Role of Assertiveness in Persuasion

Persuasion is defined as an effort to influence an individual’s behaviour and making him/her believe what you are saying. Every individual has his /her own perception about things which may change or may not change with time.

Individuals who like to maintain a low profile are often perceived as weak and someone who do have the courage to voice out their opinions, which might not be the case always. Some people, generally do not like interacting much and are often engrossed in their own work. If such an individual speaks in a public forum with assertiveness and confidence, believe me, he would become the hero of the organization in no time.

Persuasion refers to changing an individual’s attitude, perception, in short the way he/she thinks. Sometimes, employees do not feel like contributing to their level best as long as their salaries are being credited on time. Trust me, it is their superior’s ability to convince and motivate their team members to prioritize their office work and put everything else on the back seat. Remember, in this above example, employees listen and agree to their immediate Bosses as their intentions are correct. Why do we, most of the times, listen to our superiors? Is it only because of their position? It is their assertiveness which makes us listen to them and also agree.

Assertiveness plays an important role in persuading people around. A presentation may have extra ordinary content and some great information but, if delivered with a shaky voice fails to persuade the audience. In such a case, it is just a mere waste of time and energy.

Would you trust someone who himself/herself is not quite convinced of what he/she is saying? Obviously NO. Organizations look for marketing professionals who are assertive for the simple reason that they have the ability to persuade potential clients to invest in their products and services.

Marketing may sound as a “fancy” designation but it is certainly not a cake-walk. The client can ask you any question and you need to answer with full confidence without sounding rude.

An individual who lacks assertiveness finds it extremely difficult to convince not only his colleagues but also family members, friends and so on. Trust me, even your father would not give you pocket money every month, unless and until you are quite sure of what you want to do out of it.

A simple eye contact with the person you wish to interact does half of your work. If you want your colleague to share his/her presentation for you to take certain inputs, simply look into the eyes and ask for the same. The other person would never refuse unless and until, it has some confidential information.

People, who have the habit of lying and playing with words eventually become nervous while communicating, thus can be easily recognized and are generally kept out of business meetings, presentations or serious discussions as their presence would hardly make any difference. No one, in any case would believe them or act as per them.

One needs to be little serious and say things with full conviction. Body language also plays an important role in assertiveness. Sometimes, there is a disconnect between an individual’s tone and facial expressions.

One may pretend to be confident, but body language, posture, the way one stands or sits say a lot about his/her confidence levels. An individual who is assertive has the ability to influence even the most rigid person on earth who not only listens to him but also follows his instructions. Sometimes, even a lie said with utmost confidence is also believed, though such a practice needs to be avoided.

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