Persuasion: a very important element of communication, which is achieved with six different techniques

Persuasion is an enormously powerful weapon, and, in several respects, it presents itself daily in our lives, exerting a profound influence. It manifests itself when we make choices that vary from shampoo to use to what to eat. How come those brands are chosen and not others?

Probably, because they were seen on TV, or suggested by someone important to us,or everyone buys them, etc. Persuasion, therefore, or the art of communication, the ancient Greeks defined it, is widely used by the mass media, newspapers and television, to modify the ideas and behaviors of others.

Persuasion is an action aimed at influencing or conditioning others to achieve their goals or objectives. These are very effective and convincing mechanisms or methods that induce the interlocutor to totally embrace the point of view of the person who is speaking.

It is a symbolic process in which the communicator tries to convince other people to change their attitudes or behaviors, through the transmission of a message. In fact, however, conditional messages change emotions, ideas, behavior and are mainly used to change opinion. The interlocutors are convinced to act autonomously, but in reality, they are influenced to move in that way by external factors.

Persuasion can be explicit, if made by an intrusive seller or a particularly captivating or more subtle, subtle commercial ad, when it is carried out quietly or subliminally.

Robert Cialdini is a psychologist and researcher at the University of Arizona, who achieved international fame after publishing his book "The science of persuasion". This book is an exhaustive collection of studies, tests, experiments and theories which explain the mechanisms by which we end up saying yes.

Cialdini has identified 6 categories which include the main persuasion techniques:

1. Reciprocity.

It occurs when one gives something to someone, and the other feels compelled to reciprocate in some way what he has received. This rule of reciprocating something received is a rule that if not respected, will face social sanctions and end up labelling a person as "ungrateful" or "parasite". For example, if a free sample or gift of something is offered and you don't accept it, you end up being designated as fools for not accepting it. For Cialdini, exchanging leads to stimulating fair acceptance, imposes debts that have not been requested and could lead to unfair exchanges.

2. Commitment and consistency.

Those who are not consistent over time in maintaining a certain goal risk being labelled as unreliable or superficial.For this reason, having a coherent image has a "reassuring" function towards the viewer, because it does not force the other to carry out a new evaluation that would lead to important emotional repercussions. For example, a change of image of a brand causes a state of confusion and accustomed to novelty

3. Social proof.

It consists in the tendency to consider an action adequate when it is carried out by many people. For this reason, to receive consents, even from authoritative people,to lead to greater visibility and trust from the public.For example, in situations of uncertainty, there is a tendency to look and see what others are doing and then make a choice, which will go in the direction dictated by the greater assents received.

4. The sympathy.

Often it occurs at the moment when to sell a product we refer to a person familiar or known to make the product more attractive or interesting. For example, in some cases the "chain" method is used with which each person interested in the product is invited to give the name of friends and acquaintances who are also interested in the purchase.There are also some factors capable of producing a reaction of sympathy, such as beauty, goodness, resemblance to someone, the same clothes worn, etc. In this case,knowing that a person is "similar" to us, facilitates the choice.

5. The authority.

The claims made by authoritative people are highly persuasive. There is a natural and deep-rooted sense of deference to authority which translates into the subject's inability to counter the order of the "boss".Being used to obedience is taught to us from birth and allows for the stratification of society. Therefore, having acknowledged the authority of authority, actions are carried out without questioning them, although some behaviors may not be adequate for the purpose.

6. Scarcity.

Or indeed the tendency to underestimate what is abundant, and to overestimate what is scarce. Therefore, there is a tendency to optimize the availability of resources of a given asset, if the availability of the asset is presented as limited in time or poor in terms of quantity. For example, computer with limited calibration and below cost, it immediately leads to the purchase of the product since it becomes an opportunity not to be missed.

Persuasion was defined by the great philosopher Aristotle as the art of inducing people to perform actions that they would normally not do if we did not ask them.

Who among us does not know at least one person with great persuasive spirit?Persuasive subjects are those who are able to win the consent of others in any circumstance, gaining their total approval and convincing them to act in a certain way.

A question spontaneously arises: are you born or made persuasive? Both options are correct. This dowry can be innate or learned through specific training courses.

Almost every day we feel the need to convince those around us to accept our point of view without hesitation or to welcome a request from us. We started to experiment in this activity since we were children, refining the most effective techniques "by hand", and still today we try to orient the judgment of others in our favor, although aware of the growing difficulties.

The long experience in the business world has made me understand that persuasion can bring enormous benefits on a communicative level: it is a sort of magic formula that helps us manage interpersonal relationships, positively influencing the opinions, attitudes and actions of others.

Below you will find 5 secrets that will allow you to attract, fascinate and convince your interlocutors in a truly effective way. Let's see them together!

1.

The famous Aristotelian pathos theorized more than 2000 years ago, and known in the modern name of empathy, today represents a crucial factor in social relations. Being empathetic means putting yourself on the same level as the interlocutor in order to understand how he sees and experiences a given situation, or more generally, the world around him.

To exercise empathy, you need to listen with your heart as well as with your mind,learn to read the emotions of others, put yourself in their shoes.

Some people are naturally inclined to feel empathy and therefore able to use it effectively; they predict how others will behave in a certain circumstance by placing themselves on their wavelength, and consequently they know how to express themselves.

When there is empathy, a spontaneous feeling of trust will inevitably make its way.

The ability to transmit trust is a factor not to be underestimated for its great importance on a psychological level.

Whoever proves truly sincere, showing that he has the problems of his neighbor at heart, gives a different tone to the conversation, stimulates the receptivity of the interlocutor and induces him to open up.

That's why the mix of empathy and sincerity will help you develop your persuasive communication in the best way.

We generally prefer to speak rather than listen, convinced that the people predisposed to listening are those who have nothing interesting to say. Wrong observation!Think of a friend who pays no attention to what you say. It's really frustrating, isn't it?

Active listening is one of the most important aspects of communication: effective persuasion arises precisely from the ability to listen, which obviously does not mean remaining silent while others speak. Active listening generates good private and working relationships, improving them over time, helps us understand the thoughts and emotions of our interlocutors, and keeps mutual attention high.

Active listening is a very complex task that requires concentration and training, but at the same time it is a necessary condition for learning. Furthermore, active listening is a confirmation gesture that increases the self-esteem of the speaker; the lack of listening, on the other hand, generates the opposite effect.

What can you do to show your interlocutor that you are really listening to him?Here are some tips:

❖ Do not interrupt it;

❖ Do not complete his sentences;

❖ Do not offer too hasty advice;

❖ Take action at the most appropriate time.

If you want your message to be heard, you need to arouse enough interest in people to keep your attention alive. Obtaining a constant level of interest is very difficult for one simple reason: several studies have shown that the time frame in which we manage to stay focused on a certain topic is quite limited.

How can you move to encourage others to listen to you? What can you do to keep your interlocutor's attention awake? You have to make sure they are interested in what you're saying, to prevent boredom from taking over.

If you have to make a request or give a speech it is essential that you manage to get your message understood on the first attempt. The preliminary phase, in fact, lays the foundations for the good or bad outcome of the communication.

When you notice that your interlocutor's attention has dropped, try to find out the reason. Is your speech boring? Did you miss something important? Did you use too sectorial and therefore incomprehensible language?

Here are some good moves that I tested first in the field:

❖ Start the discussion with a particular anecdote;

❖ Ask provocative questions;

❖ Propose a brainstorming session;

❖ Tell us about your personal experiences;

❖ Give concrete examples;

❖ Help yourself by showing pictures.

Why is non-verbal communication so important? The interactions between human beings do not occur exclusively through speech and listening. Even when we speak and listen, we express feelings and emotions through body language, taking postures and making gestures that convey a strong meaning. To communicate persuasively and give the right strength to your speech, it is important to learn to read these signals.

Non-verbal behavior determines in a decisive way the impression we have of others and what they have of us.

All experts in the sector agree that the interpretation of human attitudes is based primarily on visual factors, followed by vocal factors and only the content of the messages.

If the interlocutor finds consistency between your facial expressions and the words you pronounce, he will be led to feel a greater feeling of trust towards you, allowing himself to be influenced more easily.

If, on the other hand, your expressions contradict your words, it will tend to close and move away from you.

Don't cross your arms and don't cross your legs when you're sitting, because it will seem that you want to be defensive.

Smile to the people you talk to, because a positive gesture will help you achieve equally positive results.

Maintain direct eye contact with your partner, because you will show interest and attention.

Do you know the power that words have in everyday interactions? Are you aware that some are effective and some less effective? Putting the right words together is a subtle art that is often overlooked or neglected.

The construction of the speech and the terms used have a direct effect on the outcome of the communication process and determine its success or failure. Psycholinguistics studies precisely the effects that words produce on the human mind and emotions.

Imagine that you want to communicate something to your hypothetical interlocutor: you have an image in mind that you have to translate into words. As an issuer,you send the message to the recipient, who translates the words into an image again, to which he attributes a personal meaning that may not be the same as yours. If the mental image that your interlocutor has built is different from yours, the communication process will be ineffective. This feedback will therefore help you understand how to intervene to improve the content of the message.

My advice is to adopt an open communication style: it promotes comparison, as it does not lay rigid rules and allows you to be more flexible. Open communication will encourage others to adopt the same point of view.

Persuasive communication is the main ingredient of personal and professional success, an expressive modality that blends assertiveness and empathy together.

Knowing how to communicate persuasively means winning the attention, interest and trust of the people in front of us.

Persuasion, studied by social psychology in the context of "attitude studies", is defined as follows:

Persuasion is the power to modify attitudes or behaviors through information.

Persuasion is therefore a communicative process that uses both rational arguments and emotional stimuli to modify the recipient's attitude towards the message.

In the field of social psychology, persuasion intersects with other thematic areas.

Where does persuasion work?

❖ Persuasion occurs in an area in which both functional aspects(communication), intentional aspects (social influence) and dynamic aspects(attitudes) act.

❖ Persuasion is a communicative process that uses both rational arguments and emotional stimuli to change the recipient's attitude towards the message. The key point

❖ Persuasion is a communicative process that uses both rational arguments and emotional stimuli to modify the recipient's attitude towards the message. In the Internet age, this process subjects the human being to increased solicitations due to the multiplication of the means and methods of communication(social media, IoT devices, augmented reality, virtual reality, etc.).

With the digital information allowed by the Internet, every individual can become an author, in fact authoritativeness is no longer a pre-requisite to publish something and costs are no longer an obstacle.

❖ The prevailing way in which users read newspapers, watch news programs or view web pages tends to avoid cognitive efforts and relies on heuristic evaluations, that is, intuition-based mental shortcuts.

❖ The heuristic evaluation method is often affected by distortions of judgment (cognitive bias) of which the user is unaware.

What messages are we most likely to pay attention to? The ELM model foresees that these are messages that are very personal.

Psychological research has shown that there are stable individual differences in coping with mental efforts. There are two types of people: those who have a strong reluctance to engage in intellectually difficult tasks, and those who derive pleasure from them. Empirical research has shown that individuals with high NFC (Need for Cognition)are more resistant to persuasive attempts by the media, advertising and the people they frequent.

There are two types of people: those who have a strong reluctance to engage in intellectually difficult tasks, and those who derive pleasure from them. Individuals who derive pleasure from cognitive endeavors resist the persuasive attempts of the media,advertising and the people they frequent more

The persuasive message construction combines several factors:

❖ Mere exposure: that is, the repetition of the exposure to the message. It is known from the experiments of the psychologist Robert Zajonc that repeated exposure to an image increases the unconscious attraction towards it.

❖ Organization of the message: in order to be persuasive, the organization of the message must favor the learning of a content, in fact an opinion persists until the individual experiences a new learning. Otherwise the previous content remains.

❖ Explanation of the conclusion: the conclusion of the message must be explicit. It is true that an explicit conclusion is less effective when the recipients are more intelligent, but implicit conclusions may not be grasped by less intelligent recipients or less willing to make cognitive efforts (for example with low " need for cognition ").

❖ Unilateral or bilateral arguments: from experiments conducted by the psychologist Carl Hovland, it emerged that the presentation of a unilateral thesis is more effective towards subjects with a low school level, while subjects with a higher degree of culture are more persuaded by the presentation of alternative theses.

❖ Order of presentation of content: content retention is influenced by memory, so the most important content must be placed at the beginning of the message because the individual forms a pattern that acts as a filter with respect to subsequent arguments ( primacy effect ), while the arguments put at the end of the message are influenced by the working memory and are remembered more easily if you access (or make decisions) immediately after exposure to the message (recency effect).

❖ Vibrance of the message: the vividness of an information visual representations involving emotional factors. It is defined by psychologists Richard Nisbett and Lee Ross, in terms of concreteness, ability to affect emotionally, to provoke images and to be perceived close in a spatial, temporal or sensory sense. A vivid message, compared to a pale one, is characterized by providing concrete references and a colorful and direct language.