Persuade: The 4-Step Process to Influence People and Decisions

Transform your ability to persuade and negotiate with this practical new resource In Persuade: The 4-Step Process to Influence People and Decisions, accomplished sales, negotiation, and influence experts Andres Lares, Jeff Cochran, and Shaun Digan PhD deliver a concise and insightful take on how to transform your ability to persuade others regardless of the setting. In this important book you'll discover: Original research and scientific studies shedding light on the human decision-making processes that drive success and failure in virtually all interactions Real world examples and practical exercises to illustrate and practice the concepts discussed A fun yet rigorous approach of a complex subject that can be practically applied in any business situation Persuade is perfect for executives, managers, entrepreneurs, and other business leaders and will earn a place in the libraries of any professional who negotiates or influences on a regular basis. It is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to improve their persuasion or deal-making abilities.

Table of Contents:
1 The Art of Influence and Persuasion 1 Ethics of Influencing 3 The Tenets of Ethical Principles 3 The Influence and Persuasion Process 4 2 Building Credibility 9 Credibility: Trust and Expertise 10 Building Trust 11 Establishing Expertise 19 The Influencer’s Toolbox 23 Borrowing Credibility 23 Show Vulnerability 27 Become a Trusted Advisor 30 Putting It All Together 34 3 Engaging Emotion 37 The Linda Problem 37 Emotions 39 Achievement 40 Fear 40 Obligation 41 The Influencer’s Toolbox 44 Managing Emotions 44 Storytelling 47 Scripting 50 Mirroring 58 Putting It All Together 68 4 Demonstrating Logic 71 Logic and Rational Decisions 72 The Rational Decision-Making Model 73 The Weighted Criteria Matrix 74 The Role of Prior Belief in Reasoning 77 The Three Steps in Demonstrating Logic to Persuade Others 82 The Influencer’s Toolbox 95 Framing 95 Anchoring 98 Features, Advantages, and Benefits 104 Putting It All Together 108 5 Facilitating Action 111 Facilitating Action 111 Types of Closes 113 Soft Closes: Asking Questions to Yes 114 Hard Closes: Making the Ask 118 Creating a Sense of Urgency 120 After the Close 121 The Influencer’s Toolbox 122 Getting the Small Yes 122 Providing Options 126 Creating a Safety Net 132 Putting It All Together 133 6 Time and Place 135 The When and the Where 135 The Right Time 136 The Right Place 139 The Right Audience 141 The Influencer’s Toolbox 143 The Empathy Gap 143 Happy Endings 145 Putting It All Together 145 7 Body Language 147 Reading and Understanding Body Language 147 Posture 148 Gestures 152 Facial Expressions 154 Awareness of Cultural Differences 161 Body Language for Virtual Selling Environments 162 The Influencer’s Toolbox 164 Making a First Impression 164 Body Language as a Tool for Managing Your Own Emotions 165 Body Language as a Tool for Managing the Emotions of Others 167 Putting It All Together 172 8 Personality 175 Characteristics, Traits, and Types 175 Measuring Your Personality Traits 176 The Big Five Personality Traits 177 Altercasting 182 Personality Type Assessments 183 Influencer’s Toolbox 187 Identifying with the Traits 187 Influencing with the Traits 188 Putting It All Together 190 9 Putting It All Together 193 A Closer Look at the Four-Step Process 194 Building Credibility 194 Engaging Emotion 195 Demonstrating Logic 195 Facilitating Action 196 Time and Place 196 Beyond the Four-Step Process 196 Appendix 1: A Study of Decision Makers’ Decision Making 199 Methods and Analysis 199 Sample and Instrument 199 Analysis and Results 201 Summary of Hypotheses under Consideration 219 Discussion 219 Appendix 2: 50 Question Big Five Personality Traits Assessment 221 End Notes 223 Recommended Reading 229 Acknowledgments 231 About the Authors 233 Index 235