The ability make others believe what you believe is important for success in many fields. There is often a fine line between convincing somebody your views are valid and annoying them. In this article we will look at some of the techniques you can use if you want to convince another individual to believe what you believe.
Steps
Do the homework. Make sure you understand your own viewpoint. If you are going to try to convince somebody that the Eiffel Tower is taller than the Statue of Liberty, find out the facts first, don’t make assumptions.
Learn the field. For certain areas you will need to know more than just the facts, as some subjects are subjective. For example, if you wanted to convince somebody that the Statue of Liberty was prettier than the Eiffel Tower you will need to know enough about architecture and aesthetics to argue about that subject, as well as the facts, like how tall they are. If you are selling something, like a car, you will need to know all there is to know about the car you are selling. Likewise, you will need to know all about the other cars that are in competition with your vehicle.
Engage the person politely. Maintain eye contact where possible, but don’t be annoying about it.
Establish mutual respect. You will never convince anybody of anything if they believe you do not respect them, so show the person you respect them and be good enough to gain their respect.
Gain trust. To convince people of most things you will need their trust. They don't have to trust you as a person, but they do need to trust that what you are saying makes sense, that you know your stuff. The best way to do this is to do your homework and fieldwork, that way you know a lot about the subject.
Listen carefully to what your debate partner has to say. Respond thoughtfully to their point of view.
To Be Continued ....
