Harnessing Science of Persuasion in Communication

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Harnessing the science of

Persuasion in

Communication

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Flow of contents

Objective

Science of Persuasion

MintosPyramid Principles of Persuasion

How to Persuade the communication

Putting it altogether

References

Bibliography

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Objective

The objective is to study in detail the science of

persuasion in communication and understand thevarious methods to make business

communication more effective.

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Science of persuasion

Process in which the communicator seeks to elicita desired response from his receiver.

Attempt by one individual to change the attitudes,beliefs, or behavior of another

Activity with purpose of effecting theinternalization or voluntary acceptance .

Effort at influencing anothers mental state

Aristotles book The art of rhetoric contain three

means of persuasion: ethos , pathos, logos

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AIDA

Attention

Attractiveandunconventional content

Bring brandvisibility

Interest

Why theproductshouldinterestcustomer?

Whats therefor him?

Desire Special offer,

Generateurgency,Uniquebenefits

Action

Subscription,

Filling upform,Purchaseorder,Downloadmaterial

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MintosPyramid Principle

Developed by Barbara Minto fromMcKinsey

A hierarchical structure based on vertical

and horizontal logic.

Vertical logic represents the storyline

(question-answer dialogue) Horizontal logic is about the kind of

reasoning.

In a question-answer dialogue answers are

based on a number of statements i.e.

either deductive or inductive

The structure of the introductory flow will

be:

SSituation

C Complication

Q

QuestionA Answers

What

Why

How

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Harnessing the Science of

Persuasion

Factors that influence us to say YES.

Persuasion works by appealing to a

limited set of human drives and needs. Persuasion is governed by basic principles.

Persuasion is one of the leaders essential

tools.

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Six Fundamental Principles of

Persuasion : Principle No. 1

Principle of Reciprocity

People repay in Kind

Application: Give what you want to receive

Be the first to give

Example: Lending a staff member to acolleague who needs help

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Principle No. 2

Principle of Scarcity

People want more of those things there areless of

Application: Highlight unique benefits andexclusive information

Example: Wholesale Beef buyers ordersincreased over 600% when they alonereceived information on possible beefshortage.

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Principle No. 3

Principle of Authority

People will follow Credible KnowledgeableExperts

Application: Expose your expertise, dont

assume its self evident.

Example: Physiotherapists were able to

persuade their patients by displaying their

medical diplomas

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Principle No. 4

Principle of Consistency

People align with their clear commitments.

Its activated by looking for, and asking for

commitments that can be made.

Example:- If you make a promise , you willfeel bad if you do not keep it.

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Principle 4 contd

Application:- Make others commitments

active , public and voluntary.

If you sign a contract then being consistent you

will demonstrate all the work to fulfill the

requirement of that product.

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Principle No. 5

Principle of Liking

People like those who like them.

Example:-At Tupperware parties, guestsfondness for their host influences purchasedecisions twice as much as regard for theproducts.

Application:- People prefer to say yes tothose they know and like.

Uncover real similarities and offer genuinepraise the people at work place.

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Principle No. 6

Principle of social proof

People follow the lead of similar others.Example :-You will likely to donate more

charity , if you learn that others has also

donated the cause.

Application:- Use peer power whenever it`savailable. e.g. ask an esteemed "old timer" to

support your new initiative if other veterans

resist

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How to persuade the

communication?

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Step 1 : Prepare

Needs to know the target audience to whom weneed to communicate.

Engage the audience in a conversation to know

their views.

Get to know if the audience is facing any issues

or obstacles by asking about their concerns.

Ask for the opinions, if they have any.

For example, in a team of employees and a

manager, the manager should be doing a task of

regular conversations so that he/she knows what

kind of team members he/she has in the team

which can help him/her to persuade.

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Step 2 : Be Credible

A good persuader or a speaker should be

credible in order to persuade employees or

colleagues.

Should have an expertise in a particular field. Should know his/her skillset before he/she tries

to communicate to persuade

Should be perceived as a trustworthy person

by the audience beforehand The speaker can take help of the other experts

in order to attain better credibility.

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Step 3: Know the benefits of

communication

A manager presenting before the audienceshould be able to explain the benefits of thecommunication that is being presented in frontof the audience.

Should come up with evidences to prove thepoint that the manager is trying to make.

Cite the examples from day to day life to makethe communication more effective.

As an example, a manager addressing to thetop officials in a company can tell them how aparticular change can make their jobs easierand more efficient.

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Step 4 : Connect with the

audience

It is very important to connect with the

audience emotionally to win their hearts.

Should be able to observe the reaction

while communicating and should be able tochange the tone of communication

accordingly.

Must match the emotional level of theaudience.

This helps in more engagement and

eventually getting the hold on the audience.

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Persuasive

Communication

Professional negotiators, sales professional

and upper management personnel

For leaders persuasive communication is the

cornerstone of motivation and taskaccomplishment. This is great. Lets do it !. It

can help in areas such as:

Gain a commitment or agreement from their

employees. Complete a task or assignment in a given time

frame or with particular outcomes

Encourage a higher level of trust from

employees

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Contd..

Advertising industry

Relationship

Court case

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Putting it all together

Six principles should be applied in combination

to compound their impact

Rule of ethics apply to the science of socialinfluence.

Principles if applied correctly can steer

decisions correctly

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References

http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/laws_persuasion/chap1.html

http://www.consultingmethodology.com/wp-

content/uploads/2014/03/Pyramid-

principle_consulting-methodology.pdf

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Bibliography

Robert B. Cialdini, Communicating

Effectively (2011)

Harvard Business Review, Harnessing the

science of Persuasion

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THANK YOU