Most persuasion happens in a presentation or speaking format. This could be face-to-face, over the phone or in front of audience. Did you know you are probably violating many of the rules of persuasive presentations and don’t even know it. I have found through research that many of the common presentation skills taught actually hurt you when you are trying to persuade. What you don’t know will hurt you. You will discover how to present with confidence, charisma and power. You will learn the basics of overcoming your nervousness to the advanced speaking skills. Do you know how to handle a heckler? Answer the tough questions you don't know? Keep control of your audience? Handle the rough audience? I will teach you all the skills you need to know to become a persuasive speaker and trainer. You will master speaking and will be able to educate, inspire and entertain with passion, compassion and purpose.
Great persuaders are great communicators. Well-known motivational speaker and best-selling author Jim Rohm said it best: “When I learned how to effectively persuade and communicate, my income went from six digits to seven digits.” Your communication skills are critical for your success, yet this is another set of overlooked skills that are not effectively taught in school. Communication includes phone skills, face-to-face interactions, group presentations, and even email. Great persuaders work on their presentation skills on a continual basis. There is always something to fine-tune and improve.
Trust is critical in persuasion. Unfortunately, we live in a day and age when people are more skeptical and mistrustful than ever before. Twenty years ago, the mindset was: “I trust you; give me a reason not to.” Now the mindset is: “I don’t trust you; give me a reason why I should.” You could say trust is at an all-time low and still falling. Gone are the days when there was a baseline of trust, no matter where you were coming from.
What does this mean for you as a persuader? It means you cannot assume that people trust you. This assumption is one of the most common persuasion mistakes. Many persuaders think that because they are friendly or good at helping people feel comfortable, they will automatically be trusted. Studies show that nothing could be further from the truth. It is safer to assume that your audience lumps you in with the rest of the world that they don’t trust. Don’t take for granted that trust exists. You must work to earn and develop a trust that is instant, genuine, and lasting. The bottom line is great persuaders establish instant trust.