Give Me Your Best Shot

If one thing is for sure, persuading an audience isn’t easy. What message are you trying to send? Do you intend for your audience to take action? What is the best theory to apply in your message? These are only a few questions one might ask themselves when trying to persuade. The task, although a challenge, can be accomplished with the right knowledge and skill

In my definition, persuasion occurs when one presents and argument with credible evidence to an audience in hope that the audience critically evaluates the evidence and concludes that they agree with the speaker communicating the argument. Persuasion lies along the lines of trying to convince, however with credible evidence to compliment your argument, the audience should not have to be convinced. The term actuate lies within the terms of persuasion, such that the speaker is persuading with the intent that the audience will act.

What most applies to my current work setting is the way in which organizations use corporate advertising in attempt to prevent the deterioration of their image in the public eye. My organization is anchored in the credit card industry, financing credit cards for multiple retailers. Many times, negative media which may affect the image of our client(s) also affect our image as well. When an escalated situation such as this occurs, our company sends out communication to our customers, explaining if needed, what occurred and what that would mean for our company and its customers. In this regard, when the media covers the negative information, our company hopes that the prior communication decreased or eliminated the negative impact.

Kopacz mentions that non-verbal communication in politics has a major impact in elections, such as that between Nixon and John F. Kennedy. Although previously I never thought this was the case, however, the 2008 election between Obama and McCain provides credible evidence to this idea. During the debates, the media continuously noted John McCain’s non-verbal cues, stating that he seemed angry and frustrated. During the time in which this information was being reported, his ratings continued to decrease, and may have contributed to his loss in the election.

Most significant was information regarding the consistency theory, and being able to have someone comply with a small request will increase the probability that the person would also agree to a larger request. I had no prior knowledge of this theory until recent studies; however the concept was one that I considered to be very valuable. The consistency theory can be used when dealing with difficult customers as a means to de-escalate situations. This theory may also be applied when dealing with co-workers, management and people in general.

To be a successful leader in the 21st century, one must understand several aspects of persuasion. The argument must be tailored to the audience in respect to what the speaker is trying to accomplish (Persuade? Convince? Acuate?). Any persuasive presentation must be accompanied by credible evidence such as research or graphs. Most importantly, the speaker must reflect a positive ethos in the eyes of the audience. If this does not occur, the speaker’s intentions will not be accomplished under any circumstance.

Social Judgment theory, the idea that a persuasive message depends on the way in which the receiver evaluates the position of the message, would closely correlate to the use of persuasion with different cultures. As cultures differ in values, beliefs and can be segmented between high and low contexts, the message must be formatted to fit the cultural audience. For instance, attempting to persuade a Japanese firm to close a deal quickly may not communicate well with the audience, as Asians are a high context culture and depend strongly on the building of relationships, even in business.

Aoki studied Franklin Roosevelt’s use of persuasion during his fireside chats with the public. This study relates closely to the Social Judgment theory and the way in which the Roosevelt crafted his words to the general public in a way that would be persuasive and positively accepted. Using simple, easy to understand language and words such as “we” instead of “I” persuaded the audience to think of Roosevelt as one of their own, who understood the public. For this reason, Roosevelt remains a favorite president among the public, even after his terms in office.

The concepts and theories presented in the readings gave wonderful insight as to how I may form my presentation to various audiences, based upon my intent. I enjoyed learning the information on persuasion and am excited to use it in the future when I communicate with others.



References

Aoki, K. (2006, Winter2006). A Study of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Persuasive Communication within the Fireside Chat: An Analysis of Language and Style. Human Communication, 9(1), 71-81. Retrieved February 26, 2009, from Communication & Mass Media Complete database.

Kopacz, M. (2006, Summer 2006). Nonverbal Communication as a Persuasion Tool: Current Status and Future Directions. Rocky Mountain Communication Review, 3(1), 1-19. Retrieved February 26, 2009, from Communication & Mass Media Complete database.

Pashupati, K., Arpan, L., & Nikolaev, A. (2002, Fall2002). Corporate Advertising as Inoculation Against Negative News: An Experimental Investigation of Efficacy and Presentation Order Effects. Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, 24(2), 1. Retrieved February 26, 2009, from Communication & Mass Media Complete database.

Smith, S., Atkin, C., Martell, D., Allen, R., & Hembroff, L. (2006, February). A Social Judgment Theory Approach to Conducting Formative Research in a Social Norms Campaign. Communication Theory (10503293), 16(1), 141-152. Retrieved February 26, 2009, doi:10.1111/j.1468-2885.2006.00009.x

Vaidyanathan, R., & Aggarwal, P. (2005, December). Using Commitments to Drive Consistency: Enhancing the Effectiveness of Cause related Marketing Communications. Journal of Marketing Communications, 11(4), 231-246. Retrieved February 26, 2009, doi: 10.1080/0144619052000345600