From Walter Isaason’s Book STEVE JOBS A conversation between Steve and John Sculley who was CEO of Apple:
Steve’s head dropped and stared at his feet. After a weighty, uncomfortable pause, he issued a challenge that would haunt me for days. ” Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?”
Sculley felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. There was no response possible other than to acquiesce. ” He had a uncanny ability to always get what he wanted, to size up a person and know exactly what to say to reach a person,” Sculley recalled. ”
Steve could have offered John money, prestige, fulfilling work but instead persuaded him to take on a massive task by showing how far John could go……if he decided to. The idea of changing the world is not only tempting but can be a driving force to persuade someone to honor your request.
So do you use this kind of persuasion or do you use force, blackmail or other negative tactics to get what you want?
I just finished researching and writing a program about Women and Persuasion. Often we find women who are afraid that being persuasive is seen as bitchy. Men can be seen as bullies but not until they get into the “force mode”. Women are sometimes faulted for just directly asking for what they want and not taking no for an answer.
Hopefully this will give you something to think about this week. What tactics do you use to get your way? Would you be interested in learning some new one? Remember persuasion is not manipulation. It is showing that there is a better way for both parties. Stay flexible. The person who is the most flexible has the most power. Be sure you start with a bottom line. Then go for it.
Let me know if this topic is something you want to think about and have a further conversation.