Persuasion

Persuasion

The Art and Science of getting the maximum out of your team.

Few men are open to conviction, but the majority of men are open to persuasion.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Introduction

Many times many of us found that we are not able to convince people on what they should do or what not? At the same time I am sure that we all have come across some gifted individuals who simply know how to capture their audience, sway the undecided and convince others to do the things they wanted with such conviction that it looks like persuasion itself was a favor which the persuaded one has to repay soon. The way these masters of persuasion use their charisma and eloquence to convince others to do what they want seems like sheer magic. But the problem with this whole scenario is that these born persuaders are not able to really explain their skills to others. Their way with the people is an art and artists as a rule are better in doing thing than explaining it.

The Story

My own experiences have taught me the power of persuasion. I have always found that it is easier to get people do something when persuasion is applied instead of other forces. One of my achievements I cherish most is meeting success with my very own idea on the solution for power theft prevalent worldwide. I had started on this idea during my second year at IIT, after I attended a workshop of Electricity Industry. I was astonished to see billions being lost to power theft. I really wanted this opportunity to utilize my passion for technology to create a business.

I started my voyage.

I spent next two years analyzing the business opportunity and challenges. I simultaneously beefed up knowledge of embedded systems, a key requirement for product development coupled with my curricular commitments. After three years, I succeeded in generating a business plan and product blueprint.

Subsequent phase was product development. I persuaded two of my friends to share my vision. Together we countered the lack of funds, resources and time, working till wee hours of the morning while doing our regular jobs at TCS. We stretched our creativity to keep development costs very low. Even our lab was established using phased out instruments sourced from firms upgrading their equipments. Our persistence kept us going and we successfully demonstrated a working prototype and also won a patent for the design. In that situation I realized that one of the most powerful weapons a person can have is to master the art of persuasion.

The Learning's

I also realized that although persuasion seems to be gift not everyone can have from birth, it can be developed considerably if only we have some principles in mind. Gradually I learned that there are few basic principles that one needs to keep in mind if one wants to become a good persuader. The principles are as follows:

These principles have been identified with considerable research by behavioral scientists and they are the tools through which a person can acquire them in the situation where the people gifted with this ability cannot teach others. I will briefly describe each principle along with the way I interpret it and how it can be applied to achieve powerful persuasive skills.

The principle of liking: People like those who like them. We never like someone who does not like us or does not seem to care about us. I was able to communicate effectively with my team of friends because I really liked them for what they were and wanted to work with them. When you show others that you like them, they also try to please you by trying to do as you want.

The principle can be applied by finding real similarities and offering genuine praise to others. Managers should use similarities to create bonds with new hires or new boss and try to find good things about them that can be genuinely praised. This will make others more receptive to you and increase your persuasive quotient for what I will refer to as P.Q.

The principle of Reciprocity: People repay in kind. Human is bound by a universal rule that we treat others the way we are treated by others. We have often found ourselves at strangers just because they have smiled first. That is why if I wanted my team members to listen to me, I genuinely tried to listen to them first. During my project, I always tried to help my team where I could and that led to me getting help from all of my friends when the going was tough.

One can apply this principle by giving what they want from others. Whether it is a sense of trust, a spirit of co-operation or a team that listens to each other, one should model the behavior one wants to see from others.

The principle of Social Proof: People follow the lead of similar others. Aristotle famously quoted "Man is by nature a social animal". Human beings rely heavily on people around them looking for ways on how to think, feel and act. People who belong to same class and category are easily influenced by each other. A person who does not share the same kind of background, skills and capabilities will be easily become an outcast in a group.

One can use this principle effectively by using peer power whenever it is available. Whenever I had problems in convincing any of my team member and friend it always helped me to ask for help from my other friend and a team member to talk with the person I wanted to convince. Although personally I have realized that sometimes this can backfire because the principle works in both ways. It is also possible that the person you wanted to pursue can persuade others using the same peer group. Therefore you should use peer power cautiously and at times when you absolutely sure of your ideas and convictions.

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