290 / COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR TEAM
Communicating to persuade
Whether your are trying to sell a product, convince your superiors
to release more resources, convince an investor, or win a promotion,
you need a clear strategy to persuade your audience. Removing the
barriers to people saying “yes” is a two-way process.
If you want to motivate people to do
something, you first have to catch
their attention. Research shows
that we selectively choose what to
pay attention to, both as a defense
mechanism against sensory
overload, and because we seek
out messages with particular
value for us. We ignore virtually
everything else. There are two
ways to capture attention:
•
Use physical stimuli, such as
bright lights, sound, motion,
or color.
•
Present stimuli that relate
directly to the needs or goals
of those you want to persuade.
Next, you need to provide a reason
for people to act. A persuasive writer
or speaker is one who can lead
others to believe in what he or she is
advocating, and then encourage some
form of behavior in line with that belief.
This amounts to giving good reasons
for what you believe. These are
not reasons you think are good, but
reasons your team thinks are good.
Identify the needs and interests of
your team and connect them to your
message. Which of their needs are
you fulfilling? Appeal to their sense
of rationality—show why it makes
sense to act on your message. Or
call on their sense of conformity,
by showing how well others will view
them if they act on your message.
GETTING THEIR ATTENTION PROVIDING A MOTIVATION
Understanding the audience
Before you can expect your request to
be understood and considered, you first
need to understand your audience. What
are their interests, their motivators,
and their possible objections to your
proposal? Most successful attempts at
persuasion involve four separate,
yet related, steps. Following these
steps won’t guarantee success with
any particular audience, but they will
set the stage for the attitudes you’re
trying to shape in your team and the
behavior you hope will follow.
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COMMUNICATING TO PERSUADE / 291
Communicating to persuade
The arguments that you use to
persuade others can be one-sided,
presenting your case alone, or
two-sided, presenting your case as
well as dealing with real and potential
counterarguments. Choose your
approach based on the knowledge
and preconceptions of your audience.
If you decide to use a two-sided
argument, you should:
•
Warn your team that others may try
to change their minds.
•
State some opposing arguments
and then refute them. If you are
aware of an opposing message,
consider previewing at least part
of it to the audience and then
explaining why it is flawed.
•
Encourage commitment in some
tangible or visible way. It’s more
difficult for people to back away
from positions for which they’ve
publicly proclaimed their support.
Once you have captured the attention
of those you want to persuade and have
given them good cause to believe the
message, you must provide them with
a clear channel for action.
First, however, take time to reassure
them: show them that there is a high
probability that you can deliver on the
promised reward. Your team needs to
know that what you’ve promised will
actually come true.
Next, recommend a specific proposal
for action. Tell your team exactly
what you want them to do, describe
how you would like them to go about
it, and set out a realistic timescale.
Make sure that everyone on your
team knows how and when progress
will be measured and identify
the end point and the rewards
for achievement that lie ahead.
When to use one- or two-sided arguments
ONE-SIDED ARGUMENT
TWO-SIDED ARGUMENT
The audience initially agrees with
you and your aim is simply to
intensify support.
You suspect or know that the
audience initially disagrees with
your position.
The audience will not be exposed to
any form of counter-persuasion.
The audience is not well educated or
may become easily confused by an
opponent’s argument or evidence.
You know the audience will be exposed
to subsequent counter-persuasion.
You hope to produce a more
enduring result with a
knowledgeable audience.
MOVING OTHERS TO ACT KEEPING THEM ON SIDE
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