The Art of Persuasion: How to Get People to Do What You Want
Can you always prove your point of view to any person you meet? There are situations where you know you`re right but you can`t make people believe and understand you. If you want to master the art of persuasion, you`ll easily become able to persuade anyone in your life with these tips. Remember, persuasion is something different from manipulation.
Manipulation means you make someone do what they don`t want to do. Persuasion is the process when you explain to a person what benefits they`re going to gain if they understand and accept your side. This skill is always useful – no matter who you are and what job you have, and the place you`re living in. It`s great if you have an ability to make people do what`s really better for both sides thus here are several great tips on how to persuade anyone…
1 Listen attentively
When we`re trying to persuade someone we forget to listen to them. You should listen to what they say and even how they act to make them accept your position easily. Try to be serious when talking about some business. When the subject of persuasion is entertainment try to be funny and inspiring. You also need to take the person`s gesticulation into consideration as when you act like them they subconsciously treat you as someone close and you have more chances to prove that your point of view is good for both of you.
2 Help them
If you want someone to do something for you then why not do something for them? When asking someone to make you a favor, make something pleasant and useful for that person yourself in advance. People will easier agree with your requests if you are ready to help them too. You should aim not only to take but also to give for your persuasion to be successful.
Read also – 8 Ways to Become a Highly Persuasive Speaker
3 Choose the appropriate time
Mind that it`s not always a good time for request thus you should think attentively when it`s better to come with it. For example if the person has huge problems they wouldn`t be ready to listen to your proposition. Choose the moment when the one you want to persuade is in high spirits and is full of strengths now because then they`ll most likely appreciate your request and believe in your words.
4 Prepare the arguments
If you want to persuade the person to do something good for both of you then take care to have all possible arguments prepared. First of all a person wants to hear the advantages of the choice you`re suggesting them make. For instance, if you want to persuade your friend to travel somewhere you need to explain why this trip is amazing, what is the favorite part of the traveling and why both of you will be happy with that.
5 Give examples
One of the best ways to get someone to do what you want is to give a good example from your own life. If you want your partner to go shopping with you, do not manipulate, instead give them a few examples of your favorite stores and explain why you want to visit them. Or, if you want your coworker to accomplish their task on time, tell them how easily you did the same task yesterday.
6 Try to look professionally
The way you look mostly matters when the object of persuasion is someone who doesn`t know you much. This way, our appearance plays an important role. If you try to prove your potential employer that you`re a good worker, dress to impress. Dress smartly and appropriately and make sure your shoes are well-polished. The way you look often depends on whom you`re going to persuade so pay attention to your attire before rushing out the door.
Read also – 7 Things to Do Before Sleep to Wake Up Beautiful
7 Stay confident in your decision
Self-confidence is a tricky thing. If you don’t feel confident, then try to look confident. Many successful people fake their confidence, by the way. Have you ever seen a diffident successful speaker? Presidents, film stars, world famous businessmen and other persuasive people make huge efforts to be, to say and to look confident when they`re persuading people to appreciate their point of view. Believe in your words yourself if you`re going to make someone believe in them too.
8 Don’t give up
People tend to change their mind thus if you got “no” for you request at the begging of your speech, it doesn`t mean that you need to step back and give up. You`re trying to persuade this person so try to choose the best words that will help them understand you. Have a back-up plan in case you get the denial so that you know what to do next.
Shower the person with the facts and arguments and show them how it might be great to follow you. The art of persuasion may seem to be difficult to master at first but you should just remember one simple rule: the person you`re trying to persuade to do something for you should be interested in doing that themselves.
What is the most important thing we should keep in mind when persuading someone?