The art of persuasion is a skill that most successful people have learned to master.  It’s about swaying a person’s view to what you see.  It may not mean they necessarily agree with your views but it certainly helps when it comes to closing important business deals or simply getting the other person to see your point of view.  It’s an art that involves the ability to gets that person to side with you willingly.

The ability to choose your words in order to have the other person visualize or imagine the outcome is very important in getting them to do what you want.  For example, if you say, “imagine what a load it will be off your shoulders if we get this done now instead of next week,”  The person is already thinking about the benefits before you even try to get them to do the task at hand.  In this instance you’ve also used another tactic which is to say “we”.  If the other person believes you are helping or this is a team effort, they are more likely to be persuaded.

Avoid using guilt as a way to persuade someone.  All it does it build a negative wedge and then they are more likely to resist what you are trying to get them to see or do.

Persuasion is not an easy thing to master.  It takes practice and you must feel a level of comfort and have the ability to establish a rapport with the other person.  Without that it’s almost impossible to get what you want.

For more tips on persuasion read books that will guide you in so many different scenarios.  I most recently read “You Need This Book To Get What You Want: Using The Art of Persuasion To Improve Your Life.” by Mark Palmer & Scott Solder.  Excellent read.