Persuasion, by definition, involves changing the opinion of another person. However, the process is significantly more complicated than mere manipulation. Effective persuasion involves a thorough understanding of the other person’s interests and needs, detailed preparation and planning, and a carefully structured communication strategy. There are also several psychological triggers that can be applied throughout the process.

The art of persuasion has become extremely important in the business environment today because of two key factors. First, the globalization of industries has rendered traditional hierarchies obsolete. Second, the changing attitude of employees and the increasing reliance on electronic communication means that ideas move quickly throughout an organization. These two factors mean that employees are equally invested in the “why” of their actions and the “what.” For managers to create a sense of intrinsic motivation within the company, they must be able to lead through persuasion and not simply dictation.

Persuasion is often confused with sales and negotiations, when, in reality, it is a much broader form of communication and interaction. Conventional wisdom assumes that successful persuasion consists of one person trying to convince the other that his or her viewpoint is more rational. The crux of the debate is centered solely on the validity of each participant’s opinion, with little focus on relationship building.

The danger of this approach is twofold. First, it is highly ineffective. People find their own perceptions the most convincing and rational and are unlikely to spontaneously change their mind. As humans, we have a tendency to accept our view of reality as the only true reality. As such, it is virtually impossible to sway another person using one’s own views. Instead, examining and understanding the other person’s perceptions is at the core of successful persuasion. Second, this approach ignores the benefit of shared values. By identifying these shared benefits, a manager can build a highly cohesive consensus—not simply a winning or losing side. This is particularly important in large global corporations today, as warring internal factions can drastically affect efficiency and productivity.

Process

The initial stages of persuasion involve discovery, preparation, and dialogue. This process of learning is slow, but essential. Testing and revising ideas based on feedback from colleagues allows persuaders to incorporate multiple viewpoints into their final strategy. This also helps identify weaknesses and any alternative positions/solutions that need consideration. On a personal level, listening and learning gives the persuader a positive image. A good manager appears open-minded and genuinely concerned about others’ concerns and beliefs through this dialogue. Remember, it is crucial not only to understand the views of others, but also to fully understand why they believe the way they do. By doing so, the speaker can align his or her needs with those of the audience. Another important benefit of preparation is the formation of an early coalition within the company or audience, helping lend credibility to any future discussions.

Once this initial discovery phase has taken place, the formal planning can begin. Establishing credibility along two aspects is the first challenge. To overcome the hurdle of instinctive trustworthiness, managers must build credibility in both expertise and relationships. It is not enough to have a thorough understanding of the issue—a person must also be perceived to have strong character and integrity. There are several ways to address gaps in credibility, including working with experts, launching pilot projects, and involving others who already maintain strong relationships with your target audience. The second step in planning involves the proper framing of the position. Effective persuaders must be able to describe their position in terms that identify shared benefits and highlight the advantages. This does not mean simply trying to convince the audience of the validity of the argument based on its merits alone. Instead, a manager must frame the issue in a way that aligns his or her needs with those of the audience. Effective persuaders use framing to talk about the audience’s interests and create common ground.

Next, crafting a successful communication strategy requires several structural steps. First and foremost, a speaker must define the desired outcome of the conversation or debate. In other words, they must tell the audience why they should care and why it is important to them. Structuring this message in a well-organized manner, and with limited information, allows the audience to focus on the crux of the issue. It is also important to tie the information in to what the audience already knows. By working with existing beliefs and level of expertise, the speaker builds on the familiar and links the new information/opinion to the old. Last, persuasion requires more than data. By including vivid evidence—both anecdotal and emotional—the speaker can create a powerful psychological connection and feeling of mutuality. While many managers are afraid of using emotional language, the fact is that audiences absorb and retain information in proportion to its vividness.

Principles

Within this persuasion process, there are six established principles that communicators can use to effectively and efficiently shape the behavior of others. The principles include reciprocation, consistency and commitment, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. These principles create a form of psychological trigger that greatly increases the compliance or agreement of others. By learning how to use these innate triggers in communication, a person can subtly influence the way another person behaves—without outright manipulation or deception.

A classic academic example of these persuasion principles is found in Tupperware sales parties. All visitors receive gifts of some sort, triggering their instinct to reciprocate with a purchase of their own. Guests are encouraged to discuss Tupperware products they already own and use, which serves to remind them of their existing psychological commitment to the product, and thus leads them to purchase more in pursuit of consistency. The group environment is ideal for the social proof principle, which states that people behave in accordance with a group’s perceived acceptance. The informal party atmosphere makes it easy for the salesperson to create a personal bond, because people are much more likely to say yes to the requests of someone they know and like. The salesperson’s expertise on the product also factors into the sale, as it is human inclination to defer to an authority figure or expert. Most important, visitors leave these events feeling as if they have had some important individual need met, not as if they were the victims of a manipulative hard sell. While this example takes place in a social setting, these principles can be clearly applied in the business world as well.

The end goal of persuasion is to create agreement within the audience based on their own beliefs, not based on the beliefs of the speaker. By using the beliefs of the audience as leverage, persuasion becomes a win-win situation.

Bibliography:

Gene Bedell, “Tactical Tips for Persuading Effectively,” Manage Magazine (v.52/4, 2001);
Robert Cialdini, “The Language of Persuasion,” Harvard Management Update (Harvard Business School Publishing, 2004);
Jay Alden Conger, The Necessary Art of Persuasion (Harvard Business Press, 2008);
James P. T. Fatt, “The Anatomy of Persuasion,” Communication World (v.15/1, 1997);
Amna Kirmani and Rui (Juliet) Zhu, “Vigilant Against Manipulation: The Effect of Regulatory Focus on the Use of Persuasion Knowledge,” Journal of Marketing Research (v.44/4, 2007);
Virginia Percy and Margaret Mullen, “Getting Your Message Across,” Training & Development (September 1993);
David Stiebel, “Getting Them to See Things Your Way,” Canadian Manager (v.22/4, 1997);
Leigh L. Thompson, The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator (Prentice Hall, 2009);
Mei-Ling Wei, Eileen Fischer, and Kelley J. Main, “An Examination of the Effects of Activating Persuasion Knowledge on Consumer Response to Brands Engaging in Covert Marketing,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (v.27/1, 2008).

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