Persuasion is a skill that seems arduous when you solely focus on why you (or your ideas) are good. But the art of Persuasion can be half mastered if you focus more on how your idea can change your audience and add value to their lives. The battle of Convincing your target audience is half won with effective communication. However, having set this right, you need to understand that there are numerous other variables that need to be in place for your audience to believe that your idea is in their best interest.

Here are some key Pointers that you must keep in mind along with an impeccable communication.

1. Engage your Audience.

This is easier said than done. When you start taking about your idea, it’s a good practice to pause and keep the conversation open at first. It’s crucial to understand what your audience thinks about it. More importantly, what pre conceived notion do they carry about the “face value” of your idea. Simply put, the simplest way to convince someone is to change their existing narrative backed by facts and figures. So, Step 1 is to engage your audience to find out about their tryst with the topic, domain, product or service. Besides this is a good way to know what sort of resistance you could meet in the due course of the conversation.

Incase this doesn’t convince you, let me throw some examples.

Before any major Product/service release, brands make it a point to pique consumer interest by starting conversation about it. For example, Durex launched the #ForgetCondoms Campaign much before the release of their new product. Not only did it spark conversation but it was a fantastic avenue to understand how will their product be perceived in the short and medium term.

2. Always Rationalize

It might not be a good idea to make herculean claims that your idea will change their Life. But it certainly is a good idea to tell them HOW, WHY AND WHEN.

Quantifying the value addition that your idea will have will deliver your intent to the audience seamlessly. At every point in your conversation, always make an effort to list the pros and cons (Cons, Diplomatically). This will give an impression to our audience that they are well informed about your idea.

If you have seen an episode of Shark Tank, you might have noticed how the entrepreneurs try to quantify their claims with projected sales figures or at best ball park numbers about the scale of impact.

3. Understand Your Audience and their Pain Point

It is very natural to go astray and focus on how amazing and path breaking your idea is because it is better than all other competitive thoughts/products/services so far. But if it doesn’t convey the exact pain point it intends to solve, you might lose out on few good ears during the discourse.

Therefore, always focus on the pain point and while you are it, the magnitude of the problem you are planning to solve.

4. Case in Points

“Why don’t you Explain it to me like I am Five”- Michael Scott

Bottomline being, no matter how advanced the credentials of your target audience is, it’s always a good idea to link your narrative to a similar case that was solved historically. Drawing parallels simply shows how well researched you are.

Besides when your audience is picturing through the lens of a similar case, it’s easier to grasp your value proposition.

5. Tangible Steps.

It’s important to convey your goals with the plan. It projects how pragmatic you are with respect to the metrics of success. Defining the key action steps shows your commitment and outlines the role of your audience in the success of your idea.

It helps to ascertain the key behaviour of your audience that will help materialize the idea. Moreover, it helps the audience feel like a part of the game plan. If you make them understand how you intend to achieve the goals attached to the idea, they feel like part of the process. This ensures genuine engagement and a certain degree of open mindedness to grasp the feasibility of your ideas.

The Final step is to be well researched about the questions that your idea is likely to invite at the end of the proposal. Make sure you are not thrown off guard with any question. The ability to address key questions projects your leadership abilities and instills trust among your audience