You’re brimming to the rim with great ideas. You have a pitch for an amazing new product that will improve other’s lives. You have a great way to save your company immense money and time.
If you’ve encountered a genius moment like this, you also know that an idea isn’t enough.
Like it or not, you have to get others to believe just as much as you do; whether it’s a customer, manager, or your team. That’s why being persuasive matters as much as those light-bulbs going on inside your head.
Without further ado, here are some of the secrets of really persuasive people that you can start using today:
Get connected
In one study, Stanford students were asked to reach an agreement in class. Without instruction of any kind, 55% of the students successfully reached agreement. However, when students were instructed to introduce themselves and share their background before attempting to reach agreement, 90% of the students did so successfully.
So don’t be afraid to show your interesting self, and don’t forget to be interested in others. Many make the mistake of solely getting down to business when it comes to discussing business, but you shouldn’t be one of them.
Be willing to show your mistakes
“When we are wrong — and that will be surprisingly often, if we are honest with ourselves — let’s admit our mistakes quickly and with enthusiasm,” said Dale Carnegie, the famous persuasion expert and author of How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Quite simply, nobody’s perfect. The sooner you admit that when you encounter a slip-up in front of someone, the sooner you can move on to focus on what’s successful.
Show some enthusiasm(!)
Zig Ziglar once said “for every sale you miss because you’re too enthusiastic, you will miss one hundred more because you aren’t enthusiastic enough.”
You’re obviously passionate and excited about your idea, so don’t be afraid to let others see that! For starters, take a hint from Steve Jobs, who would sprinkle words like “awesome” or “cool” into his infamous presentations to make them more exciting. If you’re having trouble with this, consider reaching out to a buddy (or fellow Tribe Member) to get some practice.
Share your tips!
Do you have any tips to be persuasive? Share them with The Tribe! Stop by to get even more hints and secrets of really persuasive people!
