Your job as a speaker isn’t just to spur others into action or inform your listeners.
Sometimes, you take it to the stage because you want to persuade and get your audience to go along and believe in what you have to say, eventually shifting perspectives, inspiring others to act, and overcoming objections.
The power of persuasion is one of the most powerful tools speakers have in their arsenal. That’s why it’s crucial that you know how to persuade your audience with your words.
Most listeners are predisposed to be skeptical of what the person in front of them is saying.
It’s not because they are narrow-minded nor do they have a dislike of public speakers. It’s just that they have a different view of the world and cling to their own beliefs and values.
As a speaker, you’ll eventually find yourself in a situation where you need to craft a talk that’s designed to persuade.
The question is, how exactly do you go about this?
Before you can go out there and persuade your listeners, you must understand who they are and what it is they believe in.
By knowing who you’re speaking to and the values they hold onto tightly, you can tailor your talk and arguments to better persuade them to come around your way of thinking.
More importantly, understand what their pain points are. This way, you can craft a presentation that recognizes your listeners’ needs and positions you as someone who knows the answers to their problems.
When you take these steps, you can craft a message that deeply resonates with your listeners and more importantly, you’ll put yourself in a position to proactively counter and address their objections to what you have to say.
What else can you do?
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Get a yes-response.
According to Dale Carnegie, author of the book, “The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking,” getting what he calls a “yes-response” from the audience is necessary in convincing them to buy into what you have to say.
Citing Walter Dill Scott, Carnegie mentioned every idea that everyone else encounters is held true unless it’s hindered by some contradictory idea.
Since listeners are naturally predisposed to be skeptical of the person speaking in front of them, it’s crucial to keep them yes-minded.
How?
Carnegie said that the best way to do this is to find a common ground of agreement with the audience. This is because when you appear to be forceful or argumentative during a presentation, you will look defensive in front of your listeners, making it difficult to persuade them.
This is where knowledge of your audience comes in.
By knowing about your listeners and understanding them on a deeper level, you’re much more likely to find common ground since you can identify what they will strongly disagree and agree with.
Once you know these things, you can frame your message in a way that’s palatable to your audience’s worldview, making it easier to persuade them.
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Speak with enthusiasm.
Listeners are far less likely to tune out when a speaker presents with enthusiasm.
Why?
It’s easier to persuade when listeners feel the speaker isn’t antagonistic towards them, especially if they have opposing views.
By oozing with enthusiasm, you set aside negative feelings that come with having opposing ideas, providing you with a window to convince your audience about your views.
According to Carnegie, what you do and your demeanor will determine the attitude of your listeners. For example, if you’re lukewarm, so will they be and if you’re argumentative, so will they be.
So, if you want to open your listeners’ minds to you and your ideas, show them your enthusiasm about your subject.
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End your talk with a compelling call to action (CTA).
What is your end goal?
Sure, throughout your talk, you were able to find a common ground, sow the seeds for a change in perspective, and primed your audience to be persuaded into your way of thinking.
… but all of that will go to waste if you don’t give them a clear and compelling CTA.
So, before you end your talk, make sure you provide your listeners with a clear and compelling CTA and not leave them guessing. After all, your goal is to persuade them, so it follows that you should have a specific, achievable, and highly relevant CTA.
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There you have it—the steps and principles you need to keep in mind when you want to persuade listeners to buy into an idea or take a specific course of action!
Persuading others might seem like a daunting task, but as a speaker, this is a skill you must have.
So, if you want to persuade others, make sure to keep the insights we shared with you and leverage them to craft a powerful, persuasive, and inspiring talk!
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Thursdays: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants”
In a meeting with one person…
… a boardroom with five people…
… or a huge venue with hundreds of people…
—whatever the situation or setting, it’s very important to learn and eventually master the art of public speaking.
No matter what, you always need to effectively get your message across.
What good is a presentation with awesome content if you don’t deliver it properly?
Every Thursday, we publish different tips, insights, and secrets on how you can improve your presentation skills to captivate your audience and lead interesting discussions.
The need for great presentation skills applies EVERYWHERE.
(Small meetings with your team, big meetings with your boss, an important marketing pitch, speaking engagements for events with a big audience, etc.)
Learning these skills is not just for the corporate world. Being in other industries such as the Arts, Information Technology, Medicine, and Education while knowing how to communicate and present well will definitely give you an edge.
Have that advantage.
Hope you find this week’s public speaking tip interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Thursday’s “Speak on the Shoulders of Giants!”
Cheers,
Henry Desai
Managing Director
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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