The art of persuasion: five tips on making someone change their mind

A manager must be a kind of a psychologist. They must have excellent negotiating skills and be able to persuade people around them. If, for instance, they fail to convince their subordinates to trust fully a suggested plan and strategy, the team can hardly reach maximum effectivity. Therefore, this article offers five tips to help you better win other people over, even if they have a different opinion to yours.

Illustration

These tips were published by the INSEAD Knowledge website.

Do not try to push your opinion too much

The most important thing is not to force your own opinion to excess. The other person will never accept it unless they reach it themselves through their own thinking. Instead of trying to push your opinion like this, provide the other person with incentives to think for themselves.

Show you understand the other person's point of view 

Do not try to belittle the other person. If you are hostile towards them, you will only widen the gap between the two of you. Instead, show them you completely understand why they think the way they do.

Plant the seed of doubt

Give the other person some points to consider, thereby confronting their opinion and planting the seed of doubt. Leave it up to them to change their mind on the basis of their own reflections.

Make rational arguments

Do not drag too much emotion into your interaction. Try to offer only rational arguments.

Motivate the other person to change their mind in a positive way

The whole communication with the other person should be positive. It should not be an argument or confrontation. Motivate the other person positively to change their opinion, and if you succeed, do not be triumphant and do not try to belittle anyone just because they had what you believe was a wrong opinion.



-mm-

Article source INSEAD Knowledge - INSEAD Business School knowledge portal
Read more articles from INSEAD Knowledge