There is only one way…to get anybody to do anything. And that is by making the person want to do it.”
~ Dale Carnegie
How do you influence and persuade someone to want your transformational offer?
Through your copy…the messaging and content you share on the regular. Content marketing is nothing new, but it’s taken on a new role in the oversaturated online marketplace.
It’s got to be intentional, meaningful, and have a purpose. There are plenty of ways to share your message in different types of content, but there are two overarching principles to follow before you write one word.
- Put the reader first. It’s difficult to persuade others to do anything when you make your copy all about you. Your writing shouldn’t be about you; it should be about what you can do for your readers. Right from the start, let them know there’s something in it for them. Start off with a sentence that they can relate to, or sets their imagination in motion so they a new possibility. People will do what you want after you give them what they want.
- Discern between the needs and wants of your audience. It’s often difficult for someone to articulate what they really want. We don’t even know this half the time until someone brings it to our attention. Be the one to do that! Read between the lines of what your audience is saying. When prospects say they want more clients what they’re really saying is they need a better way to attract them. When they say they want more money they could be saying they need to get paid more for the effort they’re putting out. When they say they want more engagement, perhaps what they need is to have their work recognized.
Each of us has the power to influence and persuade others. The better you are at the art of influence and persuasion, the better your chances are of getting people to choose you to help solve their problems – and, of course, to pay you.
This is what thought leadership is all about – positioning you as a person of influence who has the power to persuade others by changing opinions, thoughts, actions, behaviors, and even feelings, yet there are differences between the two.
Influence is the ability to move someone based on who you are: your personality, charisma, and behavior. Persuasion is the ability to convince someone to change using reasoning, logic, and facts. Influence tends to be more subtle and quiet, while persuasion requires being proactive.
The next time you want to persuade someone to do something, find out what they want and give it to them first. Chances are they’ll respond in your favor.
When someone tells you what they want, try to discover the need beneath their request.
Author Christine Comaford offers three simple phrases you can use to improve your powers of persuasion:
- “What if…” This depersonalizes the situation by eliminating ego from the conversation and creating an environment conducive to problem solving. “What if we were to try solution x?”
- “I need your help…” This reverses roles and shifts the power dynamic, putting a subordinate in an empowered leadership role. “I need your help to solve this problem…”
- “Would it be helpful if…” The spotlight moves from the problem and focuses attention on the solution. “Would it be helpful if we tried x instead of y?”
Comford says that these phrases appeal to a person’s sense of safety, belonging, and esteem that can be helpful in persuading them to take the action you’re asking them to take.
Influencing and persuading others doesn’t involve trickery, manipulation or mind control. It’s implanting a true desire in the person to finally get their problem solved once and for all. You know how you can help, they want our help and know they need help, and yet the brain is always giving them reasons to not get help.
Many make this an ethical issue, but it’s not. It’s a matter of presenting the facts, painting a picture of possibility, and reminding them what it’s costing not to get the help they know they need and want. A true leader knows that if they could solve the issue on their own, it would have been gone long ago.
Sharing Content Consistently Speaks to the Subconscious
This is why sharing content is so important. It works at the subconscious level to raise awareness and, over time, to have someone think to themselves: “This is exactly what I need. I think I’ve found the answer to my prayers.”
A content plan addresses what your soulmate clients want and need from several different angles, without ever feeling that they’re being sold to. Content influences people by showing them what’s possible, and it persuades them to take the action required to step into that possibility.
If you want help influencing and persuading your audience to get the help that you can provide for them, consider my Irresistible Messaging 30-day Content Creation Challenge. Every day over the course of 40-ish days, you’ll get a piece of content to make your own and share, with tips and tricks to design your offerso they want it, and ways to show them how they need it. You’ll save tons of time and energy trying to come up with ideas on your own, and it’s already half written for you. It’s a worthy investment that’s guaranteed to get you an ROI over and over again! Go here to purchase.
