Practicing Persuasion

You’re reading an excerpt of Great Founders Write, by Ben Putano, writer, entrepreneur, and book publisher. He’s the founder of Damn Gravity Media, a publishing house that inspires and educates tomorrow’s great founders. Purchase now for lifetime access to the book and on-demand video course.

Persuasion is an art. Like all art, it’s rooted in empathy. Your goal is not to win, but to create a win-win scenario for you and others involved.

There’s one last thing to keep in mind about persuasion: it takes practice. As a life insurance agent, I would literally role-play sales conversations with my boss to hone my persuasion skills. We’d also review after meetings and phone calls to identify what I did well and where I could improve.

I recommend keeping a journal of your persuasive conversations. Record the details of the situation, what went well, and where you could improve. What objections came up? What did you learn about the other party that could help you create a better win-win solution? What facts or vivid examples could you add to strengthen your position?

When you really believe in something, persuasion will no longer feel like a necessary evil. It will feel like a natural step in the journey of building your vision.