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Steve Martin
May 28, 2015
Persuading decision makers that your proposals and recommendations are worthy
of their time and attention is a tough challenge even for the most
experienced and admired experts. So what should you do if you find yourself
having to persuade an audience that doesn t know about or is even skeptical
of your expertise and experience?
Persuasion researchers know that decision-makers will often place their faith
less in what is being said, and more in who is saying it. For good reason
following a trusted authority often reduces feelings of uncertainty. In today s
constantly changing business environment, it s increasingly the messenger that
carries sway, not the message.
Therefore, it s crucial that you convince your audience you have the necessary
expertise to make a recommendation which can present problems if you lack
credibility.
You need to be seen as competent and knowledgeable, yet recounting a list of
your accomplishments, successes and triumphs, however impressive, will do
little to endear you to others. No one likes a braggart. But arranging for
someone to do it on your behalf can be a remarkably efficient tactic in
overcoming the self-promotion dilemma.
Take, for example, a set of studies led by Stanford University s Jeffrey
Pfeffer, who found that arranging for an intermediary to toot your horn can be
very effective. Participants in one study were asked to play the role of a book
publisher dealing with an experienced and successful author and read excerpts
from a negotiation for a sizeable book advance. Half read excerpts from the
agent, touting the author s accomplishments. The other group read identical
comments made by the author himself. The results were clear. Participants rated
the author much more favourably on nearly every dimension especially
likeability when the author s agent sang his praises instead of the author
himself. Remarkably, despite the fact that participants were aware that agents
have a financial interest in their authors success and were therefore biased,
hardly any took this into account.
In another study with real estate agents, my team and I measured the impact of
a receptionist introducing a realtor s credentials before putting through a
call from a prospective client. Customers interested in selling a property were
truthfully informed of the agent s qualifications and training before the
inquiry was routed to them. The impact of this honest and cost-free
introduction was impressive. The agency immediately measured a 19.6 percent
rise in the number of appointments they booked compared to when no
introductions were made. So arranging for others to tout your expertise before
you make your case can increase the likelihood of people paying attention and
acting on your advice.
Remember that the same is true if your proposal is being delivered in written
form. When submitting a proposal or recommendation, avoid making the mistake of
squirreling away you and your team s credentials towards the end of an already
full document. Instead, make sure that they are prominently positioned up
front.
Another approach for winning people over when you lack experience? Play up your
potential.
In research led by persuasion scientist Zakary Tormala, participants were asked
to evaluate applicants for a senior manager position in a large corporation
whose backgrounds and qualifications differed only in one key aspect: one had
gained 2 years of relevant industry experience and scored highly on a
leadership assessment test and the other had gained little experience but
scored highly on a leadership potential test. Despite the experience deficit,
the candidate who had scored highly on the leadership potential test was rated
as more likely to be a successful hire, even though they were objectively much
less qualified.
The persuasive pull of potential doesn t just hold true in recruitment
contexts. Facebook users shown a series of quotes about a comedian registered
much greater interest (measured by click-rates) and liking (measured by
fan-rates) when informed of the comedian s promise This guy could become the
next big thing rather than his actual achievements Critics say he has
become the next big thing.
If you have an abundance of talent but a lack of on-the-job experience, all is
not lost. In addition to introducing your know-how before you make your
proposal, also try including a statement that signals the promise of your
potential. Doing so might persuade audiences to think about you more
positively, which in turn, could tip the balance in your favor even if you re
not an expert on paper.
Steve Martin is the author of the October 2012 Harvard Business Review article
98% of HBR Readers Love This Article. His new book, THE SMALL BIG small
changes that spark big influence, was featured as one of TIME magazine s Big
Business books for Fall 2014 and is out now.