Persuasion
How to get people to do what you want.
Yipsir
www.yipsir.com.hk
Schedule
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Definition of persuasion
Routes of persuasion
Six basic tendencies to say “YES”
Needs of customers
Persuasive strategies and skills in
customer service
6. Form of proof
7. Role play – be an effective salesman
Persuasion as defined by Webster’s
• The act of persuading or the power
to persuade.
Definition of Persuasion
• Process that change attitudes, beliefs, opinions
or behaviors.
• Co-creation of a state of identification between a
source and a receivers.
Routes of Persuasion
• Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) –
Petty and Cacioppo
• Two routes can be used to persuade
– Central: relies on facts, figures, and thought.
Changes tend to be more permanent due to
effortful processing.
– Peripheral: attempts to persuade you without
thought occurring. Relies on emotion. Leads
to superficial and temporary change.
Six basic tendencies to say “YES”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
reciprocation
consistency
social validation
liking
authority
scarcity
1. Reciprocation
• You are nice to me, so I will be nice
to you, as well.
1. Reciprocation
– Food stores  free samples
– Exterminators  free in-home
inspections
– Health clubs, English courses 
free workouts
2. Consistency
• We behave consistently  Public
commitments, even seemingly minor
ones, direct future action.
2. Consistency
• Example at a restaurant  to avoid “no
show” on reservation.
– “Please call if you have to change your plans.”
 3 out of 10 people: no-call, no-show
– “Will you please call if you have to change
your plans?” + [pause and wait for the client’s
response] “YES, I will.”
 1out of 10 people: no-call, no-show
3. Social Validation
• We follow the lead of similar others.
3. Social Validation (做妹)
• Experiment by City Univ. of New York
– On a winter morning, a man stopped
on a busy New York City sidewalk and
gazed skyward for 60 seconds, at
nothing in particular.
3. Social Validation
Start
Group
Passersby
Who Joined
1
4 out of 100
5
18 out of
100
15
40 out of
100
4. Liking
• My grandchildren are hoping to
have items for the school’s
auction, I should do something
about it.
5. Authority
• A man could increase by 350% number of
pedestrians who would follow him across the
street simply by wearing a suit and tie. →
• Dressing style is of paramount important for
a salesman.
6. Scarcity
• Items and opportunities become
more desirable as they become less
available. →
• Available only while stock lasts.
Summary
• Six key factors are internationally applicable.
• By understanding the six key factors, we can
recognize strategies.  We say “yes” as our option.
• We can effectively apply six key factors when we
persuade others.
Persuasion’s aim
• In today’s changing world, it aims at
promoting or selling symbolic ways to
meet people’s physiological and
emotional needs.
Factors affecting a customer’s
purchasing propensity
Factors affecting a customer’s
purchasing propensity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Price
Tangible needs
Purchase affection
Salesman’s credibility
After-sale service
Needs of customers
• Before persuade the customers, we need
to find out the needs of customers
• We can therefore have the direction for
us to persuade customers
Four main’s needs of
customers
1. Need for Emotional
Security
 Afraid cheated by the
company
 Buy fake good or receive
bad service
2. Need for Reassurance of Worth
• feel valued for what they do
• get the feeling of respect from other people
 Promote their self-esteem
 Don’t give the aggressive service to our
customers.
3. Need for the high quality of product
• receive good service or buy the high quality
product.
• aim to use lowest price to buy the highest
service.
4. Need for the sense of power
• Be strong , handsome in
outlook, seem powerful
from the eyes of other
people.
Persuasive strategies and
skills in customer service
Step one: Listening
- Know your customers’ needs:
• → you may get the critical information of your
customers e.g.
•
•
•
•
•
age,
income,
social class,
occupation &
their preferences
Personality type and persuasion
• Where we get our energy
– Extrovert or introvert
• What type of information we pay attention to
– Sensor or intuitive
• How we make decisions
– Thinker or feeler
• How we resolve issues
– Judger or Perceiver
Step two: Prediction
Different kinds of customers will have
different kinds of needs; we can focus on their
touchstones( 標 準 ) in order to get a better
outcome of the persuasion.
Step three: Focusing
Lastly, we could grasp their preferences and
sell our ideas confidentially.
Start to persuade
Verbal communication
1. Wording your message
– Use stylish speech and exciting language
choices
− Don’t use the dull speech
− Variety in word choice
↑ Attention of the audience
2.Figures of speech
– use some special method eg, metaphors(暗諭)
and smile during your speech
3.Use a proper tone
− Be gentle
4.No aggressive or impolite wording
Delivering your message
• Speak clearly and fluently
• Use some non-verbal skills
to help your persuasions
Other skills
• Foot-in-the-door technique
• “Poor product first” strategy
• VIP discount → respect → esteem booster
• Intensify your uniqueness / strength
(decoration, view, peripheral service,
support service, after-care service)
• Downplay opponents’ weakness
Warm-up game on persuasion
(LPS/S4/A1)
Parties
Task to do
Intensify own good
(Team A1)
Identifying the strengths of travel agent:
 Long term customers
 Advanced payment / Cash payment
 large no. customers
 high class customers
 late check-in, early check-out
Downplay own bad
(Team A2)
Identifying the weaknesses of travel agent:
 Very low marginal profit
Identifying the weaknesses of 4-star hotel
 Remote location, Limited facilities
Intensify others’ bad  no view, haunted hotel
(Team A3)
 low reputation, cheaper price of similar
hotels
 small size of bedrooms, poor decoration
Identifying the strength of 4-star hotel
Parties
Task to do
Intensify own good
(Team B1)
Identifying the strengths of hotel:
 clean, spacious, abundant rooms, good
reputation, professional trained staff…
Downplay own bad
(Team B2)
Identifying the weaknesses of hotel:

…..
Identifying the weaknesses of hotel
Intensify others’ bad  poor manner of tour escorts,
(Team B3)
 low quality customers
 cancellation at short notice record
Downplay others’
good
(Team B4)
Identifying the strength of travel agent
…..
Forms of proof
We need to use some good evidences to
proof what we have suggested is good for the
customers and change the attitudes and
beliefs of them.
Forms of proof
1. Statistical evidence
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【标准配置】
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【通话时间】
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【上市时间】
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Forms of proof
2. Testimony(證明)
→ We can use some
substances(實物) to
increase the
credibility.
Forms of proof
3. Visual evidence
Before keeping fit
After keeping fit
Forms of proof
4. Comparison and Contrast
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From of proofs
4. Comparison and Contrast
• 例如: A.C Nielson
市場調查公司的大型
調查
• 和其他健身中心
比較設施多少
From of proofs
5. Building your credibility
• Reputation
– Use Examples or statistics to show company credibility
– Use personal credibility: networking, Christianity
• Dynamism (活力）
– Pay attention to physical appearance
– Like you → like your products / service
愛屋及烏效應
• Expertise
– Show professional knowledge and pass success to the
customers.
• Others reference
– Other customers endorse the products / service
From of proofs
6. Deliver your message
• Verbal- communication
• 游說對話 :
– 我地公司係同行之中聲譽最好，顧客最放心
既健身中心．
– 絕對唔使擔心我地既服務貨不對辦，兼且我
地仲會提供一個禮拜免費試玩，如果唔滿意，
我地絕對唔會收錢
– 我地考慮到好多女士要湊小朋友
– 為左體貼你地既需要
From of proofs
7. Wording your message
1. Non- verbal communication
– Gesture(手勢)
– Eyesight(眼神)
– Standing pose (站姿)
– Petty action (小動作)
2. Voice---- e.g. Tone, volume, pause
3. Proximity (人際距離)
4. Silence
→ All the above points can reflect how much confidence you got and
how professional you are.
Scenario 1
- You work at a 5-star hotel.
- Last week, there was a corporate client, Mr Man
who wanted to hold its annual staff dinner party
at your hotel.
- This is the fourth year that the client has held
such a function at your hotel.
- From your experience, you know that the client
will ask for a lot of concessions such as
discounts, payment by installment, free flower
bouquet, free valet parking etc.
- You know that the gross profit for this function is
minimal.
- However, they are a heavy user of the hotel
rooms and you do not want to upset them.
As a marketing officer of the hotel, you have to
persuade this customer to accept your offer.
Suggestions of scenario 1
What are Mr Man’s needs?
1. Respect
2. Special Discount
How to fulfill Mr Man’s needs?
1. Respect - e.g. sincerely customers, General
Manager discuss the matter with the boss….
2. Special Discount - e.g. Free Drink per round,
20% off discount for extra drinks….
Others: value his support, express to him you have
done what you can
Scenario 2
You are recently appointed as the Sales Manager of a
medium-sized health and fitness centre. Your major
responsibility is to recruit new members to join your company.
According to the record, the number of membership growth is
declining. It is because of the keen competition in the fitness
market, the other factor contributes to the decline is the limited
services provided. In the past, the fitness centre concentrates
on providing facilities for weight training and sports activities.
To cope with the changing customers’ need, the company has
renovated the premises and introduced a number of new
services that include facial service, body message, spa service,
and yoga. In addition, there are different packages offered to
satisfy the needs of different clients. As a customer relation
officer of this health and fitness centre, you have to persuade
potential customer to become the member of your centre.
Scenario 2 的結論
• Non- verbal communication
例如: 請坐
顧客與服務員的距離
服務員的手勢
眼神
站姿
From of proofs
6. Deliver your message
• Verbal- communication
• 游說對話 :
– 我地公司係同行之中聲譽最好，顧客最放心
既健身中心．
– 絕對唔使擔心我地既服務貨不對辦，兼且我
地仲會提供一個禮拜免費試玩，如果唔滿意，
我地絕對唔會收錢
– 我地考慮到好多女士要湊小朋友
– 為左體貼你地既需要
Role Play on effective
salesman
(LPS/S4/A5)
Select one of the following products:
•
•
•
insurance package
flat to be rent
mobile phone
Perform a role play to persuade a customer
to buy your product in order to illustrate
the basic skills of an effective salesman.
The end
1. Social Validation,
2. Statistical evidence,
3. Scarcity,
4. Price,
5. After-sale service,
6. VIP discount
7. Salesman’s credibility,
8. Emotional Security
9. Reassurance of Worth,
10. Intensify your uniqueness,
11. Downplay opponents’ weakness.
12. Testimony(證明)
13. Comparison and Contrast,
14. Expertise