Simply persuasive

All day I deal in the art of persuasion.  I work with people on how to build their personal brands and improve their influence, impact and ability to persuade.  I spend hours pawing over complicated scientific papers details findings on how the brain works, how people react to certain situations and the latest understanding of the human body and its systems.

And yet, last night, I attended my son’s parent-teacher night.  And there it was.  The art of persuasion elegantly handed to me on a platter by his beloved History teacher, Mr Bray.

4 simple steps.

1. Primary research – you remember that from your university days? The research that you collect yourself – surveys, interviews or studies.
2. Authority – the point of view of experts in this space
3. Logic – yep, that crazy concept where you must connect all the facts
4. Intuition – add your flavour, how do these things fit together? What feels right and wrong and perhaps a little of your opinion.

In the marketing world, we are always trying to compel someone to select what we have over and above what others offer.  This is the four-step process. Now to translate this into your personal brand?

1. Primary research – this is your resume, it is essentially a survey of what you are capable of and what you have achieved, skills, resources, qualifications.
2. Authority – a quote or two from someone who really is an expert in your space.  Perhaps what your customers have said about you?
3. Logic – giving a flow to your story, how do these come together to create a compelling offering to the person you are trying to persuade – what do they get?
4. Intuition – this is where you hit hard with potential – because of all this, you just might be the one to make a real difference to your customer.

Thank you, Mr Bray!