Masonry Magazine June 2002 Page. 38
Art of PERSUASION
SELLING
Your
IDEAS
Without even thinking about it, you try to **persuade** other people hundreds, or even thousands, of times each month. But just how effective are you when it comes to **convincing** people of the value of your ideas?
By Richard G. Ensman
Rochester, NY
WHATEVER YOUR JOB, PERSUASION IS part and parcel of your daily life. Right now, you might be trying to persuade an employee to begin using a piece of new equipment. You might be trying to persuade a customer to buy something. Or you might be trying to persuade a worker to perform a task a certain way.
Effective communicators understand a wide variety of simple persuasion techniques and practice them regularly. Here are a few techniques that you can use in your own work.
Appeal to Shared Values-When the people around you share common ideals or goals, demonstrate that your idea is the fastest, most effective way to achieve what you are all seeking. For example, a conversation starter might be, "We all want the same results here..."
Share Enthusiasm-Speak enthusiastically about the idea you're suggesting and others may begin to take it to heart. Conversation starter: "I heard a very exciting idea today..."
Share Examples-Base your pitch on something another company has done successfully. The closer your idea is to one that's already been implemented, the more relevant it will seem to the people around you. Conversation starter: "Let me tell you what Bob's company is doing successfully..."
Share information-Did you read something that sounds like your own idea? Copy or clip what you read and pass it to the people around you. Alternatively, jot your ideas down on paper and circulate these random musings. Supportive printed material can easily lend credibility to your own ideas. Conversation starter: "Wait until you read this terrific article I clipped for you..."
Talk to the bottom line-Demonstrate candidly how your approach will get you to a desired result quickly and efficiently. Conversation starter: "I think I know how to get top-notch results in record time..."
Hint-Want something done a certain way? Very casually, suggest your approach two or three times. Conversation starter: "Maybe you could try this out sometime soon..."
Analyze-Using analysis, the "thinking person's" tool of persuasion, you can show through deductive logic why your point of view is valid. Conversation starter: "If Project A turned out well, and John confirmed the results, we ought to be able to do the same thing ourselves..."