How to Be Persuasive كيف تصبح مقنع

[ESAL SPIRIT]

Persuasive speaking is useful. If you master it, you will be able to convince people of your position or motivate people to do and think things that they never thought of before. Here are some steps to the art of persuasion.


Steps

1. 1

1. 
   Always focus on the end result. Your purpose is to make someone think something or make someone do something. Everything you do should have the intention of reaching that goal. Aristotle noticed that using logic (logos) is perhaps the worst way to accomplish this. Arousing a strong emotional bond to your point of view or fear and doom to the opposing views (pathos) and tying your position to deeply-rooted, commonly-held beliefs (ethos) is the key to success.
   Note: Examples will be given from Charles De Gaulle's speech given in Algiers. He gave this speech to a large group of French nationals who were ready to fight the Algerians to the death to keep it colonized, but De Gaulle knew that a revolutionary war was costly and mostly useless. This is widely regarded as one of the best persuasive speeches of all time.
   
   
   
   
   
2. 2
   
   
   Relate to your audience (whether it be one or many). Start off your speech by finding common ground. People tend to like other people who are similar to them, and people tend to trust people they like.
   • Example: "I have understood you. I know what has happened here. I see what you wanted to achieve."
3. 3
   
   Artfully weave traces of what you want to convince people of into the "sweet-talking" in step 2 above.
4. 4
   
   
   Use heavy, pathos-drenched words like "good," "evil," "freedom," "liberty," "right," "wrong," etc.
   • Example: "I see the road you have opened in Algeria is one of renewal and fraternity."
5. 5
   
   
   Pretend to elaborate on what you said earlier. You must repeat what you said for the audience to remember it, but say it differently and keep your language vague.
   • "I say renewal in every respect. And I say fraternity because you offer the magnificent spectacle of men who, from one end of the spectrum to the other, irrespective of their community, commune with the same ardor and stand hand in hand.
6. 6
   
   
   Put words in the mouth of your audience. Once they are hypnotized by your sweet words and aroused by your passion, it is easy to plant your ideas into their brains, but do it subtly and do it right.
   • "Never more here and never more than this evening, have I understood how fine, how great, how generous is France." Note: After saying this the crowd applauded vigorously even though before the speech not one person there had considered the idea of Algerian independence.
7. 7
   
   
   Solidify your words by confirming your audiences most deeply held beliefs. Use lots of pathos.
   • "Vive la republique! Vive la France!"
8. 8
   
   Remain relaxed at all times. Even when you are yelling, you must appear composed.
9. 9
   
   Take advantage of the six weapons of influence: authority, consistency, reciprocity, sympathy, scarcity and social proof.