Permission is given to reprint the following articles, provided that the following contact information is provided in its entirety. 

© by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. 
Visit  www.IncredibleMessages.com or contact Bonnie at info@IncredibleMessages.com. 

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Prerequisite to Persuasion 

By Bonnie Budzowski
President, InCredible Messages, LP

The skill of persuasion can seem difficult and elusive, belonging to a small group of elite and successful individuals.  In its essence, persuasion is really a straightforward two-step process:

1. 1. Identify the other party’s priorities
2. 2. Connect your desired outcome to the other party’s priorities

It’s simple.  If the other party is convinced that your product or service will shorten the time and effort needed to achieve what he most wants in the world, he will be eager to buy.

The supremely tricky thing, of course, is identifying the other party’s priorities. 

The problem isn’t necessarily that the other party’s priorities are difficult to discern.  The problem is that we are so immersed in our own priorities that we make unwarranted assumptions. 

1. 1. We assume that other people are, in essence, just like us, even though they have different exteriors. 
   2. We also assume that people will see obvious connections between what we offer and the outcomes they are seeking to achieve.

The truth is that people have different priorities and different nuances to those priorities.  It’s not that most people hide what they value; it’s that we don’t bother to look for the information or ask.  We are lost in the maze of our own perspectives and our own assumptions.

A prerequisite for persuasion is to slow down long enough to examine your assumptions about the other party’s point of view.  Slow down and develop the art of asking good questions.  Then listen carefully.  In the rush of everyday business this can be hard to do.

Here are some suggestions to help:

• Ask clarifying questions to identify the other party’s frustrations.  Do not assume you understand.
•  Uncover priorities around performance, profit, teamwork, and life/work balance.  Do not assume that all managers, owners, or colleagues value the same things. 
•  Find out how the other party defines success and failure.  Do not assume that others’ values match yours. 
• Communicate to bridge any gap between what you propose and what the other party is looking for.  If you offer the highest quality or the quickest turnaround, for example, explain what that means in practical terms for the other party.

Contact Bonnie at bonnie@inCredibleMessages.com or call 412-828-1629.

Permission is granted to reprint this article when the following contact information is included: © 2011 by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. For more free articles, go to www.IncredibleMessages.com or contact Bonnie at info@IncredibleMessages.com.

When it’s time to create “killer content” in a book or speech that establishes credibility and boosts your revenue, Bonnie Budzowski is the perfect resource.  An expert in communication, Bonnie specializes in coaching authors and speakers to organize & express thoughts in ways that capture attention, sell their ideas, and move people to action.  Bonnie helps her clients build content with less time and angst than they dream possible. 

Bonnie Budzowski is Founder of inCredible Messages, Past President of the National Speakers Association, Pittsburgh Chapter, and Past Managing Editor of Speaker Magazine.

If you’d like to sell your ideas, boost your influence, or advance your career through a book or presentation, call Bonnie at 412-828-1629, bonnie@inCredibleMessages.com or visit her website at www.inCredibleMessages.com. 

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