What is Persuasion; How Do You Use It?

This post was developed via a partnership with BetterHelp.

People often confuse persuasion with manipulation or argument, but they are different terms. Manipulation is the act of cleverly influencing people to achieve a goal. More times than not, manipulation comes accompanied by ill intent. Arguments occur in constructive situations like argumentative essays or unregulated disagreements, conflicts, and fights. 

Persuasion is more associated with public debates, job interviews, and casual conversations. Many use persuasion to change the ideas or beliefs of others. You can find persuasion at work, at home, and in everyday life!

What is Persuasion?

According to Merriam Webster, to persuade means “to move by argument, entreaty, or expostulation to a belief, position, or course of action.” A synonym you may consider is to plead or urge. In other words, it is the art of convincing another party to believe what you say or do. Persuading people can come in speech form or writing. You can learn more about persuasion with BetterHelp articles!

Examples of Persuasion

In the Workplace

You may notice persuasion skills on display among your coworkers and bosses. You may also utilize the art of persuasion yourself. For example, your coworker may persuade you to pick up their weekend shift, or you may convince your boss to give your shift to someone else. 

Many jobs benefit from persuasion skills, e.g., lawyers, sales representatives, lobbyists, advertisements, grant writers, etc. 

The most common form of persuasion in the workplace is during interviews and promotions. An individual seeking a position within a company, looking for a raise, or hoping for a promotion may use persuasion to convince the decision-makers. 

At Home

As a parent, you may use persuasion to change the behavior of your child or children. Parents persuading their children may try to teach better habits and choices. For example, when a child wants to draw on their younger sibling with a permanent marker. A parent may gently persuade the child to draw on paper to make beautiful drawings instead of causing trouble with their sibling. 

A child can also use persuasion skills at home. A teenager may want to spend the night with their best friend. First, they compile a list of reasons why a sleepover is a brilliant idea. Using this logic to present their argument, they can persuade their parents to agree with them. 

Couples also use persuasion every day. It may be as simple as persuading their spouse to order take-out instead of cooking dinner. In other cases, it may be on more important decisions, such as agreeing to move across the country. 

Everyday Life

When walking down the street, someone may hand you a flyer to draw awareness to their cause. We also see persuasion at restaurants and malls. Many workers will hand out free samples of products to passersby. They hope that you enjoy the sample so much that you are persuaded to make a purchase. Now and again, you may also encounter a traveling sales rep. They often come to your door with a product and lots of information. They hope that they can persuade you to buy what they are selling.