USING MODERN PERUASION THEORY

1. USING MODERN PERUASION THEORY IN PROFESIONAL COMMUNICATION

2. IT IS: CHANGE IN ATTITUDES, BELIEFS AND VALUES USING COMMUNICATION. NOT COERCION. NOTHING NEVER HAPPENS. SOMETHING ALWAYS HAPPENS. PERSUASION IS EVERYWHERE. PERSUASION IS INCREMENTAL. NOTHING WORKS ON EVERYONE IN EVERY SITUATION PERSUASION STARTERS

3. MORE STARTERS • THREE STAGES: NEED ALL OF THEM. • ATTENTION • COMPREHENSION • YIELDING • WARNING OF PERSUASION. YOU ARE ALWAYS JUST TRYING TO SHARE INFORMATION AND HELP, NOT PERSUADE.

4. ELM • 1. People want to hold correct beliefs and attitudes. • 2. Motivation to elaborate (think) varies with individuals and situations. People conserve cognitive resources. • 3. Variables can impact persuasion: • a. Persuasive arguments: reasons, evidence, logical connections. • b. Peripheral cues: images, speaker, previous positions, mental shorthand, etc. • c. Extent & direction of elaboration (thinking): biased vs. objective.

5. MORE ELM • 4. Persuasive arguments: the central route • a. Personal relevance • b. New information • c. Comprehension and understanding • d. Objective elaboration

6. MORE ELM • 5. Peripheral cues: the peripheral route • a. Source focus • b. Intangibles/Associations • c. Images/symbols • d. Confusion, lack of comprehension and understanding. • e. Biased elaboration • f. Repetition

7. MORE ELM • 6. Elaboration: • a. Extent determined by motivation • b. Biased elaboration: low motivation • c. Objective elaboration: high motivation • 7. Central trades off with peripheral

8. LAST ELM • 8. Central route persuasion has: (but is harder to get) • a. More persistence • b. More behavioral change • c. More resistance

9. TRIGGERING ROUTE • STEPS TO FOLLOW: • 1. EVALUATE THE PERSUASION SITUATION - MOTIVATION, KNOWLEDGE, PERSONAL RELEVANCE. • 2. SELECT THE ROUTE TO TRIGGER - CENTRAL OR PERIPHERAL

10. CHOOSE PERIPHERAL • Choose Peripheral • Level of Motivation Low • Personal Relevance Low • Previous Knowledge Use It • Opinion of Speaker - High is Essential

11. CHOOSE CENTRAL • Level of Motivation – High is good, increase it • Personal Relevance – High is good, increase it • Previous Knowledge – Promise new information • Opinion of Speaker – Useful, but as evidence

12. TRIGGER CENTRAL • Personal relevance for motivation – EARLY! • New information • Arguments, evidence, logic • Clear explanation • Cognitive involvement • Use of source as a logical argument

13. TRIGGER PERIPHERAL • Source focus • Intangilbles and associations • Use existing beliefs-biased elaboration • Use images and symbols • Use strategic confusion • Repetition

14. CENTRAL MESSAGE • Organize into major arguments • Each major argument should have reasoning, explanation, evidence • Emphasize how it impacts the audience early in the speech • Point out new information, promise new information early in the speech

15. PERIPHERL MESSAGE • Entertaining, mildly distracting • Appeal to biases and social norms • Use expertness

16. SEQUENTIAL TECHNIQUES USING THE MATTERN OF COMMUNICATION

17. WHEN TO USE IT? • Mostly in interpersonal interactions, not as effective with institutional persuasion. • BUT, when dealing with individuals in a institutional setting it may work well.

18. 1- PRE-GIVING • Act nice towards them, giving them something in advance. • Two people, in a study, brought in a free soda, bought more raffle tickets. • Let us press your suit while you shop. • Must seem unconditional and not a bribe.

19. 2 – FOOT IN THE DOOR • Small request first, that goes well, and a bigger one later. • Creates a good relationship, self-perception validated, then they have to live up to it. • First request must not be too big. • First request must be pro-social • Same person makes both requests • Label them as a good person. Blood donor badge. • Works better with those who value consistency

20. 3 – FOOT IN MOUTH • Have a positive interaction with them before you make request. How are you? Beautiful day! • More likely to ne positive after a positive interaction. • Talk to them first, establish yourself as an individual like them. • Works well on cold calls.

21. 4 – ASK FOR THE STARS • Ask for too much and then work down. • Youth counseling example – 15 hours week becomes “take kids to the zoo.” • Do not want to appear unreasonable. • You made a concession, thy should a well. • Request large enough to be rejected, but not too large to offend. • Brief delay between two requests • Same person makes both requests.

22. 5 – SWEETEN THE DEAL • But wait, there is more (before you complete the deal) • Small cakes being sold. One group also told after a few seconds they get free cookie also. • Makes the deal sound better. • Do not start too high. • They respond to your pro-social behavior, and the deal sounds better as it has a comparison.

23. 6 - LOWBALL • You offer a really good deal, then the deal changes – not include x or y. • They decide they want it, imagine having it, and then the deal changes, but they already want it. • Credit card rates – teaser rates then rates go up. They stick with the credit card. • College admissions in the US – extra charges, but you don’t want to change your decision.

24. 7 – BAIT AND SWITCH • You get them excited about a deal, and then it changes. • They are there to buy, have decided to buy, and do not want to change. • Airlines, vacations. Oh, we are all sold out of that, but we have X at a higher price. • Difference must not be too big.

25. REMEMBER • Each audience is different. • Each person is different. • Have target group in an audience – those you can influence. • Ignore those who already agree. • Ignor those who will never agree. • Focus on those you can actually persuade.

26. PERUASION IS POWER • Only use it for good. • Bad uses hurt you over time. • Unethical practice only work once. • Reputation is priceless. • Best persuasion is when they conclude you helped them.