How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Page 50

1. Introduction
1.1 Influencing and Persuasion Are Forms of
Communication
All human interactions are a form of communication. In the business
world, nothing can be achieved without effectively communicating with,
influencing, and persuading employers, employees, clients, suppliers, and
customers. If you look at the most successful business people in the
world, you will see people who have mastered the art of influence and
persuasion. And that's the difference between being a good communicator
and being an advanced communicator - people with advanced
communication skills understand not just how to communicate with
others, but also how to influence and persuade them. It requires practice,
finesse, and a skill set that goes beyond those that the average person
possesses.

Even though these skills are so important to success in the workplace,
there are many individuals who find that there is a limit to their
persuasion and influence skills and that they seem to have reached a
stumbling block in their progress. They may sometimes struggle to
convey their thoughts and ideas in an accurate manner, or they may be
unable to understand what the other person is thinking or feeling and why
they might be resisting the attempts to persuade or influence them.
Some people might try to persuade and influence by being abrasive or
aggressive. They may get agreement from time to time, but there will be
underlying, perhaps passive disagreement that affects the team. True
persuasion and influence means that you are able to convince others of the
merit of your ideas without needing to bully or disrespect others. Instead,
you learn to understand what a particular person needs to hear, believe, or
see in order to be persuaded. Then you are able to deliver the missing
information or communication in the way that the other person is actually
able to hear it.