Edward Brown, M.S., of Core Edge Image &
Charisma Institute provides questions and answers about the impact of
persuasion on your personal and professional life.
Q: Based on your research on charismatic leadership,
what does this research say about persuasion?
Brown: Well, the human experience from birth to
death is all about attempting to gain something you need or desire from someone
else. As a baby, you are persuading your
parents to feed you through crying. On your deathbed, you are persuading loved
ones or a Higher Power to grant you a pardon on your shortcomings. The sum
total of your happiness is based on your ability to gain pleasure through
persuasion.
Q: So, is it safe to say that most people generally do
not have full and happy lives, because they lack the ability to persuade?
Brown: The short answer is “yes” with an
explanation. Your ability to persuade someone to date, marry you, or obtain a
job promotion rests on your ability to create positive emotions within the
person who has something you want. In a corporate setting, when two people have
equal qualifications, the person who has engendered emotional good will to a
decision-maker will advance faster than the one who has not.
Q: Is there a first step to embracing the power of
persuasion?
Brown: The first step is realizing that people act
on emotions and justify their actions through reason. If you do not attempt to
tap into the emotional needs of other people, persuasion cannot take place. In
my workshops, I break down the four (4) basic personality types and how to engage
them persuasively. I particularly like the work of Kevin Hogan who breaks down these
types succinctly.
Q: Is there a second step to the power of
persuasion?
Brown: I approach the idea of persuasion from a
philosophical perspective over mere steps. If you embrace the idea that people,
fundamentally, are concerned about their self-interest, the most effective
persuasive act you can accomplish is to feed their self-interest. That means
putting your own self-interest on the back burner. This one act alone will get
you all the love and money you desire over a lifetime.
Q: How did persuasion become a compelling idea in
your life?
Brown: I was like most people in my selfishness. And
in some respect, I still am. However, what was transformational for me was that
I began experiencing more personal and professional success when I focused more
on other people. Said another way, I
realized my aspirations through giving more people what they wanted. It makes no difference whether you are a “people
person” or very self-absorbed, your ambitions will be manifested exponentially,
when these ambitions flow through serving the needs of others. Why you desire
to serve those needs is irrelevant as long as people feel they are not being
manipulated. Once persuasion is exposed
as manipulation, the game is up. If you have problems with people, you had better become a good actor. This is a cold and competitive world. It's hard to trust and allow yourself to become vulnerable. Once you change the way you see yourself on the world's stage, you will use persuasion as a way of gaining leverage. The important thing is to get involved with creating an ideal life for yourself. You can either win on purpose or lose by default.
To enroll in an upcoming, “The Power of Persuasion
at Work, Love, and Play Webinar, visit: http://elearning.coreedgecharisma.com/events
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