You walk into the boardroom with a promising idea brewing in your mind, one that could turn the tables for your company and herald a new era of growth. You are all suited and booted for a favorable impression, and sprinkle a good range of optimistic numbers on your slide deck for good measure.
You take your sweet time with the presentation, diving into all the details and specifications, and turn to your audience for thunderous applause and several pats on the back, only to be met with furrowed brows and pursed lips.
You leave the boardroom with a sigh, knowing that the senior management is nowhere close to being convinced that your idea would bring about a positive change for the company.
The difference between your passion and their reservations likely comes down to one thing: persuasion.
Now I could not have forced them into accepting my proposal. Either they did not like it, or they didn’t value my talent. Simple as that.
You are only right in part, but persuasion is not that simple.
Before we dive into what persuasion is, let’s clarify what it isn’t.
Persuasion then, is an art and a delicate balance of logic, emotion, and credibility that helps wedge the gap between a great idea and a genuine buy-in.
It is about influencing others in a way that aligns both of your needs and visions. It is a conversation, not a monologue and you have to meet your audience where they are, emotionally, intellectually, and situationally.
Let us condense some highly effective ways you can begin your persuasion mastery journey right away!
Whether you are trying to convince your boss to approve a well-needed leave, negotiating with a difficult but promising lead, or requesting your employees to take a specific course of action, one thing is clear: people tend to help and agree with those they like.
In the business world, we often assume that people are trained to make decisions objectively, and while that may be true in some cases, the innate human tendency to “feel” often takes precedence.
As Daniel Kahneman explains in his famous book Thinking, Fast and Slow, humans operate using two systems of thinking:
System 1: The brain’s fast, automatic, and intuitive approach.
System 2: The mind’s slower, more deliberate, and analytical mode, where reason dominates.
While both systems work in harmony, System 1 is responsible for quick impressions and decisions, often driven by emotion, and has little to do with logic or thoroughness.
1. Know And Understand Them
Check their LinkedIn. Observe the kind of content they share and interact with. Ask mutual connections about their preferences and values. Know about their past experiences. Do they like contributing to social causes? Great! Tailor your pitch to specifically incorporate how your product has directly or indirectly alleviated societal pains in the past. Find that common ground and bring it to light!
2. Build Credibility
Always have evidence up your sleeve. If your words are not backed up by action, your argument will almost certainly fall flat. Including testimonials, historical data, case studies, endorsements, and other means of social proof is an invitation to jump on the bandwagon and a cue that since everyone is doing something, it must be the right thing to do.
Always negotiate closer to the other person. Suggest something off somebody’s playing field and you might risk losing the chance to bargain once and for all.
A doctor would not ask an unhealthy obese patient who consumes 5 cans of soda in a day to swiftly drop to 0.
“Zero soda? Yeah, I think I’ll just find a new doctor. One who doesn’t hate happiness.”
Instead, the doctor would take a much more subtle approach. He wouldn’t tell the patient to drop to zero right away. Instead, when the patient returns the next week, the doctor would say, “How about we try cutting back just one can this week? Drop it to four and see how it feels.”
The patient, having already successfully reduced their intake once, would think, “Okay, I can do that. I managed last week, so why not?” They’d feel like they’re in control, and the idea of cutting back another can doesn’t feel like such a big leap.
It’s the same principle in negotiations for an office. Start small, take manageable steps, and ease the other person into the idea.
Imagine you’re working with a team that resists adopting new project management software. Rather than pushing for an immediate, full switch-over, you start small: suggest they use just one feature of the new software, like task assignments or deadline tracking, for a month. Once they’ve experienced some of its benefits in a manageable way, they’ll be more open to exploring other features. By introducing change in stages, you make it easier for them to accept the transition without overwhelming them.
We all love an illusion of control. It is simply how we are wired. When someone tells us what is “best” or “right” for us, we hear alarms blaring.
Our minds naturally shift to hunting flaws, focusing on errors and all the ways their suggestions will not work. But when we’re given a list of options, a menu, so to speak, our mental energy gets routed from spotting errors to browsing the best choice among the offerings.
Instead of feeling controlled, we feel empowered to make a decision that goes with our preferences.
For the sake of example, let’s imagine you are pitching a new marketing strategy to your CEO. Instead of presenting a single plan, offer a few alternatives with different strengths. One of these could possibly be rebranding, and another is tapping into a new niche. Each option should be created to eventually meet one overarching goal- in this case, redefining brand positioning.
Aristotle’s infamous book Rhetoric has some valuable and timeless guidance about persuasion too.
He reminds us that effective communication is never a one-size-fits-all approach. Audiences vary widely in attitudes, beliefs, and biases, meaning what resonates with one person can be perceived as folly by another.
To navigate the tricky waters of communication, he has outlined three pillars of persuasion: logos, ethos, and pathos.
To make your argument truly resonate, blend these three appeals. Use logos to provide sound reasoning, ethos to demonstrate trustworthiness, and pathos to tap into your audience’s emotions. But remember persuasion is also about brevity and clarity. Be crisp and precise with your ideas, using analogies and your storytelling abilities.
Gone are the days of command and control. With Millennials and Gen-Z now populating the workplace, traditional hierarchies are being replaced by flatter and more collaborative ones where ideas are challenged, and standards continuously reevaluated.
Thus, the ability to negotiate and communicate effectively has never been more important.
Equipped with a well-thought-out strategy, a good understanding of your audience, and insights from business intelligence solutions, remember that you are not just presenting an idea, but forging a strategic alliance.
With that, the next boardroom you walk into will certainly resound with the applause you once so eagerly awaited.
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