Despite recent advances in corporate leadership for women, they still confront everyday competition from male and female coworkers.
It is crucial for them to be as convincing or persuasive as they can, whether they are answering inquiries from prospective investors or requesting a pay raise.
Similar to sales or manipulation, the word “persuasion” may have acquired a bad connotation in the workplace. It belongs to the category of words that either belittle women or are seen as troublesome for them.
However, a lot of people think that in order to advance the ball, men, and especially women must possess this strong skill.
A leader’s ability to persuade others may help them advance. The good news is that women are really adept at persuading.
According to Calliper’s research, female leaders were actually shown to be more persuasive than their male counterparts. Here are some persuasion tips for women to learn at work, for the benefit of our readers.
Use your strengths
The Calliper research explicitly emphasized qualities that are advantageous to female leaders, such as assertiveness, risk-taking propensity, and empathy.
Marie Littlewood, director at NSI states: “Women should learn to use these personality traits in professional contexts so that these skills become useful tools, rather than suppressed.
A female leader may make use of her capacity to read other people’s responses, take them into account, and apply them in a manner that speaks to the concerns of her listeners.
Female professionals often have a kinder disposition than male counterparts, which may be considerably more successful.”
Be ready for arguments
The more time you spend in a certain industry, the more issues you will hear about against it. You’ll accumulate a library of responses to these typical concerns over time.
Your ability to refute these issues with strong counterarguments is one of your most crucial persuasive weapons. Make sure you are ready for all potential arguments before you find yourself in the thick of one of these discussions.
Be determined
Harrison Tang, CEO and co-founder of Spokeo shares: “Professionals are often hesitant to continuously seek out someone out of concern that they will seem overly pushy.
However, persistence may be fruitful, particularly when timely follow-up measures are taken. Early in the year, you could meet for lunch with a prospective customer or a superior and discover that he/she isn’t presently interested in your product or proposal.
However, that person’s circumstances may alter a few months later. You’ll discover that by being kindly persistent, you may end up achieving something you would not have otherwise.”
Stay well-informed
The majority of individuals you see every day are mostly concerned with their own lives. A person spends most of his or her mental energy on their career and their family.
Make it a point to do some advance study on every individual you’ll meet, so you’re prepared to connect with them personally.
You’re more likely to connect if you enter a conversation knowing precisely why the other person would be interested in what you have to say.
Take notes
Professionals interact with so many individuals throughout the course of a workday that they find it impressive when someone recalls them. Make an attempt to keep in mind the names and important information about everyone you meet.
This often entails maintaining a contact database with details like the names of their kids, their favorite foods, and topics you’ve previously covered. You may quickly review these minor details if you see someone at an event before approaching them.
Incorporate “Manifesting the Next Step”
The method of Isla Sibanda, owner of Privacy Australia frees your clients or superiors from their own constraints. Even when there is a barrier, it convinces them to take the next action.
Isla said, “After I complete an informal presentation, I love to ask the million-dollar question, ‘I’m curious to know, what do you see as the next step.
If they are unable to respond to this question (for a variety of grounds or objections), you may then pose the following query: ‘I see. What would be the next move if that problem (the budget, the personal transformation, the holidays) were resolved?’ I refer to this as expressing the next action.”
Use names often
Tommy Mello, owner of A1 Garage recommends using names often.
He states: “When a consumer or client hears their own name, they will respond. As soon as you can, learn the names of your customers, and wherever possible, address them by their names.
It will boost their egos and hence foster relationships. Since relationships already exist, persuading your superiors or customers is made easy.”
Ethos or Personality
The ethos section of a speech or presentation is when your peers or superiors first learn about your trustworthiness.
The cornerstone of persuasion is credibility. For instance, you must be able to convince a prospect that you are the expert who can help them achieve their objectives while making a presentation to them.
By stating that you’ve dealt with their situation previously and have a solution, you increase your credibility. No matter the circumstance, you must be able to demonstrate your credibility while putting out an argument or a proposal.
Rely on reciprocity
When someone does us a favor, we often feel compelled to repay them. This idea serves as the basis for persuasion in business. Clear reciprocity techniques include sales, discounts, and special promotions.
The implication is that you have to go first. People will want to offer you something in return if you provide them with knowledge, free samples, or a good experience.
Interesting Related Article: “3 Tips for Women Who Want to Be Leaders in the Healthcare Industry“