Knowing what you want is the first rule of persuasion.
Is this a good time to persuade?
A persuader seizes every
opportunity. The perfect time to get a cat to come is when he is hungry. The
best time to persuade a man of anything is when he is hungry.
It
may be better to make your opponent feel like he won even while you end up
getting what you want.
As
every cat knows, a dignified posture wins respect.
Do you look confident?
Don’t think of the times you missed. Think
about all your successful kills.
Is he paying attention?
A distracted audience is much harder to
persuade. When you argue with your cat, you must entertain him.
If you want to
get your audience to change its mind or do something, try switching to the
future tense (‘Come here and I’ll give you a treat’).
When you want
action, ask for bits of action. And offer little bits of treat each step of the
way.
the best ways
to persuade people is to be agreeable.
Even if you disagree with someone, or your
opponent attacks you personally, nod your head and listen. Don’t get angry. And
don’t push back against any of his points. Hold your fire.
With a cat argument, wait until the cat wants something. Then try
to bargain.
Catch the bald guy
In rhetoric, this art of waiting for the
perfect moment is called kairos (KI-ros).
Someone skilled at kairos, such as a cat, not only knows how to wait. She also
knows exactly the right moment to act, to seize the occasion, letting no temporary
lap go un-sat-upon and no bug unchased.
Much of persuasion depends on kairos.
Someone who is not ready to be persuaded won’t be ready until her mood changes.
For instance, never ask someone to cook you dinner while he is cleaning a
toilet. (Only cats and dogs can keep their appetite around toilets.) Never ask
a favour when someone is angry. And never ever, under any circumstances, say,
‘Calm down.’ That just ruins every occasion.
Practise timing in any office meeting by
speaking last. Wait until people want to hear from you.
