In the first two shows (BEP 59 & BEP 60) of this Business English Pod series on persuasion, we saw how getting your audience’s attention and demonstrating a clear need were essential to the persuasive process. We learned that in the indirect method of persuasion you should demonstrate the problem before you offer a solution.

After you have established the need, you then describe the future benefits if your proposal is accepted. This is the visualization step: Talk about how accepting your proposal will have positive future outcomes or maybe how not accepting it will have negative outcomes. Finally, you need to make a concrete, specific call to action – what the audience can do right now to implement your proposal.

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Listening Quiz: BEP 62 ADV – Persuasion 3

1) How long will it take Swift to get back the investment in air conditioning?

Steve says Swift can get its investment back in under three years.

2) How much extra profit can Swift make per year by adopting Nick’s proposal?

Nick anticipates that Swift can make at least an extra $200,000 per year after the air conditioning system and insulation have been paid for in the first three years.

3) What specific action does Steve ask his manager’s to take?

Nick asks his managers to “authorize the purchasing department to request bids for the system.”

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Listening Quiz: BEP 60 ADV – Persuasion 2: Establishing the Need

1) What’s the highest temperature in the welding room?

On six days last summer, it hit 41°C.

2) What does Steve present first – the problem or the solution?

Following an indirect approach, Steve first presents the problem then the solution. By first making a convincing statement of an urgent need, Steve is preparing his audience to accept his solution.

3) What kind of strategies does Steve use to paint a vivid picture of the need for his solution?

Steve uses a number of strategies to make a convincing statement of the turnover problem. He starts with the origin of issue. Describing how the welding room gradually heats up during the day, he paints a vivid picture of the background to the problem. Then he uses a number of figures to show a real business need for addressing the problem because of its impact on the “bottom line” or profit of the company.