Persuasion & Influence For Dummies®

Chapter 10

Getting Things Done with the Help of Others

In This Chapter

Accentuating your strengths

Playing to people’s tendencies

Working strategically – and ethically

If you’ve ever observed master persuaders at work, you may feel both impressed and frustrated. You watch in awe as, with a steady stream of charisma, eloquence and ease, they engage people they want to win over, making them eager to carry out any request put forward.

If you find that your charisma quotient is modest or that your verbal skills are lacking, don’t despair. Persuasive techniques are based on scientific principles that you can understand and apply to your everyday interactions. When you put the principles I spotlight in this chapter into practice, others comply with your wishes almost automatically. Why? Because with global technology driving the pace, time is compressed and people barely have a moment to think. In addition, they’re swamped with more information than they can absorb. They don’t have time to consider their decisions and there’s too much to consider anyway. As long as the choice makes sense to them, they do what you ask.

In this chapter I describe six simple, clear and intuitive principles ...