The ability to persuade, to change hearts and minds, is perhaps the single greatest skill that will give you a competitive edge in the knowledge economy… persuasion is no longer a “soft skill”— it is a fundamental skill that can help you attract investors, sell products, build brands, inspire teams, and trigger movements.
Carmine Gallo, Harvard University instructor, author
Takeaways of Note:
Aristotle’s formula re: the art of persuasion…
1) Character – insight into your credibility.
2) Reason – why should audience care about your idea? – use data, evidence, and facts.
3) Emotion – people are moved to action by how a speaker makes them feel… the most personal content is the most relatable.
4) Metaphor – clarify your idea by turning the abstract into something concrete… helps others gain a clearer understanding and to remember & share them.
5) Brevity – limits to the amount of information any human can absorb & retain… less is always more.