Often the result of undertakings is largely determined by the ability to convince people and recognize our opinion. Bringing this to life is often not so easy, even if we are right and sane.
What a man is, such is his speech. Socrates
The ability to persuade is a unique and useful talent.
Persuasion is a method of influencing people's minds, aimed at their personal critical worldview
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The whole essence of persuasion is to, with the help of consistent justification, first reach the agreement of the interlocutor with specific conclusions, then, on this basis, form and strengthen new ones or transform former attitudes that correspond to the goal.
You can learn persuasive speaking skills at various trainings, as well as on your own. The methods and principles of persuasive communication listed below will help you learn persuasion techniques. These methods are very highly effective, both when influencing one person and the public.
Smart speech structure: rules of indisputable persuasion and argumentation
Convincing a person of something does not mean arguing with him. Persuasion is primarily an explanation and proof of the correctness or necessity of certain behavior; or the inadmissibility of some action. How to encourage a person to accept your point of view?
The word is a great instrument of human communication and limitless influence on people.
Managers often care about the content of verbal influence, and at the same time are careless about its form, which is no less important. What, for example, is meant when we talk about the technique of verbal persuasion? This is diction (clear pronunciation of sounds), expressive pronunciation (in particular, correct handling of logical stresses), volume (depending on the audience), the ability to control one’s gestures and facial expressions, a clear logical structure of speech, the presence of pauses and short breaks.
It should be noted that it is not only words that convince, but also deeds, so you should not rely on words alone for a persuasive effect, even if they are spoken correctly and intelligibly, but not confirmed by specific deeds.
Methods of persuasion are leading among methods of organizational influence.
Persuasion is primarily an explanation and proof of the correctness or necessity of certain behavior; or the inadmissibility of some action.
The process of persuasion is perhaps the most difficult among other methods of organizational influence. The leading place in this process is occupied by arguing one’s position and the desire to make it become the position and conviction of each participant in collective activity. Therefore, we will take a closer look at argumentation as the most important basis for persuasion. Let us dwell on the parameters of persuasive influence.
There are many ways to argue, but, as in chess, practice has developed a number of “correct openings.”
They can be reduced to the following four techniques:
The technique of relieving tension requires establishing emotional contact with the interlocutor. A few words are enough for this. A joke, told at the right time and at the right place, also greatly helps to defuse tension and create a positive psychological environment for discussion. The “hook” technique allows you to briefly outline the situation and, linking it with the content of the conversation, use it as a starting point for discussing the problem. For these purposes, you can successfully use some events, comparisons, personal impressions, an anecdotal incident or an unusual question. The technique of stimulating the imagination involves asking at the beginning of the conversation many questions about the content of the problems that should be considered. This method gives good results when the performer has a sober view of the problem being solved. The direct approach involves getting straight to the point without any introduction or preamble. Schematically, it looks like this: briefly state the reasons why the meeting is being convened and proceed to discuss them.
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Rule one: convincing a person of something does not mean arguing with him. Misunderstandings cannot be settled by argument; they can only be resolved through tact, a desire for reconciliation, and a sincere desire to understand the other's point of view.
Rule two: respect the opinions of other people, never tell a person sharply that he is wrong, especially in front of strangers, since in this case it will be difficult for him to agree with you.
Never start with the statement: “I am ready to prove it to you.” It's the same as saying, "I'm smarter than you." It's kind of a challenge. Such an appeal turns the interlocutor against you even before you begin to convince him.
If a person expresses some thought and you consider it wrong or even absolutely sure that it is wrong, nevertheless, it is better to address your interlocutor with approximately the following words: “I may be wrong. Let's get the facts straight." You will never find yourself in a difficult situation if you admit that you may be wrong. This will stop any argument and force your interlocutor to be as fair and frank as you, forcing him to admit that he, too, can be wrong.
Rule three: if you are wrong, admit it quickly and decisively. It is much easier to admit your mistakes or shortcomings yourself than to listen to condemnation from another person. If you suspect that someone wants to speak negatively about you, say it yourself first. You will disarm him. In some cases, it is much more pleasant to admit that you are wrong than to try to defend yourself. Admitting a mistake, as a rule, causes condescension towards the one who made it.
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Rule four: when you want to convince a person of the correctness of your point of view, conduct the conversation in a friendly tone. Don't start with issues on which you differ. Talk about where your opinions coincide.
Rule five: try to get an affirmative answer from your interlocutor at the very beginning of the conversation. If a person says, “No,” his pride demands that he remain consistent to the end.
Rule six: give the other person the right to talk more, and try to be laconic. The truth is that even our friends prefer to talk about their successes rather than listen to us boast. Most people, trying to get a person to understand their point of view, talk a lot themselves - this is a clear mistake. Give the other person the opportunity to speak, so it’s better to learn how to ask questions to your interlocutors yourself.
Rule seven: make the person feel that the idea you gave him belongs to him, not you.
Rule eight: if you want to convince people of anything, try to look at things through their eyes. Every person has a reason to act this way and not otherwise. Find this hidden reason and you will have the “clue”, you will understand his actions and maybe even his personality traits. Try to put yourself in his shoes. You will save a lot of time and save your nerves.
Rule Nine: Be empathetic to the other person's ideas and desires. Sympathy is what everyone craves. Most of the people around you need sympathy.
Rule ten: to change someone's mind or point of view, appeal to noble motives. A person is usually guided by two motives in his actions: one that sounds noble, and the other that is true. The person himself will think about the true reason. But we all, being idealists at heart, love to talk about noble motives.
Rule eleven: use the principle of clarity to prove that you are right. Expressing the truth in words alone is sometimes not enough. The truth must be shown vividly, interestingly, and clearly.
Author: Yuri Nikolaevich Lapygin, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor, Rector of the Vladimir Institute of Business.
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Main part of the speech
The main part should be clear and rich
. It is necessary to break down the main thoughts, ideas and provisions into component fragments.
You also need to think about measured transitions that will show the connection between the individual parts of the speech.
Ways to convey the main content:
- Explaining arguments that can be verified.
- The point of view of professionals and experts in this field.
- A citation that brings information to life and explains it.
- Examples and real events that can clarify and depict the facts.
- A statement of personal experience, as well as theories.
- Statistics that can be verified.
- Reasoning and predictions about future events.
- Funny stories and anecdotes that meaningfully support statements.
- Precise or figurative comparisons, as well as contrasts, that illustrate a statement by demonstrating differences and similarities.
The human brain is a magnificent thing. It works right up to the minute you get up to give a speech. Mark Twain
Irrefutable arguments in support of your own idea
Most people think rationally, and occasionally do something without their own benefit.
Therefore, to convince a person it is necessary to find irrefutable arguments that explain the validity and appropriateness of the statement. Arguments are arguments, statements, and thoughts that are used to support a judgment.
. The persuasiveness of the dialect depends on correctly selected arguments and evidence.
After compiling a list of arguments, you need to evaluate them and also think about whether they are appropriate in this case or not. Then, after weighing the pros and cons, you need to choose 2-3 effective arguments.
The conditions for selecting and evaluating arguments should be:
- Good arguments can be considered those that are supported by sound evidence. Sometimes rhetoric is heard convincingly, but at the same time it is not substantiated by facts. When preparing a speech, you need to make sure that the arguments are not unfounded.
- Arguments should fit into the sentence skillfully and succinctly. They cannot sound distorted.
- Often a well-supported and well-founded argument may not be perceived by a person. All people react to them differently. For some, the arguments and facts presented are convincing, but for others, they are not.
Undoubtedly, it is impossible to know exactly which argument will have an impact on the person being persuaded, but the result can be tentatively assumed and assessed based on the analysis of the individual.
It is necessary to answer at least 3 questions in order to ensure the strength of the evidence provided:
- What primary source is the information taken from? If the evidence is borrowed from an unreliable primary source, you need to exclude it from your own speech or turn to other sources.
- Is the information current? Statistics and ideas don't have to be old. Today, something that was true 3 years ago may become incorrect. Persuasive rhetoric is generally subject to disbelief due to a single flaw. This should not be allowed.
- Is this information relevant to the material? It is necessary to ensure that the evidence directly supports the arguments presented.
Principle 5: You are more likely to persuade your audience if you speak in a way that motivates them.
Motivation, or “the forces acting externally and internally on the body that initiate and direct behavior” (Petri, 1996), often arises from the use of stimuli and emotional language. For a stimulus to have any value, it must be meaningful. The salience of a stimulus means that it evokes an emotional response. The impact of a stimulus is most powerful when it is part of a meaningful goal.
1. The power of incentives. People are more likely to perceive incentives as meaningful when those incentives indicate a favorable cost-reward relationship. Let's say you ask your listeners to donate an hour a week of their time to participate in a charity program. The time you ask them to spend will most likely be perceived as a cost rather than an incentive reward; however, you can describe the charitable work in such a way that it itself is perceived as providing a rewarding, meaningful incentive.
For example, you can make your listeners feel like they are civically minded, socially responsible, or noble helpers by giving their time to such an important cause. If you show in your speech that these rewards or incentives outweigh the costs, your listeners will be more likely to want to participate in the program you support.
2. Use incentives that meet basic needs. Incentives are most effective when they serve basic needs. One of the most popular theories in the field of needs comes from Abraham Maslow (Maslow, 1954). According to this theory, people are more likely to act when a stimulus offered by the speaker is able to satisfy one of the listeners' important unsatisfied needs.
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What is the point of such analysis for you as a speaker? First, it describes the types of needs that you can address in your speech. Secondly, it allows us to understand why a certain line of speech development can work well in one audience and lead to failure in another audience. For example, in economically difficult times, people are more concerned with satisfying physiological and safety needs and will therefore be less likely to respond by appealing to social sentiments and altruism.
The third and perhaps most important point is that if your offer conflicts with a felt need, you must have at the ready a strong alternative from the same or from a more fundamental category of needs. For example, if implementing your proposal will cost people money (say, raising taxes), you must show that these measures satisfy some other, comparable need (for example, increasing their safety).
