persuasion We have all heard the maxim: "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail." The problem is, everyone is not a nail. The art of persuasion must be customized to every group or individual, to every situation or event. It's like playing the piano with only two or three notes: You're playing "Chopsticks" when you should be playing Mozart. When you play with all the keys of persuasion and influence, you can create a masterpiece with your life. Definitions Persuasion is the process of changing or reforming attitudes, beliefs, opinions, or behaviors toward a predetermined outcome through voluntary compliance. If you properly implement the strategies of Maximum Influence, you'll persuade others not only to want what you want, but also to be eager to do what you want. Note that persuasion is not the same as negotiation, a term that suggests some degree of backing down or meeting in the middle. Rather than compromising, as in negotiation, effective persuasion will actually convince the opposing party to abandon their previous position and embrace yours. Influence is who you are and how you, as a person, will impact the message. This includes whether you are viewed as trustworthy and credible, for example. Power increases your ability to persuade and influence. This power can be seen with people who possess knowledge, have authority, or use coercion during a persuasion process. Motivation is the ability to incite others to act in accordance with the suggestions and ideals you have posed. Motivation is your "call to action," or what you want your audience to do. Persuasion and Rhetoric One s ability to persuade meant great social prestige in the ancient Greek world. Homer regarded the rhetorical skills of Nestor and Odysseus as tremendous inborn gifts. It was Aristotle who first introduced persuasion as a skill that could be learned. At that time, rhetorical training became the craze for the citizens of Athens, especially the politically elite. The first book ever written on persuasion was Aristotle's The Art of Rhetoric. The book's basic principles established a foundation for persuasion that still holds true today. Aristotle taught that rhetoric was an art form that could be approached systematically by a formula for all persuasive attempts. Aristotle's most famous contribution to persuasion was his three means of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos. He argued that the most effective persuasive attempts contain all three concepts, setting an unshakable foundation for success. Let's briefly review Aristotle's three basic means of persuasion. Ethos Ethos refers to the personal character of the speaker. Aristotle believed that audiences could be persuaded if they perceived a speaker as credible. In his own estimation: "We believe good men more fully and readily than others." Aristotle also stated that "ethos is not a thing or a quality but an interpretation that is the product of the speakeraudience interaction. persuasion