How to persuade a reluctant audience

A technique so powerful you can even use it to persuade yourself!

The next time you have to deliver an unpopular message and persuade people to accept it - do you think some  “magic words” might be useful?

If so, here’s a 3 word framework for delivering that message, or for simply encouraging people to take action.  It can be used at work, at home and even on yourself (even when you know how the “magic” works!)

Imagine you’ve been asked to address a room of tired, frustrated employees.  You need to deliver bad news.  What they want to hear from you is that they’re going to get a bonus.  What you need to tell them is that they need to complete another project first.  They’re looking at you expectantly as you step up to speak. 

What are you going to say?

Here the “PFP method” can help.  This stands for “Past → Future → Present” and it is a reminder to focus on these three time periods in this specific order, if you want to persuade them of your view, starting with the past.

1. Past

Most people, when talking about work, will talk about, and be focussed on the past - what they have been doing over the last week, month or year.  If you make a suggestion about the future to a person who is focussed on the past they will typically reject it.

New system?  - We’ve always done it this way..

New project? - But we’ve only just finished this one…

New idea? - We tried that already and it didn’t work.

Trying to convince someone who is focussed on the past to do something different is not likely to work.  They simply will not have the right frame of reference (or “mindset”) to accept what you are saying.  You need instead to start from where they “are” - in the past.

Rather than talk to them about what you want them to do - acknowledge what they have been through - the work they have put in, the time and effort involved, how they may be feeling as a result.  In short you need to accept and understand the past that they are likely focussed on.

If you do not take this first step (of acknowledging the past, up to this point), then your message is very likely to fail.  

You cannot stay in the past however.  If you do then you are simply repeating back to your team where they are right now.  Instead you need to switch to the future - specifically a compelling future.

2. Future 

Having acknowledged the past now you need to paint a picture of the future that your team could get to.  This must be a contrast to the past but must be compelling to your listener.  There must be a reason that your listener wants this - not as a collective goal for the business but for themselves personally.

You can flag this change by using words such as “Imagine…” or “What if….”  before setting out an alternative vision for where they could be instead.

Martin Luthor King famously did this in 1963 where, in front of the Lincoln Memorial he switched from talking about the previous 100 years to the possibility of a different future with the words “I have a dream that one day….” . The contrast is powerful because it moves from past to the future.

Only once you’ve set out this possible future and revealed to your team why they want it can you move to the next step - the present.

3. Present  

Only once you have set the scene for the future and focussed the minds of your listeners on what it is they’re aiming for can you turn your attention to the present - what needs to be done to reach that future that you’ve just pictured?  

By keeping the question open you invite listeners to take ownership of the solution - what can they do to get there, what can they be responsible for.  

A question about “how to get to” a particular result is one that is much more powerful than a question that you might otherwise receive (about why you’re not there yet)

I use this technique regularly - both in coaching calls, in team meetings and at home.  It works because it directs attention from the blockage in the past, via the goal for the future to the actions needed to reach that goal. 

How about you?  I appreciate you might not (in the past) have had the chance to use this technique, but can you imagine (in the future) opportunities where you could use it to persuade others to your perspective?  What steps could you take now to make sure you will remember it when the time comes? 

(Yes I know you know I just followed that formula.  Does it make it any less effective?)