Persuasion through storytelling

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💎 Kevin Hogan, in his book 53 Principles of Persuasion, writes: Using stories is one of the most powerful tools for influencing an audience. Storytelling as a means of persuasion requires applying various techniques, some of which include:

◽️ 1. Never tell a story without a purpose Before telling a story, ask yourself: What is my intention? What is the main message? Am I telling this story just to entertain, or do I have a specific goal? How does the story help me achieve my objective in the conversation? Remember, some people tell stories simply to be liked, which is not a good goal and has little impact.

◽️ 2. Pay attention to audience feedback Unfortunately, many people get so caught up in talking that they fail to notice when the listener’s attention has drifted. Always watch for verbal and non‑verbal feedback, and be careful not to bore or tire your audience with overly long stories.

◽️ 3. What you say is not always what the audience hears People interpret stories based on their own beliefs, values, and interests. It is very possible that their understanding of the story does not match your intended meaning. Therefore, before telling any story, consider the listener’s perspective and ensure the story will lead to the outcome you want.

◽️ 4. A good story is neither too short nor too long An effective story usually lasts about four minutes, and you can tell one roughly every half hour. In small groups, keep your story more concise, but in larger groups you can extend it to six or seven minutes.

“Do not involve everyone in goal‑setting

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💎 Stephen Robbins, in his book 53 Principles of Managing People, writes: Modern managers, during their university studies, become familiar with the concept of “involving others in goal‑setting.” For example, Peter Drucker considered involving others in determining organizational goals essential, calling it management by objectives.

🔹 As a result, over the past 40 years, unilateral and authoritarian management has declined, giving way to participative management.

🔹 Yet, when faced with research findings in this area, you may be surprised. These studies show that there is little difference between goals set by a manager alone and goals set with employee participation.

🔹 In fact, research indicates that participative goal‑setting has only a minor impact on employee performance, commitment, and motivation.

🔹 Therefore, in some situations, goals set collaboratively are executed better, while in other situations, goals set solely by the manager and communicated to employees yield better results.

🔹 This raises the question: why don’t people try harder to achieve goals when they are involved in setting them?

🔹 The answer lies in certain conditions that are essential for participative management to be effective. For participative management to work, sufficient time must be allocated to the process.

🔹 Moreover, the issues in which employees’ opinions are sought must align with their interests and benefits.

🔹 In addition, the employees themselves must possess adequate intellectual, academic, experiential, and skill levels.

🔹 The reality is that these conditions are absent in many workplaces. That is why many employees prefer their share in the organization to be doing the work rather than participating in setting goals.

The global economy is becoming increasingly feminine day by day

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💎 Michael J. Silverstein, in his article “The Female Economy,” writes: Women worldwide spend $20 trillion annually, and this figure will rise to $28 trillion in the next five years.

🔹 During the same period, their total annual income will grow from $13 trillion to $18 trillion—larger than the economy of many countries, such as India.

🔹 Given these numbers, it is foolish for markets to ignore or underestimate female consumer products and services. Yet unfortunately, many companies—even those with excellent products and services—still overlook this market when it comes to women.

🔹 Therefore, the time has come to expand our knowledge about the female economy. For example, the Boston Consulting Group recently conducted a comprehensive study of the female economy, analyzing the consumption behavior of more than 12,000 women across 40 countries.

🔹 The results remind us that we cannot benefit from the female economy with our current products and services, which are mostly male‑oriented and controlled by male‑dominated businesses.

🔹 According to this study, four female markets have the greatest growth potential: food, fitness, beauty, and apparel. Women also openly expressed dissatisfaction with two male‑dominated markets: financial services and healthcare.