Win the argument. It seems like all anyone wants to do these days is “win the argument.” We all want to be right. Anyone that knows me, knows that I struggle with this. I have opinions on things (some I have even given real thought too), and feel like my perspective is the right one. I even talked a little about my need to be right here recently. The thing is, most of the time in life, it’s not about winning the argument. It’s about creating a level of influence. We want people to move in the direction we would like. It’s not about brow beating them to our way of thinking. It’s about guiding them. So here are a few ways to better influence. Never Insult Them: This is probably the biggest trend I see today. It’s most prevalent on social media, but it bleeds over. We are so sure that our perspective is the right one, we assume anyone that believes the other way is an idiot or (worse yet) evil. So we tell them so! Remember, no one finds you, or your way of thinking smarter if you call them names. Listen To Them: If you want to be heard, you first need to hear. When people feel safe to share their opinions with you, they are much more likely to let you do the same. It also gives you the ability to say “I gave you the chance to give your perspective…will you give me the same?” Validate Them: It’s important to let people know that you respect them. You may disagree, but that doesn’t make them a bad person. There is value in you letting them know that. And here’s a bonus one. Consider their perspective. If this a person you feel compelled to change…you probably respect them. If that’s the case, it might be important to consider you might be wrong. The ultimate show of respect and maturity is to admit that you are wrong. (Oh…and I talked about that here). Just a thought. Thanks for listening and considering! We are working to post value to you each day! Make sure you never miss an update or a post. Sign up for our VIP newsletter here. And as alway, you can check out products for your next promo campaign here.
