How To Persuade People
Different People Use Different Persuasion Techniques
- Foxes will eat you alive!
- Bloodhounds are your friends.
- Donkeys are stubborn.
Persuaders or influencers, can broadly be divided into 3 groups: Foxes, Bloodhounds and Donkeys. These names are given so that you can easily remember to associate a certain personality characteristic with the type of persuasion techniques that they use.
As I will discuss later, the ability to identify and categorise people is a crucial element in protecting yourself from various persuasion techniques, and when learning how to persuade others.
Persuasion Techniques Used By Foxes
Foxes are cunning, crafty and sly. They are very competitive, and willing to deceive and manipulate other people. Their ultimate goal is for them to win, and for you to loose.
The persuasion technique used by the fox involves them focusing on the short term. For example, if they were selling you something they would focus on the current sale.
They don’t care how their behaviour or product might damage their long term reputation. As long as they get to close the deal they are happy.
You must be very aware of the fox, because just like wolves, they can dress up in sheep’s clothing. This means a fox may appear nice, kind and considerate, but this is only an act designed to deceive and fool you.
Foxes usally have excellent persuasion skills and are very good at decieving people. Be aware of the fox, as there is nothing more they would enjoy than to eat you alive!
Types Of Foxes & Their Persuasion Skills
Foxes fall in two groups. The first type of fox has become a fox because of an overriding ambition to succeed. Such people would like to play a win-win game, but believe that in a “dog eat dog” world the good guys finish last. As a result, they follow the way of the fox.
People in this group tend to be insecure about themselves, and their possessions. They fear that someone or something will take away the things they enjoy, as a result they tend to have little faith in mankind. These people can be changed, but only if they are shown that not everyone is out to destroy them.
The second group of foxes may be unchangeable. They lack trust, don’t care about other peoples needs, and delight in contests where they win and you loose. These people will do anything to get what they want, even if that means walking all over you.
Do not even attempt to change this type of fox, as they will most likely see your caring attitude as a sign of weakness and try to exploit it.
Persuasion Techniques Used By Bloodhounds                         Â
Bloodhounds are detectives at heart. They recognise the influence opportunities in a situation, and take advantage of them.
Unlike the fox however, the bloodhound tends to aim for a win-win situation.
They also tend to think about the long term implications of what they do, and recognise that a reputation built over many years can evaporate in a few minutes with the wrong tactics.
Bloodhounds have excellent persuasion skills, because they are constantly looking for things they can use to work towards their advantage.
Unlike the fox however, bloodhounds do not want to eat you alive. Instead they would prefer to eat with you.
Persuasion Techniques Use By Donkeys
Donkeys are stubborn, inflexible and unwilling to learn. Typically any attempts at persuasion by the donkey, result in confusion and arguments. Needless to say, donkeys have poor persuasion skills.
Donkeys can often be recognised as the “know it all” type of person. They believe they are right, regardless of any evidence to the contrary.
They live in their own world, and pay little attention to the wants and needs of other people.
Types Of Donkeys & Their Persuasion Skills
Most donkeys simply don’t know how to analyse or manage an influence opportunity, and so become donkeys simply through a lack of knowledge and skill. They can be changed, but only if they are willing to learn new ways of doing things. However, often they are not.
The second group of donkeys have a natural distaste for using persuasion techniques, which is why they make poor persuaders. They see influencing and the art of persuasion as unethical manipulation, and so are unwilling to learn about or use persuasive skills.
Again, this group can be changed if they are willing to learn and educate themselves. This usually occurs when they realise that if they truly believe in something, they are letting the other person down by failing to persuade them. They will then go on to be very fair and ethical persuaders.
The third group of donkeys are much harder to change. These are the truly inflexible people, who are unwilling to see the world through another persons eyes. Ultimately these people are doomed to remain a donkey all their life.
How To Persuade
If you want to become a skilled persuader you first have to analyse your starting point. Ask yourself what you are, a Fox? Bloodhound? Or Donkey?
It’s ok if you’re a donkey at the moment, because if you are willing to learn, you too can become a skilled persuader with practice.
Be Aware Of Personality Types & Their Persuasion Techniques
You should also use these classifications to analyse the people who are trying to persuade you. Is a fox trying to get you to do something for them?
If so exercise extreme caution, and recognise that they are most likely acting in their own best interest. Even though they may appear to be helping you, in reality they are probably only helping themselves.
Matching Faces With Animals
When it comes to persuasion it also helps to look at a persons face and then try to match it to an animal it resembles.
Some people have faces that resemble monkeys, whilst others may have faces that resemble pigs, dogs or birds etc….
Whatever the animal that face resembles, try to think about what sort of character that animal has. You will often find that the animal they resemble, gives an insight into the type of person you are dealing with. Many Asian cultures associate animals with people in this way.
So for example, if a person resembles a dog, they are likely to be a kind and caring person (although this depends on the type of dog). If they resemble an owl, they are likely to carefully analyse your message. Use these personality clues to further fine tune your persuasion.
A word of warning. Don’t tell people they have a face like a pig or a warthog, otherwise they will take offence. Also, some people have faces which obviously resemble animals, whilst others may be less noticeable.
Use these as clues only, and do not judge a person solely on how they look. Other clues such as voice and body language, will be helpful in making a final decision as to the type of person you are dealing with.
Here are some examples of the sort of things you should look out for when looking for similarities between peoples faces and animals.
People Who Look Like Animals
