The art of successful persuasion: seven skills you need to get your point across effectively

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the extensive and wide‐ranging published literature on the skills needed to get your point across effectively and succeed in the art of persuasion. It provides a structured, evidence‐based framework of learnable interpersonal skills. This framework can be used in training and development to describe current thinking and best practice in the essential skills needed to persuade others. It can be used by training and development professionals to help those they work with reflect on previous attempts at persuasion and prepare for future ones. It can also be used in training and development work to analyse and give feedback on role‐plays and presentations. The use of a structured, standardised and evidenced‐based framework increases the reliability and validity of the assessment process and, inconsequence, improves the quality of feedback.Design/methodology/approachThe article begins by looking at previous research by the author showing that the frequency with which people at work use six influence strategies, and combine them to form various styles, is related to a variety of contextual variables. However, it concludes that, while a focus on strategies and styles, and their appropriateness to particular contexts, has much merit, it is inevitably limited. In particular, it lacks specificity and any notion of quality. The concept of “skills” overcomes such limitations and provides important additional insights, particularly when focusing on the skills involved in using “reason”, the most frequently used and least context‐specific of the six influence strategies, to convince other people at work. Skills are defined as abilities, expertise or proficiency acquired through learning or training. The skills described herein are “interpersonal” skills or skills that people need to interact effectively with others.FindingsSeven skills people need to get their point across effectively and be successful in the art of persuasion are identified: be clear about “who”, “what” and “why”; target your case on the other person; search for common ground; keep it simple; appeal to “head” and “heart”; be calm and confident; and make it interactive.Originality/valueThe originality and value of this paper lies in the way in which it reviews previous theory and research on interpersonal influence, identifies seven specific skills from this literature review and provides a structured, standardised and evidence‐based framework of learnable skills. These findings have implications for anyone who needs to get their point across effectively and succeed in the art of persuasion, as well as training and development professionals working in this area. The conclusions complement other research carried out by the author and published in a previous edition of Industrial and Commercial Training, showing that influencing behaviour varies in different contexts and arguing that the art of successful influence involves using strategies and styles appropriate to the context.