How to Influence Others Through Your Speaking Style?

How to Influence Others Through Your Speaking Style?

Speech is the cornerstone of human communication, which people can use to influence others by persuading them of a point or winning their affection. Speaking with the ability to influence others requires high skills and qualities that are uncommon in many people.

Influencing others is techniques and effort that are done in an organized manner using various methods such as words and body language. However, it is impossible to influence someone without having full knowledge of their psychological and social conditions. The goal of influencing others is persuading people to adopt new views and change existing ones to change or modify their behavior when necessary. As a result, new behavioral patterns that are appropriate for the purpose of influence can be formed.

The following are some strategies for influencing other people:

1. The Speaker Must Satisfy Those Around Them

This strategy works well because people are more likely to accept someone's debate without much thought when they feel comfortable and reassured around them.

2. Self-Confidence

The speaker must show confidence via their body language. Self-confidence makes the other party feel the honesty of the speaker's words without deception.

3. Chameleon Effect

Scientists named this phenomenon the "chameleon effect" because of how well it affects the other person. The foundation of this effect is using high skills to mirror the other person's movements and behaviors to gain their trust. This phenomenon happens naturally, as people tend to someone who imitates their expressions and body language and responds to their requests if influenced.

4. The Shock Method

When compared to standard requests, speaking oddly and posing unexpected questions boosts the response rate. Exaggerating something initially and then simplifying it means agreeing to it.

5. Smiling

Research indicates that smiling affects the other person more strongly. Through a smile, a person feels a sense of love and belonging, in addition to the warmth carried for them.

6. Listening to Others

It is easier to persuade someone when you hear their opinions and engage in discussion with them because you will be aware of their tendencies and internal thoughts.

7. Using Titles

People who want to influence others should use their titles and names when addressing them. This is because hearing one's name positively affects the person and helps to control their minds.

8. Praising

Influencing others' thoughts and seizing their minds can be accomplished by using praise in a genuine, non-exaggerated way. However, care must be taken to avoid being caught since being perceived as insincere in speech and praise can lead to contradictory results.

9. Avoiding Arguments

Steer clear of arguments during your conversation, and if you sense that the other person is attempting to start one, try to postpone the discussion. To argue is to relinquish influence.

10. Avoiding Anger

Getting angry with the other party means losing the goal entirely, as expressing negative emotions towards them leads to a loss of affection.

11. Using Body Language

This strategy has the greatest effect on people through facial expressions like a smile, situation-appropriate tone of voice, and visual communication. Body language wins people's feelings and emotions.

12. Being Logical

Since many people make decisions based only on their emotions and do not combine logic and rationality, one can persuade others by using a logical approach in conversation.

13. Focusing on the Future

It is crucial to focus on the future when trying to convince people. By using this technique, the persuader can show the other person they are capable and confident, which may win them over with their dedication to keeping their word.

When Does Persuasion Fail?

It takes proper training and learning to become proficient in persuasion skills. Lacking such skills leads to using inappropriate techniques to influence people's thoughts and opinions. Some of these incorrect techniques include:

1. Misunderstanding

Misunderstanding the other party means having incorrect information and observations. Initially, they may believe this information but eventually discover its falsity, resulting in a significant loss of credibility. As a result, they won't be persuaded by anything you tell them because of their lack of interest.

2. Showing Excessive Enthusiasm

While passion and enthusiasm are important in persuasion, they should be moderate. Overdoing them yields contrary results to the task at hand because everyone's capacity for passion varies.

3. Pressure and Urgency

Excessive pressure to fulfill a request results in contradictory outcomes, straying far from the concept of persuasion. Intense urgency compels individuals to act just to get rid of the constant reminder without desire. This may lead to resentment and potentially oppose the order without wanting to implement it, which is a loss of the goal.

4. Blackmail and Intimidation

Studies have shown that using intimidation and blackmail only motivates individuals to perform a task for a specific period while the intimidating party is present. This method lacks intrinsic motivation and reduces productivity, making intimidation an ineffective persuasive technique.

5. Ignoring the Other Party's Input

Continuous talking and attempting to persuade the other person without listening to their viewpoint or showing interest in it is one of the most common incorrect practices during persuasion, resulting in outcomes contrary to the influencer's goal.

How Can I Improve My Persuasion Skills?

To use persuasion skills successfully, one must listen to others, respect their viewpoints, come to a consensus that pleases everyone, and let go of the idea of influencing them as the individual deems appropriate. Some steps that help in development include:

1. Trying to Mirror the Other Party

This means practicing appropriate body language alongside speech in the right place by imitating the other's movements without making it seem forced. Your chances of persuading them are increased when you use their movements.

2. Speaking Quickly

According to some studies, speaking with the other person quickly seems to increase your chances of persuading them. This speed ought to be determined by a specific strategy. Speak more quickly if you sense that the other person disagrees with your idea. When they nod in agreement, you can talk more slowly.

3. Presenting the Idea's Positives and Negatives

Presenting an idea's positives and negatives to someone is crucial when trying to persuade them of it. Since no idea is perfect, this contradiction has a bigger effect on persuasion. Also, the speaker needs to demonstrate the idea's negatives and ways to overcome them before going over its positives.

How to Persuade Others?

Persuasion skills are needed to gain approval and implement an idea that was previously rejected by someone with a relevant connection to the matter. This can be done by following the steps listed below:

1. Telling a story that positively affects the concept while incorporating data, facts, and emotions. This story allows you to release some of your inner thoughts.
2. Concentrating on and using people's need for belonging by presenting topics in various ways that make them feel important.
3. Distracting the opposite party by using unfamiliar terms that make them lose focus on their actions and words.
4. Being open and honest about your idea and its necessity. You might not be able to get what you want if you use unpersuasive methods.
5. Confronting those who mistreat you by sitting next to them and talking to them. This causes embarrassment for them when directing criticisms towards you.
6. Using the information magnet method by asking the other person a question, standing silent for a while, and staring them in the eyes. This method makes the individual automatically give you the information you request without thinking about it or saying "yes" to every suggestion you make.
7. Believing in the idea you want to present, as the first step in persuasion is self-confidence. Lacking this faith makes persuading the other party of your idea impossible, leading to failure.

In Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed how you can influence others through your speaking style, as well as how to develop persuasion skills in individuals.