by Mandy Green, SFC Team Development Specialist
Coaches need to be good persuaders. You need to accomplish your programs objectives through the people who you work with, the team you currently have, and the players you recruit. In fact, I would say that the height of your effectiveness as a coach is your ability to persuade your team to do the things you want them to, when you want it done, and in the way you want it done.
President Eisenhower once said that, "Persuasion is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do, and to like it." You always need to be thinking about how you can get players to want to do the things that you need them to do to attain your objectives.
In any situation where you need to persuade your team to act and think differently, or you maybe want to promote a new idea within your team, you could choose to bully, dictate, or coerce your team to get the work done, but we all know with this generation of kids bulling only works for so long. I have also seen coaches who badger them and sell excessively about why some new training method is best, and usually the result is resentment. If you use persuasion effectively, you will lead your team to want to reach a shared solution to any situation they may face on or off the competitive playing field.
The Key to Persuasion
The key to persuasion is motivation. Remember coach, your players are motivated for their reasons, not yours. Your job is to find out what motivates your team and then to provide that motivation.
I think you will all agree with me when I say that no matter how much a player on your team has, he or she still wants more and more. When you can show this player how he or she can get more of the things he or she wants by helping you achieve your goals, you can motivate them to act in your behalf.
Persuading your team to do what you want isn’t all about selling. Nor is it trying to convince your team to agree with you. It’s about getting to a shared understanding and agreement. From there you work together to reach a mutually beneficial outcome for both your program, for the team, and for each individual on the team.
To develop effective powers of persuasion there are essentially four things you must do, and four things you must not do (SFC Premium Members, you will get the list of things to not do on Thursday).
Do…Establish Credibility
Credibility is based on your expertise. When you are perceived as knowledgeable in, and experienced with, a particular subject, you are more persuasive.
The other basis for building credibility is through relationships. When you have built a reputation for taking a genuine interest in the well-being of your team and peers, your methods and ideas are infused with that trust as well.
Do…Find Common Ground
The next necessary element is making sure your position, ideas, and methods appeal to your team. Coach, you need to figure out what your team is interested in. Establishing common ground is the closest you will get to "selling" your idea. There has to be an upside to your position so you need to determine what the benefits are and be able to communicate those benefits to your team. One of the most effective ways to do this is to analyze what has appealed to your team in the past. Meet with them and open up a conversation about the issues at hand, listen to their ideas and concerns and then do what you can to show them that you are taking their ideas and opinions into consideration.
Do…Produce Vivid Evidence
Having evidence to support your position is critical. You have to back up your position with evidence that what you are saying makes sense. I am not saying that you should provide factual data and reams of spreadsheets and charts because they will not be highly persuasive to a group of 18-22 year old college kids. What people respond to is "vivid" evidence that brings your concept or argument to life.
- Use metaphors to relate the concept to a shared reality.
- Supplement data with video examples and direct experiences.
- Think of analogies to make your ideas tangible.
This type of experiential proof is what causes shifts in your team’s perspectives and allows them to "see" the situation through the eyes of others who support what you are doing.
Do… Create an Emotional Connection
Finally, no persuasive argument is complete unless you appeal to your team’s emotions. When done correctly, an emotional pitch can clearly establish that you are plugged into your team’s needs and desires. So how do you appeal to emotions?
- Use your own emotions – this may mean showing emotions (enthusiasm and passion) or it may mean suppressing them (anger and frustration).
- Sense the emotions of the team – adjust your tone and intensity to fit your team.
Emotions are primary factors in motivation and decision-making for your team. Appealing to emotions is a basic premise of persuasive communication for coaches and it helps facilitate a shared understanding of the issue and what is at stake for you team.
For successful coaches, persuasion is an art form. Gaining persuasion power can help you get more of the things you want faster than anything else you do. It can mean the difference between the success and failure of your program. It can guarantee your progress and enable you to use all of your other skills and abilities at the very highest level.
To be good at it takes a great deal of understanding and practice. At its core is the ability to relate to people and adopt their point of view. When you commit to listening to people, creating propositions that have value and appeal, and remaining flexible throughout the process, you are in a great position to use your powers of persuasion.
Remember, being persuasive means motivating people to do something you want them to do, which in the end, they want to do too. Show them what’s in it for them, and do it in a way that is genuine and affective. Your persuasion power will earn you the support of others and will get your program where you want it to be faster.
