The art of persuasion: how to convince others
The truth is that everyone, on occasion, we have used the tool of persuasion to influence the opinion of the other person. When we are small and we want our parents to buy us something, when we want to see a movie and the other person wants to see another, when we prefer to go to one place than another ... No doubt, to know how to convince it's an art.
Knowing how to use the art of persuation It is an advantage over others. But ... persuade and manipulate is the same? Many people may come to believe that yes, and yet this is not the case. When we persuade we are trying to influence the behavior of the other person, but being sincere and transparent, while when we manipulate these two characteristics disappear, because we are not making clear our intentions.
How does persuasion work?
Knowing how the brain works is the best way to persuade. Therefore, we need to know that our brain is designed to make decisions saving the maximum possible energy and that this is achieved through the heuristics.
The heuristics are mental shortcuts that allow us to get a quick response to the situation in which we find ourselves without investing too many resources. This helps the response to be quick even if it ignores part of the reality. In the end, what matters is to achieve a favorable result, not the best possible result. Behind a prejudice there is a heuristic, because we have probably made an evaluation of someone based on a low amount of information.
5 keys to persuade others
In order to effectively persuade our interlocutor, it is necessary to take into account a series of social skills.
1. Sincerity What you want to transmit must be credible for the other person and for this it is necessary to be sincere, to believe in what we are saying, otherwise we will lose all our credibility.
2. Know the needs of the other person, in this way we can argue making the other person feel understood and trust that if he listens to us, his needs will be resolved.
3. Find the right time. For our message to be taken into account, it is necessary that we look for the best moment to transmit what we want. A space of tranquility and without haste is one of the best moments.
4. Take advantage of reciprocity. When someone does us a favor we do not usually see "forced" to return it. If you have small gestures with others then it will be easier to convince them of something.
5. Use the smile and emotions. A study carried out by several French and German scientists shows that we trust more people who smile. The smile conveys emotions and these help us connect with others.
Rocío Navarro. Psychologist of the Psicolari center, integral psychology
It may interest you:
- Learning to make decisions in adolescence
- Sincerity, educating in values
- How to make the 6 most important decisions of your life
