Looking for new businesses to work with isn’t always easy. Every decision carries risks. Persuasion, when well-performed, helps you strike the right note with efficient communication when you really need it most. Find the fine line to balance with the art of persuasion and transform it into your best ally.
- Connectivity and trust: Take the time to co-collaborate with your potential clients and understand what is beyond the initial scope of their project. What do they really want to achieve? Is it internal cultural transformation? Is it external marketing? People buy people — not the business but the people behind it. Offering stress free solutions establishes a calm approach and trust.
- Relevant semiotic visuals create experiences: Consider the team that runs the business. How do they communicate internally? Who does the team consist of? Understanding the inner demographic facilitates cultural transformation and acceptance, which leads to nurturing Neue behaviours. The power of subconscious symbols, when used wisely, can awaken a likable affect and soften automatic triggers that usually rule decision making.
- Powerful narrative changes behaviours: Once the valued experience is captured visually, tailor the tone with a high-level technical understanding process. Avoid clichés and dogmas in the copy as they won’t resonate with your audience. Co-collaborate with your client to delve deep into their brand DNA and don’t fluff around—authenticity is key to breaking through the fog.
- Don’t be early, it is not sexy: Time is very important when persuading. Take a step back to analyse your own impact during the process and sense the right moment for the call-to-action. Is your audience ready to make that step yet? We say time can cure everything. If more of it is needed, let the people involved digest and make their own decisions. If they can relate to your performance, they will choose to follow it.
Jacqui O’Brien is the CEO of Persuaders. Persuaders is an Australian agency in co-collaboration on real time strategic content.