Persuasion and Influence For Dummies

Many people want to gain trust or support in business and throughout life, but the true skill is doing so in a charming fashion! Whether you're convincing the boss about your much-deserved promotion or a busy restaurateur to offer a better table, the power of persuasion can help improve and increase your successes.

Elizabeth Kuhnke, author of the bestselling Body Language For Dummies, guides the reader through easy-to-implement techniques that can turn a timid person into someone bursting with self confidence and the ability to influence.

Topics covered will include:

• The key elements in becoming more persuasive - body language, listening skills, using persuasive words and actions
• Finding a common ground and establishing a connection with your audience
• Capturing their attention and keeping them interested
• Putting yourself across convincingly
• Getting things done through others
• Identifying the type of person you're dealing with - and responding in an appropriate manner

Introduction 1

Part I: Preparing to Persuade and Influence 7

Chapter 1: Laying the Groundwork for Persuasion and Influence 9

Chapter 2: Finding Common Ground with Your Audience 27

Chapter 3: Establishing an Emotional Connection 57

Chapter 4: Putting Together a Compelling Case 73

Chapter 5: Establishing Your Credibility 93

Chapter 6: Exhibiting and Exercising Your Expertise 117

Part II: Developing Your Persuasive and Influencing Skills 135

Chapter 7: Listening Actively 137

Chapter 8: Gaining and Maintaining Your Audience’s Interest 155

Chapter 9: Gearing Your Approach to Different Decision-Making Styles 177

Part III: Picking the Right Approach 205

Chapter 10: Getting Things Done with the Help of Others 207

Chapter 11: Leading by Example: Quietly Creating Big Change 229

Chapter 12: Appealing to Other People’s Drives, Needs and Desires 245

Part IV: Putting Persuasion and Influencing Skills into Practice 271

Chapter 13: Getting Physical: Putting Body Language to Work 273

Chapter 14: Perfecting Your Persuasive Voice 293

Part V: The Part of Tens 321

Chapter 15: Ten Sure-Fire Ways to Influence Anyone 323

Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Persuade Electronically: Emails and Beyond 329

Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Persuade over the Phone 339

Chapter 18: Ten Essential Instruments for Your Persuasion Toolkit 347

Index 357

Elizabeth Kuhnke is an Executive Coach and founder of Kuhnke Communication. She is also the author of the popular Body Language For Dummies.

Learn to:

• Become more influential in the workplace
• Develop effective listening and rapport-building techniques
• Adapt to your listener's style
• Use persuasive language to reach your goal

How to win people over and get them to follow you anywhere

Charm, character, appeal, personality – call it what you will, it's that special something that turns No into Yes, closes the sale and makes others want to go that extra mile. At work, it can spell success. In life too, it can be the key to achieving your goals. Now, with the help of top executive coach Elizabeth Kuhnke, you can unleash your own powers of persuasion.

• The something that's special – get a handle on the qualities people find most compelling and learn to integrate them into your presentation
• Click! – establish a connection with your listener, make your case, and display your credibility and expertise
• Listen and learn – become an active listener and zero in on what really matters to your audience
• Evolve and adapt – define their decision-making style and adapt your approach for maximum effectiveness – no matter how different your audience is from you
• Master the gentle art – motivate others by quietly appealing to their drives, needs, and desires and lead by example
• It's not just what you say – discover the enormous power of non-verbal cues, including body language, tone of voice, and style of dress – and learn how to wield it

Open the book and find:

• How to master body language, style and tone
• The way to use key words and behaviours that have an impact
• Ways to find common ground and establish a connection
• How to capture their attention and keep them interested
• Advice on putting yourself across convincingly
• How to get things done through others
• What makes others tick
• The secret of adapting an approach to any audience on the fly