Innovation and change often depend on persuading potential users of the benefits of an innovation. To deal persuasively with decision-makers, it is necessary to know and understand their interests and opinions – which is a vital skill that is taught by life coaches. The following questions are helpful in organising technology-transfer endeavours:
- Who are the key people which need to be persuaded?
- Who will make the decisions about innovation as well as change?
- What are the decision-makers’ current attitudes toward innovation and charge? Are they neutral, friendly, hostile or, alternatively, apathetic?
- What is the most suitable way to deal with the decision-maker?
- What are the work styles that the decision-makers display? Are these people highly formal who want everything in writing in addition to all appointments scheduled in advance? Alternatively, are they more flexible and respond favourably to personal telephone calls and informal meetings?
- What networks or, alternatively, groups is the decision-maker a part of?
- What programmes or services will the novel innovation cause problems with?
- How will the innovation or alteration benefit the decision-maker?
What are the principles of effective persuasive communicating?
Whether making a formal presentation of a meeting or writing a report, the following principles – which a life coach will teach you – hold:
- Do not oversell or overstate your case. Make effective use of understatement.
- Outline the topic that you are trying to cover in two parts:
- The initial part should give broad background information, while
- The second part gives a detailed summary.
- Persuasion depends on clarity and simplicity. Avoid the use of jargon and buzzwords.
- Be prepared to back up claims or facts immediately.
- Incorporate major anticipated objections into your programme or presentation.
- Address all relevant aspect of a topic, especially those that may affect the functioning of an organisation.
- Use graphics as well as audiovisuals correctly.
- Consider ways of getting more meaningful input from decision-makers. Obtain their feel about the innovation or change.
What is the best way to communicate a message?
Messages should be clear and assured, and communicated in a way that encourages retention and not rejection.
Use verbal feedback
In communicating with decision-makers, you should use verbal feedback even if you are positively and frequently using non-verbal feedback. Everyone needs reassurance that they are reading non-verbal communication correctly.
Focus feedback on behaviour rather than personality
It’s better to comment on specific behaviour than to characterise a particular pattern of behaviour. For example, rather than calling a colleague inefficient, specify your complaint.
Focus feedback on description rather than judgement
The description tells what happened. Judgement evaluates what happened and causes negative feelings among colleagues.
Make feedback specific as opposed to general
If feedback is specific to the situation, the receiver understands what activity to continue or change. When feedback is non-specific, the receiver doesn’t understand what to do differently.
In giving feedback, consider the needs as well as abilities of the receiver
Give the amount of information that the receiver can utilise and focus feedback on activities the receiver has control over.
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