What is Persuasion? Is Persuasion Art or Science? How to Persuade Others!

Persuasion refers to convincing someone or inducing them to believe something. All of us, at some point in our lives, have tried to persuade others. Today we have Shyamli Rathore- founder of Sidman Learning Solutions. She facilitates workshops for some of the world’s greatest leadership brands like Harvard Business School.

In conversation with Sipping Thoughts, she answers some frequently asked questions about persuasion.
What is persuasion? Why do we need to persuade others? Are persuaders just good communicators? Are they good salespersons? Is persuasion an art or a science? Can anyone learn Persuasion? Is it an endless journey?
Shyamli talks about the principles of renowned philosopher Aristotle: Ethos, Pathos and Logos.
Ethos: convincing an audience of the author’s credibility or character
Pathos: persuading an audience by engaging their emotions
Logos: convincing an audience by using logic or reason.

How do we understand the kind of people that we are working with? What are the kinds of networks I’m building? She says there is a science behind all of this. Persuasion is not exactly selling something. Rather, it is about how to get a buy in. It is not about one person’s victory but about creating a ‘win-win’ situation for both parties.

Not everybody can learn persuasion or be a good persuader. There are cases where people get their work done by being at a superior position. However, that is positional authority and not persuasion. It is about becoming effective storytellers. Storytelling is an art. It requires one to connect emotionally with others.

We often wonder if we are persuasive or not. How do we know if we are doing a good job? How to seek feedback? We must self-reflect. We must see if we are able to take people along with us. If we have a group of trusted people, we must ask them for feedback.

In the end, persuasion is not a one stop destination. You cannot learn to persuade others overnight. It is a skill that you need to acquire. You need to connect with people. It is an entire journey; and it is the journey that makes it beautiful.