use social proof to your benefit.
For the fourth point, Pink suggests a better way to offer feedback when you have good news and bad news. You’ll want to watch this part and take note of what actually works best, since so many of us struggle with giving constructive feedback.
The next point talks about the power of language and the way you say something. Even beyond marketing copy and tag lines, how you say something matters. You may be surprised that even in a business situation, a rhyme can be very powerful. When something rhymes, it just lands better and has more gravitas. Pink also talks about how alliteration, lists, and repetition make messages more memorable and compelling.
Using questions strategically when you are in a strong position can be an excellent strategy. Pink says, “When the facts are on your side, questions outperform declarations.” Basically, you are having people talk themselves into agreeing with your point of view. This is a great way to get buy-in.
And the last point is something I have written about frequently: Make it easy for someone to do what you want them to do. The example I usually write about is making it easy for people to buy your thing and to pay you. You will benefit from reducing friction and making what you want the person to do the easy and obvious choice.
I highly recommend you spend 11 minutes watching this video. Everything is persuasion, and you can definitely become more persuasive if you start using some of these strategies.
Photo by Rodeo Project Management Software on Unsplash
