What comes to your mind when you think about influencing and persuading people? Something negative, right? Although some people might try to persuade and influence by being abrasive or aggressive, nothing can be achieved without effectively communicating with, influencing, and persuading employers, employees, clients, suppliers, and customers.
True persuasion and influence means that you are able to convince others of the merit of your ideas without needing to bully or disrespect others. Instead, you learn to understand what a particular person needs to hear, believe, or see in order to be persuaded. Then you are able to deliver the missing information or communication in the way that the other person is actually able to hear it.
But what does it take to truly persuade someone? Below you can find one famous theory of how persuasion works.
Monroe’s Motivated Sequence of Persuasion Steps
In the 1930s, John Monroe developed a series of steps that he believed were the keys to persuading another individual. The steps are: Attention, Need, Satisfaction, Visualization and Action.
Attention
To get someone to listen to your argument, you need to get their attention. You have about five seconds when talking to someone to engage their attention before they will lose focus. You can do this in several ways.
- Use their name with a tone that conveys urgency or importance
- Use emotion to demonstrate your position – smile, frown, be exasperated – whatever emotion conveys the strength of your position
- Physically touch them if you have the level of rapport where this is appropriate. Put your hand on their forearm or shoulder to draw their attention.
- Bring up a topic that you know they are passionate about and segue into your argument – but be sure there is a valid connection so you don’t seem to be changing the topic too quickly
- Start with a statement that conveys the benefit of your position for the other person
Need
Once you have the other person’s attention, work to keep it. You can lose their attention as quickly as you have it if the other person doesn’t see the need to continue listening. To keep the other person’s attention, you have to be familiar with what is important to them. What do they want? What do they value? Why should they care about your side of the argument? Once you can answer these questions, you are ready to ‘hook’ the listener by focusing on what they care about.
Satisfaction
In this step, you describe to the listener how your position will meet the need you addressed in the previous step. Will your solution solve their problem? Will it prevent them from having to deal with additional problems? In other words, what benefits will the listener receive if they are persuaded by your argument. Or what negative consequences will they avoid?
Visualization
Visualization means that you can create a picture for the listener of what the situation will look like once they have been persuaded to accept your position or agree to your decision. Help them do this by describing what the world will be like ‘after’ they agree with you. For example, use language like:
- Imagine what it will be like when you no longer have to…
- Can you see how this would reduce your work load (solve your problem, increase your profits, etc.)
- Picture yourself leaving work on time once we make this change (or some other way their life will improve once they agree with you)
Action
Once you sense that you are approaching agreement, you need to cement it by suggesting the next step or action that will put your solution in motion. Don’t wait – act as soon as you can so that the other person is not left stewing and thinking things over more (and perhaps changing their mind).
FAQs
The steps are: Attention, Need, Satisfaction, Visualization and Action.
What are the 5 steps of the persuasion process? ›
The simple 5-step process is:
- Attention. You first need to grab the attention of the person or people you're trying to persuade. ...
- Need. You have to establish a need with the person listening. ...
- Satisfy. ...
- Visualize. ...
- Action.
What is the 5 step persuasion sequence? ›
The steps are explained below:
- Step One: Get Attention. Get the attention of your audience. ...
- Step Two: Establish the Need. Convince your audience there's a problem. ...
- Step Three: Satisfy the Need. Introduce your solution. ...
- Step Four: Visualize the Future. ...
- Step Five: Action/Actualization.
What are five 5 steps to a persuasive argument? ›
Five Steps to Increase Your Persuasiveness
- Understand your audience.
- Use logic.
- Establish credibility and authority.
- Appeal to your audience emotionally.
- Combine all three in persuasive communication.
What are the 5 steps of persuasive presentation? ›
Here are the five steps of Monroe's motivated sequence:
- Capture the audience's attention. ...
- Identify the problem. ...
- Introduce your solution. ...
- Help the audience visualize the solution. ...
- Convince the audience to take action.
What are the 5 points of persuasion? ›
To summarize, a persuasive message can succeed through the principles of reciprocity, scarcity, authority, commitment and consistency, consensus, and liking.
What persuasive pattern has 5 steps? ›
Monroe's Motivated Sequence
- Monroe's Motivated Sequence is a five-step progressive method of persuasion, developed by Alan Monroe in the mid-1930s. This method is used to encourage people to take action and prime your audience to make immediate change. ...
- Attention. ...
- Need. ...
- Satisfaction. ...
- Visualization. ...
- Call to Action.
What is the correct 5 part sequence for a persuasive speech? ›
What is Monroe's Motivated Sequence? A method of organizing persuasive speeches that seek immediate action. The five steps of the motivated sequence are attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action.
How many steps is persuasion? ›
In his seminal work on the art of persuasion for business leaders, research scientist Dr. Jay A. Conger boiled down the persuasion game to four simple steps: Credibility, Common Ground, Evidence, and Emotional Connection.
What is the #1 rule of persuasion? ›
The First Universal Principle of Influence is Reciprocity
Simply put, people are obliged to give back to others the form of a behavior, gift, or service that they have received first. If a friend invites you to their party, there's an obligation for you to invite them to a future party you are hosting.
Here are five essential steps to follow when building an argument:
- Introduce the problem. Introduce the problem or issue at the center of your argument. ...
- Present your claim. ...
- Support your claim. ...
- Acknowledge the opposing side of the argument. ...
- Restate your claim.
What are 5 examples of persuasive writing? ›
Persuasion Writing Samples
- Steroids: The Achilles of the Baseball Universe.
- Livin' La Vida Single.
- "Hormone-Free" Milk: A Marketing Myth.
- Letter to Dr. Rasch.
- Wal-Mart: Is it Good for America?
- Speak Out Against Taking Away the Freedom.
- Save the Children.
What are the 5 P's of persuasion? ›
The five Ps or principles, which I will address in sequence, are: purpose, perceptions, problem solving, proposition, and process.
What are 5 examples of persuasive speech? ›
Topics for your persuasive speech
- All school children should wear a uniform.
- Facebook is making people more socially anxious.
- It should be illegal to drive over the age of 80.
- Lying isn't always wrong.
- The case for organ donation.
What is the 5 paragraph persuasive essay format? ›
The five-paragraph essay structure consists of, in order: one introductory paragraph that introduces the main topic and states a thesis, three body paragraphs to support the thesis, and one concluding paragraph to wrap up the points made in the essay.
What are 5 elements of persuasion and how can they help strengthen a persuasive speech? ›
Establishing Your Main Objective and Structuring Your Points
- Identifying the Purpose of Your Persuasive Speech. ...
- Organizing Key Points for Maximum Impact. ...
- Building Credibility with Ethos. ...
- Connecting with the Audience Through Pathos. ...
- Strengthening Arguments with Logos. ...
- Gathering and Presenting Convincing Evidence.
What are the first steps of persuasion? ›
Effective persuasion involves four distinct and essential steps. First, effective persuaders establish credibility. Second, they frame their goals in a way that identifies common ground with those they intend to persuade. Third, they reinforce their positions using vivid language and compelling evidence.
Is persuasion a step by step process? ›
Final answer: Persuasion can be viewed as a step-by-step process involving the creation, reinforcement, or change in people's beliefs or actions, requiring a progression of interventions over time. The given statement is true.
What are the six 6 steps in the persuasion sequence? ›
Cialdini's 6 Principles of Persuasion are reciprocity, scarcity, authority, commitment and consistency, liking and consensus. By understanding these rules, you can use them to persuade and influence others. Of course, doing so isn't always an ethical thing to do.