The Psychology of Persuasion: How to Persuade Others to Your Way of Thinking (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

The Psychology Of Persuasion: How To Persuade Others To Your Way Of Thinking will show how to ethically direct others toward your point of view. Author Kevin Hogan teaches the skills of persuasion drawn from techniques as diverse as hypnosis, neurolinguistics, the Bible, and successful salespeople throughout history. The Psychology Of Persuasion demonstrates how to construct persuasive messages. It teaches how to tell what the other person is thinking, why he thinks it, and how to change what he thinks. It covers persuasion from both points of view -- helping consumers to make better buys and salespeople to sell more. The Psychology Of Persuasion shares the most powerful tools, strategies and techniques used by political candidates, television ministers, and corporate leaders. The Psychology Of Persuasion is practical, sensible, workable, and totally accessible to the non-specialist general reader. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Description

This is an insightful and intelligent guide to the powerful tools, strategies, and techniques of persuasion.Persuasion is one of the most powerful social tools a person can have, but how can you direct others to your way of thinking in an ethically acceptable manner? Understanding precisely what they are thinking is the first step.Using proven techniques from a variety of disciplines - including hypnosis, nuerolinguistic programming, and even sales training - "The Psychology of Persuasion" teaches you everything you need to know about this powerful tool.Armed with this knowledge, you can begin your journey to truly understand why we do things - and how to persuade others to your way of thinking.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565541464
• ISBN-13: 978-1565541467
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,729 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

146 of 151 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Science meets the Art of Persuasion, October 9, 2001

By	Jerri Simpkins (Hartford, Ct.) - See all my reviews

The Psychology of Persuasion is written for the person who wants to influence others. Hogan reveals more communication and influence secrets in one book than you might expect possible. The phallic paradigm of persuasion begins with the concept of Win/Win (which the author clearly believes in and repeats over and over throughout the text) and finishes with some very complex and advanced persuasion techniques that are difficult to describe in a book review.

Having been in market research for seven years, I can tell you that his insights into what works and what doesn't is pretty accurate. I also learned a great deal I hadn't come across in my work with P&G.

Specifically, the section about power words is worth a great deal to a person running their own business or for a salesperson. (It's also nice to have this information as a mother of a teenager!)

The next information that is striking (and there are some basics in the book like building rapport, elementary sales tools, and the like that make this useful for beginners as well as those of us who use this material to make a living)is the detailed discussions about nonverbal communication and strategic movement. I've never seen discussions of strategic movement in any book and the body language components are mature and insightful. Everything seems well researched and ready for use.

Another very nice benefit of this book is the subject of collecting intelligence. It seems that most everyone in the influence and persuasion professions have ignored this element and Hogan pulls a rabbit out of his hat here. Using simple examples, he shows how to really gather useful intelligence whether you are a marketer with a big budget or a small business person.

The most exciting material is the second half of the book. Here Hogan describes advanced techniques of persuasion that, once again, I have never seen anyone discuss. What again seems like magic is described carefully and with a simple but scientific precision.

Appropriate to news events of the year 2001, brainwashing is discussed in detail in the book and in light of current events, these revelations should be read by all.

The Psychology of Persuasion is a fun read. It is written so that you can be more influential with your kids, your boss or your business dealings.

The only drawback of this book was that most of the stories are about small business people. Those of us in corporate America have to extrapolate how to use these one on one tools, or small group strategies to the much larger audience of America and Western Europe. Aside from that, there isn't anything to complain about.

This was a big win for me.

120 of 126 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Leader in the Field, February 20, 2002

By	Jennifer Holtzman (Waukegan, Illinois) - See all my reviews

The Psychology of Persuasion hits on most but not all of the criteria for being what I would consider to be the leader in the field of persuasion.

The book starts with a clear exposition about the importance of utilizing influence with integrity. Hogan is probably overly zealous in his repetition of "the win win philosophy." This could be a habit from his religious background or possibly a simple concern that people utilize the principles of the book ethically.

His discussion of outcome based thinking which at least in part appears to be based on the Harvard Negotiation Model is his first glimmer of genius. It's rare to see any author present a process of thinking as clearly as his model of outcome based thinking is presented. What makes this work is the multiple examples of how to think in a negotiation. This is an area generally untouched by most authors, who like Hogan, focus on how to do, but not how to think.

The next chapter glosses over an area which Cialdini addresses more articulately in "Influence." The laws of persuasion are an expansion on Cialdini's six principles of influence. Hogan's additions are valid and I suspect that in time when Cialdini updates his text, these additions will be seen there as well. This chapter works, just not as well as it's most profound influence.

Persuasion Techniques (Ch. 4) appears to be some of Hogan's oldest material as the examples date all the way back to Iraqui SCUD missiles and the fears of same. This chapter works as the author shares well thought out techniques for asking questions and rapidly assessing values. Again, this is Hogan's niche, teaching specific patterns of thinking.

Chapter Five is one that the author seems to be most comfortable with. The Impact of Nonverbal Communication is a treat. Hogan's new research blends well with the likes of Birdwhistell and Knapp. My only complaint is that he could have gone more in depth in this fascinating area.

The acquisition of "intelligence" is something that is rarely discussed in persuasion/influence literature but Hogan misses an opportunity when he doesn't detail how to acquire high level intelligence with the world's big players like GE and Cisco. Instead he sticks with the small business owner and sales person as his examples. Here again, the book excels, but an opportunity missed is an opportunity missed.

A couple of other chapters breeze by when you again find Hogan passionate about passion. Here Hogan scores big. Difficult concepts of motivational thinking processes are dealt with in some detail and they actually transfer to the reader. This was my favorite chapter in the text.

Instant Rapport comes next and I found this chapter a bit on the manipulative side. His modeling processes are so chameleon like that you almost voyeuristically observe someone who loves to teach others to play inside other people's minds. The chapter works well but it certainly is intense.

The first half of the book ends with a discussion about how to make effective sales presentations and close the sale. He was obviously trained in the J. Douglas Edwards/Zig Ziglar tradition and these chapters add nothing that isn't available elsewhere.

The second half of the book is absolutely intriguing.

The author's ability to synthesize NLP with current psychology is impressive. Complex ideas from NLP become easy to understand and seem to actually work in real life applications. I'd like to see more research in these areas...perhaps in a sequel???

His Master Persuader chapters seem to fit the bill as once again, Hogan excels at sharing effective thinking processes to succeed at human communication.

He closes with discussions about ethics and brainwashing in two appendices which one wishes would have been chapters. Hogan never discloses his intense passion for ethics and brainwashing but clearly his arguments for ethics and understanding brainwashing by the masses are well formed and worthy of every school teaching.

Overall this is an excellent book. It misses in the area of big business applications but succeeds at the highest level for the salesperson and entrepreneur. The pragmatic and humanistic philosophy mixes well with a dash of Christian/Jewish story telling.

Five stars.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique approach to influence, May 24, 2003

By	Stephen Bryant (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews

The Psychology of Persuasion is a unique book about influence. What differentiates Persuasion from other books in it's category is that it doesn't only tell you "what" (which can be very helpful and interesting) but it tells you "how." So many self help books give you information. But as for the practical applications we are often left wanting.

Hogan's ethical background is largely influenced by a Judeo-Christian tradition which he doesn't hide in the book...nor does he ever preach...thankfully. The ethical approach he takes is essentially that of Stephen Covey's as put forth in Seven Habits.

Then with the foundation of win/win established, it is time to go to work. We learn about specific code words that change minds. "Because", "now", "imagine" and a plethora of others that seem to have been thoroughly researched as to their strength in the process of persuasion.

Synthesizing his academic background with his real world experience in sales we are treated to a truly useful introduction to hypnotic language. Hypnotic language is roughly defined as language that allows someone to avoid the reactant response. (Reduce resistance.)

Next up comes a core principle in all strategic thinking, the gathering of intelligence. In other words, McKay's 66 for five fingers. Hogan likes to keep intelligence simple. Uncover the keys to the other person's stories, get inside of those stories and then work within those "maps" if you will. His laying the foundation of intelligence (and ethics) with the old Gary Cooper movie, Meet John Doe, was either a stroke of brilliance or a lucky hit.

The chapters on nonverbal communication are not as powerful as his body language programs are but I did find the information quite helpful. The diagramming of positioning of people seems to disagree with his more recent research into seating and standing to build rapport. I suspect the information in POP is still valid and that his more recent discoveries are probably simply the next step up. The nonverbal communication chapters seem to be the best documented of the book.

His chapters on presenting material were more motivational than they were filled with the same degree of facts and specific applications. They aren't greatly lacking, they simply aren't the strength of the book.

Getting to Yes, is dealt with remarkably briefly. Hogan believes in a very powerful model of influence where you eliminate resistance, paint a vivid outcome, work within values and the person you are communicating with simply MUST say "yes." This is probably not as simple as it really works in real life but I confess that his chapter on asking for confirmation, compliance or agreement is powerful in it's simplicity.

The advanced section of the book contains material from an offshoot of various psychological backgrounds called, NLP. It differs from "traditional NLP" and some of the material is useful though I have seen little value in most of the NLP books I have read.

The final appendices discussing Ethics and Brainwashing should have been full chapters. They act only as a foretaste perhaps of future books. Just as you are finished with each of the appendices you are ready for 200 pages more on each subject. He brings up the problems of Win/Win thinking. (How much of a win and for whom?) He brings up brainwashing and it's positive and negative uses. These subjects are all tantalizing. He refuses to judge most mainstream points of view though you sense the author has very distinct beliefs and views in these areas.

Overall, The Psychology of Persuasion is a win for anyone who needs other people to comply with them.

Quite good and well worth the time invested.