How to Persuade

04/11/2013

The only thing worse than training staff and having them leave is not training and having them stay.
Henry Ford

"When you want to change someone's mood, mind, or willingness to act, ask yourself not 'How can I win this argument?' but 'How can I win agreement without anger?' advises Jay Heinrichs in his book, Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2007).

"Never debate the undebatable. Instead, focus on goals. Control the mood with volume, tone, stories. Watch for persuadable moments. And, most important, to gain agreement, be agreeable — express similarities and shared values; show people that you have their best interests, as well as your own, at heart."

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