10 Tricks to Mastering the Art of Persuasion

During one of my daily visits to www.msn.com, I found a great article about persuasion tools.  I think they are great tips,  and I wanted to share them:

10 Tricks for Mastering the Art of Persuasion

1. Start Things Off:  People are more likely to agree to do something that has already been started for them.  If you need to ask for help on something, or delegate a task to someone else, try to start the project before handing it off to another.
2. Help Them Imagine: Say something like, “I know it'll be a late night, but can you imagine how relieved we'll be if we get the job done before going home?” This tactic paints a vivid picture in the person's mind of the pleasure if she/he does — or the pain if she/he doesn't — do what you asked.
3. Stress Their Loss:  People are more persuaded by the perception of losing something than gaining it.  If you were trying to convince a client to make a certain business decision, make sure to stress what they would lose by not doing so.
4. Give First:  People are psychologically conditioned to return a favor.  If you need to ask someone for help, do something for him or her first.  Then, it will be more difficult for them to decline your favor.
5.  Over-Ask:  People feel a sense of guilt when declining a request.  If the second request is something they can afford to comply with, then they’ll grab the opportunity.  Much like a little kid asking for a pony, hearing no, then asking for a dog.
6. Make Them Laugh:  Getting someone to laugh makes people like you more and thus are more open to your ideas.
7. Use “We”:  Studies have shown that the reassurance of  “we” is more productive in persuading people than other techniques. The use of "we" immediately conveys a sense of belonging, commonality and support.
8.  Majority Rules: When persuading, point to evidence of what others are doing that is similar to what you are trying to persuade the other person to do. After all, when making decisions on our own, we likely survey the scene for reassurance anyway.
9. Be Positive: One of the most powerful principles of persuasion rests on a person's need to remain consistent with his past actions. People are more likely to be persuaded to behave in certain ways if they have acted that way before — and it has been noticed.
10. Have Good Timing: Sometimes it’s not what you ask for but when you ask for it. People are most persuadable immediately after thanking someone, so it's the perfect time to ask for a favor: My pleasure. In fact, I was hoping you might be able to help me out with something too.