How to Convince Someone

  1. Ask them to share their thoughts.
  2. Match their type of reasoning -- if they're beingness emotional, appeal to their emotions; if they're relying on logic, be logical.
  3. Get them to lower their guard with a genuine compliment.
  4. Pose a counter-statement (without making them defensive).
  5. Don't hide backside jargon or unnecessarily fancy words.

Some people telephone call George C. Parker the most disarming American who ever lived. In one case or twice a week for several years, Parker convinced people he owned the Brooklyn Bridge. After they believed him, he'd sell it to them. His buyers would unremarkably discover the swindle when police arrested them for putting on toll barriers on "their" bridge.

While Parker definitely isn't a good part model when it comes to honesty, there's no doubt he knew how to bring others around to his point of view. Once you know exactly how to convince someone (the correct fashion), you'll be a meliorate salesperson, entrepreneur, and/or professional.

1) Give them a gamble to explicate

When was the terminal time someone convincedyouspast verbally bulldozing you lot? Probably never. Even if you submit on the surface, in your head you're still clinging to your beliefs. And you're irritated and resentful of the other person, to kicking.

The opposite approach is far more effective: Mind respectfully to the other person. In fact, let them go first. Equally soon as yous determine y'all want to convince them, say,"I'd honey to go your thoughts on 10. Would you please share them with me?"

Here are a few alternatives:

  • "I know you'll have some well-thought-out opinions on Y. Are you open to discussing them? "
  • "This sounds similar a topic y'all feel strongly about. It would be neat to hear your reasoning."
  • "Could you please walk me through your thought process?"
  • "Let'southward talk virtually Z. Please, tell me what you call up."

2) Match their reasoning

Turns out, "fight burn down with fire" is a smart persuasion technique. Research proves that using the same blazon of reasoning as the person you're trying to persuade is much more than constructive than using a different one.

And so if the other person is beingness logical, utilize logic too. If, on the other paw, they're making decisions based on their emotions, sway them with an emotional statement.

Allow'south say you're talking to a prospect who's unsure about changing suppliers. They've worked with their current one for 10 years and really like them.

Considering they're using emotional reasoning, don't lead with a logical argument like, "Switching to our product will cut your manufacturing fourth dimension by 10%." It's probably not going to resonate.

Instead say, "I completely understand. We really endeavour to provide that aforementioned level of support and trust to all of our customers. In fact, during your first year, nosotros provide a second business relationship managing director at no extra cost to make sure your transition is equally smooth every bit possible and you feel secure."

Not sure how to differentiate betwixt different arguments types? Pay attention to which words the other person is using.

Logical reasoning words

  • Analyze
  • Summate
  • Conclude
  • Compel
  • Determine
  • Observe
  • Notice
  • Approximate
  • Hypothesize
  • Predict
  • Reveal
  • Think
  • Validate
  • Verify

Emotional reasoning words

  • Believe
  • Feel
  • Guess
  • Imagine
  • Intuit
  • Suppose
  • Suspect

3) Compliment their idea process

Side by side time a prospect says something you agree with, respond, "It sounds similar you've put some thought into this."

According to a study published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, "Individuals who were led to believe that they had thought a lot virtually a ii-sided message felt more certain about the resulting attitude than people who were led to believe that they had thought only a little about the aforementioned message." In other words, if you make prospects think they've spent some time coming to a belief, they're far likelier to concur on to information technology.

What would that look like in practice? Imagine the prospect says, "Since we're expected to grow 150% in the next year, the flexibility of your software is really appealing."

With this fob upwardly your sleeve, you'd reply, "It seems like you've really thought about what you'll need as you lot calibration."

At present, validated in their thinking, they'll be even more convinced your production is a good fit.

Looking for other options? Endeavour:

  • "Yous make some bully points."
  • "Y'all've definitely given me a lot to mull over."
  • "I'm impressed by your reasoning."
  • "I wish more people had your ability to consider both sides of the topic."

4) Nowadays the counter-statement

Non only should yous be prepared for any counter-arguments the other person brings upwardly, you might even consider bringing up the counter-arguments for them.

It may sound crazy. Still, a meta-analysis of 107 studies with a full of 20,111 participants showed that, beyond the board, two-sided arguments are more persuasive than one-sided ones.

The key is to refute the counter-argument after yous've raised it -- otherwise this approach doesn't piece of work.

For instance, yous could tell the prospect, "Our bookkeeping software doesn't enable users to requite clients their ain accounts. I know that's a feature you're interested in."

Laying your cards on the table immediately makes you more apparent. But you don't desire to get out any potential problems unaddressed, so follow up with: "We chose to offer automated, recurring billing instead -- in one case you've set information technology upward, you never have to worry most payments again. Plus, clients can view their invoices in their email without the hassle of logging into a whole new platform."

Because yous've gained the prospect'south trust, this explanation volition be more impactful than if yous'd waited for them to bring up the event.

You can even innovate a bespeak you lotdon'tcall back they would accept brought up on their own. Again, this sounds counter-productive -- only it will boost your trustworthiness and make you lot seem more convincing, assuming y'all successfully dismantle the counter-statement.

To illustrate, you lot might say,"You lot might be thinking about prophylactic. Many customers are, in the beginning. Is that something on your heed?"

Once they say yep (they'll most always say yes, because they don't desire to seem uninformed or careless), you'd respond,"It's a very valid concern. The Consumer Protection Agency has really found our product makes your abode more safety, because ... "

Ultimately, setting upwardly arguments before knocking them down volition make yous far more disarming.

five) Be Clear and Direct

My brother -- who'southward a philosopher -- in one case handed me an extremely dumbo text on the Münchhausen trilemma, telling me it would change my life.

A month later, he asked what I'd thought. I said, "Honestly, I couldn't sympathize more than than 10 words in a row."

The takeaway: The strength of your argument doesn't thing if your audience tin can't understand it.

And this holds truthful whether you lot're talking about a complex psychological theory or how your production works. It might be tempting to fill your explanations with 5-dollar words, jargon, and industry buzzwords, simply y'all'll only confuse your prospects -- and ultimately lose the deal.

With that in mind, speak as plainly you lot tin can. For instance:

  • Wrong: "We've developed a real-fourth dimension pipeline that ingests the full Twitter stream, and so cleanses, transforms, and performs sentiment and multi-dimensional analysis of the Tweets that were related to campaign and finally delivers a valuable real-time conclusion making platform."
  • Right: "Our tool grabs the data from Twitter accounts, analyzes it, and puts the relevant information in an like shooting fish in a barrel-to-use dashboard. Information technology updates in real time, then you lot'll always exist making the virtually informed decision possible."

Information technology'south clear which statement is more than convincing: The second i.

When you're unsure whether you're existence direct enough, pretend you lot're speaking to a fifth-grader. This strategy volition help you choose clear, comprehensible linguistic communication and examples.

Now that you know these science-backed persuasion secrets, moving your prospect's hearts and minds should be a little easier. Only make sure to use your powers for good, not evil -- in other words, don't sell whatever bridges.

HubSpot CRM

Originally published Nov 28, 2017 9:33:00 PM, updated Nov 27 2017