Priming helps lay the groundwork for persuasion
Summary
- Before asking for something, lay the groundwork by priming the person to start thinking along those lines
Details
- Seek feedback
- Mention other companies that have done similar things
- Mention teasers
- show past successes
- engage the senses
References
Quotes
Pre-suasion, a term coined by Dr. Robert Cialdini, the godfather of modern influence, involves leveraging the psychological concept of priming to subtly influence the perceptions and attitudes in your audience (your boss, other superiors, and colleagues) so that when you do take initiative, it’s received in the best possible light. Pre-suading lays the groundwork for your ask, making initial changes and subsequent steps feel like a sensible progression rather than a jarring leap.
Here’s what pre-suading looks like in action:
• Seek feedback. Before suggesting a new communication tool, ask colleagues for feedback on current ones, which can make your proposal to your boss seem like a natural evolution of an ongoing conversation. If you’re pitching a work-from-home policy, send out a poll or survey with questions about current frustrations or aspirations around flexibility to prime your superiors and your colleagues for change.
• Trigger FOMO. Show how competitors have seen significant growth with similar approaches: “I noticed Company Y recently revamped their process in this area. It got me thinking about our system.” Or introduce an idea as something exclusive or time-sensitive to pique interest and urgency: “I’ve come across an opportunity that might not be around for long…”
• Tease your thoughts. Hint that you’ve been researching solutions, encouraging your manager to consider the issue more seriously: “I recently spoke with marketing and learned how they tackled X, and I think we can learn from their approach.” Or “I’ve stumbled upon some interesting solutions to our challenge of Y. Can’t wait to share and get your thoughts!”
• Highlight past successes. Tie new ideas to past successful projects or familiar strategies to reduce uncertainty. That can sound like “Remember how well it worked to automate our data entry last year? I think we could follow the same approach for our reporting system.” Or “Reflecting back on our success with the launch event last year, I’m inspired to get a jump start on our upcoming annual meeting. I have some ideas to infuse the same energy into that event.”
• Pull pain and pleasure levers. Frame your idea in terms of how it might alleviate interruptions, stress, or confusion (pain) or increase productivity, clarity, or satisfaction (pleasure). For instance, when proposing a new project management tool, explain how it can save hours of tedious work each week, reducing stress (pain) and allowing more time for creative, high-impact tasks (pleasure).
• Incorporate shared values. Discuss the company’s or team’s core vision or mission statement. Once those are fresh in someone’s mind, introduce your initiative as an embodiment of those values: “Our customers are top priority. A few of them have been nudging us about our response times. I’ve sketched out a game plan to tackle that head-on.”
• Engage the senses. Pitching a wellness initiative? Instead of the usual conference room, use a comfortable lounge. Soft furnishings, ambient music, and dimmed lighting can evoke a sense of calm and a willingness to be receptive to new ideas. During a presentation on performance milestones, use images of individuals scaling summits or crossing finish lines to symbolize achievement.