Persuasion & Convincing Skills

1. Persuasion & Convincing Skills
Trigger the “Yes” Response
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

2. Persuasion is
1.bring your audience to believe as you do

and/or

2. influence your audience to take action.
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

3. May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

4. Influence: Explained
Definition
•Changing the Attitudes
and Behaviors of other
people Without Using Any
Force or show of power
–Active Listening Skills
–Shaping
–Reflection

Forms
•Influence attempts can
be either open or covertly
manipulative.
–In open influence, the
attempt is readily apparent
to the target.
–In manipulative influence,
the attempt is hidden from
the target.

May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

5. Influence: Components
Influence
Framework
•Comfortable context
•Similar examples
•“No force” approach
Information
•Relevant, factual
information, i.e. Graphs,
Published literature, etc.
•Do not, however, rely on
this alone!
Technical Expertise
•Assure your
understanding towards
the problem
•Exhibit experience and
trained qualities
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

6. Influence and Persuasion
•The refined form of Influence is often
termed as Persuasion.
•Persuasion attempts to win "the heart
and mind" of your client.

•Thus, in order to persuade you must bring
about a change in attitude, which is
basically an emotion-based change.
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

7. Where does persuasion take place?
•You wish to convince your client that you have
the solution to his problem.
•You want to convince your client that more time
is needed to complete his request.
•You wish to show your supervisor that working
overtime do not add up to an effective way to get
things done.
•You want to show your client that your proposed
idea is without any demerits.
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

8. How do you feel when
clients
raise objections

or
ask questions?
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

9. Each of these situations calls for you
to persuade your audience. In order
to persuade you would have to:

1.Awaken a belief on the part of your listeners
that what you are proposing is a good idea.
2.Show the client that you have a well-
thought-out plan of action available.
3. Be able to convince your client that your
plan of action is realistic and the right thing
to do.
4. Be able to “push the right buttons,” or know
your client.
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

10. Analyze your client
A.Supportive client:
–you start with their support
B.Uncommitted client:
–neutral
C.Indifferent client:
–have to get them to pay attention
D.Opposed client:
–against you before you start
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

11. Persuasion: Components
Persuasion
Having Credibility
Making a Solid
Case
Effective
Communication
Understanding your
Audience
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

12. Components: Defined
Having Credibility
•Gaining experience in
various leadership
positions
Understanding Your
Audience
Before
•How Do The Professionals
Make Decisions?
•“The Best Predictor Of
Future Behavior Is Past
Behavior”
During
•Watch closely for reactions
•Be prepared to pause for
questions/clarifications
•Hostile  Supportive
Trust Experience Credibility
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

13. Components: Defined
Making a Solid Case
•Begin with a compelling
story
•Paint a picture of what
you want to happen
•Present factual evidence
•Anticipate/answer
objections that might
come up
•End with a clear
statement of what you
want the committee to
do

Effectively Communicating
•Appealing to emotional
sides
•Word choice – add color
and excitement!
•You have to be able to
tell a good story!
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

14. “People with Advance Communication
Skills knows the art of influence and
persuasion. It requires practice, finesse
and a skill set that goes beyond those
that the average person possesses.”
-Anonymous
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

15. looked like


said
Clients will remember what you
more than what you
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

16. Persuasion: In a nutshell!
•Related to Perceptions of Credibility
–Trustworthy
–Qualified
–Personal dynamism
•How could being more “Persuasive”
assist you in dealing with others?

•Caution: Persuasive not Aggressive

May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

17. Persuasion vs. Coercion
Coercion Persuasion
I am going to pick
him/her up and
throw him/her off
the roof.
I am going to convince
him/her that he/she
want to jump off the
roof.
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

18. Be more Persuasive without being
Aggressive –Try to convince them
•Find Common Ground
•Be Honest about your intentions
•Be personally Credible, Admit when you
don’t know something
•Be Patient – i.e., reinforce your messages
over time
•Soften your appeals
•Save your most important point for last.
•Give least number of options

May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

19. How to Trigger the "Yes" Response
•The movie: Adjustment Bureau
•It's a well-known principle that people like
to have a reason. A reason helps people
make a decision and justify their action.
•"Because" is usually followed by
information and has become, for most
people, a "trigger."
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

20. Validation of Triggers
we humans can't possibly think through
every situation from scratch, so we have
"triggers" that set off automatic,
unthinking action. Our brain is built to
help us simplify life by identifying patterns
moment-by-moment, and automatically
setting in motion set sequences of
standard, well-rehearsed behavior.
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

21. Triggers: To convince
•Reciprocation
•Commitment and Consistency
•Social proof
•Liking
•Authority
•Scarcity
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

22. 7 Golden Principles of Persuasion
•Always focus on the end result
•Relate to your audience (whether it be
one or many)
•Sweet talking (weave your intention)
•Use technical words where necessary
•Try to elaborate on what you said earlier
•Remain relaxed at all times
•Take advantage of influence
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services

23. Things to remember!
•Empathy is the key to all types of persuasion
•Don't elaborate too much
•Avoid using excessive statistics
•Don’t show that it’s your opinion, convince
them to believe it as a Universal truth.
•Make it OBVIOUS.
•Do not respond to any verbal attacks, keep
calm and your position light-hearted.
May 29, 2012
Presented by: Ahsan Bham, Team Member
- Employee Services