Covert Persuasion

How to Get Your Way without Seeming to Push

Life and work are a constant process of convincing people to do what you want, whether you're trying to win over your spouse, your children, employees or clients.

Successful persuaders know how to sway people without letting their targets even realize that they're being wooed. This is "covert persuasion," a field that draws skills and knowledge from social psychology, linguistics and business communication. Salespeople who master and apply these techniques see their results soar.

One word of warning: Covert persuasion is powerful.

Use it only in an ethical, responsible manner, as you choose among the many ways to persuade someone with tactics they won't even notice:

• Build rapport - Rapport means the other person likes you and responds positively to you. Find topics of common interest. Use body language to build rapport by mirroring the other person's posture and movements.
• Show sincere interest - The best way to develop rapport is to learn about the other person's concerns. If you cultivate a genuine interest in other people, they'll feel connected to you. Once...