Leverage The Power Of Persuasion For Your Start Up

Persuasion is one of the most powerful tools in any entrepreneur’s remit. You started your business because you had a vision –  of success, of profit and of making a difference to the world. When you’re so passionate about an idea, and have invested considerable time in convincing yourself of its potential and viability, then it can be hard to believe that others aren’t automatically with you. 

Whether it’s trying to convince a reluctant investor that your concept has legs despite tech issues, getting new customers to try your services, or even convincing key suppliers to extend credit, you have a big job to do persuading people before the statistics can speak for themselves. Building trust and creating credibility is absolutely crucial.

Learning some negotiation tactics and how to influence others is most definitely a valuable start-up skill. From the very first day that you have that lightbulb moment, you need to nurture and practice the talent of getting others on board.

As soon as a business moves from pipe dream to reality, you need to convince other people to invest time, money and belief in you and in your company. The power of persuasion can help you win partners, funders and customers.

So, if you’re not a born salesperson, how do you start to convince someone?

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

So you’ve got passion. You may have been told in the past that is all you need to win hearts and minds. And while believing wholeheartedly in what you do is essential, it’s only one component of getting others to do what you need them to. Think about the average number of messages and unsolicited approaches that a business contact gets in a single day. Think about the volume of email traffic and requests for pitches an angel investor gets.

That’s a whole lot of noise.

In response, people tend to develop automatic barriers as a form of cognitive defense. And that means that you usually need to overcome a fair amount of unconscious resistance before your passion and ideas can even begin to be heard. The key is repetition and persistence. Shout loud, and shout often. Make approaches through multiple channels. Keep going, even when all you get back is radio silence.  People generally need to hear things several times before they actually process what you have to offer them.

Illustrate Your Impact

Human beings love storytelling – it’s what motivates us to act. And the right story can be hugely significant in inspiring change. Use tools such as contrasting scenarios and illustrative comparison. Tell the story of your factory, overworked and unable to meet customer demand.

Then tell another one about securing capital growth funding and being able to purchase the spiral elevator that will revolutionize your process and deliver on a profit potential. Make it human and make it compelling and your audience is more likely to be receptive.

Create A Buzz

Imagine if that contact you desperately need on side had already heard of you before your initial approach. Creating a warm lead-in means critical people are going to be more receptive.

Social media marketing is a great way to create a buzz that will reach the ears of an investor or important contact before you’ve made a pitch. If there’s evidence of a large amount of people already talking about your product or service in a positive light, then you amplify your effectiveness tenfold.

This is a contributed post.