The Book of Persuasion: How You Can Change People's Minds and Influence Their Decisions While Building Trust. This item is unavailable.The Book of Persuasion: How You Can Change People's Minds and Influence Their Decisions While Building Trust

Whether you’re a doctor, lawyer, business executive, manager, salesperson, coach or a parent – we’re all required to call on our persuasive powers to get others to do what we’d like them to do.

This book helps you to uncover these gifts. It reveals the secrets of persuasion and the skills you need to become a better, more effective influencer.

“This is an easy read, packed with real case studies and personal experiences and outstanding anecdotes that will inspire you while you learn. Paul's book outlines the psychology and science of persuasion in simple, practical terms, while revealing an abundance of amazing ideas and opportunities for you. Comprehensive, captivating, and riveting, this book will dramatically improve your ability to influence others and is a must-read."
– Prof. Allan Pease, Author of 11 #1 bestsellers

"Persuasion techniques that are simple to master and will help you to influence in ways that are not immediately obvious"
– Tony Leon, former leader of the opposition in the South African parliament

Table of Contents

Part 1: Persuasion in context

1. Do persuasion skills matter?
2. Are some people born persuasive?
3. How logical are we really?
4. Heuristics
5. Persuasion or manipulation?
6. Bribery, corruption, and lies
7. Persuasion and integrity
8. Trust
9. Patience
10. Preparing the ground
11. Persuading yourself

Key Insights from Part 1

Part 2: The tools of persuasion

1. Providing choices
2. Admitting you are wrong
3. Negotiation
4. Knowing the price of things
5. Priming
6. Confidence
7. Consistency
8. The power of paper
9. Taking notes
10. Write it down
11. Social proof
12. Forbidden fruit
13. Scarcity

Key Insights from Part 2

Part 3: Persuasion devices

1. Change the order
2. Reframing
3. Differentiation
4. Friendship
5. Acknowledgement
6. Asking for help
7. Kindness
8. Reciprocity

Key Insights from Part 3

Part 4: Persuasion techniques

1. Tell a story
2. Get them used to saying "yes"
3. Contrast
4. When “no” makes sense
5. Ramping it up: the 1-2-3 decoy method
6. Persuasion by proxy
7. Authority
8. Charisma
9. Charismatic people

Key Insights from Part 4

Part 5: Communication techniques used for persuasion

1. Humour
2. The addictive power of laughter
3. Your engaging smile
4. Modelling behaviour
5. The hypnotic effect of mirroring
6. Why the words you use matter
7. The impact of the way information is presented
8. Asking the right questions
9. Asking for permission
10. Why arguing isn’t always bad

Key Insights from Part 5

Part 6: Using senses to persuade

1. The power of images
2. The impact of body language
3. To touch or not to touch?
4. The power of your voice
5. Speaking
6. Engaged listening
7. The sounds of silence
8. When does the herd change direction?

Key Insights from Part 6

Paul du Toit is the author of You Can Present with Confidence and co-author of The Exceptional Speaker. He was awarded the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation in the 21st by the National Speakers Association (USA) in 2008. He is a founder and former president of the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa. In April 2009, he was awarded the Stef du Plessis Founder's Award at the Global Speakers Summit in Cape Town for his contributions to the speaking industry. In 2014 he was made an Honorary FPSA by the PSAUK&I. He was inducted into the Southern African Speakers Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Southern African Educators Hall of Fame in 2020.