Persuasion Power: Creating the Logical Foundations of Your Argument

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Over the next several posts, I will explain how to build your business case to achieve skyrocketing persuasion results.

Building your business case is a great way of doing due diligence and ensuring that your persuasion priority makes good sense for both you and others.

This requires two primary building blocks: logic and emotion. Have you ever heard this line before: “Logic makes you think, and emotion makes you act”? It’s true.

Let’s Be Logical

Logic has many components: deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, abductive reasoning — just to mention a few. But this isn’t a philosophical exploration. In business, if you want to appeal to logic, you should do so with quantifiable measurements. That’s right, numbers.

Evaluation of numerical data is crucial when building a compelling business case. To be successful in business today, financial literacy is a must. You’ll never reach your persuasive potential if you are terrified of your calculator. You need to know how to read and understand the basics of an income statement, a cash flow statement and a balance sheet. You also should understand that, like the act of persuading, working with financial figures is an art form.

Breaking It Down

Let’s say you invested $100,000 in a marketing initiative that generated $1,000,000 in sales. Was your return a million dollars, or was it $900,000? Or maybe it was yet another number? The answer depends on who’s doing the math!

Non-financial types often have trouble grasping disciplines like accounting because — even though it’s an exact science — there exist so many gray areas. Financial options are open to interpretation, judgment and approximation.  (Incidentally, in the example above, sales and marketing people will claim an ROI of $1 million, while the chief financial officer will argue the ROI is $900,000.)

Seemingly simple ideas such as revenue (which in some organizations is called “sales revenue” or “gross revenue”) aren’t etched in stone. For example, when is that revenue “recognized” (an accounting term for “counted”)? Is it when the purchase order is signed, when the goods are delivered, when you invoice or when the money hits your company’s bank account? See? Vagaries open up multiple interpretations and different terms. Are we talking about gross profit or gross margin — both terms that describe the same idea?

Much like social and corporate culture norms, you must determine the accepted financial norms and adhere to them. More than likely, you won’t have sole responsibility to actually perform the calculations for your company (that’s what financial analysts are for), but you should have the financial literacy to know how numbers are generated and what they mean. When you do, you’ll be able to speak the language of finance, ask more insightful questions and use that information to create more compelling quantitative cases for your priorities.

As you build your quantitative case, consider as many positive aspects as you can: If your initiative could boost product market share in the Northeast by 8 percent, what might it do in other regions? Are there international implications you could include? And don’t forget multiplicity. If your idea would increase employee efficiency, thereby saving the company dollars, make sure you apply that savings to as many applicable people as appropriate. Are there tangential benefits? If you sell more of product A, will increased sales of product B follow?

Know this kind of stuff, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a professional persuader.

Up next: Measuring return on investment.

The Power (and Danger) of Confirmation Bias

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If you’re visiting this website, you might already be familiar with the concept of confirmation bias: We seek facts, stats and opinions that prove our hypothesis or our preconceptions.

For example:

• The person we hired is doing a fantastic job.

• The program we launched is performing exactly as intended.

• The product our team created is adding what we thought it would to our market share.

But confirmation bias also can lead to poor decision-making, because it provides people with all the reasons to support their own claims and aims, with nothing to refute. If you’re attempting to ethically win the heart and mind of your persuasion target, you must do your due diligence. Look at all relevant data sets to make sure that what you’re proposing is the right thing to do. Once you’re convinced that your proposal is best for your target, for you and the surrounding situation, acknowledge the bias.

Leveraging confirmation bias in persuasion can sound like this:

When we started this project, I wanted things to work out with the proposed new vendor. Much like the researcher who tries to prove his hypothesis, I looked for reasons we should partner with this company. I looked at locale, capacity and all of the things that company does well. And that’s exactly what I found: reasons why we should partner.  

But we’d be fooling ourselves if we didn’t do our due diligence and ask if we’re not falling prey to a confirmation bias by only seeing what we want to see. We should spend a little more time considering this carefully and perhaps have a few others who aren’t as close to the project take a look. 

If you approach persuasion in this manner, you’ll be seen as intelligent, honest and a person of integrity. Why? Because you are.

What Persuasion and Anchors Have in Common

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In a previous post, I wrote about the concept of anchoring: When it comes to numbers, we “anchor” to whatever number we hear first regarding a specific topic. Click here for more details.

Another component of anchoring, and one that is much more difficult to control but still worthy of consideration, is that of unrelated anchors. This can occur when numbers with no relevance to your initiative can nevertheless influence your target’s thinking.

In one study, participants were shown a bottle of wine and asked to estimate the highest dollar amount they would pay for that particular bottle. Before they wrote down their bid, subjects were asked to jot down the last two digits of their social security numbers. Those that had the highest social security number digits also bid the highest for the wine. The participants anchored to a totally unrelated number, which influenced their response.

If you are presenting numbers for the first time in a meeting, take into consideration whether your target is being exposed to other numbers prior to your presentation. If so, those numbers could impact the perception of your request. If you can adjust the agenda to give your good idea the best chances of success, do so.

Working With Numbers and the Concept of ‘Anchoring’

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When it comes to numbers, we “anchor” to whatever number we hear first regarding a specific topic.

• The new manufacturing plant will cost $35 million.

• The marketing initiative will take $5 million of our budget.

• The new training program is going to run us $550,000.

Now, whenever we think of these initiatives, we will rightly or wrongly compare any cost figures to those. In fact, not only do we anchor, we compare and contrast, too.

Say, for example, you are quoted a price for a new training program. Next, you compare all subsequent figures you see and hear, relative to that first figure. And then, another fascinating psychological occurrence happens: The principle of contrast kicks in. If the first dollar amount you were quoted was $550,000 for a training program, and the next one is $750,000, that cost seems even higher than it actually is, because you are comparing it to your anchor of $550,000.

If you’re vying for approval on a budget, and you have numbers to share, always share a range of numbers early in your communication, and make sure those numbers are generous. That way, subsequent numbers won’t seem quite as high, because you’ve already anchored your targets to a numerical set.

Similarly, if you’re trying to dissuade someone from following a particular route, make certain early conversations use lower numbers, which will make subsequent numbers seem even higher by comparison.

Remember, though, that your numbers must always be two things: real and legitimate.

Next time: How do you control unrelated anchors?

Revisiting Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion: Social Proof

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In five previous posts, I’ve covered the noted psychologist Robert’s Cialdini’s five principles of persuasion: reciprocity, scarcity, consistency, liking and authority.

Now, we come to Cialdini’s last principle: social proof. People follow the lead of similar others, and this condition of social proof intensifies when there exists a condition of uncertainty (Sales are down! What should we do?) or similarity (All the other computer companies offer package deals.) The most powerful example of this is peer pressure among teenagers. Studies show that teens are more likely to vape if their friends and family approve.

Social proof holds sway in the office, too. If you notice coworkers signing up for the United Way HomeWalk, you will be more inclined to do so. If you see that others are working late at the office, you more than likely will start setting aside a few evenings to stick around, as well. If everyone appears to be on board with the new marketing direction, you will probably be on board, too — even if you’re not a fan of the new marketing direction.

We are social creatures.

The absolute best way to leverage social proof in a business setting is through the use of testimonials and referrals, which demonstrate that others have benefitted from knowing and working with you. And now your target will, too. That is the power of social proof.

It’s important to know that people often use Cialdini’s six principles, individually or in combinations, to make decisions. And now that you know them, so can you.

Revisiting Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion: Authority

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We defer to experts. Whether you’re a scientist, a medical doctor, a Ph.D., or a professor, if you have a level of expertise — and your target is aware of that expertise — you automatically become more persuasive.

This ties in well with Robert Cialdini’s fifth primary principle of persuasion: authority. (In other recent posts, I’ve covered Cialdini’s first four principles: reciprocity, scarcity, consistency and liking.)

If you have a title, credential or significant certification, make it known in subtle yet powerful ways. Put that distinguishing credential in your email signature or post your diploma in your office.

I know a professional who once attended a prestigious executive education program, but rather than tell everyone he attended, he simply showed up at meetings with a coffee cup from that university! Subtle … yet effective.

Revisiting Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion: Liking

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We like people who like us (and state so publicly). We also like people are who are like us. Whether they share similar political views or hobbies, hail from the same part of the world or simply both smoke cigarettes, individuals with commonalities feel an affinity for one another.

In other recent posts, I’ve covered Robert Cialdini’s first three principles: reciprocity, scarcity and consistency. Now I’m going to briefly explore the fourth principle: liking.

I’ve heard the argument that respecting somebody is more important than liking somebody. Fair enough, but if you actually like that person, you’re more willing to consider his arguments more carefully, give him more time to communicate and be more receptive to his messages. Again, this is human nature; you just can’t help it.

The takeaway here? Be approachable, seek similarities and don’t be afraid to pay someone a compliment every once in awhile.

Revisiting Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion: Reciprocity

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It’s been almost 35 years since Robert Cialdini, now regents’ professor emeritus of psychology and marketing at Arizona State University, wrote Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, in 1984. (It later was published as a textbook under the title Influence: Science and Practice.) The original book stemmed from Cialdini’s literature review of almost 50 years of scientific research regarding persuasion, plus his own ethnographic studies.

Today, Influence is regarded as one of the most, ahem, influential books on the topic.

Cialdini is so highly respected in the field that he was a part of a “dream team” of behavioral scientists who helped create persuasive approaches for President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. Regardless of your political leanings, you’ve got to admit that Cialdini’s additions were subtle and brilliant.

“We know you’ve voted in the past … ” was a subtle prompt known as “consistency” that convinced voters in 2008 to vote for Obama again in 2012. Cialdini also helped teach campaign volunteers to address rumors that Obama was a Muslim by reframing them: “Obama is not a Muslim” actually repeated the claim and reinforced it in the electorates’ collective mind. “Obama is a Christian,” on the other hand, reframed and refocused the discussion.

Cialdini created something akin to a “Unified Field Theory of Persuasion” by categorizing almost every persuasion approach into one of six primary principles: reciprocity, scarcity, consistency, liking, authority, and social proof.

In this post, I’ll focus on the first of those principles: reciprocity.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity involves the give and take of human exchange. People repay others in kind. Every culture in the world teaches this principle in one way or another. When you do something for someone else, it’s almost embedded in human DNA to want to return that favor in kind.

Reciprocity can range from the simple and instantaneous to something much more involved and complex. Examples can be found in day-to-day life on an individual level, such as helping a co-worker prepare for a presentation after he helped you prepare for yours.

On a departmental level, the sales team might assist the marketing staff with some unusual but critical market data, and then marketing reciprocates by providing extraordinary support for sales.

Reciprocity can even occur between companies, such as when two companies share resources, knowledge and sometimes people.

If you stop to think about it, reciprocity helps societies evolve. People inherently realize that when they do something for somebody else, they are not simply giving of their time, energy, and financial resources; they eventually will receive something in return. The best way to leverage reciprocity is to enter every situation by asking yourself, “Who here can I genuinely help?”

Next time, we’ll explore scarcity.

The Role Emotions Play in Persuasion Success

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More than 400 words exist in the English language to describe “emotion.” In fact, neurologists have even identified distinctions between emotions (the automatic brain response) and feelings (the subjective way we interpret those emotions).

Depending on how thinly you’d like to slice the topic, you could literally list dozens of human emotions — from acceptance, affection and aggression to pity, pleasure and pride to shame, suffering and sympathy. And of course, there are degrees of emotions that measure the intensity level of any particular emotion.

To simplify things, let’s consider that there are three categories of emotions: positive (hope, love, satisfaction), neutral (acceptance, detached, unenthusiastic) and negative (anxiety, frustration, loneliness).

Now it’s time to get strategic and purposeful about how you use emotions in the act of persuading. What emotions could you create? What emotions should you create, so that you can do the right thing for all involved?

Here are my seven emotional objectives to consider when building your case to persuade — or dissuade.

  1. Provoke, by causing a reaction, especially an angry one.
  2. Inspire, by giving people a particular feeling, often positive.
  3. Invoke, by enabling someone to see a particular image in his or her mind.
  4. Awaken, to make someone experience a new feeling or emotion.
  5. Arouse, to create an emotion, especially one that excites.
  6. Touch, to create a sad or sympathetic emotion.
  7. Ignite, to jump-start a particular feeling.

Building one or more of these ideas into your business case will materially improve your chances of yes success.

When Going Negative Can Be a Positive

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If you want to be hired for the job, you’d like the person in charge of hiring to have interest and hope in you and your abilities. If you’re looking to partner with a venture capitalist, you’d hope that your potential partner is ecstatic about your idea.

These examples are self-evident, but there also may be times when you need to provoke a negative emotion.  For example, when attempting to convince a sluggish manager that it’s finally time to do something about his department’s lackluster customer service, make him feel the same frustration you, your colleagues, and your clients feel about his lack of performance in that area. You may even want him to experience some regret, as he realizes he’s not reaching his full potential as a department head.

If momentarily experiencing these negative emotions is the catalyst to spur someone to fix the problem, then what’s the problem?

Beware, however, that just like rafting through grade five whitewater, it’s the way in which you navigate the rapids that determines your success.