The Power of Persuasion

The art and science of persuasion has become an important competency for many companies.  We have seen a rise in requests from the clients we work with to help them build this skill in their employees. On the job, influence skills enable people to:

• Quickly develop effective solutions while managing the different ideas of individuals and the group

• Create quality decisions in an efficient way without sacrificing diversity of thought

• Strengthen relationships so parties can work effectively and efficiently in the future

• Develop more creative solutions by integrating different and new ideas

• Work more effectively cross-functionally and peer-to-peer

• Improve the decision making process

• Develop good communications for managing difficult situations

For a company, this means:

• Increased creative solutions

• Improved the quality of new ideas

• Efficiently managed change initiatives

• Increased engagement and retention of employees

• Improved efficiency and productivity

At Accordence, we provide the tools in persuasion style self-assessment, preparation and effective delivery for upcoming conversations. A main core of our session focuses on three perspectives. Each of us has the ability to reflect on a persuasion situation and respond to it from three different “mindsets.” The First Person Perspective sees the world from one’s own eyes and the ability to advocate one’s own needs. The Second Person Perspective understands and then authentically empathizes with the other person. The Third Person Perspective sees the situation objectively and looks for what’s fair and reasonable. All three mindsets are critical to effective influence. When you combine awareness of the mindsets people bring to conversations, thorough preparation that considers all parties’ possible interests and innovative solutions to the problem, and a strategy for having an effective conversation, you have the tools for successful persuasion.

As such, several clients have learned and adopted these practices for the variety of outcomes:

A) A pharmaceutical company wanted to enhance their representatives’ abilities when they speak with physicians to give them a longer meeting as well as to manage well the differing interests among internal parties at the company who may be calling on the same client.

B) A printing company sought a common language for their influential interactions internally and with customers and the ability to build trust with their customers.

C) A wind turbine manufacturer wanted to enhance the persuasion skills of its wind farm technical supervisors so that issues with direct reports and customers could be resolved more effectively, ultimately leading to greater wind turbine productivity and energy creation.

D) A large university helped their foundation officers become more persuasive with potential donors when asking for gifts and do so in a collaborative way that builds long-term relationships.