The ultimate in persuasion
posted by Mike Shur
There are many way to influence and persuade people. There’s the old favorite “carrot and stick” method, as well as the “speak softly and carry a big stick” method. Apparently sticks are a key influencer for some people.
But there are indeed ways to influence people without sticks, stones, or broken bones. In business, especially, logic and facts play a key role, but not if they are used as sticks to beat people into submission. Engaging with individual values and future-oriented possibilities are also keys in helping to get buy-in for a business idea.
The U.K.’s Jeremy Thorn outlines “10 Golden Rules for Persuading Others” and I urge you jump to #10 right away. . .in fact I’ll offer it up right here:
Different folks – different strokes!
However you may like best to be persuaded, do not fall into the trap in thinking that all others will. Psychological research (by Dr Susan Brock, based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®) shows that some people need ‘the facts’ to be persuaded, without which any proposition may seem unsupported. But others may far rather have ‘the logic’, a very different appeal. (For them, ‘facts’ may be two-a-penny, but the overall rationale may be far more convincing.) Equally, others may focus much more on the emotional content and consequences to be persuaded, whether on the impact of any conclusions on ‘service’ to themselves or others, or on their inherent ‘vision and values’ of how people should be treated, which by the way are rarely open to logical debate alone. So be ready to appeal to all possibilities?
All the other rules need to be read in light of this rule since the person you are persuading will likely not be like you and will have their own style. The MBTI(r) tool is an excellent way to under ways in which others are different and be able to address them in their preferred style. Quite useful.
Mr. Thorn has a full article introducing the MBTI(r) instrument and what he calls “16 ways of being normal”. Love that!
