What is Persuasion?
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Persuasion is a
form of social influence. It is the process of guiding
people toward the adoption of an idea, attitude, or action
by rational and symbolic (though not always logical) means. It is
strategy of problem-solving relying on "appeals" rather than
strength. With persuasive interviews, the persuader wants to influence how another thinks, feels and or acts. The exchanging of information, unlike in probing and survey interviews, is a means to an end, not the end itself. There are numerous persuasive settings, including recruiting students, raising funds, converting nonbelievers, campaigning for votes, collecting for charities, gaining permission to act, and presenting proposals. |
Although success is never
ensured in a persuasive interview, the possibility of success is
enhanced if your persuasive efforts meet five interrelated
conditions.
- Your proposal must create or address an urgent need or one or more desires or motives. if there is no need or desire, there will be no persuasion.
- Your proposal and you as persuader (including your organization and profession) must be consistent with the interviewee's beliefs, attitudes, and values. Lack of trust or respect will result in lack of persuasion.
- Your proposal must be feasible, workable, practical, or affordable. Possibility is a critical factor in persuasion.
- Your proposal's benefits must outweigh objections. Every proposal generates stated and unstated objections, and you must neutralize or eliminate them.
- No better course of action is available.You must prove your proposal is the best among choices.
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These five
interrelated conditions are not easy to meet, particularly when the
interviewee is skeptical, hostile, or aspects of the situation such
as economic conditions, time of the year, uncertainty about the
future, or mitigating events make the interviewee reluctant to
change or make commitments. Keep me in mind that you are dealing with an interviewee's perceptions of you, self, situation, problem, and proposal. |
Your chances are always best when you approach persuasive interviews systematically, even when they appear simple.
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