Persuasion

Persuasion is the ability to make other people change their minds or behaviour.

If you’ve done any of the following, you will have used your persuasion skills to influence others:

• Persuaded other people to accept your point of view

• Advocated a change

• Reconciled two or more points of view

• Offered support and/or advice, including more formal counselling situations

• Taught someone to do something

• Supported or encouraged others

• Fine-tuned your presentation to appeal to the listener (for more information, please see Giving Presentations from the Open University)

• Used complex strategies to build consensus and support

• Taken part in a debate (formal or otherwise)

• Shown disagreement without creating bad feeling.

More Information

More information on using persuasion to diffuse difficult situations is available at www.mindtools.com

This content comes from The University of Essex