udent Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion

Student Training for

Entrepreneurial
Promotion

Session 10a: Persuasion and Negotiation

col University and Leuphana University of Luneberg │STEP – Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion
Agenda

1. Rational & Logical Persuasion

2. Emotional Persuasion
3. Bargaining Tactics
Persuasion & Negotiation

Persuade a potential customer of your product / service

and negotiate with them for a good deal!

 During the discussion, take note of the following:

 Rational and Logical Persuasion
 Emotional Persuasion
 Understanding the Other
Rational and Logical Persuasion

Win the Minds!

• Provide logical, rationale arguments and strong evidence for the feasibility of the
idea.
• Point out the benefits for the other of your suggestion.
• Show that you have specific knowledge about the product or service – show that
you are an expert.
• Give other forms of authority to prove trustworthiness, credibility, and competence
(e.g. title).
• Give two-sided information (extreme messages provoke backlashes), present
potential pitfalls and demonstrate how you will deal with them.
Emotional Persuasion

Win the Hearts!

• Use vivid descriptions, metaphors, and personal stories to connect on an
emotional level.
• Stress common ground and common interests and similarities between you
and the other.
• Show enthusiasm for your own idea and confidence.
• Create a positive atmosphere by showing emotions and giving compliment
(if appropriate).
• Have a proper appearance.
Understanding the Other

Read the other to adapt your persuasion tactics!

• Monitor reactions and assess the body language to understand the other’s
attitude towards your idea.
• Is the other hostile or neutral?
• Use humor, stories, or personal experiences to warm up the other.
• Focus on areas of agreement.
• Demonstrate your expertise and cite experts.
• Stress that you are looking for a win-win situation.
• Identify benefits the other would value.
• Keep it simple and present only three compelling points.
Understanding the Other

Read the other to adapt your persuasion tactics!

• Is the other uninterested?
• Stress your credibility.
• Keep your message simple and straight.
• Create an emotional bond by stressing common interests.
• Is the other skeptical or resisting?
• Express understanding of their concerns.
• Let the other challenge you and show that the concerns are uncalled-for.
Persuasion and Negotiation Tactics

Ask questions and let the other persuade himself!

• Ask leading or rhetorical questions to let the other feel that s/he made the decision him-/herself
• “Surely, you have thought about how this process can be managed more easily and more cost-
efficiently in future?”
• “Don’t you think the process can be accelerated?”

• Ask conditional or summarizing questions to commit the other to an agreement.

• “If I…, will you…?”
• “Did I get the point right that you…?”, “Is it correct that you…?”

• Ask informative questions to get feedback.

• “Why don’t you buy it?”
• ”What advice can you give me?”, “Tell me about the taste!”
Bargaining Tactics

Use bargaining tactics & avoid being a victim of them!

• We try to repay in kind what another person has provided us (uninvited debts).
• “Door-in-the-face”: Making an extreme request and follow it up with a more reasonable
one.
• “That’s-not-all-folks”: Increasing the offer or reducing the costs (“Buy 1 get 2”, “Formerly
1$, now 75 cents”).
• We feel a pressure to behave consistently.
• “Foot-in-the-door”: Starting with a small request, continuing with bigger requests.
• “Low-balling”: Inducements that are withdrawn after a commitment is made.
Role Play: Persuade a potential Customer
of your Product / Service!

Win the mind of the customer: Logical, rationale arguments and strong
evidence; benefits for other.
Winthe heart of the customer: Connect on an emotional level; enthusias
common ground.
Ifyour customer is hostile, neutral, uninterested, or skeptical apply the
respective persuasion tactics.
Ask questions for self-persuasion and to get commitment: Leading,
rhetorical, summarizing, informative questions.
Tryout bargaining tactics: Door-in-the-face; That’s-not-all; Foot-in-the-doo
Low-balling.
How to increase Credibility for Long-Term
Relationships
 Trust
 Tell both sides of the story (the best, worst, most likely).
 Deliver on your promises and commitments.
 Listen to others’ concerns and take them seriously.
 Show that you have other people’s interests in mind.
 Expertise
 Gather all information relevant for your idea (from knowledgeable people, official statistics and
reports, business journals).
 Get information that supports your idea and that contradicts your idea to be well prepared for
discussions.
 Get first hand experience (talk to potential customers).
 Show your credentials.

Credibility is the Sum of Trust and Expertise

Definitions

Term Definition

To make someone do or believe something by giving them a good reason to

Persuasion
do it.

The process of discussing something with someone in order to reach an

Negotiation
agreement.
 This presentation of the Student Training for Entrepreneurial
Promotion and its content is copyright of the STEP Consortium.
Any content may not be used, sold, licensed, transferred,
copied, distributed or reproduced in whole or in part in any
manner or in or on any media to any person without the prior
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Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion 1

University and Leuphana University of Luneberg │STEP – Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion