Three Small Questions for More Effective Persuasion

Most managers would like to be more effective in persuading people to take action. However, the longer the delay between the person saying yes and doing the action, the harder it is to ensure the task is actually completed.

Many people have heard or experienced the effect of being specific when requesting a task be performed or asking for help. Perhaps you have been at a chamber of commerce or similar meeting and someone stands up and says they provide marketing services. What is the odds that you will remember that person when it comes time for a referral? On the other hand, when someone stands up and says they provide marketing services to family owned companies that work with health care providers, that person is much more likely to come to mind when you bump into a someone that fits that situation.

Here is a tip to take that process one step further. When persuading someone to perform a task, developing a very specific plan on where, when and how the task will be executed dramatically increases the odds of the task being completed.

Sounds great, but how should this plan be created? One approach that I have found to be very effective is to ask the person three questions, as follows:

• Where will you do this task?

• When will you do this task?

• How will you do this task?

By asking these questions, the person answering the questions creates a mental view of executing the task. The visualization is far more likely to remain in their memory and be recalled when the appropriate times approaches.

#Tip