8 Amazing Persuasion Techniques To Get Ahead At Work
by Arnab Dey Business Published on: 24 March 2022 Last Updated on: 06 December 2024
This article was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp.
Suppose you work in a large corporate environment or in a fast-paced industry where everyone is laser-focused on playing their roles and finishing tasks.
In that case, it can be challenging to prove you’re ready to take on extra responsibility, get a raise, or suggest a new ground-breaking initiative to your supervisors.
If you want to convince a colleague that your ideas are brilliant and the way to go, but you’re not sure where to start, here are eight valuable techniques you can use when you finally set up that meeting.
Why Should You Use Persuasion?
A persuasion is an excellent tool for achieving your ultimate goals and getting the ball rolling on your ideas by making you the perfect advocate for yourself.
Persuasion can be used when trying to convince potential clients to buy into your product or service. It can be used to spread the word about innovative strategies with your coworkers and even in casual conversation.
Dive deeper into the concept of persuasion and its impact on your life with a collection of helpful resources here.
Some additional benefits include:
- Creating opportunities to advance in your career
- Greater self-esteem
- Making discussions more productive
- Feeling in alignment with your team
- Completing projects at a faster rate
1. Use “We” Instead of “You”
Subtly changing the language in your discussions to include “we” more than “you” show your colleagues that your propositions and ideas are relevant to everyone and not just based on personal interest. Making it seem like the team is in it together will be far more appealing.
2. Mirror Their Actions
Copying the behaviors of the person you’re speaking to builds an unspoken connection based on body language. Subtle things like hand gestures or your body position give the impression that you’re both comfortable and trustworthy.
Imitating behaviors make it seem like you’re both in perfect alignment energetically and will make the person on the receiving end more receptive to your ideas.
3. Make It Seem Urgent
When you make it seem like something you’re proposing is scarce, people will be more likely to want it than if they believed it were readily available. Scarcity and urgency make people feel like they’re in a special club or buying into something exclusive.
4. Convince Them They Made The Wrong Choice
If you want someone to see why your idea may be the best way to go, show them why their current situation is less than perfect. But don’t just outright tell them that they’re miserable. Instead, empathize with them on their struggles and let them know that there are better options out there.
5. Give Them Options
In essence, what you’re going to want to do is highball your manager or coworker on what it is you really want. For example, if you’re looking to get a pay raise, start with a higher unrealistic option that they’re most likely to reject, and this makes your actual salary request seem much more realistic.
6. List Valuable Resources
If you have proof that your idea is going to work, then your boss will be much more likely to consider your proposal. Make sure you gather evidence from studies, surveys, or other research that supports the effectiveness of your idea.
7. Demonstrate Possible Outcomes
Once you’ve provided all the support, you’re going to paint a picture of what the future will look like once your idea has been implemented. Do this through storytelling, and craft a narrative that incorporates the people you’re convincing to create a convincing argument.
8. Use Questions To Guide Them To The Desired Outcome
Asking targeted questions is a roundabout way of making someone come to your desired conclusion on their own, and this will make them feel like they’re an integral part of the decision-making process.
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