Want to convince your readers to do something or\u00a0agree\u00a0with your point of view?<\/p>\n
OK, that was a silly question. Of course you do.<\/p>\n
Persuasion is generally an exercise in creating a win-win situation. You present a case that others find beneficial to agree with. You make them an\u00a0offer\u00a0they can\u2019t refuse, but not in the manipulativeGodfather<\/em>\u00a0sense.<\/p>\n It\u2019s simply a good deal or a position that makes sense to that particular person.<\/p>\n But there\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0techniques that can make\u00a0your job\u00a0easier and your case more compelling. While this list is in no way comprehensive, these 10 strategies are used quite a bit because they work.<\/p>\n Talk to anyone well versed in\u00a0learning psychology, and they\u2019ll tell you repetition is crucial. It\u2019s also critical in persuasive writing, since a person can\u2019t agree with you if they don\u2019t truly get what you\u2019re saying.<\/p>\n Of course, there\u2019s good repetition and bad. To stay on the good side, make your point in several different ways, such as directly, using an example, in a story, via a quote from a famous person, and once more in your summary.<\/p>\n Remember the power of the word\u00a0because. Psychological studies have shown that people are more likely to comply with a request if you simply give them a\u00a0reason why<\/em>\u2026 even if that reason\u00a0makes no sense.<\/p>\n The strategy itself does make sense if you think about it. We don\u2019t like to be told things or asked to take action without a reasonable explanation. When you need people to be receptive to your line of thinking, always give reasons why.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been called the \u201chobgoblin of little minds,\u201d but\u00a0consistency\u00a0in our thoughts and actions is a valued social trait. We don\u2019t want to appear inconsistent, since, whether fair or not, that characteristic is associated with instability and flightiness, while consistency is associated with integrity and rational behavior.<\/p>\n Use this in your writing by getting the reader to agree with something up front that most people would have a hard time disagreeing with. Then rigorously make your case, with plenty of supporting evidence, all while relating your ultimate point back to the opening scenario that\u2019s already been accepted.<\/p>\n Looking for guidance from others as to what to do and what to accept is one of the most powerful psychological forces in our lives. It can determine whether we deliver aid to a person in need, and it can determine whether we muster the\u00a0courage to kill ourselves.<\/p>\n Obvious examples of\u00a0social proof\u00a0can be found in testimonials and outside referrals, and it\u2019s the driving force behind social media. But you can also casually integrate elements of social proof in your writing, ranging from skillful alignment with outside authorities to blatant name dropping.<\/p>\n Metaphors, similes and analogies\u00a0are the persuasive writer\u2019s best friends. When you can relate your scenario to something that the reader already accepts as true, you\u2019re well on your way to convincing someone to see things your way.<\/p>\n But comparisons work in other ways too. Sometimes you can be more persuasive by comparing apples to oranges (to use a tired but effective metaphor). Don\u2019t compare the price of your homestudy\u00a0course to the price of a similar course\u2014compare it to the price of a live seminar or your hourly consulting rate.<\/p>\n This is a persuasion theme that works as an overall approach to making your case. First, you identify the problem and\u00a0qualify\u00a0your audience. Then you agitate the reader\u2019s pain before offering your solution as the answer that will make it all better.<\/p>\n The agitation phase is not about being sadistic; it\u2019s about\u00a0empathy. You want the reader to know unequivocally that you understand his problem because you\u2019ve dealt with it and\/or are experienced at eliminating it. The credibility of your solution goes way up if you demonstrate that you truly feel the prospect\u2019s pain.<\/p>\n Another persuasion theme involves providing your readers with a glimpse into the future. If you can convincingly present an extrapolation of current events into likely future outcomes, you may as well have a license to print money.<\/p>\n This entire strategy is built on credibility. If you have\u00a0no idea what you\u2019re talking about, you\u2019ll end up looking foolish. But if you can back up your claims with your credentials or your obvious grasp of the subject matter, this is an extremely persuasive technique.<\/p>\n Despite our attempts to be sophisticated, evolved beings, we humans are exclusionary by nature. Give someone a chance to be a part of a group that they want to be in\u2014whether that be wealthy, or hip, or green, or even contrarian\u2014and they\u2019ll hop on board whatever train you\u2019re driving.<\/p>\n This is the technique used in the\u00a0greatest sales letter ever written. Find out what group people want to be in, and offer them an invitation to join while seemingly excluding others.<\/p>\n If you present your case and someone is left thinking \u201cyeah, but\u2026\u201d, well, you\u2019ve lost. This is why direct marketers use long copy\u2014it\u2019s not that they want you to read it all, it\u2019s that they want you to read enough until you buy.<\/p>\n Addressing all the\u00a0potential objections\u00a0of at least the majority of your readers can be tough, but if you really know your subject the arguments against you should be fairly obvious. If you think there are no reasonable objections to your position, you\u2019re in for a shock if you have comments enabled.<\/p>\n Storytelling\u00a0is really a catch-all technique\u2014you can and should use it in combination with any and all of the previous nine strategies. But the reason why storytelling works so well lies at the heart of what persuasion really is.<\/p>\n Stories allow people to persuade themselves, and that\u2019s what it\u2019s really all about. You might say that we never convince anyone of anything\u2014we simply help others independently decide that we\u2019re right. Do everything you can to tell better stories, and you\u2019ll find that you are a terribly persuasive person.<\/p>\n As I mentioned, this is in no way a complete list. What other persuasive writing strategies work for you?<\/p>\n by\u00a0Brian Clark<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Want to convince your readers to do something or\u00a0agree\u00a0with your point of view? OK, that was a silly question. Of course you do. Persuasion is generally an exercise in creating a win-win situation. You present a case that others find beneficial to agree with. You make them an\u00a0offer\u00a0they can\u2019t refuse, but not in the manipulativeGodfather\u00a0sense. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":644,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,11],"tags":[12,3,4,5,6,7,8,9],"class_list":["post-8","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-empower-network","category-storytelling","tag-austin-network","tag-blog-daily","tag-blogging-system","tag-empower-network","tag-make-money-blogging","tag-making-money-blogging","tag-online-marketing","tag-system-empower"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/menelek2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/menelek2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/menelek2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/menelek2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/644"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/menelek2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/menelek2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/menelek2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8\/revisions\/36"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/menelek2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/menelek2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/menelek2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Repetition<\/h3>\n
Reasons Why<\/h3>\n
Consistency<\/h3>\n
Social Proof<\/h3>\n
Comparisons<\/h3>\n
Agitate and Solve<\/h3>\n
Prognosticate<\/h3>\n
Go Tribal<\/h3>\n
Address Objections<\/h3>\n
Storytelling<\/h3>\n