Who doesn’t need to get a co-worker, customer or vendor to see things their way?
Check out the top four ways to persuade others, according to EruptingMind Self Improvement. More importantly – here’s when to use which:
Scenario 1: When you have good news and bad news
Sometimes you have to get people on board, but the entire picture isn’t rosy.
Your best approach? Give the good news first.
This capitalizes on the “primary effect,” which means people tend to best remember the first thing they hear. So the good news will have a longer lasting impact than whatever unpleasant info you have to share after it.
Scenario 2: When someone is going to make a decision immediately after hearing you out
So you’re making a pitch and will get the thumbs-up or thumbs-down on the spot.
Go for the opposite of the primary effect here: the “recency effect.”
That means what you say last will leave the most lasting impression. So save your most compelling arguments for your conclusion – it will give you the best chance of winning them over.
Scenario 3: When time is of the essence
Who isn’t tight on time these days? You can turn that situation into a chance to get folks seeing things your way.
Your technique of choice here? The “hook.”
Think like an advertiser. You want to go with a bold or maybe even shocking statement that will make your listener stop in his or her tracks and pay attention. Just be sure not to belabor your point too long once you’ve gotten them listening.
Scenario 4: When you anticipate resistance
Maybe you know going into this, there are going to be others who will say negative things about what you’re proposing (or maybe even about you).
Think about just what detractors will say, and then raise those issues with the person you’re trying to persuade.
That way, when that person hears those negative things later, he or she is a lot less likely to put a whole lot of stock in them.
If the information is potentially shocking, you definitely want to be the first person to say it. There’s a significantly smaller shock value the second time something is heard, no matter what it is.
