The best persuasion strategies work in any situation, whether you’re persuading your boss to fund your project or give you a promotion or you’re persuading your teenager to take out the trash. Persuasion is an essential leadership skill that’s instrumental to your success.
Below, I will discuss nine secrets of exceptionally persuasive leaders. The more you hone these persuasive strategies, the easier it will be for you to show up to any negotiation with confidence and win the YES.
1. Exceptionally persuasive leaders open with a strong first impression.
Research shows it takes one-tenth of a second to make a first impression. After that, people use the rest of the time with you (sometimes unconsciously) to justify their initial reaction. While this may seem annoyingly superficial, understanding this about human nature gives us a considerable advantage in our ability to persuade.
2. Exceptionally persuasive leaders know who their audience is.
They know who they are talking to. You must use your audience’s language (not yours) to speak to them. This is as simple as toning down your energy when talking to someone who is very shy or cranking it up for those high-energy individuals.
3. Exceptionally persuasive leaders connect at a human level.
You are probably much more likely to accept what others have to say once you get a sense of what kind of person they are. And so are they.
4. Exceptionally persuasive leaders are succinct.
They can express their ideas and proposals quickly and clearly. A good rule of thumb is to know your topic so well that you could explain it to a child using simple language.
5. Exceptionally persuasive leaders are not pushy, aggressive or needy.
Pushy people are a turn-off. You know who they are, those “in your face” type individuals whose approach makes you run for the hills. Exceptional persuaders establish their ideas confidently but know that the art of being subtle wins people over in the long run.
6. Exceptionally persuasive leaders are not shy (even if they are).
First, to clarify, don’t confuse being an introvert with being shy. What I mean by “shy” in this context is timid, sheepish, doubting, apologetic. Apologizing for sharing your thoughts or presenting your ideas as questions (as if they need approval) diminishes your persuasive power.
7. Exceptionally persuasive leaders are curious and acknowledge the other person’s point of view.
An essential persuasion strategy is to recognize the other person’s point of view. In other words, acknowledge that your argument is not perfect (because it’s not). This demonstrates that you are open-minded, reasonable and willing to adjust your arguments.
8. Exceptionally persuasive leaders share more stories than facts and figures.
They know that stories bring their ideas to life. The Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience published findings from a study that suggests that no matter how a concept is expressed — words, gestures or drawings — the human brain relates best to characters’ thoughts and feelings in a story.
9. Exceptionally persuasive leaders don’t dig their heels in.
They know rushing the other party into a decision is a threat to their effectiveness. The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology revealed that when people feel they are pushed to make a rushed decision, even when they rush themselves, they tend to regret the decision even if the decision turned out to be a good one. If your argument is strong and well researched, there is no point in being afraid to back down. Give the other party time to process.
Exceptionally persuasive leaders are good people readers. They take their time to understand their audience’s needs. They are confident, poised and never push others to follow their lead. Work on these skills, and I think you’ll find that the next time you need to persuade others, you will be able to silence the noise, focus the message and win the yes.
Have any tips you’d like to share? Let me know! I’d love to learn from you.
With love,
Mari Carmen
