After all, power and thus control can be maintained only in one of two ways, namely, force or persuasion. And in the end, persuasion has greater sway over others than force. And in terms of persuasion, it is not about imposing or “selling” an idea. Rather, it is about putting an idea forward to others, on the table per se, and then allowing the other side to freely analyze and consider the idea based on its credibility and viability. That is the art of persuasion in a nutshell.
The ability to write clearly and simply is also one of the keys to persuading others. Writing clearly and simply is a way of getting your ideas out to the world rather than leaving them unspoken. When an idea is expressed to the world rather than being left unspoken, the idea that is expressed to the world is likely to guide the conduct of others down the road, whereas an idea that is left unspoken has no effect on the conduct of others whatsoever.
History shows us that “written statements become even more powerful when they’re made public.” Expression translates into power. Keeping an idea unwritten or in one’s head instead of expressing it leads to both inner turmoil and the inability to effectively control and sway others. Not only does expression matter, but expertise matters as well. As one Roman poet said: “Believe an expert.” One must develop expertise before seeking to influence others. Expertise is the prerequisite to influence. Moreover, people trust and place confidence in a person whom they are certain possesses expertise as opposed to a person whose expertise is uncertain. We trust a financial advisor in seeking financial advice, and we trust a chiropractor when we seek to alleviate back pain. It is as simple as that.
Sharing one’s background, biography, life experiences, and history either before influencing others or in the process of influencing others also enables one to establish credentials and the perception that one is an expert on a certain issue or subject. It is also important to note that “exclusive information is more persuasive than widely available data.” It is the “exclusivity” of the information which gives it a certain aura that attracts decision-makers and executives above all else. The whole point of power and influence is to influence and hold sway over those who make the final decisions in society, and elite decision-makers are influenced more by information that is exclusive than what is out in the mainstream. Elite decision-makers, arguably, are more concerned with preventing loss than making gains, and as a result, elite decision-makers prefer exclusive information over what is simply out there in public.
But of course, the exclusive information has to be authentic and truthful. Perhaps the fact that the information becomes exclusive is in itself a sign that the information is indeed authentic and truthful. Not only is it unethical if exclusive information is inauthentic and mendacious, but if others eventually catch on that the exclusive information is inauthentic and mendacious, the disseminator of the information will run into lots and lots of pain and trouble. Therefore, in all cases, it is better to be expertly and truthful than to lie and generate content in haste, simply to gain an audience and recognition, given that you can immediately lose the audience and recognition because of the manner and the methods by which the content was generated.
Adam A. Azim 