As you may remember, previously we explored two of the three pillars of communication. Today, on the last instalment of this trilogy, we are going to concentrate on the last pillar of communication:
To whom are you talking to?
Persuasion is a tough task. All people are not alike. However, if you pay attention to these five questions of your audience you have a better chance to get your message across.
- How high is their self-esteem? People who feel inadequate on a particular subject are easier to be influenced. I will keep this one short as we have already talked about the impact of self-esteem on how you should communicate.
- How do they feel at the moment of communication? There are studies showing that you would be more vulnerable to persuasion if you had desirable food before. (e.g. prime time = after dinner) Also there is a positive correlation between good mood and the impact of persuasion.
- Do they expect your message? When we hear things like “A message from our proud sponsor”, our antennas go up and we become defensive. Because, we know that somebody is trying to persuade us. You are better off not using such introductions.
- Do they feel threatened? Usually, aggressive sales people or politicians make us do the exact opposite of what they want us to do because they don’t respect our freedom. Stay away from too aggressive communication techniques.
- How immune are they to your message? Unlike what people might think, it is easier to persuade a brain-washed person than a logical person who sees both sides of the argument. Brain-washed person is more vulnerable since he/she never attacks his/her arguments.
Today’s actionable tip: If you can make your kid believe that “He will be a real chicken if he smokes to impress his friends.” then he will be prepared to defend his point when somebody calls him chicken.
I hope you enjoyed the trilogy on communication. Why don’t you tell me if you agree or disagree with my comments?
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