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

by Lee Hartley Carter

Overview

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 learn:
  *  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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143133483
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Lee Hartley Carter is president of maslansky + partners, a language strategy firm based on the single idea that "it's not what you say, it's what they hear." Carter oversees a diverse range of communication and language strategy work for Fortune 100 and 500 companies, trade associations, and nonprofits in the United States and globally. As a television news personality and researcher, she doesn't rely on traditional polling for her unique insights into U.S. politics; rather, she analyzes voters' emotional responses to help understand and empathize with them on a more visceral level. The reaction matters, but the "why" behind it matters more. It was this approach that allowed her to accurately predict the results of the 2016 presidential election and primaries.

Table of Contents

Introduction: When Facts Don't Matter 1

Part 1 You

Chapter 1 Look Boldly Beyond Your Limits 15

Chapter 2 Getting Rea! with Yourself 36

Part 2 Them

Chapter 3 Persuasion Begins with Empathy 59

Chapter 4 Hearing the Haters 84

Part 3 Connection

Chapter 5 Your Three Pillars 109

Chapter 6 Your Master Narrative 133

Part 4 Story

Chapter 7 Make It Visual 157

Chapter 8 Perception over Words 170

Part 5 Ownership

Chapter 9 Persuasion in Training 187

Chapter 10 The Big Test: Persuasion in Crisis 200

Appendix: Persuasion Plan Workbook 217

Acknowledgments 235

Resources 239

Index 241

Editorial Reviews

If you're searching for the right words, Lee Carter ought to be your first stop. There's no one who better understands messaging persuasion or what people really want." 
—Tucker Carlson

“Everyday life is filled with situations that require the art of persuasion.  From negotiating a raise to selling a product.  From winning a political debate to getting your kids to do their homework.  In every situation, you can choose how to approach the other person and what language to use. Lee Carter gives you a road map to making choices that will help you get what you want. Through real-world examples and extensive research, she has created simple tools that you can put to use to win hearts and minds.
 
Effective communication starts with the ability to empathize deeply with your audience. In Persuasion, Lee explains what empathy is, why it matters, and how to use it to craft persuasive messages. Filled with examples and case studies, this book takes complex concepts and makes them easy to understand, and and readily applicable to everyday life.”
—Michael Maslansky, CEO maslansky + partners, author of Language of Trust
 
I can’t think of a time when understanding the art and science of persuasion was more important than right now. This book is academic in its comprehensive approach. It’s practical in how the reader can and should benefit from every lesson.  It’s so loaded with essential insight that I put my highlighter down after the first chapter – there was yellow on every page.  As an occasional competitor, I shouldn’t admit this but the “Persuasion Plan Workbook” is so essential to effective communication that I plan to steal it and use it for my clients immediately. 
—Dr. Frank I. Luntz, author of Words That Work
 
“As this engaging book makes clear, what we have in common is often much more powerful than the differences that divide us. Building empathy and trust, rather than trying to be ‘right,’ offers a path toward positive change—on an individual level and for our culture at large.”
—Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD
Host of The Psychology Podcast and author of Transcend
 
"Don’t let the title fool you - this book is as much about listening as it is talking. Lee Carter explains how if you want someone to listen to you, you have to start by listening to them. If you are want to know how to shift someone’s mindset, this practical book will help you see that the key ingredient is actually empathy."
—J. Stuart Ablon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and author of Changeable
 
“As Lee Carter rightly points out, nobody today can afford to be a persuasion amateur. The very connections that sustain us and the aspirations that elevate us are at stake. Fortunately, she has created this smart playbook for a more effective, and far more human, approach to communication.”
—Matthew DiGirolamo, Chief Communications Officer, L’Oréal USA
 
“In the world of politics, Lee sees the entire playing field. This book will teach you to tell your story for maximum impact.” 
—Mitchell M. Roschelle, Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers

“In this compelling book, Lee gives us a roadmap for how to climb out of the empathy chasm. For people who long to find the place of commonality where meaningful change can happen, this is the book.”
—Sharon Callahan, CEO TBWA Worldhealth
 
“In Persuasion, Lee Carter puts a science behind the art of persuasion. She gives clear instruction on how to affect change through communication. Everyone from CEO’s to school teachers, parents to pastors, will find this book deeply helpful. Many of the largest corporations in the world hire Lee Carter to help them communicate effectively. In Persuasion, she shares her best advice with us. If you want to communicate in a way that leads to change, read this book and apply it.”
—J. Josh Smith
Pastor of Prince Avenue Baptist Church and author of Preaching for a Verdict 
 

From the Publisher