Negotiation and influence

Persuasion

Make your reasoning easy to follow and relevant to the other person’s priorities.

A practical starting point

Three principles to take into the conversation

  1. 1

    Understand the other person’s goal before presenting your case.

  2. 2

    Use a small number of strong reasons supported by concrete evidence.

  3. 3

    Address the most likely concern directly and invite scrutiny.

Try this opening

“You mentioned that [priority] matters most. Here is how this approach supports it…”

Adapt this opening to your situation and say it in your own words.

Prepare in a few minutes

  • Write down the outcome you want from the conversation.
  • Separate what you observed from what you assume.
  • Choose one point the other person needs to understand.
  • Plan a question that makes room for their perspective.