Becoming More Persuasive eReport (PDF)

Why are so many ideas a tough sell? There are a variety of reasons. First, people have become more savvy, skeptical, and even cynical. We are more jaded about advertising, more suspicious of political claims, and less trusting of others in general. Second, organizations build barriers to change. Change entails risk, and risk conflicts with the desire for control and predictability. And third, many people are just not skilled at the art of persuading. No matter how brilliant the idea, it’ll go nowhere unless you get others to go along with it. The truth is, we’re all involved in persuasion of some sort everyday. If you’re in sales, the use of persuasion is pretty obvious—you try to convince others to buy your product or service. However, in our personal and social lives, there’s a more subtle, yet almost constant, use of persuasion. You will find this when you seek a date, debate politics, try to talk your way out of a ticket, or decide which movie you and a friend will rent. This 10-page report will give you some tools to hone your persuasive skills, so that you can communicate clearly why someone should want to do what you really need done. Topics covered include: 1) A quick quiz to assess the level of your persuasive skills and identify opportunities for improvement 2) The four step process for determining and closing the ‘need gap’ 3) The ‘P’ barriers that can get in the way of negotiation and agreement 4) How to jumpstart your powers of persuasion.