Mr. Valanzano Business Communications

 Persuasion – the effort to influence attitudes or behavior  Persuasion may reinforce a belief or convince someone a certain point of view is right  Persuasion may result in a direct action or not succeed at all  Everyday examples:  Waking up is persuaded by an alarm clock  Paying a bill is persuaded by receiving a bill in the mail  Buying a new outfit is persuaded by getting an invitation to a party

 3 Basic Appeals (“Keys”) to Persuasion: credibility, reasoning, and appeal to emotions  Credibility – the confidence the persuader inspires  Persuasion is more likely to occur when the persuader is liked and trusted  Displaying knowledge and competence will often cause a favorable reaction  Show care and concern for the subject  People are more willing to accept change when they feel their own interests are being served  Display high moral standards  Make the best personal impression possible

 Reasoning – plan, think, and research in order to develop the supportive reasoning for any “why” questions that may be asked  Appeal to Emotions – use language to affect emotions; avoid words that can make someone feel uncomfortable  By appealing to emotions, the persuader is able to get into the other person’s shoes  Always consider how the person(s) you are trying to persuade will react

 The needs of whoever you are trying to persuade need to be understood so you can meet their unsatisfied needs. Physical needs such as: food, shelter, etc. Security and being in control Family, sense of belonging, helping society Recognizing achievement to make one feel better about oneself Fulfilling potential and feeling happy about yourself

 Favorable – an audience that is already in favor of your suggestion or viewpoint (easiest to persuade)  No Opinion – an audience that is possibly uninformed, indifferent or does not know enough about the subject  Opposed – an audience that is slightly to completely against your viewpoint

 If there were no conflicts, we would all agree on everything. Conflicts create a need for persuasion.  Types of conflicts:  Pseudo – a false conflict; all signs point to a disagreement but there is none; some people just feel the need to choose one option or the other  Content – when the audience agrees with the problem, but not the solution  Values – when persuasion attacks values it can create barriers and build walls; find a way for the audience can agree then slowly try to persuade  Ego – when a person feels an argument must have a winner and loser; propose compromises

 Cooperation, not competition, is crucial when handling conflicts.  Withdrawal – physically or psychologically removing yourself from the conflict  Surrender – immediately giving in; this can be taken as not caring and the conflict never gets addressed  Assertiveness – stating your position on a conflict positively and firmly without hostility; pros and cons are considered  Persuasion – used when a conflict has a logical basis; works when people are open, not secretive  Negotiation – managing a conflict through tradeoffs

 1) Determine a goal  2) Give logical evidence  3) Organize the material  4) Use motivating language  5) Build credibility  6) Deliver convincingly