Entries by Mark Rodgers

Storytelling Stumbling Blocks: Why Saying Too Much Complicates the Persuasion Equation

In previous posts, I introduced what I like to call “situational persuasion success stories.” These are pre-created retellings of how you previously helped improve someone’s condition in given situations. This elevated skill set can yield tremendous results in your persuasion efforts. Just as dynamic situational persuasion success stories require certain elements to work, they also […]

Storytelling 202: Five More Ways to Persuade (Part II)

Storytelling has long been a foundation of the art of persuasion. Why? Because it is one of the oldest, most effective forms of human communication. In a previous post, I introduced the concept of “situational persuasion success stories” — prepared retellings of how you previously helped improve somebody’s condition in given situations. Click here for […]

Storytelling 101: Five Ways to Persuade (Part I)

Storytelling is one of the oldest, most effective forms of human communication. Long before Twitter, Facebook and even the printing press, humans informed and instructed others via stories for thousands of years. Why has storytelling as a communication art form stood the test of time? Because it’s compelling. Just try listening to only half of […]

What Are You Drinking? How Senses Affect Persuasion

  Did you know that the type of beverage you drink, the surface of the chair on which you sit and the color of your clothing all play a role in getting to “yes” (or “no”) faster? Thalma Lobel, a Ph.D. and director of the child development center at Tel Aviv University, claims that decisions, […]

Building Epic Credibility: Be as Honest as Abe and as Brilliant as Einstein

Why is credibility so important in today’s workplace? Well, consider what having credibility enables you to do: Persuade people more easily Influence more people Reduce conflict Complete projects successfully Improve your team’s reputation Easy to lose and tough to build, credibility ranks as one of the primary characteristics of a successful project manager and leader. […]

Bad Language: How to Diminish Your Persuasive Powers

Some language and phrases used in today’s persuasion conversations should be abolished, no matter what. Here are three examples: “At the end of the day … ” At the end of the day … what? You come home from work, you do stuff and you eventually go to bed. This phrase makes no sense and […]

How Telling Stories Can Help Convince Customers

I love to tell stories. Why? Because stories are the key to persuading others. In a selling environment, I call them “situational sales success stories.” Or S3 stories, for short. These are pre-created retellings of how you helped buyers or colleagues improve their condition in given situations. Here’s an example: “What you’re saying is exactly […]

Why You Must Improve Your Persuasion Skills Every Day

While persuasion is crucial to people’s success for many reasons, they actually spend very little time and effort improving their persuasion skills. If you’re going to thrive in the eat-or-be-eaten contemporary workplace, you must be able to effectively persuade others. This will provide you with a competitive advantage, because your competitors are more than likely […]