Quotes About Persuasion

Power works best when it is indirect - never coercing people; instead, getting them to voluntarily align with your interests.

The Muslims want to force conversion. Christians want to persuade you to voluntarily change your heart to where you would say yes to Jesus Christ.

What is politics but persuading the public to vote for this and support that and endure these for the promise of those?

People vote based on emotion. Period.

Ask a man which way he is going to vote, and he will probably tell you. Ask him, however, why, and vagueness is all.

The average voter has to hear a point seven times before it registers.

I'm a big believer if you want to change people's minds or get someone to vote for you, either a voter or a colleague, you've got to first get their attention.

That's the trouble with trying to influence an undecided voter. First you have to find one.

If you're out there saying something that you don't personally believe, then it doesn't really matter if a voter agrees with what you're saying. If they don't believe that you believe it, then they're not going to listen to you anyway.

Useful lessons can be learned from our more successful local authorities - as you move into government, it is even more imperative to communicate speedily and persuasively with your members and your voters.

Masterful politicians and effective agents of change tend to succeed by singling out and making salient some aspect of a nation's self-understanding, sparking a sense of recognition - and ultimately moving voters in their favor. Obama made it into an art form.

In 2008 all the stars aligned perfectly for Obama's 6-point victory over John McCain. He was an inexperienced, untested neophyte, and successfully convinced enough voters to paint their own version of what hope-and-change was all about on the blank canvas he provided.

I recognize that it often serves competitors best to talk past each other - especially when you are trying to claim the fleeting attentions of voters on a debate stage or on social media. But think how much more clarity we could get if the people who wanted to be president clearly explained why he or she is the better choice.

Rubio's supporters must believe rank-and-file Republican voters are really stupid - or so desperate they can be persuaded that up is down, a leopard can change its spots, and a dozen bilingual unicorns will lead off Rubio's inaugural parade.

Microtargeting, as its name implies, is a way to identify small but crucial groups of voters who might be won over to a given side, and which messages would do the trick.

When Kendrick Lamar blasts Mr. Trump, he is preaching to the choir. When Eminem does it, there's a good chance Trump voters are actually listening.

My artwork is in order to seduce people into thinking.

I'm trying to sell every audience something; that something is me.

Sell yourself first, if you want to sell anything.

Salesmanship is limitless. Our very living is selling. We are all salespeople.

I'm not good at selling laptops. I'm good at selling ideas.

It's about listening first, then selling.

If you've ever had somebody try to sell you something - people who can sell, they really are not manipulating you. They are selling themselves.

If you're shameless enough, you can sell anything.