The persuaders

Have you noticed how you find certain people convincing without feeling sold to? How you find yourself nodding and weighing their view and finding yourself in agreement with hardly any effort at all? The art of persuasion isn’t such a mystery with even the ancient Greeks proffering a theory or two.

Here are a few points to hold in mind:

• Speak like one of us. If you look like one of us and sound like one of us we’re very likely to treat you like one of us. It’s how you get a pass into the community you want to influence.
• Believe in what you say. If you’re not convinced your words will give you away. Make sure you’ve convinced yourself first before trying to brief a writer.
• Tell a story. A story helps bring an idea to life and put it into context for your reader, making the abstract tangible.

And, although this one is not quite as strong…

• Remember reading is listening. Even when it’s in print tone matters. Whose voice can you hear in your head while you are reading? Does it speak with the brand’s personality?