New Persuasion Rules
How can a company spend millions of dollars on award winning advertising, but still not sell more products? Why do public speakers, when they follow all the rules given to them in public speaking courses, still bore their audiences? How can a salesman, trained in the art of closing a sale, still be ineffective?
Perhaps they’re following the wrong rules.
Instead of spending more money and time getting better at the old rules of communication, I work with clients to learn and use more effective rules of persuasion.
The new rules of persuasion can overcome a wide range of communications issues. By using the rules, a clumsy speaker can persuade more effectively than a slick, polished orator. A company can create a powerful brand identity and grow sales without spending millions of dollars on advertising. A leader who understands and lives these rules can persuade people to follow, even if they don’t look or sound like a charismatic leader.
The final test of any communications should be, “Has it persuaded someone to do something?” Communication works when it persuades. If it doesn’t persuade, it doesn’t communicate.
Therefore here are just a few of the new rules – intended to challenge your communications approach, and perhaps help you become more persuasive.
Seven New Rules of Persuasion
- Be what you are.
Pretending you’re something that you are not is not only dishonest; it undermines your ability to persuade. A speaker with a poor vocabulary that tries to impress with “big words” will appear less intelligent. A speaker that says, “I’m not that bright, but here’s what I know,” creates credibility. A company that promotes itself with impossibly grand or superlative statements can seem disingenuous, while a direct, honest, and simple statement can become far more inspirational – if it’s real.But it’s difficult to communicate what you are if you don’t know what that is. Much of my time as consultant is spent helping companies and individuals understand their strengths, weaknesses and differentiators. Understand – then be what you are.
Persuade authentically.
- Tell the Truth.
One should be honest, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is more persuasive. Few believe a person who only talks about how great they are; everyone believes someone who can communicate their own limitations.And the limitations can usually demonstrate an attractive strength. For example, “Our airline only serves peanuts, but the flight will be inexpensive.”
Persuade honestly.
- Differentiation Means Different
It’s generally understood that differentiation helps clarify value; that customers need to know how you, your product or vision is different and perhaps better than the alternatives. In practice, however, most communicate how similar they are to others. This often happens when a company or person doesn’t understand what makes them different, or when say what they think their audience wants to hear. That’s why, just as in rule #1, it’s essential to understand who you are and what makes you different.Differences are persuasive because they stand out, because they draw attention, because when making a choice between similar options, only the differences are important.
Persuade differently.
- One Thing
A speech, an advertisement, a sales pitch – should always be about One Thing, because that is all your potential listener can act on or remember at any one time. Multiple themes diffuse the communication and its effect.The temptation “to educate” or to communicate every detail of a subject must be avoided at all costs. Instead, select the most persuasive thesis, and then support that thesis with three of the most persuasive facts.
Persuade single-mindedly.
- “The good, if brief, twice good; the bad, if little, less bad.”
The above rule was actually formulated by the seventeenth century Jesuit priest and philosopher, Baltasar Gracian. It speaks for itself.Persuade briefly.
- Lather, Rinse, Repeat…as Needed
This rule was lifted from the back of a shampoo bottle, but also applies to persuasion. The greater a change one asks people to make, the more often they will have to be exposed to and reflect upon the persuasive argument. But don’t just say the same thing over and over again. If someone hears an idea from multiple perspectives, in different contexts, and at different times, they are more likely to take that idea on as their own.Persuade repeatedly.
Give credit away
The most persuasive idea is the one we come up with ourselves. If that is the case, the most effective persuader will work to make everyone believe it is their own idea. Holding on to credit for a great idea is not as important as getting people to do what you want them to do.
Persuade humbly.
