The art of persuasion sometimes has a bad reputation. Often, when people think of “persuasion” they think of the hard sales pitch. But, it doesn’t have to be an obvious, hard, or relentless approach of “slamming” a customer or client into a purchase at all. As a matter of fact, honing up on your persuasion skills can only help you in promoting and growing your home business.
Persuasion can mean sales, of course, but it can also be a very useful tool in negotiating and problem-solving. If you have an idea or solution to pitch, you’ll want to draw on your persuasion skills, just as if you are trying to close a sale or promote a product or service. So, how can you beef up your persuasion skills?
Body language and tone are as important as the choice in words and language that you use. It also helps to learn to be a good listener. If you can train yourself to actually listen to other people, they will tell you all their concerns, and pretty much hand you the information you need to tailor your own persuasive approach to their individuality. Create a dialogue with the other person, not just a “pitch” that involves you quoting a “canned” sales monologue. Focus in on benefits, guarantees, and emotions. Certainly, there will be those people who respond best to rationality and practical reasoning, but many people will respond and be persuaded by how something (a product, decision, solution, etc.) will affect them personally and make them feel.
By all means be honest and above-board, but consider times when you have been persuaded to make a purchase or try someone else’s idea or solution—what persuaded you? What made you cross the line and make the choice to purchase or support? You can develop persuasion skills that will help you to draw more and more people to your home business.
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