Persuasive Business Proposals, 3rd Edition

4 Understanding Persuasion

PERSUASION IS SIMPLY A FORM OF COMMUNICATION that enables people to make decisions confidently. That’s really all it is. Persuasion, in fact, is the flip side of decision making. When we are trying to persuade someone, that person most likely is trying to decide something. So if we can present the right content in the right order so that decision makers see we have the right solution, we will win and so will they.

The Four Maxims of Success

The brilliant philosopher of language, Paul Grice, pointed out that all human communication must observe what he called four “maxims” in order to work. These maxims are particularly important when the purpose of our communication is to persuade.

The maxim of quality. When we communicate, ...