Art of Persuasion -

The six channels

Prof. Jackson John
#1 Interest based persuasion
Pitching an idea that addresses the other party’s underlying need(s) or interest

Typical of everyday transactional behavior and sales pitches, negotiations and

even politics

“Accepting my suggestion will help you perform better in the next appraisal” –
The boss statement

Each side has something the other side wants – resource, status, info
#2 Authority
Kindly fasten your seat belts ‘sign’

Use of an authority channel or rules to persuade to get someone to

agree to your proposal or opinion

Credible, influential, reasonable, urgent, binding, no violation of

interest of any party, justified
#3 Politics
Building a coalition (part of organizational politics), acting in concert

Use of pressure tactics, power moves, lobbying

Use of appearances is as important as idea-selling

#4 Rationality
Influence based on evidence, attitudes, beliefs or merits of a proposal

The audience holds the key to success in this way of persuasion – They
should be willing to listen
#5 Inspiration & Emotion
Attempt to evoke an emotional response like hope, desire, team spirit

Appeal to an audience’s overriding sense of purpose, values, beliefs as

the foundation for selling your idea

People make decisions based on what facts mean to them, not the facts
per se

Emotional advertising
#6 Relationships
We prefer to say ‘yes’ to the people we like

Element of liking is paramount

Using similarity, liking, rapport, reciprocity, or relying on existing

network of friends and contacts to sell an idea