Persuasion Techniques

Persuasion Techniques

One cannot be an effective  if one fails to influence others – especially the
colleagues and subordinates. Scott Williams (“Leader Letters”) says: “…building power
bases should not be a person’s primary focus, but individuals have to have at least
some form of power to be able to do their jobs. The same principle applies to influence
(which is the exercise of power); influencing others does not prove that a person is
effective, but failure to influence others is often the cause of individual ineffectiveness.”
Choosing the right influence strategy is the key to managing effectively. Scott Williams
advocates the three following techniques of persuasion and the choice of the specific
techniques by individuals depend on their values, priorities and contextual demands.

Using Reason
• Again, reason is the best form of influence for most situations. When
presenting the reasons why someone is asked to comply with a request or
accept a suggestion, Individuals should consider how their request or
suggestion pertains to the personal values of the person they are trying to
influence. In the ideal situation, the person they are trying to influence has
internalized the organization’s values. If so, anything they ask him/her to do
that is consistent with the organization’s values will be something he/she
personally wants to do.

• Resisting Reason
• Present alternative reasoning. When someone is trying to use reason to
get us to do something, people are likely to respond in one of two ways: (1)
cooperate because the reasoning is sound, or (2) tactfully explain why they
do not think it would be wise for them to cooperate. In other words, reason
can be resisted with counter-reasoning. People may need to call attention
to the bigger picture or the flaw in the logic.

• Defend your rights. Some people become slaves to their desire to be
helpful to others. Being cooperative and a “team player” is great, but they
should remember that they have rights. They should not sacrifice their
priorities in order to help others. They have a right not to help others who
are becoming overly dependent on their help. They have a right to use this
free time to pursue innovative projects. They have a right to work a
reasonable number of hours. Sometimes, they have to assertively stand up
for their rights. In pop-psych terms, “people pleasers” need to develop
“boundaries.”

• Firmly refuse. Sometimes people are a little overzealous in their efforts to
use reason to influence us. They have ideas to “sell” to us. And, like all
good salespeople, those zealots do not give up when we voice our objections
- they try to answer them. As long as they continue to present counterreasoning,
the debate will continue. Even in relationships that they would
like to keep harmonious, sometimes they need to firmly refuse a request
and firmly refuse to discuss it further.