Creating an Atmosphere for Agreement

Many ideas languish on the table of indecision because we can’t calculate, communicate, and convince others about “the hard dollars.” If we invest in training our salespeople to write better proposals at a cost of $X, what will be the payoff? Do we keep track of how many more deals they close after the proposal-writing course? What if the price of the product they’re selling rises or a competitor changes the marketplace drastically? How do they pinpoint with certainty that better proposals alone will make the difference in their sales volume? We face such issues daily.

When it’s difficult to quantify savings or gains in time or money on a new idea or training solution, first consider what the minimum time or dollar savings would need to be to make the idea worthwhile. What if the training resulted in our improved proposal that won the $12 million contract with Universal, Inc.? What if the training reduced complaints only four percent?

Getting people to agree on a minimum is easier than getting them to agree on a valid “real” number.

Second, always separate fact from subjective opinion in persuasive efforts. Point out what you know for a fact and “what seems to make sense.” We are constantly taking information about what happens around us, drawing conclusions from that information, and communicating that information to others.

The problem is that information is rarely complete so we “fill in the blanks” and then, once engaged in conversation, forget which part we filled in. When we’re questioned on a particular piece of information that was an inference rather than fact, we lose credibility for our factual information as well. Head off such situations by pointing out what you know for certain and what you have inferred from those facts.

When communicating persuasively, remember both principles: Calculate the minimum, not the maximum, needed to tag “worthwhile” ideas, and be certain to separate fact from inference.

ARTICLE TAGLINE FOR DIANNA BOOHER

470 words
Author of 42 books (Simon & Schuster/Pocket, Warner, and McGraw-Hill), Dianna Booher, CSP, CPAE, delivers keynotes, breakout sessions, and training on communication and life-balance issues. Her latest books: Speak with Confidence®, Your Signature Life®, Your Signature Work®, E-Writing, and Communicate with Confidence®. For more information on Dianna and her programs, visit www.diannabooher.com or contact her firm, Booher Consultants, Inc., at 800-342-6621

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