DEVELOPMENT
“ Most of us try to convince others in the way that we , ourselves , would prefer to be persuaded . Of course , the point is you ’ re not trying to persuade yourself .”
Based on a survey of more than 8,000 people , there ’ s clearly room for improvement when persuading colleagues , clients , employers and even friends and family members : |
89 % of executives admit to daydreaming during important meetings and conversations ( 33 % admit to sleeping !) |
75 % of people say they would gain greater respect for their knowledge and expertise if they were better communicators |
Only 28 % say the most recent meeting they attended moved them to action while 72 % went back to what they were doing and did nothing new . |
know you care about them ; they want a strong emotional connection before they are open to being persuaded by you . Finally , some people need to sense your passion and enthusiasm ; be swept up in your overall confidence , commitment and excitement for the matter , before they will be convinced .
Which approach suits you ? Each set of KPIs forms the basis of four different persuasive approaches :
w The wise owl has an innate drive to use intellect to establish the credibility of their message . w The commanding eagle will establish their personal authority and credibility . w The friendly budgie tries to build an emotional connection and establish goodwill with prospects or stakeholders . w The captivating peacock uses charisma and charm to arouse enthusiasm and passion for the matter .
Whilst all these needs will be important to some degree , we generally give priority to one or two before we can be persuaded . And the fact is that most of us try to convince others in the way that we , ourselves , would prefer to be persuaded . Of course , the point is you ’ re not trying to persuade yourself . You ’ re trying to persuade your stakeholder and that means you need to work out the approaches they need … And use them !
Why bother with a plan for development ? Carl Jung famously said : “ Unless you make the unconscious conscious , it will direct your life and you will call it fate .” When it comes to persuading the people around you , it ’ s important to be conscious of your actions and their consequences so you both control your approach and manage the outcome . If you elect to ‘ just wing it ’, you ’ ll tend to adopt the approach that would work on you , not the actual approach you should be using to get the outcomes you are seeking .
A greater awareness of your strengths and a commitment to adapting your persuasion style , will result in an improvement in the way you sell to prospects , manage customers and their expectations , and engage and lead colleagues and / or team members . Improved results in these areas can lead to an increase in sales and customer satisfaction , a safer and more productive workplace culture , stronger relationships with stakeholders and greater workplace satisfaction . S michellebowden . com . au
THE EXPERT
Michelle is a certified speaking professional and communication skills coach who has delivered her Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass more than 950 times for 12,000 people . She has also authored a number of books , including How to Persuade : The skills you need to get what you want .
Winter Issue 2024 | Executive PA 61