Persuasion or persuasive communication is a type of social science in which one aims at guiding people to adopt an idea, action or attitude using rational and symbolic means (Cialdini, 2001). Persuasion therefore relies on appeal rather than force. Persuasive communication can be divided into three main parts: the communicator or persuader, the message and the audience. The combination of traits and characteristics of the persuader, the message and the audience aims at bringing the utmost appeal and persuade the audience.
Persuaders
Our ability to persuade is influenced by three overarching characteristics; trust, expertise and likeability (Hamilton, 2007). Persuasion could either be based on facts or values and opinions. When a persuader is to present factual information he should be trustworthy, confident and an expert in the persuasion topic. To persuade people to accept one’s value and opinions, the persuader ought to exude charisma, attractiveness, confidence and familiarity with the topic (Hamilton, 2007).
Good persuaders also possess expertise on their topic of persuasion. Persuaders ought to speak from authority, and have adequate knowledge and credentials on their persuasion topics, (Cialdini, 2001). For instance a professional medical doctor is likely to succeed in persuading people to buy a particular prescription drug as compared to a policeman. Hamilton, (2007) asserts that good persuaders must possess enthusiasm, empathy, self confidence, persistence and consistency in the course of their work.
Attractiveness is a key factor in persuasion. Good persuaders dress appropriately for events and appear attractive to the audience. They need to be well groomed, smile nicely, maintain eye contact with the audience and put on bright faces. Moreover the persuaders need to be likeable people. Likeability stems from charisma and the ease with which a person makes friends (Cialdini, 2001). Persuaders who possess these traits are bound to enjoy immensely in persuading other people. It would be impossible to respond positively to unattractive and non-credible person because such people do not rouse the curiosity of the audience. Moreover, people are bound to question incompetent and non-credible persons thereby leading to breakdown of communication.
The message
The message is the lifeline of any persuasive communication. The content and delivery of the message determines it acceptability to the target audience. The four attributes inherent to messages are based on the AIDA model. Attention, Interest, Desire and Action (Hamilton, 2007). When a persuasive message is crafted along this sequential model it is bound to have very positive impacts on the audience.
The message of persuasion should be presented in a simple language that is simple for the audience to understand. The message should be laden with sources especially if the sources used are respectable by the audience. This gives the message more credibility making it more appealing to the audience (Cialdini, 2001). The message should also be devoid of discrepancies or conflicting ideas. Moreover, the message should not be threatening to the audience and it should also be morally acceptable.
A message that rouses emotions among the audience fuels a desire to act in the audience. The message should be well framed to present things in a planned manner. Framing also helps highlight the important messages contained in the message. Narratives present the particulars of the message as a series of events. As such narratives simplify the message, making it more understandable and appealing to the audience.
The sleeper effect takes place when a highly persuasive message laced with some disapproving information persuades an individual more rather than less over time, (Hovland & Weiss, 1951). It is therefore important for a message to contain a discounting cue since it can end up persuading the audience more.
The audience
An audience is described by assessing its objectives and needs, its characteristics and the subgroups within the audience. The audience characteristics include knowledge and experience levels, race, ethnicity and cultural backgrounds, educational and professional backgrounds, the age profile and gender composition of the group (Hamilton, 2007). Other characteristic relate to economic statuses, political and religious affiliations, sexual orientation among others.
Different audiences perceive the same message in different ways because of the beliefs and opinions help by the majority in the group. Different cultures perceive messages in different ways because of the beliefs and values attached to the message. For instance a topic on the consumption of a certain type of food is bound to be perceived differently due to culture. Gender roles also influence the persuasion process. A topic to for instance advocate for breastfeeding is bound to rouse interest from one gender. The self-esteem of individuals in an audience could also accelerate or hinder the persuasion of the audience.
The elaboration likelihood model shows how people form and change attitudes. The model distinguishes between the two routes of persuasion; the central route and the peripheral route. In the former, a subject is considered logically while in peripheral route the subject is considered using superficial qualities in order to persuade target audiences. The subject of the message and the audience various characteristics of the audience form a core part of the central route. The credibility of the persuader also forms a part of the central route. Attractiveness, quality of presentation and catchy slogans usually form the peripheral route.
Conclusion
Effective persuasion draws on a combination of characteristics from the persuader, the message and the audience. The persuader has to be trustworthy, credible and attractive. The message has to be credible also, simplified, devoid of discrepancies among other traits. The inclusion of a discounting cue in the message could also bring out the sleeper effect and enhance persuasion. The persuader and the message ought to consider the characteristics of the audience such as gender, ages, culture of the audience among others in order to deliver relevant issues and gain persuasion. The credibility of the message and the persuader are central routes to persuasion while issues such as the attractiveness of the persuader are peripheral routes to persuasion.
Cialdini, R. (2001). Influence: Science and practice (4th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Hamilton, M. (2007). Motivation, social context, and cognitive processing as evolving concepts
in persuasion theory. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Hovland, C., & Weiss, W. (1951) The Influence of Source Credibility on Communication
Effectiveness. Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol.15, No.4, (Winter 1951), pp. 635–650.
