049: Persuasion and Influence

Isn’t it unbelievable how incredibly persuasive certain individuals can be? Is it possible for all of us to achieve such a high level of influence? Persuasion is a potent force in business, personal relationships, politics, the media, and society (as a whole).  Persuasion skills can and SHOULD be LEARNT; they’re integral to accomplishing your goals and actualizing your dreams. How often have you needed to persuade others to do something?  The truth isn’t the truth until people believe you, and they can’t believe you if they don’t know what your saying, and they can’t know what you’ve saying if they don’t listen to you, and they won’t listen to you if you’re not interesting, and you won’t be interesting until you say things imaginatively, originally, freshly. - William Bernbach  The ability to organically and genuinely persuade and influence others is second nature to a lucky few, but incredibly difficult and uncomfortable for most. Persuasion isn’t a zero-sum game like manipulation is. Persuasion aims to result in a win-win situation for both parties that are involved. As today’s quote of the day explained, you must have a VERY interesting value proposition to persuade others. The person or people you’re aiming to persuade obviously must be INTERESTED in what you have to say. How do you captivate the subject’s attention?!  Relating to a common interest is helpful, but allowing them to speak about themselves, their experiences, wants, and needs is an even better starting point. People are often VERY interested in talking about themselves! We all love to brag about ourselves a little bit. Persuasion is often a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to not lose faith and enthusiasm after a failed attempt to influence people or outcomes. The point is that PERSISTANCE PAYS OFF. Communicating clearly is ESSENTIAL to effective persuasion. Keep it SIMPLE stupid. Spare the details, features and benefits, GET TO THE POINT. Simplicity is king. Gentle, kind and genuine persuasion is a clear winner in comparison to the severity of force, over-assertiveness and bitter words. https://mRuddo.com #TheMotivationMovement @mRuddo