Persuasive communication: the power of intention

Among the different types of communication that exist, persuasive communication has been charged in recent times with a certain negative connotation. It is associated with manipulation of opinions, ideas and people.

It is true that it can be used that way, but we cannot ignore the importance that Good persuasive communication skills can also support good initiatives and combat bad ideas or purposes.. It is a type of communication that is trained in large organizations and a highly valued skill in high executive positions and in politics.

The role of social networks

We live in the era of communication and, although we have not stopped to reflect on it, we are all communicators. Social networks have given us a scenario where we communicate daily with other peoplefrom other cultures, with many different types of ideas and opinions.

In many cases in which we influence others we have no intention of doing so. Or that’s what we tell ourselves. But somehow all people give their opinion or point of view about something at any time of the day and everyone would want their opinion to be taken into account and to be accepted or discarded with reasonsAs minimum.

What is persuasive communication?

Persuasive communication has been approached from two different definitions. You can read them below:

Persuasive communication is the intentional use of communication to deliver an important message with the purpose of reaching the audience.Persuasive communication is the intentional use of communication to manipulate the masses.

Is it the same message? Is it the same intention? The message It can be positive or negative, the intention can be good or bad. But for persuasive communication to occur, a communicator, a message, a receiver and a channel are required. Let’s see how these four elements work:

The communicator: There is a general tendency to accept or reject a message based on who communicates it, rather than based on the content of the message. Among the variables that contribute the most success in persuading is the credibility of the communicator and, although it may seem like a lie, his appearance.The message: It is easier to persuade other people when the message is novel, contains few arguments and is presented loaded with emotions (positive or negative) such as hope or fear. The message can be presented bilaterally, so that the message presents the pros and cons of the idea or opinion. They are more persuasive to audiences that have more information and education. They can also present unilaterally or biased; when the message presents only the position of the message intent. These types of messages have more influence on people with less information.Receiver or audience: The variables that most influence are intelligence and self-esteem. They are the two factors that make the difference between accepting a message or rejecting it. The higher the intelligence and self-esteem, the higher the level of analysis before accepting the arguments of others. Something curious is that the highest degree of persuasion does not have an immediate effect, but rather after several weeks. This is known in psychology as the sleeper effect.The channel: Simple messages are more likely to convince if they are presented through audiovisual means. More complex messages convince better through print media.

Objectives of persuasive communication

What need could anyone have to convince others or to insert ideas into their head? The objectives of this type of communication are the following:

Stimulate the audience: arouse the interest of those listening and make them pay attention to the message.Convince others: get them to share the ideas that are being presented, as well as the values ​​and attitudes.Accomplish an action: Once the public’s attention is attracted, the ultimate goal is for them to take action on what they have just assimilated.

Types of persuasive communication

Depending on who you want to convince and at what scale, persuasive communication can be classified into 4 types. Let’s see them:

Intrapersonal: the one used to convince oneself. It is an internal language that motivates change and convinces of what one does not yet have a formed opinion about.Interpersonal: In this case, two people are involved in the communication. An exchange of ideas occurs and both try to convince the other to change, whether it be their opinion, values ​​or attitudes.Group: At this level we already speak of an audience. A person or group of them uses different techniques to influence a group and persuade them towards an action.Public: The difference with the previous one is that here a person transmits an open message for anyone who wants to hear it. It is observed at political rallies, trials, businesses, etc.

Convince or manipulate?

We often confuse the meaning of these two terms. In reality, persuasive communication is any communication oriented with intention. That intention is often nothing more than the desire for other people to support our ideas and opinions. And in many cases they are good ideas. Ideas that can contribute a lot to the well-being of others, helping to improve our social or professional environment.

Not all people want to manipulate others for their own benefit. Everyone continually uses persuasive communication without knowing it. But this type of communication requires certain techniques that can be trained. The most important ones are:

The logic. Many people defend their ideas or opinions based exclusively on emotions. Opinions based on emotions can defend the strangest things as true. But the lack of logic convinces little. Emotion is necessary, but combined with logic.The good education. People who try to impose their ideas through insults and disrespect do not convince anyone. This is experienced daily on social networks. Presenting opinions with respect for others is much more convincing.The sense of humor. This should not be missing, especially to be able to refute opposing arguments. It is advisable to train irony, not sarcasm.

How to improve this type of communication?

Not everyone has the natural gift of convincing. In fact, all people who are dedicated to this aspect of communication need training and study to improve. Let’s see some of the techniques used in this area:

Develop competence in the subject you want to discuss: To have credibility and make others willing to listen, you need to know what you are talking about.Be sincere: Lies are detected immediately, even if it seems not. If your audience doesn’t trust you, you won’t achieve anything.Be enthusiastic and convinced: We have already talked about the influence of emotions when making decisions. If you convey a happy and enthusiastic mood, your audience will be more willing to change.Practice active listening: If your audience does not feel heard, you will not make them feel part of the change. Pay attention to what they have to say, because it is often interesting.Take care of your non-verbal language: It’s not just spoken words that have power. Postures, tone of voice or gestures are elements to take care of to give a convincing message.

Persuasive communication is an art

In reality, and based on the above, it can be stated that persuasive communication is an art. Like all art it can be trained. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to have some control over it and make good use of this very necessary skill. Without persuasive communication, there is no leadership.nor could important projects move forward, nor could harmful ideas be stopped.

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