Take a moment to consider

the last time you tried

0:01

to win support for an idea.

0:04

Perhaps you needed to get

approval from the leadership

0:06

team to purchase new equipment

or meet productivity goals.

0:09

Or maybe there was a new

process being introduced,

0:13

and you needed to motivate

your team to adopt it quickly.

0:16

The stakes were high, and

resistance to your idea

0:19

was likely.

0:22

How do you start off

the conversation?

0:24

For some, it may be tempting

to lead with what they want,

0:27

being clear about why,

from their perspective,

0:30

an idea needs to be implemented.

0:33

Others may start the

process by learning

0:36

more about what others think

and then using that information

0:38

to frame their idea.

0:41

Regardless of the

situation, most people

0:44

have a personal preference for

how they engage with others.

0:47

It's important to be

aware of this preference,

0:51

as it can affect your ability

to communicate effectively.

0:53

In presenting your idea,

there are basically

0:58

four kinds of persuasion styles,

driver, commander, promoter,

1:01

chess player.

1:07

There are two psychological

characteristics that

1:10

go into your preferred style.

1:13

One aspect is whether

you tend to be

1:15

other-oriented or self-oriented.

1:18

If you're

self-oriented, you tend

1:22

to communicate from within

your own frame of reference–

1:24

the authority you have, the

need you want to satisfy,

1:27

or the evidence that

supports your point of view.

1:31

By contrast, those

who are other-oriented

1:34

tend to focus on

others preferences

1:37

and social considerations,

like relationships

1:40

and political interests and

take these points into account

1:43

to make their message

especially appealing.

1:46

The second aspect that

influences persuasion style

1:51

is what I call

volume, how apt you

1:54

are to speak up and be active

in a group versus sitting

1:56

back and listening and

giving input when asked.

2:00

If you're loud, you're typically

more vocal in your interactions

2:04

with others.

2:07

You'll be the one to voice

your opinion first in a meeting

2:09

and might tend to

dominate conversations.

2:13

Those who are

lower volume prefer

2:16

to observe and bide

their time until they're

2:18

ready to give their opinion.

2:21

Most professionals

can adapt their volume

2:24

given the situation.

2:26

However, everybody has

a natural inclination

2:28

toward loud or quiet, and that

can affect their persuasion

2:32

style.

2:35

Now that we know a bit about

what determines our style,

2:38

let's discuss each

one in more detail.

2:42

The driver– drivers are high

volume and self-oriented.

2:46

They speak up and aren't

likely to tailor their message

2:51

to others' preferences or needs.

2:54

They're direct and forceful.

2:57

Sometimes they have

trouble listening.

2:59

However, drivers who have

enough self-awareness

3:02

to recognize their

dominant style

3:05

know when to back off

and let others talk.

3:07

The commander– commanders are

low volume and self-oriented.

3:12

They have a quiet,

understated demeanor.

3:17

Like drivers, they

speak their minds,

3:20

but they do it with more

of a low-key confidence.

3:23

Commanders can be

a bit of a mystery,

3:27

giving few signals as to

what they are thinking

3:30

and even appearing standoffish.

3:33

But skilled commanders know when

to reveal some positive emotion

3:36

showing that they care about

others and what they think.

3:41

The promoter– promoters are

high volume and other-oriented.

3:46

They're more outgoing

and gregarious

3:51

and maintain a wide

circle of relationships.

3:53

At the extreme, they can

appear to be glad-handers

3:57

who lack substance.

4:01

But effective

promoters know when

4:02

to bear down,

focus on substance,

4:04

and be clear about

what they need.

4:08

The chess player– chess

players are low volume

4:11

and other-oriented.

4:15

Unlike the promoter who

enjoys working or crowd,

4:17

the chess player prefers to be

more reserved and strategic,

4:20

often working behind the

scenes to achieve their goals.

4:25

They take time to

strengthen their connections

4:29

with key stakeholders

one on one.

4:32

They have an innate

curiosity about what

4:35

motivates people to

act in certain ways

4:37

and will leverage

this information

4:41

to work toward their goals.

4:42

People often ask, is there one

preferred persuasion style?

4:46

The answer is no.

4:51

There are strengths and

weaknesses to each style.

4:52

The most important thing

is to be self-aware

4:56

so you can adjust

your style as needed

4:58

based on who you're

trying to win over.

5:01

For example, drivers are high

volume and sell-oriented.

5:04

This can come off

as off-putting.

5:08

However, a driver who is

self-aware and recognizes

5:11

this trait knows when to temper

and let others talk more.

5:14

Chess players, by

contrast, are lower volume

5:19

and other-oriented.

5:21

They're more apt to

sit back, observe,

5:23

and seek to advance their

interests behind the scenes.

5:26

They can appear to be laid

back and even disengaged.

5:29

However, effective

chess players know

5:33

when to amp up their energy

and make bold moves out

5:36

in the open.

5:39

Also, just because

you have identified

5:42

your preferred style doesn't

mean you're stuck with it.

5:44

Now that you are aware of the

different persuasion styles,

5:48

you can experiment with

adopting one that's

5:51

not your typical go-to mode.

5:53

Take some time to

observe other styles.

5:56

What works for them and when?

5:59

How can you learn from the

way they engage with others?

6:02

Also, consider your

organization's culture.

6:06

Is their dominant

style that seems

6:10

to dictate how things get done?

6:12

How does your preferred

style align with the culture?

6:15

As you become more self-

and situationally aware,

6:18

you can start to identify

when and where your persuasion

6:22

style will be most

effective and when

6:25

you might need to adjust it.

6:28

The persuasion style assessment

offers a good opportunity

6:32

to look into the mirror and

see how others perceive you.

6:35

This increased

self-awareness can

6:40

identify opportunities

for improvement

6:42

as well as strengths

that you can leverage.

6:44

Understanding your abilities

as well as your limitations

6:48

will help you gain

self-insight as you

6:51

continue to develop your

strategic persuasion skills.

6:53

Reflect on what was

surprising or enlightening

6:57

about your results.

7:00

And see if you can recall a

time when your style may not

7:02

have been out of sync

with your situation.

7:05

If you find yourself out

of sync with the culture,

7:08

start by making small

adjustments to your style that

7:11

will engage your audience and

help them open up to your idea.

7:14