CONVINCE ME!

Persuasion Techniques That Get Things Done

For the IT Professional

Kevin KlineDirector of Engineering Services at SQL

SentryMicrosoft MVP since 2003Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter at KEKLINEKEKline@sqlsentry.comKevinEKline.com, ForITPros.com

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AGENDA

• Dispelling Some Myths • Introverts and Extroverts• Natural-born Leaders

• Influence that carries weight• Three appeals that persuade

• Logical: the Head• Emotional: the Heart• Cooperative: the Hands

• Summary

4

DISPELLING SOME MYTHS

• How much do personality types effect influence and persuasion?

• How much does innate abilities effect influence and persuasion?

• In both cases, influence and persuasion are BEHAVIORS, not TRAITS.

5

BUILDING INFLUENCECredible:

Technology competence  

Communicator:

Informative 

Listener: Open and

honest

Team Builder: Edify

your team

Professional

PoliticalCapital

TECHNICAL COMPETENCE• Know the answers for relevant tech questions. Or know

where to find the answers.• Have an opinion! Even if the opinion is “No opinion”.• Base opinions on shared values.• Present relevant information when appropriate.• Cite sources for backup.

• Work harder than your peers.• Put in a full measure.• Stay focused.• Self-awareness, especially for strengths vs weaknesses.

• Care.

COMMUNICATOR• Know the value of B.L.U.F.

• Strive for brevity, then ask “Want more details?”.• Know your audience.

• Use relatable examples or analogies.• Keep ego out.

• Remember, you’re communicating even when you

say nothing.• Differentiate fact vs. value statements.

• Stay focused.

LISTENERo Be respectful. Be “fully present”.o Good questioning skills involve:

• Getting the specifics• Seek fact vs. value. Use open vs. closed questions.• Observing reaction

o Good listening skills involve:• Acknowledging statements• Summarizing• Empathizing

o Ninja secret: Understand the power of silence!

TEAM BUILDER• Tout team successes, not individual successes.• Preparedness for “Leadership Moments”.

• Emergencies – a “clutch” player• Periods of upheaval or dramatic change

• An informed, but dispassionate and flexible opinion.• Knowing the options and their pros / cons• Open to other ideas / opinions• Knowing what the organization is trying to achieve

• Leads to becoming the Go-To-Guy/Gal

PROFESSIONALISM

• Lots of words: o engaged, competent, credible, accountable, honest, integrity, goal-oriented,

autonomous, et al.

• Care and respect:o Treating everyone as you’d like to be treated

• Facilitate consensus and good decisions. • Mitigate conflict and confrontation.• Consistency and Constancy.

• Personal presentation and Image:o Speech and dress

• Don’t be “THAT GUY”.o Teach … with a positive attitude.

11

PASSIVE INFLUENCE BECOMES

POLITICAL CAPITAL• Build political capital, so that you’re more likely to sway

decisions when you make requests or express opinions.• Aim for basic competency in:

• Technical credibility• Communication skills• Listening skills• Team building• Professionalism

• Train to overcome your weaknesses or get an ally.• One weakness generally isn’t an obstacle.• Two or more weakness can be a big obstacle.

DIRECT INFLUENCE, ALSO KNOWN

AS PERSUASION• Leadership is …

• … action.• So is persuasion.

• Swaying opinion through “appeals”:• Logical, a.k.a. “The Head”• Emotional, a.k.a. “The Heart”• Cooperative, a.k.a. “The Hands”

COMMON METHODS OF ACTIVE

INFLUENCE

Direct Influence:

• Rational Appeal• Intimidation • Inspirational Appeal• Flattery

• Alliances• Appealing up• Call in a debt / favor• Consultation

Influence is like …physics …

and banking…

LOGICAL, HEAD APPEALS

• Rational Appeal versus Intimidation• When and How?

o When your audience is rationalo Build a case of rational factso Make a careful SWOT analysiso Use a proposal or “suggestion” format (WIFM)o Make a pitch and then explicitly follow-up

• Common mistakes include:o Too much detail/data without setting the big picture or major goalo Misunderstanding the interest of the audienceo Failing to bounce the idea off of others ahead of timeo Failure to align with the goals/needs of the audience

EMOTIONAL, HEART APPEALS

• Inspirational Appeal versus Flattery• When and How?

o When your audience is motivated by valueso Appeals to our “better selves”o Requires strong, in-person deliveryo Make a pitch and then explicitly follow-up

• Common mistakes include:o Insincerity or hypocrisy o Double-standardso Failure to follow-up and follow-thru

COOPERATIVE, HAND APPEALS• Alliance | Consultation | Call in a debt / Favor

o When and how?• When your audience is similarly inclined• Use WIFM or “Doing well by doing good”• Recognize the transactional nature

• Appealing upo When and how?

• Only in the face of serious obstacles or ethical breaches• Recognize the potential for “paybacks”

• Common mistakes include:o Overuseo Failing to reciprocateo Only recognizing the transactional nature of the social bond

CASE STUDY FOR A PERSUASIVE

ARGUMENT

Communicating Upward

0. Credibility

1. Align with

the Biz

2. Build the proposal

3. Get

Explicit Buy-In

4. Follow-up Explicitly

ALIGN WITH THE BUSINESS

• Demonstrate that you understand the business and what the business needs

• What do the managers need to be considered successful?

• Consider when asking for something, … o How will it further the goals of the organization?o How will it further the goals of other teams or potential allies?o What are the immediate questions that arise from the proposal?

Anticipate them and have answers prepared.

Communicating Upward

BUILD THE PROPOSAL

• Have several formats:o Super-short, 2-minute “elevator pitch”o Executive Summary, for “IT-ish” peopleo Full proposal, with details for IT people

• Describe the situation and its opportunities or consequences:o A challenge or problem that needs helpo An idea that needs support, approval or input

• What’s the risk? Or, what’s the ROI?o SWOT or another form of analysis?

Communicating Upward

GET A COMMITMENT

• One of the most common mistakes is not making an explicit call to action. With that in mind …

• Depending on manager’s style:o “May I make a suggestion…?”o Ask for manager’s ideas & suggestions, offer yourso Propose solution, its benefits, then probe for reaction

• Trial run – make it easy to say ‘yes’.

• Come to agreement on solution and action plan.• Send summary email afterwards.• Define the explicit follow-up date and express

appreciation

Communicating Upward

FOLLOW-UP

• The other most common mistake is to fail to explicitly follow-up at a specific time and date.

• For greatest impact, express gratitude for the trust and the opportunity.

• Report on progress at regular milestones, whether it’s required or not.

• After completion, provide a follow-up report touting the success of the initiative, lessons learned, ROI achieved, brag on the team, etc.

Remember that political capital has the physics-like properties of momentum and inertia.

Communicating Upward

Summary: Convince Me• Dispelled Some Myths • Introverts and Extroverts• Natural-born Leaders• Influence that carries weight

• Credibility, Communicator, Listener,

Team Builder, Professional• Three appeals that persuade• Logical: the Head• Emotional: the Heart• Cooperative: the Hands

Kevin KlineSocial media at KEKLINE

Email at KEKline@sqlsentry.com

Blogs atKevinEKline.com, ForITPros.com