What's In It For Them?

By Clayton T. Robertson (Criminal Defense / Civil Litigation Attorney)

Persuasion or marketing is about "change." You are asking someone to change a belief, opinion, or behavior. And to change, they need to know why it benefits them.

This includes jurors, judges, and opposing counsel. It also includes your friends, colleagues, and family. It includes everyone.

We all have reasons we act or think the way we do. It's consistent with our values, conditioning, or past experiences and outcomes.

So to understand the art of persuasion, you need to understand the art of change.

And to understand the art of change, you need to understand why your audience thinks and acts the way it does.

What motivates them? What do they value? What do they want?

It's really that simple.