CHAPTER SEVEN

PQ Skill #5

Command Attention with Power and Authority

Great persuaders know and understand how to use different forms of power, but if you’re like most people, you just cringed at the word “power.” Is power something we’re really allowed to talk about? Is it good or bad? Can we have power over our audience?

The answers to these questions depend on what form of power it is, how it is used, and what the user’s intentions are. We all possess different forms of power in different situations. It is human nature to respect and follow power and expertise, and power certainly has legitimate, ethical, and necessary uses. Of course, we know that power can also be used unethically to manipulate and control. When your audience trusts your ...

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