THE NECESSARY ART OF PERSUASION

Business today is largely run by teams and populated by authority-aver se baby boomers and Generation Xers. That makes persuasion more import ant than ever as a managerial tool. But contrary to popular belief, th e author asserts, persuasion is not the same as selling an idea or con vincing opponents to see things your way. It is instead a process of l earning from others and negotiating a shared solution. To that end, pe rsuasion consists of four essential elements: establishing credibility , framing to find common ground, providing vivid evidence, and connect ing emotionally. Credibility grows, the author says, out of two source s: expertise and relationships. The former is a function of product or process knowledge and the latter a history of listening to and workin g in the best interest of others. But even if a persuader's credibilit y is high, his position must make sense-even more, it must appeal - to the audience. Therefore, a persuader must frame his position to illum inate its benefits to everyone who will feel its impact. Persuasion th en becomes a matter of presenting evidence-but not just ordinary chart s and spreadsheets. The author says the most effective persuaders use vivid - even over-the-top - stories, metaphors, and examples to make t heir positions come alive. Finally, good persuaders have the ability t o accurately sense and respond to their audience's emotional state. So metimes, that means they have to suppress their own emotions, at other times, they must intensify them. Persuasion can be a force for enormo us good in an organization, but people must understand it for what it is: an often painstaking process that requires insight, planning, and compromise.