Persuasion techniquesEnglish for Marketing ProfessionalsFall 2015Anne-Mari Raivio

TASK 1

Prepare a short presentation on something that you care about

Goal: to sell your idea to your audience

Preparation time: 20 min

Delivery time: 3 min

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Feedback from your audience

What was the speaker trying to convince you about? Was the main message clear?

Did he/she succeed? Why (not)?

How did he/she try to convince you? What techniques did he/she use?

What are the speaker’s strengths / challenges in giving presentations?

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Task 2.

As a group, identify the techniques that you used to convince each other.

Select your Top 3 techniques

Write your Top 3 on the board

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Persuasion = the act of causing people to do or

believe somethinghttp: / /www.merriam-webster.com/dict ionary/persuasion?show=0&t=1411049078

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Content

1) The Greek Musketeers2) The Power of Three3) Storytelling

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The Greek MusketeersEthos, Pathos, Logos

Aristotle’s "ingredients for persuasion"

Appeal to your readers' / listeners‘

1) ethos - show them why they should trust you:

2) pathos - make them feel something, appeal to their emotions:

3) logos - appeal to their reason

How is it done? Check here: http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-ethos-logos-and-pathos.html

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Ethos

You might have the best stories and the best evidences, but if your l isteners don’t think you’re credible , you won’t persuade them of anything…

HOW?Personal branding (the way you speak, the way you dress, the way you appear online, etc)

Using experts and acknowledged sources ,

Highlighting your experience

Showing confidence

As a doctor, I am qualif ied to tell you that…

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Pathos

appeals to emotions, the right part of our brain.

is influenced by the speaker ’s delivery (face, voice, etc)

HOW?use vivid and sensory words to make the audience experience and feel what you’re saying.

tell stories

"You’ll make the right decision because you have something that not many people do: you have heart."

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Logos

LOGOS

the argument in i tself, the content, and how you structure i t…

appeals directly to the left side of the brain: our logical senses .

HOW?Build a strong argument, with logical facts, statistics and evidence .

Make sure your message is clear and makes sense to the audience

Research compiled by analysts from NASA suggests that…

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Techniques to use

Ethos:• Personal branding• Confidence in delivery• Credible sources

Pathos:• Stories• Personal experience• Vivid language

Logos:• Structure of the presentation• References to studies, statistics,

analyses, case studies• Comparisons, analogies,

metaphors

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The Power of Three

The Rule of Three:

Based on the way we humans process information: we like to form patterns three is the smallest number of elements required to

create a pattern.

creating a pattern + keeping it brief = memorable content

Use one for power. Use two for comparison, contrast. Use three for completeness, wholeness, roundness. Use four or more to list, inventory, compile, and expand.

-- Roy Peter Clark, author of Writ ing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer

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An example of the power of three: Russell Brand vs Jeremy Paxman

Russel Brand, a stand-up comedian and actor turned political activist, is very skilled in using the power of three.

Have a look at this interview with him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YR4CseY9pk

Can you identify when he uses the technique?

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Giving 3 different examples Repeating the message in

other words 3 times Using 3 different synonyms Repeating the structure 3

times (starting sentences with the same structure; using words with the same initial sound...)

Storytelling"The tribe who tells the best story, wins. The tribe who involves the whole world in

that story, rules the world" - Hopi tribe

Why tell stories?

Studies show that people's beliefs can be swayed more effectively through

storytelling than logical arguments transportation = absorption into the story -> affects also 'real-

world' beliefs emotions reach hearts and minds

(G re e n & B r o c k ( 2 0 0 0 ) . T h e R o l e o f T ra n s p o r ta t i o n i n t h e P e rs u a s i v e n e s s o f P u b l i c N a r r a t i v e s . I n J o u rn a l o f P e r s o n a l i t y a n d S o c i a l P s y c h o l o g y, v o l . 7 9 , N o . 5 , p p . 7 0 1 - 7 2 1 . )

Interested? Learn more: Storytelling in marketing:

http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/08/why-marketers-want-to-make-you-cry/

Storytelling tips: http://www.fastcompany.com/3015140/leadership-now/once-upon-a-time-at-the-office-10-storytelling-tips-to-help-you-be-more-persu

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THANK YOU!

www.metropolia.fi/en/ www.facebook.com/MetropoliaAMK anne-mari.raivio@metropolia.fi