Session 3.

1 Persuasive Communication

Total Session Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (55 minutes for

lecture/discussion, 1 hour 20 minutes for learning activities)

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Describe persuasive communication.
Identify key components of persuasive speech.
Use components of persuasive speech in planning communications.

Introduction
Slide 1
Slide 2

Leadership and Management Course Participant Handbook

Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 61
 Thoughts on Persuasive Communication
Slide 3

Many influential leaders and writers

have considered the importance of good
communication.

Source:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quo
tes/m/martinluth166528.html
Slide 4

Source:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quo
tes/n/nelsonmand121685.html
Slide 5

Source:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quo
tes/b/barackobam375647.html

Leadership and Management Course Participant Handbook

Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 62
Slide 6
These quotes will help set the stage for
thinking about persuasive
communication and negotiation.

Persuasive communication is
important for leadership.
It helps to influence others, build
consensus, and inspire people.

Source:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quo
tes/m/mayaangelo140532.html

Persuasive Communication and Leadership

Animation Clicks: 1Slide 7

Persuasion is a form of social

Adapted from:
Conger, Jay. 1998. The Necessary Art of
Persuasion. Harvard Business Review, May- June
1998. pp 33-44.
Crofts, Anita Verna. Leading Change: Persuasive
Communication. Presentation. Department of
Global Health/I-TECH, Global Program
Management and Evaluation Course. 12-April-
2010. University of Washington.
influence. It is the process of
guiding people toward the adoption
of an idea, attitude, or action.
Traditionally, we tend to think of
persuasion as throwing power
around and bending people to our
will.
Persuasion is often confused with
manipulation, which is the act of
guiding another person towards
something that is not in their best
interest. For this reason, persuasion
is often seen as manipulative and
devious.
However, persuasion actually
happens outside of a power
dynamic.
Persuasion is meant to benefit all
parties in the end.
Used constructively, persuasion is a
process of learning and negotiation.
Persuasion is about moving people
to a position or course of action that
they do not currently hold.
Persuasion focuses on the other
person the audience.
It is as much about active, engaged
listening as it is about talking, in
order to reach a shared solution.
Persuasion is helpful for building
the critical partnerships that allow
us to be successful.

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 63
Animation Clicks: 1Slide 8
As a leader you have a role to
inspire others.
As part of inspiring others, we use
persuasive communication to build
relationships, connect emotionally
with our staff and partners, establish
our own credibility, provide
evidence, and identify common
ground with others.

Effective Persuasion
Animation Clicks: 1Slide 9

Often, we think of persuasion in a

clear, linear process:
o State your position, Outline
supporting arguments, and
Close by making a deal.
However, it is a more complex
process that involves discovery,
preparation, and dialogue.
Effective persuasion involves four
steps:
o Establish credibility
o Frame goals in a way that
identifies common ground
(shared interest)
o Reinforce position using
Adapted from:
credible evidence and
Conger, Jay. 1998. The Necessary Art of
compelling language
Persuasion. Harvard Business Review, May-June
o Connect emotionally with
1998. pp 33-44.
audience
Crofts, Anita Verna. Leading Change: Persuasive
We will discuss each step in more
Communication. Presentation. Department of
detail.
Global Health/I-TECH, Global Program
Management and Evaluation Course. 12-April-
2010. University of Washington.

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 64
Slide 10
Adapted from:
Conger, Jay. 1998. The Necessary Art of
Persuasion. Harvard Business Review, May-June
1998. pp 33-44.
Crofts, Anita Verna. Leading Change: Persuasive
Communication. Presentation. Department of
Global Health/I-TECH, Global Program
Management and Evaluation Course. 12-April-
2010. University of Washington.
Rose, Beverly. Persuasive Communication.
Presentation. Texas A&M University, Argillite
Human Resources.
Slide 11
Leadership and Management Course
Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication
Establishing credibility is about
whether people listening to you feel
that you are trustworthy.
Credibility comes from expertise
AND relationships. It is not about
technical knowledge or subject
expertise alone.
We build expertise by
demonstrating sound knowledge,
and establishing a history of
success.
We build relationships by
consistently demonstrating that we
work for others best interest, that we
listen, and that we are honest and
reliable.
It is important to consider what your
audience knows and thinks about
you your audience will buy you
before they buy your ideas.
Note that even appearance can
affect credibility. Think about your
clothing and attire, your posture,
etc.
Character is key to credibility.
Answering these questions honestly
can help you assess your own
credibility as a leader.
Remember: the focus is on the other
person, and how they will react to
you as a persuader.
Do the people listening to you find
you trustworthy?
Participant Handbook
65
Slide 12
Credibility is the foundation for
effective persuasion.
Ideally, you will have a bank of
expertise and good relationships to
draw from; however, if you are
lacking in either area, you may need
to build or buy credibility.
Slide 13

It is important for people to feel

understood at all levels. Shared
goals help you to demonstrate that
you have the best interests of your
audience at heart.
Framing also suggests that how
you tell the story or describe your
position is important. To be
effective, it will be positive and
appealing.
It is critical to know your audience,
by understanding their context and
experience. (Note that this requires
good listening skills, too!)
o Are you talking to a single
person? A team or department?
What are their interests and
priorities?
o Remember to answer the
question, Whats in it for me?
from the audiences perspective!
Keep in mind that you are
encouraging people to join your
effort in good spirits, even if the
rewards are not immediate. You can
inspire people to connect with
something bigger than themselves.

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 66
Slide 14
Evidence is linked to credibility;
however, we need to be careful
about defining evidence strictly as
numbers or hard data.
We have to make one-dimensional
evidence livelier by adding
examples, pictures, stories, etc.
o Note that even if you do not
have a visual image, you can
create a word picture by using
compelling language!
As with framing for common
ground, keep your audience in
mind. Tailor your examples to their
realities and experiences as much as
possible.
Slide 15

Connecting emotionally is linked to

providing evidence, and packaging
it in a way that moves people.
Sometimes, an emotional trigger
can change someones ideas or
actions, and bring them to your side.
Again, it is important to know your
audience. Jay Conger writes, a
persuader must match his or her
emotional fervour to the audiences
ability to receive the message.

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 67
Animation Clicks: 1Slide 16
This list is not complete but these are
some of the key barriers to persuasion!
Source:
Conger, Jay. 1998. The Necessary Art of
Persuasion. Harvard Business Review, May-June
1998. pp 33-44.
Rose, Beverly. Persuasive Communication.
Presentation. Texas A&M University, Argillite
Human Resources.
Cialdini, R.B. 2001. Influence: Science and
practice. (4th ed.) Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Leadership and Management Course
Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication
If you are incorrect in your facts,
use poorly chosen words, have
spelling or grammar mistakes, etc. it
undermines your credibility and
distracts from the message.
Too much information can also be
distracting keep your presentation
focused!
Poor presentation of your position,
including lack of clarity around the
objective, poor organization, or a
presentation that is not dynamic and
engaging.
Resisting compromise. Remember
that people want to know that the
persuader is flexible enough to
respond to their concerns.
Compromise can lead to shared and
sustainable solutions.
Assuming persuasion is a one-time
event. Persuasion is a process
shared solutions are rarely reached
on the first try!
Power dynamics power influences
our relationships, and we have to be
mindful of it. (We will discuss this
more.)
Participant Handbook
68
Slide 17
We have already suggested that
persuasion happens outside of
power dynamics; however, we
cannot ignore the fact that power
dynamics are a very real part of our
relationships.
Power can go both ways we can
be in positions of power, or be
appealing to people in positions of
power.
As power increases, the distance
between a leader and the reality on
the ground can grow. Strong leaders
find a way to collapse that
difference.
Power in and of itself is not a bad
thing; it can be used in a competent,
generous, and clear-headed way.
We can use our power to foster
collaboration, and not just
compromise. Collaboration hinges
on establishing common ground and
shared vision.
We always need to be mindful about
the power relationships in our
professional environments.
We need to consider how culture,
organizational hierarchy, and other
dynamics (age, gender, etc.) may
influence our relationships and
communication.

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 69
 Tips for Successful Presentations
Slide 18

Source:
McKinney, Linda. Achievers
International. Presentation. The Art of
Persuasive Communication: Presenting
Ideas so you Get Yes. IACVB
Professional Development Institute.
Slide 19

Source:
McKinney, Linda. Achievers
International. Presentation. The Art of
Persuasive Communication: Presenting
Ideas so you Get Yes. IACVB
Professional Development Institute.

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 70
 Activity: Persuasive Communication Scenario
Slide 20

Refer to:
Worksheet 3.1.1: Persuasive
Communication Scenario on page
329 of Participant Handbook for
instructions on the scenario.
Handout 3.1.2: Planning Tool for
Persuasive Communication on
page 331 of Participant Handbook
for guidance on the group work.

Follow instructions provided by

facilitator.

Key Points
Slide 21

REVIEW key points from this session.

ASK if participants have any comments or

questions.

THANK everyone for their attention and

participation.

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 71
Leadership and Management Course Participant Handbook
Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 72
 Worksheet 3.1.1: Persuasive Communication Scenario

Instructions:

The Facilitator will assign you to a group.

Refer to Handout 3.1.2: Planning Tool for Persuasive Communication.

Imagine that we are all colleagues at a particular health training institution.

A generous development partner has approached the principal of your health training
institution with a grant opportunity.
Your institution has the opportunity to receive a grant of Tsch 5,000,000 to do a capital
improvement project for your institution; however, your principal must present a
compelling case to the development partner for how you would use this grant. A capital
improvement grant can be used to improve the facility and its infrastructure. This might
include renovating a building, purchasing new equipment, building something,
conducting repairs, etc.

The principal would like to hear from you the stakeholders of this institution about
how you feel this grant should be used. The principal will listen to your ideas, and select
the idea that best benefits the institution. You should assume that the grant cannot be
divided evenly between the groups.

Each small group, which the facilitator will assign you to, will represent the interests of
one key group of people within the institution.

o Group 1: Tutors
o Group 2: Students
o Group 3: Clinical Teaching Instructors
o Group 4: Librarians

Each group should present one idea for spending the Tsch 5,000,000. Consider the
interests of your members how could Tsch 5,000,000 benefit your group? Consider the
interests of the institution how do your groups interests align with the interests of other
groups?

Your group will prepare a very short presentation of your position, using elements of
persuasive speech. You should elect 1-2 group members to give the presentation.

Your group will have to be creative. Although we do not have hard data to rely on in
this scenario, your group is allowed to invent 2-3 numbers to support your case.

Each group will have 3 minutes to share their idea, and to try to persuade the principal (as
well as the other people in the room) that you have the best idea for how to use this
capital improvement grant.

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 73
 Remember this is not a competition! Although each group represents different interests,
the most successful approach will be to identify a strategy that benefits the most people
within the organization (although the interests of your group are your primary
motivation.)

The activity will proceed as follows:

o Step 1: Brainstorm ideas in small groups, and select one idea that you all agree
upon. (10 minutes)
o Step 2: Review the planning questions in Handout 3.1.2, and prepare a brief (3
minute) presentation of your position and idea. You do not have to answer each
question, but you should give some consideration to all of these elements to plan
your presentation. It will be helpful to draft some key points. (20 minutes)
o Step 3: Present your idea to the large group. Each group will have 3 minutes to
make their presentation. (15 minutes)

Adapted from:
Thiagi.com.Persuasion game. Available at: http://www.thiagi.com/pfp/IE4H/november2006.html#CashGame

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 74
 Handout 3.1.2: Planning Tool for Persuasive Communication

Who is your audience?

Are you talking to a single person? A team or department? A large audience in a formal
presentation? What are their interests and priorities?

What is your call to action?

If I succeed, my audience will ___________________________________________.

Establish Credibility

What will help your audience know that you are trustworthy?

What expertise do you have within your group?

What is your relationship with your audience?

Will you need to enlist other support (collaboration, expertise, etc.) to establish
credibility with this audience?

Framing Common Ground

What are the advantages of your position or approach?

Whats in it for the audience?

What are the shared benefits/shared solutions?

Continued on next page.

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 75
Compelling Evidence and Vivid Language

Do you have any data/numbers that you can use to support your position? Are they from
credible sources?

What other tools can you use (examples, visual aids, props, pictures, stories, metaphors)
to help your audience connect with your message?

Connect Emotionally

How can you show your emotional commitment to your position/call to action?

What will your audience likely be feeling about your topic when you begin your
presentation? (Excitement, fear, doubt, etc.) How can you connect with that?

How can you craft a dynamic opening?

Clearly state your purpose, establish your credibility, draw the audience in, describe the
route you are taking, etc.

What are your key points?

How can you create a powerful close?

Re-state purpose, summarize main points, and give a call to action.

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 76
Sources/Bibliography:
Refer to these materials for additional background reading, as needed.

Cialdini, R.B. 2001. Influence: Science and practice. (4th ed.) Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Conger, Jay. 1998. The Necessary Art of Persuasion. Harvard Business Review, May-
June 1998. pp 33-44.
Available at:
http://www.annbadillo.com/leadership/files/necessary_art_persuasion_jay_conger.pdf
Covey, Steven. 2003. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York: Free
Press/Simon & Schuster.
Crofts, Anita Verna. Leading Change: Persuasive Communication. Presentation.
Department of Global Health/I-TECH, Global Program Management and Evaluation
Course. 12-April-2010. University of Washington.
McKinney, Linda. Achievers International. Presentation. The Art of Persuasive
Communication: Presenting Ideas so you Get Yes. IACVB Professional Development
Institute.
Rose, Beverly. Persuasive Communication. Presentation. Texas A&M University,
AgriLife Human Resources.
Available at: http://agtraining.tamu.edu/handouts/PersuasiveCommunicationH-O.pdf

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Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 77
Leadership and Management Course Participant Handbook
Session 3.1: Persuasive Communication 78