Mr. Valanzano
Business Communications
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Persuasion – the effort to influence attitudes or
behavior
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Persuasion may reinforce a belief or convince
someone a certain point of view is right
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Persuasion may result in a direct action or not
succeed at all
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Everyday examples:
Waking up is persuaded by an alarm clock
 Paying a bill is persuaded by receiving a bill in the mail
 Buying a new outfit is persuaded by getting an invitation
to a party
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3
Basic Appeals (“Keys”) to Persuasion:
credibility, reasoning, and appeal to emotions
 Credibility
– the confidence the persuader
inspires
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Persuasion is more likely to occur when the
persuader is liked and trusted
Displaying knowledge and competence will often
cause a favorable reaction
Show care and concern for the subject
People are more willing to accept change when they
feel their own interests are being served
Display high moral standards
Make the best personal impression possible
 Reasoning
– plan, think, and research in order to
develop the supportive reasoning for any “why”
questions that may be asked
 Appeal
to Emotions – use language to affect
emotions; avoid words that can make someone
feel uncomfortable
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By appealing to emotions, the persuader is able to
get into the other person’s shoes
Always consider how the person(s) you are trying to
persuade will react
 The
needs of whoever you are trying to
persuade need to be understood so you can
meet their unsatisfied needs.
Fulfilling potential
and feeling happy
about yourself
Recognizing
achievement to make
one feel better about
oneself
Family, sense of
belonging, helping society
Security and being in
control
Physical needs such
as: food, shelter, etc.
 Favorable
– an audience that is already in favor
of your suggestion or viewpoint (easiest to
persuade)
 No
Opinion – an audience that is possibly
uninformed, indifferent or does not know
enough about the subject
 Opposed
– an audience that is slightly to
completely against your viewpoint
 If
there were no conflicts, we would all agree
on everything. Conflicts create a need for
persuasion.
 Types
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of conflicts:
Pseudo – a false conflict; all signs point to a
disagreement but there is none; some people just
feel the need to choose one option or the other
Content – when the audience agrees with the
problem, but not the solution
Values – when persuasion attacks values it can create
barriers and build walls; find a way for the audience
can agree then slowly try to persuade
Ego – when a person feels an argument must have a
winner and loser; propose compromises
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Cooperation, not competition, is crucial when handling
conflicts.
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Withdrawal – physically or psychologically removing
yourself from the conflict
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Surrender – immediately giving in; this can be taken as
not caring and the conflict never gets addressed
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Assertiveness – stating your position on a conflict
positively and firmly without hostility; pros and cons are
considered
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Persuasion – used when a conflict has a logical basis;
works when people are open, not secretive
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Negotiation – managing a conflict through tradeoffs
 1)
Determine a goal
 2)
Give logical evidence
 3)
Organize the material
 4)
Use motivating language
 5)
Build credibility
 6)
Deliver convincingly
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Attract ttention – ask a question, startle, offer
something free, flatter, persistence
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Create esire – attack the unsatisfied need(s)
ppeal to Needs – show how your idea will satisfy the
need(s) (problem/solution, compare advantages,
satisfaction of requirements, testimonials, negativity)
ove to Action – tell the audience how your solution
meets their needs; make sure it is clear and to the point