The Hindu Business Line : The power of persuasion

People skills are important in any situation. From convincing a sleepy four-year-old to drink a cup of milk before the school van arrives, to persuading a sceptical overseas client that you have what it takes to achieve the targets and standards he has set, it’s all about technique.

In the global scenario, the modern manager gets to deal with all kinds — the know-it-all, the doubter, the cautious, the prejudiced and the simply ignorant, to name a few. But the good manager is able to change his style like a chameleon, and nudge people, whatever their nature or stance, into doing what he or she wants them to do.

In this article, I will illustrate some persuasion styles that work well universally.

Know your clients

You need to know their special needs and their background. You will have to tailor your product to suit them, and highlight how they will benefit by what you have to offer.

Europeans like their rooms to be bright and well lit. Keeping this in mind, my realty manager told our clients from Denmark that we had short-listed properties with ample light for them. This convinced them to work with us rather than with a street broker who does not understand the European mindset.

Be prepared

Sometimes you know your prospective client is going to be hard to convince. The people you are dealing with may have given you the impression that they consider you a “lesser being”. Acquire as much information as you can about the subject. Then present your case intelligently, and counter their arguments one by one. Be sure of yourself. If you know you are right, don’t let anyone browbeat you into saying you are wrong.

Some clients take a lot of convincing. Mere words and promises will not do. They need real life examples of how things work. Be prepared to quote examples of how others have used your product/services and gained from it. Ask satisfied customers for testimonials, and make these easily accessible.

When the world’s largest cell phone charger manufacturer from Finland enquired about our event management services to launch their factory, we clinched the deal by showing them testimonials, numbers and photos of what we had done for a huge Finnish telecom major in the Special Economic Zone they were co-located in. Finns, like Indians, are modest, so we handled it in our own modest style, and we won the account!

Still on the subject of preparation, be prepared to answer questions. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes, and try to predict how they would view what you are trying to sell. Anticipate their doubts and be prepared to allay these.

If your target audience makes suggestions, take these on board. If the suggestions are viable, say you’ll work on it, and if they’re not, then politely explain why. A client once brushed aside the need for a tutorial lunch as part of our intercultural awareness and business skills building programme, saying the participants would manage to eat with fork and knife once they got to the US. We explained that learning from mistakes in familiar territory would boost their self-confidence, but took the client’s logistics problems on board. Instead of organising a formal meal, we reduced it to a buffet, but we got in the fork and knife practice.

Change places with your target

Taking forward the point about putting yourself in your target’s place, try to see yourself as your client would see you. Analyse your dressing style, your speech and your body language. What do they convey to a stranger who is trying to size you up and judge whether it would be good to do business with you? If you feel that there is scope for improvement, don’t lose any time — polish your appearance by getting an image makeover from a professional salon, improve the way you speak by imitating those who you see doing it well, and carry yourself slim (join that gym, avoid those carbs!) and tall, till you are sure that you effortlessly convey the impression you intend.

Language plays a major role in persuasion. You should practice using words which sub-consciously encourage a positive response. For example, when you are talking of the various concessions a particular government is offering green-field industries, you could say “These are really great schemes, aren’t they?” Your audience will be prompted to respond “yes”. Similarly, if you are trying to push say software that will speed up the accounting process, you could say “Delays cost money, right?” The listeners will automatically agree, and the stage is set for introducing your time-cutting product.

Another good technique is to use your client’s name while persuading them. It strikes a personal chord. But first find out how they would like to be addressed. The Western way of doing business is more informal than the Indian one, but , it is better to clarify before getting on first name terms.

Also, use and imitate their speech and style. For instance, when I speak to Japanese people, I use their slower tone with appropriate sighs and pauses, without ever making it look like I am mocking them. People get convinced when we speak their language, literally or style wise.

And last but not least, make yourself familiar with the hierarchy in your prospective client’s set-up. Understand the scope of authority of the person or persons you are dealing with, and judge when they have done as much as is possible. Quickly escalate the issue to the next stage, taking care that the original contacts do not lose face.

I recently clinched a deal when a city head brought his boss, the regional head, to make a final decision of partnering with us on our website, by directly asking the boss if he could ‘truly’ make a spot decision, as his colleague had spoken so highly of his dynamism. He bought the space and everyone was happy.

To sum up, clarity, confidence and courtesy are sure to win the day for you in persuading people!

(The writer is Founder CEO of Global Adjustments, a relocation and cross-cultural services company, and author of Doing Business in India for Dummies. She can be contacted at info@globaladjustments.com)