How do you use persuasion to get buy-in from your stakeholders? (2024)

I agree but would also add that being liked will help when you need to persuade. We want to work with and help those we like. When you have done your research on the stakeholders, try to find commonalities. Then, bring up those things in your message to them. It can be as simple as liking the same sports team, having graduated from the same school, being a dog person.....etc. As long as the commonality is genuine, you would be foolish not to bring it up.

We all have paradigms, models or patterns of how we see the world and the ways that it works for us. By taking the time to understand how your stakeholders see their world will help you to communicate and collaborate together. It's important to keep in mind that people can become very attached to their perspectives and may not immediately welcome alternative views. It's also helpful to avoid being critical of a stakeholder's view that's different to your own and may have served them well for a long time. Listening to understand their perspectives, where they are comfortable and also where they would appreciate help to move forward can lead to a relationship of mutual understanding and working together to achieve common goals.

Compreender as necessidades e motivações de seus stakeholders é fundamental para engajá-los efetivamente. Você deve aprofundar-se nas expectativas e interesses deles, para poder alinhar suas estratégias, em virtude de atender às demandas específicas. Essa empatia permite criar uma conexão mais sólida e direcionar esforços para ganhar a confiança e apoio de todos os envolvidos.

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To be persuasive, you have to tailor your message. Your tone and style must align with stakeholder interests and values. The only way to do this is by understanding them. Here are some quick tips:Research: Dive in. What drives them? What challenges do they face? The ROI is BIG.Questions: Asking thoughtful questions opens the door to valuable insights. Be curious.Listening: You asked. Now listen. Understand the nuances. It's not just about what's said, but how it's said.Empathy: Walk in their shoes. Genuine empathy builds trust and emotional connections. Emotions supersede facts, figures, and words. Showcase your offer by demonstrating why it matters to them.(This is good resume writing and interviewing advice too.)

The best way to understand someone is to take a real and genuine interest in them. Don't try to fake it, and don't go down any checklists. Take a genuinely inquisitive, open-minded approach to learning about them. At first, don't even bother worrying about how you might sell them later, or how your solutions might help them. Focus your attention and your interest on them. Don't try to impress them, save the pitch decks and statistics and data. Encourage them to trust you and talk openly to you. Finding a genuine connection and an authentic interest will save you a lot of artificial "tailoring" later. It's tough to ask someone to tell you all about where they are weak and trust that you'll help solve their problems. Trust helps.

An effective method for building rapport involves engaging your stakeholders in the development of your proposal. One specific word plays a crucial role here. Instead of asking stakeholders for their "opinion" or "feedback," ask for their "advice." Research indicates that "opinion" and "feedback" psychologically push the other person away from you, inviting them to adopt a critical stance (Liu, W, & Gal, D). Conversely, "advice" encourages the other person to step in and collaborate with you on forging the proposal. Research also demonstrates that the quality of input you receive is of higher quality when using "advice".

Stakeholders may perceive you (a salesperson) as a "take-holder" who only wants to get something rather than give. Credibility does come from your experience, etc, and also from your authenticity. Authenticity means deep belief in what you represent. You can't fake it. Be real which is best accomplished when you believe in what you represent.

Building authority with the stakeholders is crucial. When you present your solution, mention any drawbacks or hurdles first. Then, immediately, disclose how you plan to fix the situation. The stakeholders will see that you are honest and motivated to help. Too often, we try to hide the drawbacks to a plan thinking it will ruin the deal. This is wrong. Being able to admit there is a drawback but that you are aware and have a solution will go much farther in building trust and credibility.

Something I find helpful is to literally try to stand in the stakeholders’ shoes and ask lots of questions - simple questions often open up the most helpful responses like… what if it could be achieved would significantly impact your happiness/success? What are the ‘no go’ zones for you that would create an unacceptable situation? If I don’t have the luxury of speaking with stakeholders then testing ideas with others can also help.

Demonstrating that you understand what’s at stake for the stakeholders including what they hope to gain and also what losses they feel they will sustain.

Presenting a solution isn't just about presenting the solution. Anyone can do that. It's about creating an experience that leaves a lasting impact on your stakeholders.Here's how (I know it looks like copywriting. But it works, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯):Hook: Grab their attention. Make them lean in and say, "Tell me more!"Problem: Why does it matter to them? Paint a picture.Benefits & Features: What are the tangibles? Speak their language.Objections: Anticipate them. Proactively answer them. This builds confidence.Evidence: Use credible evidence. Numbers, success stories, or logical reasoning.CTA: Call to action. What's the next step for them? Invite them to join the journey. Don't assume they know what to do next.

Often, presenters fail to consider and appeal to the emotional benefits of the stakeholders. Yes, logic, data, and functional solutions support the decision, but emotional persuasion and desire motivate stakeholders to make decisions in your favor. Per persuasion expert Robert Cialdini, framing (gain vs. loss) will also play a significant role.

"A metaphor makes the strange familiar." - C.S. LewisAnd THAT is the persuasive power of a metaphor.Associate an abstract idea with a concrete image. It'll fix it in the mind of your audience. And you'll be more persuasive.Metaphors are like sticky notes of understanding, attaching meaning to concepts and ensuring they don't slip away from our grasp.But don't choose a metaphor all willly-nilly. It has to resonate. It has to appeal to shared experiences, values and goals. Using the wrong metaphor is like trying to unlock a door with the wrong key.Metaphors allow you to shape mindsets, communicate possibilities, and lead stakeholders down the path. Used properly, metaphors will crystallize your vision and inspire buy-in.

Creating a culture that fosters active listening, a growth mindset, and responsiveness is indeed key to capturing stakeholders' attention and gaining their buy-in. Situational fluency, which involves instantly understanding the environment and people's perspectives and adapting accordingly, is crucial in effective communication and persuasion. Aligning your thoughts, emotions, actions, and behaviors with the overall strategy that involves everyone is essential for successful stakeholder engagement. It's important to continuously adapt and evolve in this dynamic process to maintain effective communication and build strong relationships with stakeholders.

Someone once said, "how you sell is a free sample of how you solve" (anyone know who was first to coin that??) so if you're late to follow up, how will your team do during implementation? Plan your follow-up before a presentation, and alter based on what you learn from the customer.

One of the most underrated and yet most critical ways to build trust is through reliability. Do what you say you are going to do when you say you are going to do it. Make promises with deadlines and follow through. This will make you stand out and become someone they know to rely on.

A risk in influencing others is the potential for them to feel manipulated. This often leads to what psychologists call 'reactance': a negative reaction triggered by a perceived loss of freedom or autonomy. A science-based strategy to diminish this risk is the "But You Are Free" technique.This technique involves simply adding "But you are free" - or a similar phrase - to your request.Research has demonstrated that incorporating these four words significantly increases positive responses to requests (Carpenter C. (2013)). Twice as many people responded positively when this phrase was included compared to when it was omitted.So, when trying to get that buy-in for - for example - your plan, consider stressing the stakeholders' autonomy.