Penny Casselman:
Once you find that emotional engagement, persuasion absolutely starts to take effect. And that is when you find a breakthrough. When you turn the spotlight off of the facts, off of yourself, and instead, understanding what the other person finds important, useful, reasonable, You reach your goals faster. You feel more in control, and it allows you, oh, here we go, to pick up your red marker. Welcome to the Pivot with Passion podcast. Hi. I'm Penny Casselman. I believe everyone is deserving of a phenomenal life.
Penny Casselman:
Regardless of where you came from, life is what you make of it. And when you learn to to pivot with passion, your world explodes with opportunities. Go grab your favorite beverage, and let's shake things up as we explore how to pivot with passion. Hello, director. You know the drill. What are we celebrating? And I'm gonna pause for a moment because I realize saying what are we celebrating at the top of every episode might feel too grandiose. I guess even in my mind when I think celebration, I think birthday or graduation, and those are huge milestones. And maybe all you can think of is I didn't hit snooze this morning when my alarm went off.
Penny Casselman:
So let me rephrase it for you this week. Where did you give yourself a gold star this past week? Because what we celebrate isn't always massive events or activities. Sometimes it's just those very small, few actions that we take. Maybe you remember to put out your gym clothes the night before so that you had no excuse the next morning to get up and go to the gym. So what is it we are celebrating or giving ourselves a gold star this week? For me? Yes. The struggle is real. And there are days where I think I just don't have it in me to show up on camera and deliver a podcast. Yet, here I am because I know how good I feel when I'm done doing this, and it is my hope that every single week, someone who's listening, maybe that someone is you, will walk away with a new insight, a new found sense of connection, or courage, or commitment to go after something new in their life.
Penny Casselman:
Today's topic is how to get more of what you want. Yes. Persuasion. And let's set the stage first to clarify the difference between persuasion and manipulation. At first blush, you might have thought these two words are interchangeable, but, woah, Nelly. There's a huge difference between being persuasive with someone and being manipulative. Here is the nuance that we need to keep front and center as we move through the episode. Persuasion aims to influence someone's beliefs or actions through logical illustration while observing and honoring their power of choice.
Penny Casselman:
So what does that mean? That means that they don't have to agree in the end. We have to acknowledge that the person that we're having a conversation with has a choice whether to move forward. The difference is that manipulation often uses deceptive tactics, not logical ones, and often exploits the other person's emotions or tries to deceive in the hopes of controlling them, often at that person's detriment. Ah, okay? I won't get into any more of these definitions, but I wanted to start out to ensure that we weren't confusing those two as I move forward. Because persuasion, when done correctly, when done with thought and intention, can help you move mountains, can help you reach your goals faster, feel more in control of the life you're going after. And inside high performance coaching, this is one of the core areas that we focus on, persuasion. Because persuasion can help you take something that without it may have taken you six months, a year, or longer. But with persuasion can help you shorten that distance between where you are and where you want to be.
Penny Casselman:
Yes. Who doesn't want more out of life, whatever that more means to you. I want you to recognize persuasion happens every day in all aspects of our life. Think about you're pitching a new project at work, and it's between you and someone else. Don't you wanna persuade the people listening to your pitch that yours is the one to go with? Or maybe you just simply wanna get your kids to pick up after themselves. Wouldn't that be amazing if you were able to persuade them to do it without having to point fingers, raise your voice, or get frustrated every time? It could also be something as simple as wanting to rearrange the living room furniture. Yes. Powers of persuasion can be moved into effect for every one of those situations to help you get the outcome you want, to get the project, to have a tidy house, and to have a better flow in your living room.
Penny Casselman:
So let's unpack this idea of persuasion. This is a learned skill. This is something you may not feel proficient at right now, but it is a skill you can learn. And by learning that skill and applying it, you can create the future that you want. You see, inside High Performance Coaching, we dedicate an entire session inside our framework to persuasion. Why? Because the studies and research have found that when you become better, more masterful with persuasion, you reach your goals faster, you feel more in control, and it allows you, oh, here we go, to pick up your red marker, claim your moment, own your belief, vision, and your ability to take action and showing up as the best version of you. When you become masterful with persuasion, you can completely turn someone's ship around and get it sailing in the direction that you want. When you put empathy first, when you put the other person as the most important person in a persuasion conversation, the world is your oyster.
Penny Casselman:
So let's think about this in terms of an analogy. Think of a thousand piece puzzle. Now imagine dumping it out on the table and throwing away the box lid, and then turning to a friend and asking them to put the puzzle together. What? I could not even fathom how long it would take someone to put a thousand piece puzzle together with no picture of the final product. You see, persuasion, when it is done well, is like showing your friend the box top first, showing them the outcome that you are going for, that they in turn want, and then helping to guide the puzzle process together. You see it's collaborative. It's not one-sided. It is involving both parties, and it's not pushy.
Penny Casselman:
The clearer you can make the picture when you are inside of a persuasion conversation, the more likely the other person is to stay engaged, stay open, and receptive to everything that you have to share. It's time for a clarity cocktail. Today's clarity cocktail comes from Zig Ziglar, and he shares, you can have everything in life you want if you will just help other people get what they want. That is a mic drop moment right there. That beautifully illustrates the topic of today's episode, of persuasion. Because in becoming masterful with persuasion, the world opens up. You get to step into that beautiful vision you have for your life by simply bringing people along with you as you chase your goals. It's all about stepping into that mindset of helping others.
Penny Casselman:
You have got to take yourself out of the conversation as much as possible and help paint a picture. You see, people act on emotions, not just facts. You've probably heard it say, facts tell, stories sell. It's a well known phrase for marketing. It's what all the advertisers during the Super Bowl try to do. It's evoking emotion. No one shows up to a Super Bowl commercial and just has a spreadsheet with charts to show you why their product is the best, why you should buy it, etcetera. No.
Penny Casselman:
They're telling stories because they want that emotion that you feel to propel you towards a buying decision. And it's kind of the same thing in everyday life. When you are having a persuasion conversation, if you can help the other person get to a point where they're getting what they want, you're there. As always, this quote is in the show notes. I encourage you to write this quote down. Post it somewhere that you will see it on a daily basis, at least for the next week, to keep this idea of persuasion top of mind as you move through your day. Because there are probably so many situations in your life right now that could use the power of persuasion to get you where you want to go faster, but you might be missing the opportunities because you're thinking of yourself. Thank you Zig Ziglar for this beautiful nugget of wisdom.
Penny Casselman:
You can have everything in life you want if you will just help other people get what they want. And now, back to the episode. Cheers. And we are circling back now to this idea of how to get anything you want using the skill of persuasion. Let's talk about some common misfires that happen when we start approaching a persuasion conversation. We talk over people. We assume what their motives are, or we start pushing facts over feelings. Persuasion must be emotional for the person that you are trying to persuade.
Penny Casselman:
Once you find that emotional engagement, persuasion absolutely starts to take effect. And that is when you find a breakthrough. When you turn the spotlight off of the facts, off of yourself, and instead, instead understanding what the other person finds important, useful, reasonable. I know for me, things weren't clicking in my business until I dug deep enough and found that emotional pull towards success. Once I found that emotional connection, things started to unlock. I started up my weekly newsletter again. I'm showing up here consistently on my podcast. I'm excited about high performance coaching, just in case you didn't think.
Penny Casselman:
I was excited. I'm so excited. So here's a strategy that you can use going forward to persuade better at work or at home with your family, with friends, with your kids, with your neighbor, or anywhere else, it's not about being slick. It is not about being manipulative. It's about the three A's, acknowledge, amplify, and affect. So let's dig in. First, acknowledge. Start by recognizing the other person's reality.
Penny Casselman:
I've mentioned it numerous times throughout this episode so far, but you must take the emphasis off of you and shine the light on the person you're speaking with. For instance, you could say something like, I know that you have got a lot on your plate right now. The simple act of acknowledging where the other person is in their life in that moment immediately builds trust and makes them feel like you are invested, and the outcome isn't just about you. The second step, once you acknowledge, you amplify. You want to paint a picture of what's possible for them. Think of that thousand piece puzzle on the table. You've got to show them the lid. For instance, if it was a work persuasion conversation, you might say something like, imagine how much smoother things could run if, because that takes what you're asking and frames it in a way that is meaningful to them.
Penny Casselman:
People like things smooth, or insert whatever other adjective that's appropriate for your situation. It could be something that focuses on internal feelings, such as joy or growth or ease, or it could be something external. Maybe they're looking for recognition or reward or accolades. And the final step is affect, a f f e c t. You want people to have that emotional pull because that is when they will move towards the outcome you're hoping for. Remember there's that marketing phrase that I shared earlier, facts tell stories sell? Bring that into this effect portion of the conversation. Share a quick story. Use a passionate tone or connect the dots between where you currently are and where you want to be in an emotional fashion.
Penny Casselman:
For instance, remember when we pulled this off last time? You were lit up about how much fun you had, and we were rewarded by the whole group for our efforts. I hope that what I've shared has painted a picture for you as to how you can master the art of persuasion. So to go through that three a strategy once again, it starts with acknowledge. Recognize their reality. The second one is amplify. You have to paint a picture of what's possible for them. And the third is effect, because people will take action when they feel an emotional connection to the outcome. Directors, here's my challenge to you.
Penny Casselman:
I want you to read that Zig Ziglar clarity cocktail every day this coming week, and start to recognize opportunities in your everyday life where you might be able to practice the art of persuasion. And once you identify a situation, map it out. Grab the three a's, write them down on a piece of paper, and walk through the scenario you are trying to impact. And lastly, if you want to explore this topic on a deeper level, let's talk. Because inside of high performance coaching, not only do we touch on persuasion, but so many other pillars that will amplify your success, your joy to levels you probably have yet to imagine. And I would be honored to talk to you about how we can move forward together to make that happen. If you are feeling bold this week, DM me inside Instagram. I would love to hear about a successful persuasion conversation you have had, because there is nothing I like more in life than to celebrate you.
Penny Casselman:
One last quick thing. If you are a regular listener of this show, I will be taking next week off. So use that time to practice your persuasion skills, or listen to some past episodes that you may have missed, or share one with a friend and then have a conversation about it. I am over here always cheering you on, and I can't wait to chat with you again in June. Friend, thanks for listening to this episode of Pivot with Passion. If you've been feeling stuck, exhausted, or frustrated, this is your permission slip to go grab a red marker and claim the life you desire and deserve. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend, and then hop over to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts. Because my goal is to put a red marker in everyone's hand, and I need your help to spread the word and make that happen.
Penny Casselman:
Until the next episode, go grab a red marker, get excited for your future, and make your first move to pivot with passion.
