Wouldn’t life be much easier if you could convince others to do what you want? It most certainly would. In fact, this skill of being persuasive can really come in handy in your professional life. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or have a job at a company, some of your success could depend on your ability to convince others.
Of course, you should remain totally honest when you’re trying to win over other people. Deception and manipulation won’t last very long, and they could have the opposite effect on your success. So, let’s take a look at how you can ethically convince others.
Understand Their Perspective
Everyone looks at life with their lens. At the end of the day, it’s your perspective that defines how you view every single thing in your life – be it your career, relationships, goals, success, or anything else. So, while trying to convince other people, you should try to be mindful of their perspectives.
Perhaps the best way to do this is to put yourself in their shoes and try to think how they think. You might get many answers regarding why they do what they do or why they behave in a particular way. You can then use this knowledge to speak to their soul.
Get Others Talking
Everyone wants to express themselves in today’s world, but hardly anyone wants to listen and understand. It’s ironic considering how communication is a two-way streak! If you can actively and genuinely listen to what others have to say, you will have a much better chance of winning them over. Many business leaders and entrepreneurs use this technique.
When you do this, you create a healthy rapport with the other person. A sense of respect and trust is created between the two of you. Naturally, your opinion will have more weight, and the other person will be more likely to do as you say. So, the next time you want to persuade someone, encourage them to speak their mind first.
Focus On The Merits
We humans like to do things based on their merits. Consciously or subconsciously, we are always running a cost-benefit analysis in our minds. So, it only makes sense to focus on the merits when you’re trying to persuade someone for something.
You could talk about how you logically arrived at your conclusion, its benefits, why you want the other person to do something, etc.
For instance, if you’re trying to get someone to start waking up early, try to present them with the benefits of doing so. Show them how it could have a positive impact on their lives.
Use A Picture
The age-old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” is extremely relevant when you’re trying to persuade someone. Things that you can’t communicate in words can be said with a single picture. Granted, you won’t always have the right image ready to make your point, but this can be really useful in certain situations.
Let’s say you are trying to convince your boss to adopt a particular initiative in the workplace. Instead of giving him or her a lengthy report that they might be reluctant to go through, it’s better to present them with a chart or other visual to relay your point with minimal effort and time.
Appeal To Their Emotional Side
We humans are emotional beings. We like to think that we are more logical, but we are more emotional. Many important decisions of our lives are based on our emotions, or how we feel about a particular thing. So, when you’re trying to win somebody over, it’s better to appeal to their emotional side.
Let’s say you are trying to convince your friend to go to the beach with you. You could appeal to their emotional side, and talk about how fun it would be to play in the sand, feel the cool ocean breeze, play with the waves, and so on! Some of the world’s best business leaders prefer using this technique of telling a story with their words.
