Almost every day we are faced with the fact that we are trying to convince something. Neighbor convinces us of the correctness of parenting, on television convinces us to buy only this detergent and no other, on social networks convinces us to make the right choice.
Many people think that the art of persuasion is necessary only to marketers, politicians and in general in business communication, and in real life such psychological “tricks” to us to nothing. But persuasion also helps us to establish social connections, to defend our point of view, to avoid conflicts, to achieve the desired goals.
Let’s talk about what is the ability to persuade people, who has it, what it depends on and how to develop the skill of persuasion.
What Is the Art of Persuasion
The art of persuasion is a set of various psychological techniques and techniques that allow a person to agree with the people around them, to defend their own interests, to maintain personal boundaries, to adhere to the chosen goals and views.
If an individual possesses the art of persuasion without additional means of its development, that is, this property is innate, he is said to have the gift of persuasion and suggestion. But this art can also be learned – like any other skill from playing at the best online casino to cooking, it’s “pumped up” with various means and techniques of persuasion, which are based on psychological techniques of manipulation, personality traits and specific skills.
Persuasion skills help a person to build interpersonal relationships, protect their interests, build a dialogue, learn oratorical skills, prioritize, and achieve the results and goals.
What Affects the Ability to Persuade People
In order to convince a person of something, it isn’t enough to have knowledge in a particular field, to be older, more experienced and more persistent.
Persuasive communication is based on several factors, all of which lead to the desired result:
- Credibility of the source of information. If you rely on primary sources, you have a better chance of convincing the other person than if you rely on questionable data.
- The relevance and importance of the issue being discussed to the individual you want to convince. A conversation about the geopolitical situation is unlikely to matter if the person has a headache.
- The personal characteristics and disposition of the person being persuaded.
- The persuasiveness of your arguments, your image, your credibility, your ability to show empathy.
If you need to convince someone of something, the best tactic in the process of argumentation is to use several methods and rules and combine them. Let’s talk about the techniques of effective psychological persuasion below.
Methods of Persuading the Interlocutor
To convince others, you need to know the basic methods of influencing the interlocutor, which develop your ability to persuade and pump up the skill of influence.
Consider the basic methods that are used in pedagogy, sociology, and psychology:
- The method of “instruction” – most often used in a professional environment, when an influencer tells you specifically what you need to do to get results.
- Commands and orders are used by an authority figure for the person being persuaded. Commands aren’t criticized and are carried out by the person to whom they are directed to achieve the desired results. An example of the use of commands can often be seen in the military, professional environment, sports, and child rearing.
- The method of “soft advice” is another means of influencing the interlocutor, but only if there is trust and a certain closeness between you. It isn’t a good idea to give a stranger advice. One awkward word can cause aggression.
- Hints. That is a method that allows you to say the information isn’t directly, but in a comparative indirect form. Implications need to know how to use and correctly set the accents.
- The method of “indirect approval” is necessary when you want to support the interlocutor (if he is doing everything right), but don’t want to cause him the feeling that he is being flattered.
- The placebo method can work when other measures have been tried and have not led to the desired result. The scientific placebo method is proven in medicine, but it can also be used in psychology to convince people that they will succeed.
Psychological Techniques of Persuasive Influence
You can “pump up” your skill in persuasion only if you constantly practice this art. The purpose of persuasion is to perceive information and perform the actions you need.
Knowing the basic techniques of persuasion will give you a better understanding of the techniques of influencing people:
- Direct speech. A fundamental technique that relies on direct speech with open information.
- Revealing inconsistencies. Analyzing arguments of the persuader and checking arguments for factual accuracy.
- Making arguments. Argue your position at each step, making sure the person you are talking to agrees with you.
- Emphasizing. Emphasizing your interlocutor’s opinions and words to increase the effect of your argument.
- Describing the pros and cons. To make arguments in an argument sound convincing, both positive and negative points are described.
Practical Persuasion Techniques
Techniques of persuasion and methods of influencing the interlocutor we have already mentioned above, it remains to give some practical tips to make your speech more convincing and “put” you in a winning position:
- Don’t repeat platitudes that everyone already knows, use new arguments and provide new information that is unknown to your interlocutor.
- Periodically agree with the person, if your task is to move the forum of conversation in the direction you want and convince him of something.
- Talk only about what you yourself are sure of. Your doubts will “nullify” all of the methods of persuasion that you’ve already used.
- Provide only proven arguments. Talk about unproven facts – not the best way to convince the interlocutor.
- A sign of successful influence is the agreement of the interlocutor. So start the conversation with the points that unite you.
- Use the skill of active listening – nod, copy the posture of the interlocutor.
In order for you to be able to convince, show the person that you are ready to close any of his needs. If his need is met, then most likely to convince him of your rightness will be easy.