How to be more convincing: 15 practical tips
Strategies and recommendations to learn how to be more convincing in personal relationships.
It is clear that convincing is not an easy task, since it is likely that the other person will interpret the situation as an attack on his or her way of thinking if we do not know how to present and express the message well.
We must know that the message is as important as the way in which we transmit it so that it arrives and is accepted by our interlocutor.. So it will be essential to present a clear message adapted to the receiver, that is to say, personalized, and to be confident and convinced of our proposal, taking into account the verbal and non-verbal message, the gestures, the tone of voice...
In this article we suggest some strategies strategies that can be useful for you to be more convincing. Remember that everyone has strengths, so use them and test which techniques help you the most to convince through your message.
Tips to be more convincing
It has happened to all of us at some point that we have not been able to convince another person to make our proposal. The process of convincing is not easy, since each individual has his way of thinking and way of seeing things that he tends to defend before others. In the same way, in the society we live in, we are taught that we must defend and maintain our beliefs or thoughts; To "give in" to the ideas of the other is not seen as something good, but in many occasions it is understood as a failure..
We must take these aspects into account so that when we try to convince another person we do it in an appropriate way, without making them feel attacked or that they must defend something.
In this sense, convincing consists of getting someone to change their mind or perform an act based on the reasons or approaches that we have presented to them. To achieve this, a series of keys can be followed or taken into account so that our purpose of convincing is more effective and we can influence the other person. Here are some of the techniques used.
1. Be sure of what you are communicating.
If we want our proposals to be taken into account, it is essential that we present them in a confident manner and show that we are convinced of what we are communicating. and show that we are convinced of what we are saying.
For example, we will not be able to convince people to buy a product if they perceive doubt in the argument we give, if we express contradiction in something we say. Our speech is the tool we have to convince and, therefore, it must be clear.
2. Empathize with the other person
It seems an obvious question, but it is easy that when we try to convince someone, the situation can become a little tense or we show ourselves more authoritarian to achieve our purpose, but this way of acting will not help us, since it will provoke more rejection, so the best way to show ourselves is as someone nice and pleasant, because this will be the way when we will have a better chance of getting the best results.The best way to show ourselves is as someone nice and pleasant, because it will be in this way that we will have a chance to persuade.
In order to convince the other person it is important that we understand and put ourselves in his place, in how he sees things, so we can argue our proposal by referring to aspects that can benefit or interest him. If we are empathetic and we let him know it, it is more likely that he will not feel attacked and will accept more easily what we say or ask him.
3. It identifies points that unite you
Even if you have a different vision, it is very likely that there are points in which you show some similarities or you agree with each other.Take advantage of this similarity to express that you are not so different. To perceive the other person as an equal is fundamental to accept what he/she says, since we will not understand it as a defeat or surrender, but we will approve what he/she says because it is really what we want or it is better for us.
4. Give arguments for your proposal
Another strategy that can help to make our proposal seem convincing is to know how to explain and give concrete arguments in favor of your proposal.. This means that it will help us to explain the reason for what we say or want. If we present something well argued, it is more likely to be accepted.
5. Use an appropriate tone of voice
To be more convincing and also give a greater sense of security it is essential that our voice is appropriate. Use a medium tone, do not raise your voice or speak softly, keep a slow pace, do not speed up, pause and breathe. Try not to change your voice too abruptly or artificially, this way it will be easier for the other person to hear you.In this way it will be easier for the other subject to receive and accept the message more easily.
6. Watch your gestures
We do not want the other individual to feel attacked or that he/she has to defend him/herself against something. Therefore, we must: take care of our body language, avoid abrupt gestures or gestures that seem aggressive, do not cross our arms (a posture that expresses a distant attitude).We must therefore: take care of our body language, avoid abrupt or aggressive gestures, avoid crossing our arms (a posture that expresses a distant attitude), maintain an upright position, do not move in a nervous way, keep an appropriate distance from the other person, smile or not be constantly touching or moving objects, such as a pen. In short, we will try to make the other person feel comfortable.
7. Look into the eyes
The look is very expressive. It is said that with a look we can say many things, so it is important that when we are communicating our message we look the other person in the eyes. Looking away can mean insecurity and lack of conviction of what we are saying, in addition, looking into the eyes, also helps to capture and maintain the attention of the other.
8. Give a personalized message
When we give our message we try to adapt it as much as possible to the subject to whom it is addressed.. It will help us to refer to aspects that can benefit them, to information that may be of interest to them or simply say their name, since we are marking a closer relationship and greater proximity, we capture their attention and they perceive us as someone they know and not as a threat.
9. Let him/her express him/herself
In the same way that we have time to express ourselves, let him also give his point of view and feel listened to; keep the floor and let him speak.. In this way, we will also know how he is receiving what we are telling him, we will be able to modify the way of putting it to him if necessary or to reinforce the points that he does not see clearly.
10. Use a natural discourse
Use a close language, trying not to use technicalities unnecessarily and making sure that the person understands and making sure that the person understands what you are saying, otherwise it will be impossible to convince him. A natural language also favors that he/she perceives the situation as more relaxed, as a simple conversation and not as a special or different situation.
11. Take care of your image
The image we give externally is also important, especially if the situation where we want to be convincing is more formal. So, we recommend that you go dressed up and well-dressed, but feeling comfortable and but feeling comfortable and keeping your style, as this will make you feel more confident andThis will give you more confidence and make you feel more secure.
12. Use your emotions
Take into account the other person's emotions as well as our own, connecting emotionally makes it easier for the other person to perceive us as equals and end up accepting what we ask for. Emotions can bring us closer to each otherSo practice and use emotional intelligence.
13. Self-revelation
With the term self-regulation we mean to give more personal information about oneself, to open up a little, to perceive us closer and make our speech our own, in this way it will be more likely to empathize with us and thus convince him more easily of our proposal.
14. Give importance to the message we want to convey
In all our speeches there will be parts that are more important than others.ideas that we want to reach our interlocutor more. Emphasize them and emphasize what you want to prevail, repeat the message using different words to make sure it is clear and understood.
15. Do not lose the objective of your message
Giving information and arguing what we transmit is important, but it is equally necessary not to lose the purpose of our speech. Remember what your purpose is and what you want to convince about, as we often end up talking about or focusing on aspects that are not so important and the real message we want to give is camouflaged or overshadowed.
(Updated at Apr 13 / 2024)