Example Of The Art Of Persuasion Essay

Introduction

The objective of communication in most instances is to get another person’s attention so that the issues that they raise can be addressed in the most convenient manner. Through persuasion, an individual can communicate their feelings, beliefs, attitudes and the behavior of other persons so that they can achieve their objectives. It applies in every sphere of life from the personal life to the social life, and even the corporate world. The art of influence is perilous to the business community as it helps to persuade buyers to buy a product or even wooing potential companies to get into various contracts. The five steps of persuasion include establishing of credibility, acknowledging the audience’s position, constructing a rationale, transplanting root elements and asking for a response. Each of these five steps of persuasion will be applied in convincing a board of directors to create time during the working days of the company during which the employees can share, learn and interact with each other in the organization and have fun.Establishing Credibility The motivation that employees get as they go about their duties is central to ensuring that they work efficiently round the clock. When employees are motivated to work, they will always give their best to the customers as well as their employer, since they are not bothered going an extra mile with their work or seeing to it that the customers are satisfied with their work. To establish credibility one has to get the attention of those in authority. Here, the persuader has to set the stage so that the audience is willing to focus on the issue under discussion (Fennis & Stroebe, 2010). It can be done by those who are in positions of authority representing the employees by setting up a conference amongst them and the managers of the company. Setting up a meeting denotes the seriousness of the issues to be discussed, and it will also allow for effective communication between all the parties involved. The Persuaders can also indicate that the suggestion will help in the identification of the different issues affecting the operations of the company. With this approach, it will give the managers a reason to give the persuader an opportunity to explain the issues that they have and how they apply to the company performance.Acknowledging the audience Position Once they have the attention of those in authority, they should state the problem. Stating the problem or the need requires that the individual can keep the attention for as long as the discussion will last (Woodward & Denton, 2009). It requires that the persuader is familiar with what is important to the listener and their influence in solving the problem. The managers are more interested in how giving the employees a day off will increase the efficiency of the services accessible by the business plus its impact on the business operations. The managers will look at the situation from the viewpoint that if they want to maintain the customer loyalty, as well as the image in the market, they will have to invest in creation of time and resources for the employees. Besides, such a forum provides the opportunity for evaluating the tactics that they are using in the market or management of the firm. They can see their powers, weaknesses and the opportunities that they can use to boost their operations. At this stage, the persuader should concentrate on the value of getting the managers understand that if they can work on the issues raised effectively, it will automatically lead to better results for the company.Construction of a Rationale Once the managers have understood the benefits of having the issues addressed and its relationship with the productivity of the company, the persuader presents the solution to the problem (Levine, 2006). Getting all the people who work within the organization is a perfect way of sharing information and issues in the workplace. It will involve the strategies used in the management, how the employees are treated and information from persons affected by the choices made in the organization. Having all these members share information does not have to take place during meetings in a severe setting like the institution’s offices. The company can set up a date during which everybody takes part in fun activities and share what they have in whichever way they feel like doing. Rewarding the employees can also be part of this forum. It helps to make the employees feel significant and empowered to take part in the decision-making process on issues affecting the performance of the institution. By extension, it provides an opportunity for both the company and the employees to evaluate their tactics in going about their responsibilities. The primary belief here is that the more the persuader can convince the people in authority that the problem in question needs a remedy the more the persuasion will be relevant to them.Transplanting Root Elements Here, persuader creates an image for the hearer of what the condition will look like once they have been convinced to take your position or even agree to the decision (Martin 2006). To do this, the persuader has to make a description of how the situation will look like suppose they agree to the decision being proposed. Statements such as “Imagine yourself working in a place in which.” or “Do you see how this will significantly improve the current results that you are having?” are used to help the audience have an accurate picture of the perceived new state. It is a case of framing the solution as it would work in the lives of the audience members. For this case, the satisfaction that the managers will have once they are assured of getting any relevant information they need to improve the organization’s operations in different sectors will be a create a conducive work environment for the employees. It means that there will be transparency in sharing of information whenever the need arises, and this will be used in the evaluation of the various tactics employed in management.Asking for a Response The final step is action in which the persuader asks the audience to initiate the step towards making the change required. Here, the persuader does not have to wait for the audience to keep thinking the moment they show interest in the decision. If they buy the idea, then it would be better to push them to take the appropriate steps needed to make the decision. For this case, it would be better if the persuader asks the managers to come up with some strategies that they intend to use to make sure that the decision is a success in the organization.

References

Fennis, B. M., & Stroebe, W. (2010). The psychology of advertising. Hove, East Sussex: Psychology Press.
Woodward, G. C., & Denton, R. E. (2009). Persuasion and influence in American life. Long Grove, Ill: Waveland Press.
Levine, R. V. (2006). The power of persuasion: How we're bought and sold. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.
Martin, S. W. (2006). Heavy hitter selling: How successful salespeople use language and intuition to persuade customers to buy. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.