How to learn to persuade: psychological techniques. A simple technique to easily and naturally convince a person

Today I will continue to look art of persuasion and I'll tell you about how to convince someone you are right how to persuade other people to your point of view. The art of persuasion can be considered quite important and necessary to achieve success. This can be useful in any area of ​​human life, but especially in business or work related to sales.

In one of the previous articles, I already discussed general ones, but it should be recognized that each person is individual, and the method that will help persuade one person to his point of view will not produce any effect or even harm when communicating with another. This is explained by the fact that different people have their own psychological characteristics, depending on their type of character and temperament. Therefore, today we will talk about how to convince a person of your point of view, based on his psychological characteristics.

To do this, first of all, we will need to divide people into different psychological types. Most often, psychologists use a person’s temperament as a criterion for such division, but in this case, this may not be enough, since it is important for us to divide people according to the type of reaction to attempts to convince them. I propose to distinguish 4 types of people according to these criteria:

– Always confident in his rightness, unbending;

– Doubting, indecisive;

– Shows aggression, easily excitable;

- Indifferent and indifferent.

The main task of the art of persuasion is to correctly determine the type of person who needs to be convinced of your point of view, and then act taking into account his psychological characteristics.

Let's consider how to behave with people of each of these psychological types in order to convince them that you are right.

1. Confident. Convincing a person who is confident that he is right and is not inclined to change his mind is the most difficult thing to do. Such people immediately make it clear what they need, they speak in short and firm phrases, and express their position directly and openly. However, there is a method that will help win over even such people.

Excessive confidence and inflexibility can be a reflection of not only strength, but also, conversely, weakness of character. Especially if it is self-confidence, which is observed very often.

In this case, the best way to persuade a person to your point of view is to take him “weakly”. To do this, it is enough to make it clear that you have doubts that he will be able to do something that you need.

For example, if you want to make a sale to such a person, you can tell him something like: “in general, this will probably be too expensive for you, we can find cheaper options.” Then he will show ostentatious determination, he will answer that he can easily afford to buy the goods at that price and will make a purchase to prove that he is right.

2. Indecisive. It is easiest to convince an indecisive and doubting person that you are right. You can easily gain verbal dominance over him and persuade him to your point of view. But the difficulty here lies in something else: first you need to recognize this type, because if you make a mistake and start acting in this way with a person of a different psychological type, you will be defeated. Therefore, if you do not know how to convince a person of your point of view, you should immediately try to identify his indecisiveness. How can this be done?

For example, by the verbal expressions he will use. An indecisive and doubtful person will use the same vague and imprecise expressions. For example, when making a purchase, he will ask for “something not very expensive” instead of “cheap”, or “something not very bright” instead of naming a specific color, he will use the words “a little”, “more or less” , “like,” “somehow,” etc., characterizing uncertainty. His gestures and facial expressions will also express doubts and uncertainty, for example, he will mark time, fidget with his clothes, intertwine and fiddle with his fingers, etc.

To convince means to prove or disprove any position using logical arguments!!

If your ability to convince people leaves much to be desired, or you just can’t convince a person and each of your meetings “is like the collision of two billiard balls that snap sharply and fly apart in different directions, without changing either their shape, color, or leaving marks on each other,” then our advice is just for you.

In order to convince a person that you are right, to convince a person to quit drinking, smoking, or to convince a person to buy something, etc., you need to understand that the effectiveness of persuasion largely depends on the appropriate argumentation chosen.

Factors that contribute to increasing the effectiveness of arguments during persuasion:
1. The reliability of the source of information, that is, the one who convinces.
2. The importance of the problem itself, that is, the persuasiveness of what is being said.
3. The character of the group or person being persuaded or persuaded.

When you try to convince a person of something and use various methods of argumentation, the person can treat you with either trust, doubt or distrust.

The importance of the personality of a person who persuades

The persuasiveness of arguments and their credibility largely depend on the image and status of the persuader. It’s one thing when a person is authoritative and respected, it’s another thing when he is not taken seriously. This is proven by an experiment conducted by scientists.

Several groups of students were asked to listen to an audio recording of a lecture on how young criminals should be treated more humanely.

All groups listened to the same lecture, but the information about the lecturer in each group was different. The first group was told that the speaker was a highly qualified judge and a great authority on youth crime. The second group was presented with a neutral version: he is a radio worker. The third group was told that the speaker was an offender who was currently on probation.

It is clear that this group had the impression that the lecturer (who is also a criminal) has a personal interest in ensuring that young criminals are dealt with humanely. Students had to answer how they assessed the lecture itself and what their views were on a more humane treatment of young offenders.

The results were as follows: a group of students who believed that the lecture was given by an experienced judge and authority on youth crime assessed the lecture itself and its conclusions positively. At the same time, students who believed that this was a criminal who wanted his crime to be treated as humanely as possible, rated the lecture negatively.

The students, to whom the speaker was introduced as a radio worker, took a neutral position. The lecture challenged all students to look at the punishment of young offenders from different perspectives. However, it had the greatest impact on students who rated the lecturer positively, and least on those who considered him a delinquent.

The conducted experiment proves how important the personality of the one who convinces and calls for what is. In fact, this knowledge is used by those who ask a respected person to “put in a good word.”

In general, most people believe that in our society men have a higher status than women. All other things being equal, a person of large build often inspires more confidence than others.

What kind of speech should be in order to convince a person? Convincing of course!!

To make your speech more persuasive, you need to follow some rules of persuasion.

• Don’t prove the obvious, don’t say banal or truisms. A person always wants to hear something new, unknown to him. Otherwise, he loses interest both in the speech and in the speaker himself.
• Don't be afraid to agree with a person if you want to convince him of something. This rule of persuasion will help you turn his own judgments against him or prove their uselessness for him.
• Don't try to explain something you don't fully understand. This is a typical mistake of those who want to convince a person.
• To convince a person, never allow contradictions in your arguments.
• If you manage to find a striking proof or a strong objection, leave it for dessert.
• Do not use mediocre or unreliable arguments in your argumentation. In order to convince a person, try to present strong arguments separately, developing each in detail separately; and collect weak arguments into one strong argument.
• In your persuasive strategy, try to support one piece of evidence with another.

• And finally, one more rule to convince a person that you are right. Don't try to prove more when you can settle for less. Don't make it difficult for yourself. This requires additional effort and time, and most importantly, it increases the likelihood of failure.
• If you want to change or convince a person, start not with the points that divide you, but with the points on which you agree with him.
• Be a good listener and show empathy. You cannot convince a person of anything without understanding his train of thought. Moreover, an attentive listener is endearing.
• To convince a person, show that what you offer satisfies any of his needs: physiological (the need for food, water, sleep, etc.); need for security, confidence in the future; the need to belong to some community (family, group of friends, work team, etc.); the need for esteem and the need for self-realization.

A person, to one degree or another, needs to satisfy all his needs. The strongest argument is the ability to satisfy any human need.

And yet, a very important rule of persuasion is appropriate silence.

One of the most famous orators of antiquity, Cicero, said: “Silence is not only an art, but also eloquence.”

Silence can be an answer no less eloquent than words. A short silence or pause helps to draw a person’s attention to your subsequent words and arguments.

20 ways to persuade people - the ability to persuade as the basis for success in business life

Not the one who has great knowledge is stronger, but the one who is able to convince - a well-known axiom. Knowing how to choose words, you own the world. The art of persuasion is a whole science, but all its secrets have long been revealed by psychologists in easy-to-understand, simple rules that any successful business person knows by heart. How to convince people - expert advice...

• Control over the situation is impossible without a sober assessment of the situation. Assess the situation itself, people’s reactions, and the possibility of strangers influencing the opinion of your interlocutor. Remember that the result of the dialogue should be beneficial for both parties.
• Mentally put yourself in the place of your interlocutor. Without trying to “get into the skin” of your opponent and without empathizing with him, it is impossible to influence a person. By feeling and understanding your opponent (with his desires, motives and dreams), you will find more opportunities for persuasion.

• The first and natural reaction of almost any person to outside pressure is resistance.. The stronger the “pressure” of the belief, the stronger the person resists. You can eliminate your opponent’s “barrier” by winning him over. For example, joke about yourself, about the imperfection of your product, thereby “lulling” a person’s vigilance - there is no point in looking for shortcomings if they are listed to you. Another technique is a sharp change in tone. From official to simple, friendly, universal.
• Use “constructive” phrases and words in communication – no denial or negativity. Wrong option: “if you buy our shampoo, your hair will stop falling out” or “if you don’t buy our shampoo, you won’t be able to appreciate its fantastic effectiveness.” Correct option: “Restore strength and health to your hair. New shampoo with a fantastic effect!” Instead of the dubious word “if,” use the convincing word “when.” Not “if we do...”, but “when we do...”.

• Do not impose your opinion on your opponent - give him the opportunity to think independently, but “highlight” the right path. Incorrect option: “Without cooperation with us, you will lose a lot of benefits.” Correct option: “Cooperation with us is a mutually beneficial alliance.” Incorrect option: “Buy our shampoo and see how effective it is!” Correct option: “The effectiveness of shampoo has been proven by thousands of positive reviews, multiple studies, the Ministry of Health, the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, etc.”
• Look for arguments to convince your opponent in advance, having thought through all possible branches of the dialogue. Put forward your arguments in a calm and confident tone without any emotional overtones, slowly and thoroughly.
• When convincing your opponent of something, you must be confident in your point of view. Any doubts you have about the “truth” you put forward are instantly “grabbed” by the person, and trust in you is lost.

• Learn sign language. This will help you avoid mistakes and better understand your opponent.
• Never give in to provocations. To convince your opponent, you must be a “robot” who cannot be enraged. “Balance, honesty and reliability” are the three pillars of trust even in a stranger.
• Always use facts - the best weapon of persuasion. Not “my grandmother told me” and “I read it on the Internet”, but “there are official statistics...”, “I know from personal experience that...”, etc. The most effective facts are witnesses, dates and figures, videos and photographs, opinions of famous people .

• Learn the art of persuasion from your children. The child knows that by offering his parents a choice, he, at a minimum, will not lose anything and will even gain: not “Mom, buy me!”, but “Mom, buy me a radio-controlled robot or at least a construction set.” By offering a choice (and having prepared the conditions for the choice in advance so that the person makes it correctly), you allow your opponent to think that he is the master of the situation. Proven fact: a person rarely says “no” if he is offered a choice (even if it is the illusion of choice).

• Convince your opponent of his exclusivity. Not with vulgar open flattery, but with the appearance of a “recognized fact.” For example, “We know your company as a responsible company with a positive reputation and one of the leaders in this field of production.” Or “We have heard a lot about you as a man of duty and honor.” Or “We would like to work only with you, you are known as a person whose words never diverge from deeds.”
• Focus on “secondary benefits.” For example, “Cooperation with us means not only low prices for you, but also great prospects.” Or “Our new kettle is not just a super technological innovation, but your delicious tea and a pleasant evening with your family.” Or “Our wedding will be so magnificent that even kings will envy.” We focus, first of all, on the needs and characteristics of the audience or opponent. Based on them, we put emphasis.

• Avoid disrespect and arrogance towards your interlocutor. He should feel on the same level as you, even if in ordinary life you drive around such people for a kilometer in your expensive car.
• Always start a conversation with points that can unite you and your opponent, not divide you. The interlocutor, immediately tuned to the right “wave,” ceases to be an opponent and turns into an ally. And even if disagreements arise, it will be difficult for him to answer you “no”.
• Follow the principle of demonstrating shared benefit. Every mother knows that the ideal way to talk her child into going to the store with her is to tell her that they sell candy at the checkout. with toys, or “suddenly remember” that big discounts were promised on his favorite cars this month. The same method, only more complex, underlies business negotiations and contracts between ordinary people. Mutual benefit is the key to success.

• Make the person feel good about you. Not only in personal relationships, but also in a business environment, people are guided by likes/dislikes. If the interlocutor is unpleasant to you, or even completely disgusting (outwardly, in communication, etc.), then you will not have any business with him. Therefore, one of the principles of persuasion is personal charm. Some people are given it from birth, while others have to learn this art. Learn to emphasize your strengths and disguise your weaknesses.

IN idea about the art of persuasion 1:

Video about the art of persuasion 2:

Sometimes the success of our endeavors largely depends on our ability to convince people to accept our point of view. But, unfortunately, this is not so easy to do, even if we have truth and common sense on our side. The ability to persuade is a rare but very useful gift. How to convince a person?

Persuasion is a way of influencing people's consciousness, directed towards their own critical perception. The essence of persuasion is to first achieve internal agreement with certain conclusions from the interlocutor using logical argumentation, and then, on this basis, create and consolidate new ones or transform old ones that correspond to a worthwhile goal.

Persuasive communication skills can be learned both at various trainings and on your own. The principles and techniques of persuasive speech given below will teach you the ability to persuade, and they are equally effective in persuading one person or an entire audience.

How to convince a person

Persuasive Speech Principle #1 – A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR OWN INTENTIONS

In order to change or shape the opinions of people, or in order to induce them to take any action, you must clearly understand your intentions and be deeply confident in the truth of your ideas, concepts and ideas.

Confidence helps to make unambiguous decisions and implement them without hesitation, taking an unshakable position in assessing certain phenomena and facts.

Principle of persuasive speech No. 2 - STRUCTURED SPEECH

The persuasiveness of speech depends on its structure - thoughtfulness, consistency and logic. The structured nature of the speech allows you to explain the main points more easily and clearly, helps you clearly follow the intended plan, such a speech is better perceived and remembered by the listener.

Introduction

An effective introduction will help to interest and attract a person’s attention, establish trust and create an atmosphere of goodwill. The introduction should be brief and consist of three or four sentences indicating the subject of speech and telling the reason why you should know what will be discussed.

The introduction sets the mood and tone of the speech. A serious beginning gives the speech a restrained and thoughtful tone. The humorous beginning is laid positive mood, but here you should understand that starting with a joke, setting the audience in a playful mood, it will be difficult to talk about serious things.

Main content of the speech

It must be understandable, clear and meaningful - persuasive speech cannot be incomprehensible and chaotic. Break down your main points, thoughts and ideas into several parts. Consider smooth transitions that show the connection between one part of the speech and another.

• statement of facts that can be verified;
• expert opinions, judgments of people with authority in this field;
• quotes that enliven and explain the material;
• specific cases and examples that can explain and illustrate facts;
• description of your own experience and your theory;
• statistics that can be verified;
• reflections and forecasts about future events;
• funny stories and anecdotes (in a small dose), meaningfully reinforcing or revealing the points in question;
• literal or figurative comparisons and contrasts that illustrate statements by showing differences and similarities;

Conclusion

The conclusion is the most difficult and important part of a persuasive speech. It should repeat what was said and enhance the effect of the entire speech. What is said in conclusion, a person will remember longer. As a rule, it is at the end, along with a summary of what has been said, that a call to action sounds, which describes the actions and behavior of people necessary for the speaker.

Principle of persuasive speech No. 3 - EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR IDEA

For the most part, people are rational and rarely do anything that is not beneficial to them. Therefore, in order to convince a person, you need to find good arguments explaining the justification and expediency of the proposal.

Arguments are thoughts, statements and arguments used to support a particular point of view. They answer the question of why we should believe something or act in a certain way. Persuasiveness of speech largely depends on the correctness of the selected arguments and evidence. Having compiled a list of arguments, evaluate them carefully, think about whether they are suitable in a particular case, whether they will affect a given audience or not. After weighing all the pros and cons, choose the two or three that are most effective from the remaining ones.

What should be the criteria for evaluating and selecting arguments:

1. The best arguments are those that are supported by solid evidence. It happens that a speech sounds convincing, but is not supported by facts. When preparing your speech, make sure your arguments are sound.
2. Good arguments must be intelligently and concisely built into the proposal. They shouldn't sound out of place.
3. Even if your argument is well supported and justified, it may not be accepted by a person. People react differently. For some, your facts and arguments will sound convincing, while others will not consider the arguments you used to be the main ones for assessing the situation. Of course, you cannot know for sure what impact your argument will have on the person being persuaded, but you can at least approximately guess and estimate what the result will be based on the analysis of the individual (audience).

To ensure that you are presenting a truly compelling case, you should ask yourself at least three questions::

1. Where did the information come from, from what source? If evidence comes from a biased or unreliable source, it is best to either exclude the evidence from your speech or seek confirmation from other sources. Just as one person's words are more trustworthy than another's, so some printed sources are more reliable than others.
2. Is the information current? Ideas and statistics should not be outdated. What was true three years ago may not be true today. Your generally persuasive speech may be questioned due to one inaccuracy. This should not be allowed!
3. What relevance does this information have to the case? Make sure that the evidence provides clear support for the arguments you are making.

Principle of persuasive speech No. 4 - PRESENTING INFORMATION AND FORMULATING GOALS WITH AN ORIENTATION TO THE AUDIENCE’S ATTITUDES

An attitude is a stable or predominant feeling, negative or positive, associated with a particular issue, object or person. Usually people verbally express such attitudes in the form of opinions. For example, the phrase: “ I think thatmemory developmentvery important both for everyday life and for professional activities“This is an opinion that expresses a person’s positive attitude towards developing and maintaining a good memory.

To convince a person to believe First of all, you need to find out what positions he occupies. The more information you gather about it, the better your chances of making a correct assessment. The more experienced you are in the field of audience analysis, the easier it will be to make your speech persuasive.

The attitudes of a person or group of people (audience) can be distributed on a scale, from openly hostile to extremely supportive.

Describe your audience as: having a negative attitude (people have a completely opposite point of view); does not have a clear opinion on this matter (listeners are neutral, they have no information); positive attitude (listeners share this point of view).

The difference of opinion can be represented in this way: hostility, disagreement, restrained disagreement, neither for nor against, restrained favor, favor, exceptional favor.

1. If the listeners completely and completely share your opinion, understand what you are talking about and agree with you in everything, then you need to adjust your goal and concentrate on a specific plan of action.
2. If you think your audience doesn't have an opinion on your topic, make it your goal to persuade them to act by forming an opinion:
   • If you believe that the audience does not have your point of view because she is uninformed, then your primary task is to give her sufficient information, help her understand the essence of the matter, and only after that make convincing calls to action.
   • If the audience in relation to the subject neutral means she is capable of objective reasoning and can accept reasonable arguments. Then your strategy is to present the best arguments available and back them up with the best information.
   • If you believe that those listening to you do not have a clear position because the subject is deeply indifferent to them, you must direct all efforts to move them from this indifferent position. When speaking to such an audience, you should not focus their attention on the information and use material that confirms the logical chain of your evidence, it is better to focus on motivation and address the needs of the listeners.
3. If you assume that someone disagrees with you, then the strategy should depend on whether the attitude is completely hostile or moderately negative:
   • If you assume that a person is aggressive towards your goal, it is definitely better to go from afar or set a less global goal. It makes no sense to count on persuasive speech and a complete revolution in attitude and behavior after the first conversation. First, you need to change your attitude a little, “plant a seed,” and make you think that your words have some kind of importance. And later, when the idea settles in a person’s head and “takes root,” you can move forward.
   • If a person has a position of moderate disagreement, simply give him your reasons, hoping that their weight will force him to take your side. When talking with negative people, try to present the material clearly and objectively, so that those who slightly disagree will want to think about your proposal, and those who completely disagree will at least understand your point of view.

Persuasive Speaking Principle #5 – THE POWER OF MOTIVATION

Motivation, which initiates and guides behavior, often arises as a result of the use of incentives that have a certain value and significance.

The impact of an incentive is greatest when it is part of a meaningful goal and indicates a favorable reward-cost ratio. Imagine asking people to donate a few hours to participate in a charity program. Most likely, the time you convince them to spend will not be perceived as an incentive reward, but as a cost. How to convince people? You can present this charitable work as a significant incentive that provides rewards. Let's say, you can make the public feel the importance of the cause, feel socially responsible, people with a sense of civic duty, feel like noble helpers. Always show that the incentives and rewards outweigh the costs.

Use incentives that match people's basic needs, they work better. According to one popular theory of needs, people express a greater propensity to act when a stimulus offered by the speaker can satisfy an important unmet need of the listeners.

Persuasive Speech Principle #6 – CORRECT MANNER AND INTONATION OF SPEECH

Persuasiveness of speech and ability to persuade assumes a rhythmic and melodic structure of speech. Speech intonation consists of: sound strength, pitch, tempo, pauses and stress.

Disadvantages of intonation:

• Monotony has a depressing effect even on a person who has the ability to listen and does not allow him to perceive even very interesting and useful information.
• Too high a tone is annoying and unpleasant to the ear.
• Too low a tone can cast doubt on what you are saying and convey your disinterest.

Try to use your voice to make your speech beautiful, expressive and emotionally rich. Fill your voice with optimistic notes. In this case, a slightly slower, measured and calm pace of speech is preferable. Between semantic segments and at the end of the sentence, clearly pause. And pronounce the words inside the segment and small sentences as one long word, together.

It’s never too late to start developing your voice and diction, but if you want to convince someone who knows you well, sometimes it’s better to speak in a tone that’s familiar to you, without experimenting. Otherwise, those around you may think that you are not telling the truth if you speak in a tone that is uncharacteristic for you.

Do not forget that the persuasiveness of speech and the ability to persuade also depends on a number of skills and abilities, and in particular on:

application of some methods manipulating people;

from eye contact with the audience, which not only helps to establish a connection with it and simplify the impact (read - “The power of the gaze”), but also allows you to understand how much you are understood and whether what you say is interesting;

on the ability to present yourself (if you are communicating with a stranger or unfamiliar person) and make a first impression;

from the ability to behave naturally - when talking, it is necessary to give the body a free and comfortable posture.

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Persuasion is a subtle art and not everyone is blessed with this rare talent. If you have successfully convinced someone to go on a diet, take up a hobby, or pursue a career, then you probably have a genius hidden somewhere inside you. Persuasiveness is about being good at changing others' opinions on a particular issue or inducing a change in belief in their belief structure by putting forward convincing arguments against existing concepts in their minds. Just as the natural ability to "persuad" can also be acquired and mastered over time. The key to persuading others is to display positive and assertive body language. How to learn to convince people? If you want to learn some more useful tips on how to convince people, read the article.

Hear them.

If you really want to persuade on a certain topic, give them the opportunity to present their point of view. Many people tend to be more aggressive and will not let the person talk if they try to explain. You should never assume that the person you are trying to persuade knows nothing about the topic of discussion. Listen to other people calmly, without interrupting them, and once they finish, only then everything is in your hands.

Be persistent and confident.

The more confident and confident you are in presenting your ideas, the less time it will take you to shake your existing beliefs. Be extremely confident in your opinions and make sure that you do not doubt what you say, even to a lesser extent. Your confidence should be a weapon in the same way that confident people move smoothly through the toughest obstacles when it comes to persuading others.

Gain knowledge on the topic.

In-depth knowledge about the topic of discussion will make the persuasive part an easy task for you. This is a great idea if you're up for an interview. This is a great opportunity to improve your knowledge level to present reasonable arguments. However, if the discussions are impromptu and you may not have had time to gather information to support your arguments, then your thinking should help.

Give examples.

If you can support your argument with meaningful examples, then you have already won half the battle and are likely to be persuasive on your topic. Provide real examples to support your point, as they will leave the listener no choice but to accept what you say. However, if the person on the other side is too smart or skeptical, it may take some time before you succeed in your efforts.

Don't look too desperate.

You must present your arguments decisively and firmly, but the appearance of despair must be strictly avoided. The more desperately you speak to convince others, the more skeptical they will become. You can repeat your point for added effect as it helps in shaking the other person's beliefs, but don't try to dominate or impose your point.