Considering the age we must be in right now and the experiences we have had so far, by common sense it is safe to assume that somehow seniors have already developed and honed their persuasion skills very well. We might even have developed our own tricky little ways to get the things we want in life. However, all things considered, some seniors prefer to just go with the flow and not put in good use their useful skills acquired all those years being a runner-up in life’s so-called rat race!
News flash for seniors! Now more than ever, you need to practice the art of persuasion. Whether you are starting your own business or hoping to land a job, or perhaps switching careers, seniors need to be persuasive enough to get things in order, and of course, be able to recognize it when applied to you as well. This, in a way, will help you assess if you are being scammed or not, if you get what I mean.
You would know you successfully persuaded a person if that person embraced your idea without any doubt at all. For those who are having a hard time applying persuasion, or feel guilty everytime they need to, here are simple ways to enhance your persuasion skills and further your influence as well:
·    Be generous. Consider this as an investment. By nature, people tend to loosen up when a person is kind or at the very least, appears to be kind. Generosity, indeed, is a sign you are willing to give whatever you have and you are kind enough to be trusted. It need not be material things, it can be in form of praises and such.
·    Personalized your moves. For example you are a client receiving an invitation though email from someone you bought something from few months back, would you like to receive a generic letter with “Dear Sir/Madam” on it or prefer to have your name emblazoned on top of it all? Of course, you would like to have the latter right? That’s the exact same thing the person you are talking to must be feeling.
·    Never confuse your audience. Seniors must focus on their thoughts when speaking to an audience. Never present too much choices and options to choose from instead, just give them only the ones they need.
·    Point out what they are missing instead of forcing your ideas in. By attacking an issue this way, your audience becomes more educated thus helping them arrive to a better understanding of the situation.
·    Express concern and move against self-interest. Yes, it may defeat your goal all together especially if you are trying to sell a product but by gaining your audience’s trust, it will be easier to have them accept and embrace your ideas.