Persuasion is not merely about delivering amessage but about laying the groundwork and respecting your targets’ readiness to be influenced.
Dive into the principles of the Golden Rule of Persuasion. Harness its potential to establish and maintain strong relationships — and lead with influence.
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Persuasion Approach: Priming
Priming is avaluable approach to persuasion:
Priming (in persuasion) = the proactive process of moving an audience into an actionable state of mind through multiple PR activities in apre-planned sequence.
This proactive approach is crucial in today’s information-saturated environment, where capturing and retaining audience attention is increasingly challenging.
“Priming can enhance memory recall, facilitate brand processing, and influence product preferences through various media.”
Source: Current opinion in psychology 1Wänke, M. (2016). Primes as hidden persuaders.Current opinion in psychology, 12, 63 – 66.https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COPSYC.2016.05.004
Inspired by the Priming Wheel, there are many examples of potential priming activities inPR.
Here are afew examples:
- Curiosity trigger. Encourage the recipient to seek information more actively. For example, entice them with an interactive element like aclickable link to get started.
- Emotional hook. Connect with the recipient on apersonal level. Share astory that they can emotionally relate to, fostering adeeper connection with your message.
- Social proof. Alleviate the recipient’s apprehensions by presenting evidence of success from others. Utilize testimonials as areassuring demonstration of third-party endorsem*nts.
- Small ask. Gently nudge the recipient towards alow-effort commitment. For instance, request them to briefly describe achallenge they’re facing in exchange for areward.
- Value demonstration. Showcase the benefits of your proposal. Use visual or descriptive methods to highlight the advantages, focusing more on the benefits than the solution.
- Mutual benefits. Build trust by illustrating how the recipient’s success benefits you. Clarify the reciprocal nature of the benefits, reinforcing mutual interest.
- Trust test. Gauge the recipient’s trust in you by asking them to take asmall, trust-based action. For example, encourage them to share your message with their network.
- Common enemy. Unite the recipient against ashared challenge or adversary. Provide atangible depiction of this ‘enemy’ to solidify asense of joint purpose and struggle.
- Negative reinforcement. Illustrate the negative outcomes of not taking action. Present avivid picture of the worst-case scenario to underscore the importance of compliance.
- Big ask (“The Sale”). Make acompelling case for immediate action. Present your offer with asense of urgency, like acountdown, to prompt an immediate decision.
- Feedback loop. Reinforce the recipient’s confidence in their decision or purchase. Offer encouragement and express solidarity, strengthening their conviction in their choice.
- Referral ask. Show appreciation for the recipient’s opinion and network. Invite them to refer colleagues within their industry in exchange for areward, demonstrating respect for their influence and judgment.
“Priming social concepts can have multiple effects across psychological systems, but understanding how these effects occur and how they are distilled into nonconscious social actions is crucial for understanding nonconscious behavior.”
Source: European Journal of Social Psychology 2Bargh, J. (2006). What have we been priming all these years? On the development, mechanisms, and ecology of nonconscious social behavior.European Journal of Social Psychology, 36 2,… Continue reading
Learn more: Priming in PR: The Subtle Art of Pre-Suasion
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Readiness is crucial for effective persuasion. Like askilled gardener preparing the soil before planting seeds, successful persuaders understand the importance of laying the groundwork before pitching.
Attempting to sway someone’s opinion or behaviour before they’re receptive can be counterproductive, potentially leading to resistance or rejection. Instead, it is essential to assess the audience’s readiness and cultivate an environment open to receiving and considering the proposed idea or suggestion.
Stakeholders, influencers, and publics may not be ready to entertain specific ideas due to their emotional state, prior experiences, or competing priorities. By respecting readiness levels, persuaders can increase the likelihood of achieving their objectives.
Laying the groundwork involves building rapport, establishing credibility, and understanding the audience’s needs and perspectives. These all contribute to amore persuasive interaction when the time isright.