The Soulful Art of Persuasion: The 11 Habits That Will Make Anyone a Master Influencer

Don’t force the interaction; just make the introduction and let them do the rest. Your goal is to value relationships for their own sake—and that includes other people’s relationships.

Third, persuasive people are empathetic. They are naturally curious about other people and seek out engaging conversations that delve past small talk into topics that genuinely matter to others.

HABIT 1: Being your own weird self makes it difficult for others to see you as phony or manipulative, and allows them to recognize you as a unique individual. HABIT 2: The power of storytelling will help you to reframe contentious issues and offer your point of view in a way that resonates on a human level. HABIT 3: Never be closing and avoiding th

Pick four people a week to touch base with. It doesn’t need to be a long email or phone conversation—it could just be a quick “I was thinking about X and that reminded me of you” text message. It could also be a face-to-face meeting or scheduled phone call.

Empathy and persuasion go hand in hand. If you’re attempting to move someone, you damn well better understand where they are coming from. The ability to take someone else’s perspective is hard enough when that person is already on your side. It’s even harder when the person you’re engaging with sees the world in a way that is fundamentally differen

It’s long been thought that one of the best ways to wield influence is by engaging in reciprocal, give-and-take exchanges. But this is a paradigm example of the kind of transactional thinking that undermines one’s persuasiveness in the long run. Focus solely on the “give.” Simple as it may seem, habitually generous people are more persuasive. So ge

What’s my secret? Well, I’ve only found one solution that works in today’s modern world: be the opposite of the greasy salesperson or the self-deluded blowhard everyone is on guard against. Be someone people can trust and relate to and even sometimes be moved by.

Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon

The methods I’ve found to avoid this kind of insincerity are: Put your true self out there. Speak and act with confidence. Collect role models. Boldly follow your core values.

People who are habitually positive—who reliably base their thoughts, beliefs, comments, and actions on their positive emotions—are the kind of individuals you want to have around. Their positivity can be infectious, rubbing off on you and making it easier for you to focus on the more uplifting aspects of your own life. They are more likable and mor