Archive: Persuasion
Persuasion Tactic: Make Your Expertise Known
When people are making a decision while listening to expert advice, they might stop analyzing and simply accept the advice. People often seek expert advice when they are unsure what to do or what to buy, particularly when there is risk involved, such as when...Potential or Performance, Which is More Persuasive?
What is a more persuasive indicator of future success, a record of accomplishments or the potential to achieve? If you want to persuade your superior to promote you over someone else, should you emphasize what you have accomplished or what you are capable of...Heady Topper Beer: Persuasion’s Scarcity Principle at Work
The popularity of Vermont’s Heady Topper beer is a classic example of persuasion’s scarcity principle at work: People are persuaded to act when an item is in short supply. Heady Topper is a craft beer, sometimes called a microbrew, that is made and sold...Using Flattery to Persuade
If you want someone to comply with your request, try using flattery to persuade. Flattery, compliments and exaggerated tributes, are among numerous ingratiation tactics that people use to induce someone to perform a particular behavior. Flattery brightens a...Persuasive Writing: Consider How Many People Will Evaluate the Message
If you send a persuasive message to a group, consider two important factors: the strength of your argument and the number of people who will process it. For persuasive writing to be effective, an audience needs to be motivated to read the message (or hear it). And one...By Ken O’Quinn
Focus on Them
Perfect Phrases for Business Letters (McGraw-Hill)
TD at Work — Business Writing for Managers
As a contributing author in this book on leadership, Ken offers insights and tips for managing difficult conversations, providing effective feedback, and being authentic. Order here.
Perfect Phrases for Business Letters (McGraw-Hill)
Provides the right words and phrases for any situation - quickly. The book was reprinted in Japanese because of high-volume sales there.
TD at Work — Business Writing for Managers
The Association for Talent Development invited Ken to write this 22-page booklet for the TD at Work series.
Current Blog Post
Accomplishments or Potential to Achieve: Which is More Persuasive?
If you want to persuade your superior to promote you over someone else, you could emphasize what you have accomplished, …