Most of us think we know how to persuade.
We build a case. We prepare the facts. We answer the objections. We make the logical argument as clear as possible.
And still, sometimes we walk away from a meeting, a client conversation or a presentation wondering why the other person did not move.
I recently completed the Persuasion and Influence Masterclass with Carlton Communicators through the Australian Marketing Institute. The biggest reminder from that session had very little to do with technique.
Persuasion is not about having the best argument.
It is about understanding how people actually make decisions.
The problem with pushing harder
When we want someone to agree with us, the instinct is to explain more.
More data.
More examples.
More evidence.
More effort to overcome the resistance.
But the more someone feels pushed, the more likely they are to pull back.
That applies in marketing, sales, leadership and client relationships. Any time you are trying to help someone see the value in an idea, the way you communicate matters as much as the idea itself.
One line from the session stayed with me:
“Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still.”
Persuasion is not about forcing agreement. It is about creating enough trust, clarity and understanding for someone to become open to a different perspective.
Logic matters, but it is not enough
The masterclass revisited Aristotle’s three elements of persuasion:
Logos: the logic, evidence and reasoning behind your message.
Ethos: your credibility, experience and authority.
Pathos: the emotional connection that makes someone feel understood.
In business, most of us spend the majority of our time on logos.
We explain the strategy.
We share the numbers.
We present the facts.
We show why the recommendation makes sense.
That matters.
But logic alone rarely creates movement.
People also need to trust the person delivering the message. They need to believe the recommendation is coming from someone credible. They also need to feel that their own concerns, pressures and priorities have been understood.
That is where many business conversations fall short.
The Beach Ball Principle
One of the most practical ideas from the session was the Beach Ball Principle.
Imagine two people standing on opposite sides of a beach ball. One person sees blue and yellow. The other sees red and green.
Both are telling the truth.
Both have evidence.
Both are right from where they are standing.
Until one person walks around to see the other side, the conversation stays stuck.
This plays out constantly in marketing and business.
A business owner may see marketing as an expense. A marketer may see it as an investment.
A client may want quick results. A strategist may see foundations that need to be fixed first.
A team may resist change because they are already stretched. A leader may see the change as necessary for growth.
Different sides of the same beach ball.
The lesson is simple: before trying to persuade someone, understand what they can see from where they are standing.
Not so you can abandon your point of view.
So you can communicate it in a way that actually connects.
Listening is not passive
Listening is often treated as the polite pause before we return to our own point.
In persuasion, listening is the work.
When someone feels heard, they become less defensive. When they feel understood, they become more open. When their concerns are reflected back clearly, they are more likely to consider another perspective.
That does not mean agreeing with everything.
It means taking the time to understand what matters to the other person before asking them to care about what matters to you.
Before presenting the solution, understand the resistance.
Before explaining the recommendation, understand the priority.
Before asking someone to say yes, understand what might be making them hesitate.
Start with the problem, not the solution
One of the most useful frameworks from the masterclass was:
Problem. Solution. Cost.
Simple, but easy to forget.
Most of us jump straight to the solution before the other person has fully accepted the problem. When someone does not yet own the problem, the solution can feel unnecessary, expensive or premature.
I see this in marketing conversations regularly.
A business thinks it needs more social media content. The real issue may be unclear positioning.
A business thinks it needs a new website. The real issue may be that the message does not explain why someone should choose them.
A business thinks it needs more leads. The real issue may be that it is not nurturing the people already aware of the brand.
The solution only makes sense when the problem is clearly understood.
This is why good marketing strategy starts before the tactics. It starts with understanding what is actually getting in the way.
Why this matters in marketing
Marketing is often treated as communication going out.
A website.
A campaign.
A social media post.
An email.
A presentation.
A proposal.
But good marketing is also about understanding what is happening on the other side.
What does the client already believe?
What are they unsure about?
What problem do they think they have?
What would make them trust the recommendation?
What needs to be clearer before they are ready to act?
When marketing ignores those questions, it can become too focused on explaining the offer and not focused enough on helping the audience understand why the offer matters to them.
That is where persuasion and positioning overlap.
People do not respond only because the message is logical.
They respond when the message feels relevant, credible and connected to the problem they already recognise.
The biggest shift
Persuasion is not about being louder, more polished or more convincing.
It is about being more curious.
Curious about what the other person sees.
Curious about what they value.
Curious about what is making them hesitate.
Curious about what problem they believe they are trying to solve.
That curiosity changes the conversation.
In marketing, it also changes the outcome.
Whether you are writing content, presenting a strategy, pitching a campaign or speaking with a client, the goal is not just to communicate what you know.
The goal is to make the other person feel understood enough to listen.
That is where influence starts.
