The idea of becoming an entrepreneur might sound exciting but it is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. There are a certain set of qualities that an entrepreneur must incorporate within himself. One of such qualities includes the “art of persuasion”.

In business, persuasion is a process aimed at changing a person’s attitude or behavior toward some event, idea, object, or other person(s), by using written or spoken words to convey information, feelings, or reasoning, or a combination thereof. It is the art of getting others to see things as you see them.

It is very important for an entrepreneur to be persuasive, from the seeding of his idea to the time when his business actually sets up. Now the question arises that how can one be persuasive? Here we give you 5 steps to master the art of persuasion:

1. Getting familiar is the key:

It is normally seen that people tend to believe more on people and ideas they are familiar with rather than on something which is completely new. Therefore give your receiver’s such inputs that they have heard or read a several times before. Even if you need to propose something new then do it in way they can easily relate.

Real-life application: A shopkeeper tries to sell a certain shampoo to a lady who came to buy her regular shampoo brand. The chances of the lady buying a new brand are quite less, since she doesn’t know it well and is not quite familiar with the product. However if the shopkeeper presents her the new brand saying that it has the same contents as her usual shampoo brand and also costs less, the lady might just end up buying that new product.

2.Present the message in a context important to the receiver:

Tune your message to each receiver’s situation or context. Avoid using difficult or technical illustrations that may sound like an effort to impress or mislead your audience. Try and use easy terms rather than fuzzy and confusing ones. This would make you and the receiver synchronize well.

Real-life application: While selling a washing machine to customer a salesman smartly mentions all the features of the machine such as easy to use, quick, reliable etc. He doesn’t really mention the type of material which is used for designing it’s motor. Hence, making himself understandable to the customer.

3.Use of stories:

Stories are often more convincing than simple statements of fact. If you can integrate the receiver directly into the story, the potential impact is even greater. It makes the receiver comfortable and hence he begins to trust your vision. 

Real-life application: While selling a saree, a salesgirl presents her real-life story of how she presented a similar saree to her mother from her first salary and how her mother had tears rolling on getting it. This greatly enhances the customer’s interest in the saree and might make him/her buy one their mother as well.

 

4.Present evidence of interest and excitement from others:

Social media is a powerful tool for testing your idea with minimal cost and risk with a huge potential for spreading and amplifying your message to the right people.

Real-life apllication:  Booking.com never fails to point out how there’s only few rooms left in that hotel, or how 20 other people are also looking at the same hotel.

5.Providing Social Proof:

Social Proof is one of the most noticeable persuasion techniques. People usually tend to do things which others have already done. “Everyone believes this, so it must be true.” Show your receiver how your idea is greatly accepted by others and this would certainly enhance his/her interest in your vision.

Real-life application: There is a greater chance you might like a Facebook post if it already has a lot of likes, as opposed to a post with zero likes.

Learn these tricks and you surely would become capable of persuading anyone anywhere!

convinced?