Persuasion: Convincing Others When Facts Don't Seem to Matter

by Lee Hartley Carter

The secrets to persuading anyone, at work and in life, from a top communication strategist .

In the post-fact, deeply divided world we live in, true persuasion is rare. Engaging with people holding differing opinions is rarer still. But for progress to take place, persuasion must happen . Whether it's convincing an employer you are right for the job, a customer that your product is the best, or your closed-minded uncle that good people can disagree, it takes the art--and science--of persuasion to move forward.

So, how do you change someone's mind--or at least advance the conversation--when everyone is entrenched in their own points of view? Communication expert Lee Hartley Carter has spent nearly twenty years advising and helping the world's most well-known companies do just that.

Among the counterintuitive secrets you'll
   *   It's not enough to understand the person you're talking to--you must truly empathize with them (yes, even them ).
   *   Logic alone doesn't work. Stories and emotions are what move us most.
   *   When communicating in a crisis, our first instinct is almost always wrong.

Filled with deeply researched insights into how we make up--and change--our minds, as well as colorful real-world examples and actionable recommendations, Persuasion will help you hone your message and craft your narrative in order to get heard and get results.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Psychology, Audiobook, Personal Development, Leadership, Book Club

272 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2020

Reviews

[Christine Bonheure · Rating 2 out of 5]

Neen, ik ben niet overtuigd. Ik las dit boek op aanraden van een kennis die er prat op gaat geen verkoper te zijn, wel iemand die overtuigt. Dit boek beschouwt hij als zijn bijbel. Ik vrees dat het de zijne blijft, want de mijne zal het niet worden. Dit boek en de inhoud ervan zijn zo typisch Amerikaans. ‘The sky is the limit’, weet je wel? Lee beschrijft zichzelf en haar bedrijf als dé specialisten die je met hun deskundigheid op het vlak van marketing, (crisis)communicatie en mensenkennis zelfs tot voorbij de hemel brengen, voorbeelden Branson en Bezos achterna. De cases die ze voorstelt blijven het hele boek door dezelfde: het bijsturen van de vooroordelen over moslims in Amerika, de strapatsen van een autobedrijf, het olielek van BP. Maar allemaal zo serieus en saai. Geef mij maar het véél vlotter vertelde, grappiger en zelfrelativerender Persuasive copywriting van Andy Maslen. Hier meer info: https://c-bon.org/overtuigende-tekst-...

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't really teach me anything but how much I loathe marketing. The book often feels like an advertisement for her company. It also is heavily advising relating to people who voted for Trump by understanding and respecting their concerns first, so that you can effectively convince them to your side. While she's not wrong intellectually, that's not going to work for me. There's a story in here about her company having been hired to help figure out how to make the average white American not be afraid of Muslims, and the pandering that had to be done to convince these white god-fearin' white folks that Muslims are people too was frankly disgusting to me.

To sum up, I get what she's saying and psychologically, she's not wrong, but respecting horrible opinions is beyond me.

[Mariah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot! I heard the author on a podcast & quickly got this book because I author what she was sharing. The book did not disappoint.

[Dee Feng · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information. Good examples, but too many examples. Simple concept and framework that can be condensed to a 50 page book.

[trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected when I picked it up. The title had me thinking purely about politics and how I could reason with a trump supporter which I desperately wanted to figure out. I was hoping this would be the basis and inspiration for the book, but a lot of it seems to relate more to marketing, branding, and company image. Those are not topics I ever think about but I will say it was interesting to see how brands and companies shift their message in a way that can feel authentic and not purely manipulative. But it also makes me realize now the number of times I subconsciously purchase a product because of wording, imagery, the way it makes me feel. These aren’t bad things because in our own careers, especially women, we need to sell ourselves better and this book offers some great tips on how to take your perceived weaknesses, your unique background, and your true core values and weave them into a master narrative that represents you in a way you can feel proud of.
In regards to trump supporters, some of the examples were initially jarring but at the same time it was crucial that someone went out there to actually go figure this out! I would be too angry to figure this out myself and if no one tries to figure this out then we have less of a chance to get to the root of the problem! So frankly I’m grateful that there are focus groups that are working to shift racist opinions and figure out why they exist to begin with. It’s much easier to call them a ‘basket of deplorables,’ but that didn’t help. So staying curious, tampering down initial anger, and finding radical empathy seems to be a strategy worth exploring.

[Stephanie Spruyt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world is so different now. These days, a Yelp or Amazon review can make or break a product. Gone are the days where research was what we listened to. We need to stop talking at each other and instead talk to each other. Empathy is the key. When you tell your authentic story, you need to tell it in the most genuine way. You can only sell someone a bad product once.

Google Lee Hartley Carter and watch a few clips on YouTube and you will see she is very direct, plainspoken and authentic. This book is written the same way and will give you plenty of good advice on being a better communicator and the able to persuade people.

[Anjela Bugher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I often despair about the world having shifted to a place where, to many people, facts genuinely don't matter. How can we make the world better if we don't use facts to guide us? The idea of using intense, active empathy to persuade people is one that I knew about, but hadn't seen set out in the way Carter does in this book. It's a huge and important lesson and I hope to find ways to employ these strategies in the future.

[Olena Semenova · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has read a lot, I was impressed by how many insightful ideas the author shared. Lee presented the "art of perauasion" through several unique angles, where it forced me to pause on reflect on what I've just read. Not only that, but she wrote in a very engaging style that kept me interested!

[Jacob Coldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top find of 2020

Amazing collection of ideas around understanding the issues with communicating in a noisy world. When everyone has there own facts and no reason to pay attention, it’s vital to have a resource like this to help you understand and create a strategy.

[Mimi Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

More pragmatic than mercenary; all about telling the “right” story - positioning your facts in a way to appeal to the client. It’s helpful though I don’t feel that it’s added to my knowledge of persuading - more selling than persuasion. It’s not quite the same thing.

[Ben Chodor · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this book

[Darya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice ideas on how to use empathy and storytelling to influence others when facts are not perceived as relevant arguments.

[Claire Kane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe this would be a useful read for someone who doesn't know much about marketing or isn't naturally empathetic but for me there was nothing insightful here.

[Rachel Yeager · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this book was very middle of the row. I do think the author makes some good points and articulates her strategies very well I don't think anything is life-changing or an awakening.

[SRIKAR CHATTERJEE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, helped me to understand the real meaning behind persuasion and how to implement it.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite interesting, however, I didn’t find this as effective in an audio book as I would have in an ebook or print book.

[joeurs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book wasn’t really needed. I found the second half to be somewhat informing. It didn’t really teach me much from what I already knew.

[Nuren · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pain to get through. Just seemed like an ad for her company. Not succinctly written. Too much fluff around the important stuff.

[Daniela Goncalves Rentroia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certain good tips, but her political ideologies were very distracting.