Influence and Persuasion

Audience:

This class is beneficial to everyone.

Prerequisites:

None.

Description:

When we talk about influence and persuasion, we often talk about marketing and sales. However, we influence in many ways and with great frequency. If you want a raise, sometimes you need to persuade your boss. If you want to convince your team to adopt a change, help your staff make choices, or choose the best place for lunch, there is often influencing taking place. This workshop will help participants learn how to influence and persuade in a variety of areas.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

This one-day workshop teaches participants to:

• Make decisions about using persuasion versus manipulation
• Apply the concepts of pushing and pulling when influencing others
• Use different techniques for getting persuasive conversations and presentations underway
• Make a persuasive presentation by using the 5 S’s
• Apply storytelling techniques to extend influence
• Leverage concepts of neuro linguistic programming in everyday influence and persuasion

OUTLINE:

Lesson 1: Course Overview

You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.

Lesson 2: Understanding Persuasion

To begin the course, participants will explore the differences between persuasion, influence, and manipulation.They will also review the answers to the pre-assignment.

Lesson 3: Preparing to Persuade

Next, participants will learn how to customize their approach to persuasion.Topics include pushing versus pulling, communicating with confidence, planning the conversation, and suspending their frame of reference.

Lesson 4: Getting Off on the Right Foot

In this session, students will learn about some techniques (such as building rapport, matching, mirroring, pacing, and elading) that can help them speak persuasively.

Lesson 5: Presentation Strategies

This session will give participants a framework for building a persuasive presentation of any length.They will also get some hands-on practice in speaking persuasively.

Lesson 6: Using Stories to Persuade

This session will give participants some ways to make the most of humanity’s social nature and love for stories.They will also have an opportunity to practice storytelling.

Lesson 7: Using Neuro-Linguistic Programming

The final portion of this course will introduce students to the art of neuro linguistic programming.They will also have an opportunity to explore how it can benefit their influencing toolkit.

Lesson 8: Workshop Wrap-Up

At the end of the course, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.