How to Double Your Persuasive Power?
Sometimes, we need to get things done. It becomes an inevitable part of our lives to lead a life with success and contentment. On such occasions, we really need to bring people to our way of thinking. We need to persuade others more often in our life needs.
So what we require are strong negotiation skills to keep moving.
Suppose that you require few days of leave and your boss is unwilling to grant it. It is your utmost requirement to get those days where it has to do something significant with your life. Letting it go would be the biggest blunder in your life. You might not get such an opportunity later.
In such cases, only the persuasive power comes to your rescue. Some people have such inborn quality. Others have to work on it to increase those skills.
If you become aware of some of the strong persuasion elements behind those skills, it would help you to cultivate them effectively and convincingly. These skills rely on better emotional intelligence (EQ). Read also Proven Ways to Increase Intelligence)
Don’t be skeptical. This is the real science of human behavior. These are the secrets behind the Mentalist too.
Just keep these few points in your mind; you could become a pro in persuading others over matters. Note that no strategies are equally applicable for a specific purpose. The use of these social psychology techniques depends on the environment and purpose.
Sometimes, we are aware of these techniques yet unable to implement them on time. This is where we become more concerned about our emotions than the real matters outside.
1. Dramatize the Ideas with Concrete Facts
Be a good storyteller. Connect all the dots require for the conversation to bring the mind and thoughts of the person to your favor.
To execute it properly, effective preparation is a must. Preparedness is more successful than unpreparedness.
Dramatize the ideas by having a big picture of them. Prepare to handle any responses to align them with you. Influence their thoughts to bring it under your plan. This is how you align their thoughts with your way of thinking.
2. Anchoring Effect
We humans have an inherent quality that we keep on comparing things. Its roots in the unconscious and influences our thoughts at the conscious level.
The anchoring effect is a cognitive bias technique to create an anchor in a person where he/she relies heavily on this piece of information to make decisions. (Read also 8 Character Traits Mentally Strong People Avoid in Social Settings)
Here is a common example of the anchoring effect where this technique is predominant in sales. These people set an illegitimate price for a product that looks reasonable and then adjust with the customer’s value relying on the initial price mentioned. The final deal price might be higher than the real worth of the product. It is the mental attitude that any prices lower than the initial price are always appealing.
Not only in the marketing field, but these techniques are also applicable in social areas where these strategies remain the same.
3. Calling Names
The studies showed that calling a person by name forms a subconscious impression in their mind that you value them. The name is the foremost part of our identity.
You feel a sense of importance when someone or an authoritative person greets you with your name in a public group.
Highly persuasive people give much importance to the names. They use the names more often in the discussions and talks.
Ask the name of the person when you get introduced to them. If you meet them after sometimes, include their name while greeting. Notice how they feel about it.
4. Using Persuasive Words
Our mind ponders upon the incomplete tasks. This is the evolutionary nature of our brain. We look for reasons to act upon it.
The research showed that when including explicit reasons in the requests, people responded positively. Such that using some phrases directly implying the reasons in the statement increases the persuasive power.
For example, when a person asked in a queue ‘I have only 3 copies to print, shall I go next?’ the majority was the negative response. When included a reason for the excuse, ‘let me print these 3 copies because I am in a hurry’ the majority was the positive response. Even though, the genuineness of the reason doesn’t influence it much.
Some statements like ‘I need your help’ have a submissive nature. It gives them a dominant feeling. Including ‘what if?’ in a natural way in a conversation removes the egoistic appearance. These words make you appear more persuasive.
The way you talk and how you communicate with others is very important in persuading others. You can speak the same things in different ways. The right combination of words with mind provoking touch is the success behind such people.
5. Repetition of Facts to Make it Believable
The repetition of facts in a statement makes it seems like a valid truth. This is the nature of the illusion of truth. Use a moderate level of repetition of words or phrases in the talk. Too much repetition of the facts yields a negative result. Use phrases with the requisite emotions in a natural way that evoke actions in them.
Use the frequency and intensity of the statement intelligently. Use it in different ways. So, you appear natural.
6. 70/30 Percent Rule
The 70/30 rule is an established communication strategy. According to this rule, you do 30% of the work and let the rest of the work to the person whom you are going to persuade.
In sales, this is the strategy to help the customer to know the details clearly by showing the benefits rather than the features. So, this removes the fear of ignorance about the product and could create a positive impression on it. Therefore, the chances of sales become higher.
For instance, if you are talking continuously and not giving importance to their thoughts, you appear impulsive and degrading to them.
Create values in your words and make it thirty percent of the total interaction. Your words should communicate in such a way that it provokes the person to think about it. Bring these thoughts in the way of your thinking. (Read also Ultimate Ways to Control Mind and Thoughts)
It makes a feeling in them that you are respecting their words. As you are listening 70% of the time, you are letting them feel a sense of control.
Highly persuasive people convey the facts clearly. Their thoughts appear more specific. These induce thoughts in others that align with their way of thinking.
7. Keep Away Challenges and Arguments in a Talk
Embracing the talk with arguments and challenges creates a stressful environment. Persuasive people try to ignore it to bring the situation under their control.
The emotions associated with the arguments are conflicting. There would be less space for sharing the thoughts that go with the harmony. (Read also How to Become More Productive in Life?)
8. Using Rhyme Statement
Notice this slogan of Apple Mac Pro – ‘Beauty Outside. Beast Inside.’ A slightly altered form – ‘Beauty Outside. Beast Within.’
What do you think about these lines? Do you feel that the former slogan is far more convincing and truthful than the latter? This is the case.
The rhyme statement can deceive the mind easily than other mere statements. It is because our brain looks for matters that require fewer resources to process. Our brain wants to make things simpler than making them complicated. The rhyme statements are easy to process and appear open, rational, and straightforward. Such phrases make it more reliable even if it has deeper meanings. And, people value its truth depending on its aesthetic nature.
It is not easy for some people to implement it instantly while talking. But with preparation, can execute it better.
9. Create a Friendly Environment
Your impression values here the most. The persuasive people do not try to fill the moments with overwhelming emotions. This only creates an unpleasant environment. Uneasiness felt in the conversation works against your needs.
Don’t become perplexed and make others too. Appear confident and relaxed. This helps to create a good rapport and favorable responses.
10. Show Respect for Other Person’s Opinion
Firstly, be a good listener, this makes them feel that you are valuing their words. Show them that you are giving greater importance to their opinions. They should feel that you are in their views.
Resistance only works against persuasion. If their opinions are against your thoughts, don’t resist them directly. The highly persuasive people convince them with the alternate ways that are with their way of thinking. ( Read also 7 Most Effective Mind Control Techniques You Should Be Aware)
11. Convince that the Decision Made was Right
One main thing that the people less often come to a decision is indifference. They lack confidence in the decision made on behalf of you.
Convince them with the facts that their decision is right. Show them the benefits of a decision rather than giving them excuses to reject it.
12. Door in the Face Technique
The door in the face is a social psychology technique. It is the method of slightly exaggerating the request that appears real. When denied, slightly lower the request to make it appealing.
Make it genuinely. The request should have some ethical values. Denying a genuine request anyhow makes a guilty feeling. The second request helps them to overcome those guilty feelings.
Beware to make the second request on time. Or else the loss of attention span ends in rejecting the second request too. (Read also 5 Essential Personality Traits of Smarter People)
