In order to persuade someone else to your way of thinking,you must align your mind with theirs.

Successful persuasion begins and ends when there is a mind meld of real meaning,feeling,and understanding. So how do we establish this mind meld? How do we consistently become more adept at persuading other people to our way of thinking? The answer lies in understanding what motivates and drives the other person that you are attempting to persuade. In pr most persuasion is covert. By covert, we mean concealed, hidden or secret. To persuade is to cause (someone) to do something by means of argument, reasoning, or entreaty. To win over (someone) to a course of action by reasoning or inducement and to make (someone) believe something. When we then combine this we end up with our effort of persuasion not being noticed by the target person(s). Because persuasion is such a pervasive component of our lives, it is easy to overlook how we are influenced by outside sources. Due to the usefulness of influence, persuasion techniques have been studied and observed since ancient times, but social psychologists began formally studying these techniques early in the 20th-century. The goal of persuasion is to convince the target to internalize the persuasive argument and adopt this new attitude as a part of their core belief system. Persuasion is a powerful force in daily life and has a major influence on society and a whole. Politics, legal decisions, mass media, news and advertising are all influenced by the power of persuasion, and influence us in turn. Persuasion is a means of convincing people: to buy a certain product to believe something or act in a certain way to agree with a point of view According to Perloff (2003), persuasion can be defined as "...a symbolic process in which communicators try to convince other people to change their attitudes or behaviours regarding an issue through the transmission of a message in an atmosphere of free choice." The key elements of this definition of persuasion are that: Persuasion is symbolic, utilizing words, images, sounds, etc It involves a deliberate attempt to influence others. Self-persuasion is key. People are not coerced; they are instead free to choose. Methods of transmitting persuasive messages can occur in a variety of ways, including verbally and nonverbally via television, radio, Internet or face-to-face communication. Persuasion is also: Interpersonal The power of force (Coercion) The power of suggestion The creation of norms Fundamentally, persuasion is making someone do something without duress

We use persuasion to: Affect attitudes influence the masses shift public opinion change behaviour The style and method depend on the audience, and the messages are multifarious. While the art and science of persuasion has been of interest since the time of the ancient Greeks, there are significant differences between how persuasion occurs today and how it has occurred in the past. Richard M. Perloff outlines the five major ways in which modern persuasion differs from the past: 1. The number of persuasive message has grown tremendously. Think for a moment about how many advertisements you encounter on a daily basis. According to various sources, the number of advertisements the average U.S. adult is exposed to each day ranges from around 300 to over 3,000. 2. Persuasive communication travels far more rapidly. Television, radio and the Internet all help spread persuasive messages very quickly. 3. Persuasion is big business. In addition to the companies that are in business purely for persuasive purposes (such as advertising agencies, marketing firms, public relations companies), many other business are reliant on persuasion to sell goods and services. 4. Contemporary persuasion is much more subtle. Of course, there are plenty of ads that use very obvious persuasive strategies, but many messages are far more subtle. For example, businesses sometimes carefully craft very specific image designed to urge viewers to buy products or services in order to attain that projected lifestyle. 5. Persuasion is more complex. Consumers are more diverse and have more choices, so marketers have to be savvier when it comes to selecting their persuasive medium and message. Covert Persuasion is about bypassing the critical factor of the human mind without the process being known to the receiver of the message. Its about getting past both resistance and reactance to the message. This is accomplished when one person sends a message and the message is received without signicant critical thought or questioning on the part of the receiver. The Power of Suggestion Changes Perception Covert Persuasion is, in part, about creating change in the mind of your clients or customers without them necessarily being aware of the changes that are occurring. One of the most powerful tools to begin this change in your customers mind is using the right words. At the right time, the right words can change minds and lives. When Resistance Is Likely, Distraction Creates a Receptive and Easily Persuaded Mind Because we naturally resist what we dont believe and we experience reactance to all that we fear, there is a real need to help customers create new pictures with new

information to allow them to arrive at a new outcome in their head. This new outcome will be favourable to you and the ultimate sale of your product or service because you helped the customer create the new picture of what the future will look like. Persuasion Techniques Persuasion is strategic & scientific. These are just a few of highly effective techniques of persuasion. Other methods include the use of rewards, punishments, positive or negative expertise, moral appeal and many others. Through the use of Aristotle's Appeals, you can persuade your audience. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who came up with 3 basis for appealing to target audiences as a means of persuasion. Logos (logic) Ethos (personal credibility) Pathos (emotions) Logos (logic)- Inductive reasoning Reason which begins with specifics and moves toward a generalization is inductive. Examples of inductive reasoning, include If he did his homework (specific), then the whole class has done their homework (general)./ My cat is easy to take care of (specific), therefore all cats must be easy to take care of (general). Deductive reasoning Reason which starts with a general observation and moves to specifics is deductive. Examples of deductive reasoning include, If the class is going on a fieldtrip (general), then Tom must be going too (specific). /The law says you must wear a helmet when riding a bike (general). Therefore, Jimmy must be wearing a helmet when he rides a bike (specific). Logos means you support your persuasive argument through reasoning and proof. Facts - can be proven. Expert opinions or quotations Definitions - statement of meaning of word or phrase Statistics - offer scientific support Examples - powerful illustrations Anecdote - incident, often based on writer's personal experiences Present opposition - and give reasons and evidence to prove the opposition wrong Ethos (personal credibility) You convince your audience that you are fair, honest, and well informed. They will then trust your values and intentions. Citing your sources will help this area. Ethos is based on certain conditions and issues: Honesty: Your audience is looking for you to have a strong sense of right and wrong. If you have a good reputation with this people are more likely to listen to you. Competency: Meaning capable of getting the job done.

Energy: Through non-verbals like eye contact and gestures, and a strong voice and inflections, a speaker will come across as charismatic.

Pathos (emotions) A carefully reasoned argument will be strengthened by an emotional appeal, especially love, anger, disgust, fear, compassion, and patriotism. *feeling the speech Examples: If you loved me you would do this. : Persuading lower gas prices might want some anger in the current prices or the frustration in nothing being done about it. : Ads that try to get you to sponsor a child. One way to generate emotional appeal is with emotionally charged language. A second way to generate emotional appeal is with vivid examples. A third way to generate emotional appeal is to speak with sincerity and conviction. Motivation in Persuasion Whether your purpose is to affect attitude or behavior, you must provide motivation, an incentive for your audience to believe or act in a certain way. Thus, when trying to persuade people you need to appeal to what motivates them . 1. Create a Need One method of persuasion involves creating a need or an appealing a previously exiting need. This type of persuasion appeals to a person's fundamental needs for shelter, love, self-esteem and self-actualization. 2. Appeal to Social Needs Another very effective persuasive method appeals to the need to be popular, prestigious or similar to others. Television commercials provide many example of this type of persuasion, where viewers are encouraged to purchase items so they can be like everyone else or be like a well-known or well-respected person. Television advertisements are a huge source of exposure to persuasion considering that some estimates claim that the average American watches between 1,500 to 2,000 hours of television every year. 3. Use Loaded Words and Images Persuasion also often makes use of loaded words and images. Advertisers are well aware of the power of positive words, which is why so many advertisers utilize phrases such as "New and Improved" or "All Natural." The examples above are just a few of the many persuasion techniques described by social psychologists. Look for examples of persuasion in your daily experience. An interesting experiment is to view a half-hour of a random television program and note every instance of persuasive advertising. The amount of persuasive techniques used in such a brief period of time can be astonishing.

The idea of needs is based on Motivational theories propounded by psychological theorists such as Maslow and Tracy.

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow is well renowned for proposing the Hierarchy of Needs Theory in 1943. This theory is a classical depiction of human motivation. This theory is based on the assumption that there is a hierarchy of five needs within each individual. The urgency of these needs varies. These five needs are as follows1. Physiological needs- These are the basic needs of air, water, food, clothing and shelter. In other words, physiological needs are the needs for basic amenities of life. 2. Safety needs- Safety needs include physical, environmental and emotional safety and protection. For instance- Job security, financial security, protection from animals, family security, health security, etc. 3. Social needs- Social needs include the need for love, affection, care, belongingness, and friendship. 4. Esteem needs- Esteem needs are of two types: internal esteem needs (self- respect, confidence, competence, achievement and freedom) and external esteem needs (recognition, power, status, attention and admiration). 5. Self-actualization need- This include the urge to become what you are capable of becoming / what you have the potential to become. It includes the need for growth and self-contentment. It also includes desire for gaining more knowledge, socialservice, creativity and being aesthetic. The self- actualization needs are never fully satiable. As an individual grows psychologically, opportunities keep cropping up to continue growing. According to Maslow, individuals are motivated by unsatisfied needs. As each of these needs is significantly satisfied, it drives and forces the next need to emerge. Maslow grouped the five needs into two categories -Higher-order needs and Lower-order needs. The physiological and the safety needs constituted the lower-order needs. These lowerorder needs are mainly satisfied externally. The social, esteem, and self-actualization needs constituted the higher-order needs. These higher-order needs are generally satisfied internally, i.e., within an individual. Thus, we can conclude that during boom period, the employees lower-order needs are significantly met. In trying to persuade someone to change a belief or perform and action successful communicators often rely on intentionally and unintentional on appeals to an individuals needs Most individuals no longer worry about their physiological, security or and safety needs because society has so advanced that these basic low level needs are no longer motivate our actions, although the needs are always present. If we are hungry we will respond to advertised food appeals that might otherwise be ignored. As peoples needs are met or no longer met they will present dif ferent levers that you can use to motivate them.

Many individuals today are motivated primarily by social, ego and self actualising needs. Everyone needs to be loved, accepted, and to belong. Individuals join religious, social, fraternal and educational organisations to fulfil this psychological need. In applying Maslows theory to persuasion, PR practitioners must: 1. Decide which appeal would be most effective for the intended receiver. This may mean predicting the needs level of your receiver at the time of the persuasive effort. 2. Shape a message that capitalises on the receivers needs 3. Persuade the receiver the desired action would satisfy those needs. When we attempt to persuade a audience, we are not only selling the product: we are selling the idea of the product, the image of the product, and the result of the product. We are essentially promising to fulfil one or more of the needs in the hierarchy. Obviously, a campaign will be more successful the more it appeals to the lower levels of unfulfilled need in a person's life. What this means , is that knowing your audience's needs is key. A product that promises to fulfill an esteem need will be virtually useless to a customer whose safety needs are not yet met. In order to be successful in any marketing endeavor, the first step is to get a firm grasp on the psychographic motivators to which you will be appealing. Which need on the hierarchy is your product going to fulfill? How will it fulfill this need, and how can you prove to your potential customers that it will effectively fulfill their need? Maybe a more important question is how you can tell which level of need your potential customer is currently attempting to address. If a customer comes to you asking for your product, then they are doing a large portion of your work for you. Once you understand why your potential customer may be motivated to buy, you are one step closer to being able to fulfill their unmet need. By identifying their motivating factors, you can cater your messages to each individual customer. By analyzing the needs of customers at large, you can now effectively market to your target audience as a whole. Limitations / Criticisms of Maslows Theory

It is essential to note that not all audiences are governed by same set of needs. Different individuals may be driven by different needs at same point of time. It is always the most powerful unsatisfied need that motivates an individual. The theory is not empirically supported. The theory is not applicable in case of starving artist as even if the artists basic needs are not satisfied, he will still strive for recognition and achievement.

Methods of Persuasion These are some of the more common ones: 1. The Likeability Rule: People will more often say "yes" to someone they know and like, rather than to a complete stranger. Familiarity - through repeated, ongoing contact with someone increases this, as long as the contact was positive rather than negative. Likeability includes physical appearance, which is why advertisers use beautiful models to sell products, rather than ordinary looking ones. Within your own industry, think of the people who have reached the top of their game, who are liked and respected and known for their ability to persuade other people. What is it about them that attracts other people? Being associated with these people, can have a "halo" effect on those around them. 2. The Reciprocity Rule: one of the most powerful social "rules" is the reciprocity rule, whereby people feel compelled to repay a good turn to someone who has done a good turn for them. There was a an experiment once where sociologists sent out Christmas Cards to complete strangers to test how strongly they would feel obliged to reciprocate and over 95% of them sent cards back - even though the sender was a complete stranger to them. According to sociologists and anthropologists, this rule makes possible the development of continuing relationships and knowledge and resource sharing that is beneficial to society in general. 3. The Social Validation Rule: Given few other clues, or limited time in which to make a judgement, the majority of people will react towards others by copying the behaviour of the people around them. If other people act well towards you, then it will encourage the same behaviour from others. An older, less attractive man may compensate for his "shortcomings" by acquiring a "trophy wife" which will increase the man's perceived value when others see him with an attractive, younger woman. Another example is when a long term unemployed person may negatively viewed by potential employers, even if they are highly skilled and experienced, as people will automatically attribute their lack of employment to some inherent character fault or weakness rather than because of an external situation. At the same time, someone who seems to be in high demand, a CEO of a major company for instance, may effortlessly attract better job offers and bigger pay packets, even if his/her performance is actually rather lacklustre. "Success attracts success" so the saying goes, and when people appear successful, then other people subconsciously look for other positive factors to explain that person's success, and overlook their faults. 4. The Authority Rule: People are more likely to believe, follow the recommendations or directions of someone they believe is an expert in some way, even if their expertise is in a completely different area to the one that requires a decision. Having a Dr in front of your name, or a PhD after it will also increase your perceived authority, even if is not relevant. Another way of demonstrating authority, is by the outward symbols of it, even if they are not backed up by anything; status symbols in the form of titles, clothes, cars, houses (even post codes) are part of this.

5. The "Rejection-Then-Retreat" Rule: This rule relies heavily on the social pressure which pushes people to reciprocate favours. By asking for an extreme request that you know will be rejected, you can then follow up with a lesser request - the one that you wanted all along - which will be more likely to be accepted. 6. The Public Commitment Rule: When a commitment is made by someone in a way which involves the person actively, voluntarily and publicly, it increases the likelihood that the person will follow up on that commitment. This is largely what weddings are about. Why they so elaborate and public, and the vows exchanged in front of family, friends and witnesses? Why does society require a marriage certificate or contract which is signed by both parties in a public setting? The public and ritualized way in which people get married increases the likelihood that the promises will be kept, because the internal and external pressures will require the married couple to live up to what they promised in public. Equally, during other sorts of negotiations, it's important to get small commitments agreed and written down, even if they are small steps along the way to the much bigger commitment that you are aiming for. 7. The Scarcity Rule: This can be summarized as "Scarcity breeds Desire". (see also under "Social Validation Rule"). People tend to assign more value to things when they are perceived to be less available. The use of this principle for profit can be seen in the "limited offer" and "ends today" tactics. On a personal level, by having a unique or uncommon skill or expertise (a "USP") that makes you something of a rarity, you can create a demand for your product or services, that wouldn't otherwise exist. 8. The Reverse Psychology Rule: People use reverse psychology to "trick" people into choosing the opposite of what they really want, by playing on the instinctive human reaction against being told what to do. A real life example of this was used in promoting the classic Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody" which lasts 5 minutes and 55 seconds when played in its entirety. At the time of its release in 1975, most record companies felt that it was far too long to play on the radio, but Freddie Mercury gave a personal copy to his good friend, DJ Kenny Everett with specific instructions NOT to play it, knowing full well that Everett wouldn't be able to resist, which proved to be the case. If you've ever suffered from insomnia, you'll know that deliberately focusing on trying to fall asleep, will have the opposite effect and make the problem far worse. 9. The Simple Theme Rule: a theme is a verbal picture which communicates ideas far beyond the basic meaning of the words. If you are invited to a party with a theme - say, a murder mystery them or an Italian them, you will already broadly know, without being told, what to wear, what you will do at the party, the type of music, the type of food and so on. The theme has already given you a "word picture" which conveys a lot of information. Having a "microbrand" which moves around with you will instantly convey "Brand You". 10. The "How You Say It "Rule It's easy to assume that a sentence like "I can't promise you that result." has only one meaning, but in reality, emphasis and tone provide much of the actual meaning. To test

this, look at the each of the sentences below, each with a different word emphasized, and followed by the implied meaning. 1. I can't promise you that result. (But maybe somebody else can.) 2. I can't promise you that result. (There's no way that is possible.) 3. I can't promise you that result. (But you may get it anyway.) 4. I can't promise you that result. (But I can promise it to somebody else.) 5. I can't promise you that result. (But I can promise you another good result.) 6. I can't promise you that result. (But I can promise you something.) The meaning of what we say is determined by which words we emphasize, and which words to underplay and if you can't promise someone that price, you can tell him "I can't promise you that RESULT," and the hearer may still feel good about the situation, especially if you immediately follow with something else that you can promise.