Persuasion is a procedure aimed at influencing someone’s or a group’s attitude, beliefs or behavior. This type of convincing could be done by expressing information, a message or feelings by using written or spoken words. Persuasion takes strategic planning. We have learned about the seven most popular persuasive strategies used in our daily lives. I never realize how much persuasion is used every day. We see it a lot in marketing and advertising daily. Everyday someone is trying to persuade us to buy an item on TV, radio or signs. Or vice versa we try to influence our peers to do something or feel some way.
Many times in my life I have been in situations which involve the persuasion of Reciprocation. I’m going to show that we are always inclined to repay another person with a kind gesture. My part time job is babysitting for a family every day after school and occasionally when needed. One of my experience of reciprocation happen last year right before spring break. I was exhausted studying for midterms and working and trying to get my stuff ready for my trip. The last day before my trip the husband handed me my paycheck and a nice envelope with my name on it. I opened the envelope and to my surprise there was a gift card for $60 and a note wishing a safe trip. I was so excited that I gave him a big hug and thanked him several times. By the time I got home I was so overwhelm that I took time and wrote them a thank you note. As we can see in this situation I felt so obligated to repay their kind act by sending them a thank you note even after I already thanked them in person. Their kind gesture triggered a feeling of reciprocation. I also feel an obligation that in the future if they ask me for a favor their chances of me agreeing is much higher
Another common form of persuasion is to Ask Large to Get Small. In reality I have been tricked many times with this type of persuasion. But to be honest I have actually done it as well. I was a cheerleader in high school for four years. We had to fundraised money all the time in order for the team to go to nationals. One of our fundraisers was during every home football game to sell raffle tickets for the “Pot of Gold”. Every cheerleader had to sell twenty tickets. It was hard to sell to our own peers, because most of them didn’t have any money. My tactic was to sell to the parents and I would ask them to buy five tickets for five dollars. When they would say no then I would ask them to buy just one ticket for one dollar. Usually, they would end up saying yes. The first home football game I didn’t meet my goal. So I learned that I had to manipulate or create guilt if I wanted to sell all twenty tickets. I figured if I would ask for them to buy five of my tickets they would think that was ridiculous to buy that many raffle tickets. So my closing point was to lower my request and asked if they would at least buy one ticket for a good cause and most cases it worked! My tickets were then sold before half time.
Liking is my last example of persuasion that I have experienced in my life. It is very common in our lives. We are always pleasing our friends or people that we like. In middle school I was a member of the Beta Club. Members had to maintain a certain GPA and be leaders in our community. One of our benefits was to go on a trip out of state if we met all of our goals for the year. We had to raise money for this trip. One of our big fundraisers was to sell pies. .I would sell to my neighbors going from door to door. I would also sell to my family and to my parent’s close friends. This group I picked to sell was people I liked and knew. I used the liking persuasion in this experience. I always went first to the neighbors that I had a relationship with. They liked me so it was hard for them not to buy me a pie. My next stop was the neighbors that I knew that their children had attended our school or were members of this club. I was using the persuasion that we had something in common and it never failed. They liked you immediately because they feel they know you or have a connection with you. For the random houses that I did not know them, or had a connection I will try to sell them by having a good attitude or being well mannered and friendly. By using the persuasion of Liking was very effective.
Persuasion is a very powerful way to influence people around you. In our daily lives we see so much information, choices or alternatives given to us in so many situations. We have to make so many decisions so we have to really analyze the pros and cons so we can make a choice that is not bias. We have to be careful when we make decisions that they are not influence by feelings of liking, friendship, authority, scarcity and guilt.