How to Persuade

How to Persuade

by Michelle Bowden
Released August 2022
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781119891871

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

Do you want to get to 'yes'?

Every day we are faced with moments where we either win or lose. The question is: How persuasive are you? Could you be winning more of the time? In How to Persuade, best-selling author Michelle Bowden shows you the research-proven techniques to master the art of persuasion in any situation—whether it's securing that next big deal, convincing your manager to hit 'approve,' or even winning an argument with your friends. 

Through real-world examples and engaging activities, this book shows you how to transform your weaknesses into strengths. You’ll build your own personalised plan to move people from 'no' to 'yes'—every time. Learn how to:

  • Recognise and improve your persuasive strengths and weaknesses
  • Build undeniable likeability and trust to compel people to action
  • Arouse passion and enthusiasm for your ideas
  • Win that next big pitch
  • Persuade anyone, anywhere, anytime

In How to Persuade, you'll learn all the practical skills, tips and actions you need to get exactly what you want.

"Everything you want and need is on the other side of persuasion. This book takes you through the latest thinking on influence and persuasion and gives you all the completely achievable step-by-step actions to make yourself more instantly persuasive."
—Alec Gardner, Managing Partner, Australia & New Zealand, AlphaZetta

Table of contents

  1. COVER
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT
  4. DEDICATION
  5. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    1. Style and approach
  6. THANK YOU!
  7. INTRODUCTION: WELCOME TO THIS BOOK
    1. Getting the best from this book
    2. Embedding best-practice habits
  8. PART I: How persuasive are you?
    1. CHAPTER 1: Why be persuasive?
      1. We all persuade all the time
      2. How persuasive are you?
      3. Welcome to How to Persuade
    2. CHAPTER 2: Are you turning people off?
      1. We're unlikely to give feedback on poor persuasion
      2. The 15 most common persuasion mistakes
    3. CHAPTER 3: You cannot not influence!
      1. Persuasion's position on the influence continuum
      2. Why don't we develop our persuasive skills?
      3. Using persuasion effectively
    4. CHAPTER 4: Persuasion versus manipulation
      1. What is manipulation?
      2. Are you persuasive or just a common hustler?
    5. CHAPTER 5: The four persuasive types
      1. Understanding the key persuasion indicators
      2. Introducing the four persuasion types
      3. Type 1: The Wise Owl
      4. Type 2: The Commanding Eagle
      5. Type 3: The Friendly Budgie
      6. Type 4: The Captivating Peacock
      7. How the four types combine credibility and charisma
  9. PART II: Understanding the types and working out which one to use when
    1. CHAPTER 6: Type 1: The Wise Owl
      1. The importance of message credibility
      2. Structure your message so it resonates and sticks
      3. Use external proof to strengthen your message
      4. Use rhetorical questions to guide people
      5. Eliminate fluffy language
      6. Add power words to liven up your argument
      7. Limit your options
      8. Use numbered lists
      9. Use visual aids to captivate and convince
      10. Package your numbers
      11. Rehearse until you can't get it wrong
      12. A final word about message credibility
    2. CHAPTER 7: Type 2: The Commanding Eagle
      1. The importance of personal authority
      2. Become an expert in your niche
      3. Communicate your competence — let everyone know!
      4. Raise your profile
      5. Be trustworthy
      6. Refine your elevator pitch
      7. Calm your farm
      8. Speak with elegance
      9. Back yourself
      10. Tell stories that impress
      11. Always exceed expectations
      12. A final word about personal credibility
    3. CHAPTER 8: Type 3: The Friendly Budgie
      1. Why you need goodwill in persuasion
      2. Know and accept yourself
      3. Accept others
      4. Be likeable
      5. Show warmth
      6. Build rapport
      7. Make people feel good
      8. Find ways to help people
      9. Connect
      10. Listen actively
      11. Don't use words that damage your goodwill
      12. A final word about building goodwill
    4. CHAPTER 9: Type 4: The Captivating Peacock
      1. Why develop your inner Captivating Peacock?
      2. Turn up your charisma
      3. Be confident
      4. Be passionate
      5. Be expressive
      6. Speed up your speech and be accurate
      7. Use repetition
      8. Engage the senses
      9. Make a good first impression
      10. Dress for success
      11. Use clever delivery techniques
      12. A final word about arousing enthusiasm and passion
  10. PART III: Perfecting your pitch process and bringing it all together
    1. CHAPTER 10: Perfecting your next bid or pitch
      1. Increasing your chances of success
      2. Resourcing
      3. Boundary and role setting
      4. Managing fear
      5. Role modelling
    2. CHAPTER 11: And now it's up to you
  11. OTHER TITLES AND RESOURCES BY MICHELLE BOWDEN
    1. How to Present
    2. Free resources
  12. APPENDIX: SUMMARY OF THE FOUR PERSUASIVE TYPES
  13. INDEX
  14. END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

Product information

  • Title: How to Persuade
  • Author(s): Michelle Bowden
  • Release date: August 2022
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119891871