Transforming Church

The Principles of Persuasion

A friend sent me a link to Communispond, a website dedicated to improving communication. They offer courses to enhance communication and persuasion skills. I downloaded an article from the site called the Principles of Persuasion. As I read this article, I thought of the challenge of leading the church in an apathetic culture. At the end of the day, the ability of pastors and lay leaders to master the skills of persuasion will directly impact the effectiveness of the ministry. You can download the document here.

As your responsibilities increase, the audience you need to persuade grows larger. The article cites the work of author John Lees whose book, How to get the Perfect Promotion, suggests that there is more to career advancement than working hard, having the right skills, and being in the right place at the right time. Lee's first five factors in career advancement are: Self-Awareness, Awareness of the Organization's needs, Right Behaviors and Attitudes, Influencing others in the Organization, and Pushing the Boundaries of the Job.

The article points out that of these factors, only the skill of influencing others can be readily learned. The article then lays out nine principles of persuasion.

1. Every point of view is reasonable to the person who holds it. Persuasion requires as much listening as talking. You cannot persuade until you can put yourself in the other person's shoes. By understanding another's position, you demonstrate respect. Your respect opens the person to your ideas. Confrontation never persuades.
2. Persuasion does not result from argument or debate. Persuasion is a cooperative transaction resulting in two winners. Persuasion is all about raising someone's receptivity to an idea and then helping the other person find a way to embrace it.
3. A persuasion event begins long before you utter a single word. You must clarify your goal, analyze your audience, identify the benefits and gather evidence. This helps you align your goal with the audience's needs.
4. Persuasion takes place in the mind and feelings of the persuaded, not the pursuader.