How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Page 179

opinion and could not be convinced. One day the sun decided he wanted
the matter settled once and for all, so he invited the wind to compete with
him in a contest. The sun chose the contest carefully. He pointed out an
old man taking a walk, and challenged the wind to use his power to blow
the man's jacket off. The wind felt this would be an easy contest to win
and began to blow. To his surprise, each gust of wind only made the man
cling more tightly to his jacket. The wind blew harder, and the man held
on tighter. The harder the wind blew, the more the man resisted. The
powerful blows of wind even knocked the man down, but he would not let
go of his jacket. Finally, the wind gave up and challenged the sun to
succeed in getting the man to take off his jacket. The sun smiled and
shone radiantly upon the man. The man felt the warmth of the sun, and
sweat began to appear on his forehead. The sun continued pouring out
warmth and sunshine upon the man and, at last, the man took off his
jacket. The sun had won the contest. This is an example of Maximum
Influence at its best. If your attempt to persuade is a win-win, others will
be eager to do what you want them to do. As you perform the exercises
and techniques outlined in this guide, you will notice powerful changes in
your ability to persuade and influence others.
Persuasion Must Have an Audience
The art of persuading and influencing others always requires an audience,
whether it's a single person, a small group of ten, or a much larger
assembly of listeners. This component is constant, so it is critical to know
how to adapt quickly to your audience's needs, wants, fears, and desires.
Knowing how to research and read your audience will help you determine
which tools or techniques will be the most effective in any given situation.
Using the wrong techniques and tools, on the other hand, will
automatically create barriers between you and your audience, which in
turn will diminish your potential to persuade them. When you effectively
integrate the principles and Rules of Persuasion with the characteristics of
influence, power, and motivation, your audience will always be friendly,
and desirable results will be the outcome. In Chapter 15, Your PrePersuasion Checklist, I will spend more time on how to analyze, adapt to,
and read your audience.
Effective Persuasion Requires Adaptation
Have you ever tried the same approach with a customer that your boss
uses on you and had it bomb miserably? Becoming an effective persuader
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