Workshops/Soft Skills Development Series/Influencing and Persuading

Influencing and Persuading

Workshop Information

In today’s fast-paced world, you need every advantage you can get to succeed at work, school and in your personal life. Being able to convince others to see things your way is a skill that can come in handy whether you’re trying to sell an idea at the office or win back a friend. The ability to influence and persuade other people makes you more successful in almost any scenario. This workshop will teach you key skills for persuading others and how to influence people without making them feel manipulated or pandered to. Anyone who wants to expand their social circle, network for career opportunities or simply be more persuasive should read on for these effective persuasion techniques.

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Communicate with clarity

If you want people to accept your ideas, you have to be crystal-clear about what those ideas are in the first place. This means you have to be sure of what you want to say, how you want to say it, and why you want to say it in the first place. Communicate with clarity when: - You want to discuss a specific idea with a friend or colleague - You want to ask for a raise - You want to pitch an idea at work - You want to talk to a stranger on the street You want to talk to a romantic partner You want to put a plan into action You want to talk to a decision-maker in an organisation You want to talk to a group of people

Set clear boundaries

Before you can effectively communicate with others, you have to be clear about your own boundaries. This means being able to recognise what is and isn’t acceptable behavior from others and knowing how you will respond when you’re confronted with a situation that makes you uncomfortable. Setting boundaries when: -

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You’re in a new relationship
You’re managing a team at work
You have to deal with a difficult person
You need to navigate a social situation
You have to deal with an aggressive person
You have to deal with a thief or a con artist Set boundaries by: -

Understanding your values
Setting firm, healthy limits
Knowing when to walk away
Communicating your boundaries
Holding others accountable when they violate those boundaries
Forgiving yourself when you make a mistake

Establish trust and credibility

If you want people to listen to and respect what you have to say, they first need to trust you. This means building a genuine relationship with the people you want to persuade and earn their trust with effective communication. Additionally, you can establish credibility by offering proof or evidence to support your claims. You can do this by: -

Offering concrete examples or data
Being as honest as possible
Being consistent in your actions
Managing your emotions
Showing vulnerability
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses

Know your audience

If you want to persuade people, you’ll have to know what their hot-button issues are. What are their concerns? What are their values? What are their biases? What do they care about? Why do they care about it? What do they want to achieve? What are their hopes and dreams? What is their pain? What gets in their way of achieving those things? What do they resent? What do they need? What is their language? What are their hidden agendas? What do they respond to? What do they pay attention to? What are their triggers? What are their expectations? What are their limitations?

Create a sense of urgency

If you want people to take action, they need to feel a sense of urgency. You can create this sense of urgency by: -

Offering evidence that something needs to be done now
Explaining the cost of inaction
Highlighting the benefits of taking action
Emphasizing the urgency of a situation

Be a good storyteller

As we discussed above, people respond to stories more than facts and figures. If you want to persuade people, you need to know how to craft a compelling story that conveys your message effectively. Stories can be used in many different situations to persuade people, whether you’re telling a tale of a past experience or you’re crafting a fictional scenario. Stories can be used to: -

Explain a complex idea
Change someone’s perspective
Persuade people to take action
Sell an idea
Provide evidence or proof
Connect with an audience
Connect with an audience on an emotional level
Connect with an audience on a personal level

Bottom line

Persuasion is a skill that can be applied in many different scenarios. Whether you’re selling an idea at work, trying to persuade a romantic partner or trying to get a stranger to do you a favor, these techniques will help you get what you want. If you want to be more persuasive and influential, you need to be clear about your ideas, set firm boundaries, build trust, create a sense of urgency and be a good storyteller.