The 5 Paths to Persuasion

The Art of Selling Your Message
by Robert Miller and Gary Williams (09000)

A two-year study of 1,700 executives found that there are actually only five general types of decision making styles in use:

1. Followers (36%)
–who make decisions based on how other highly successful people have made decisions in the past.

2. Charismatics (25%)
–who get enthusiastic about new ideas but rely on others to think through all the details.

3. Skeptics (19%)
–who automatically distrust anything they hear, especially if it conflicts with their view of the world.

4. Thinkers (11%)
–who need to methodically work through all the advantages and disadvantages before making a decision.

5. Controllers (9%)
–who have to be hands-on and involved in every aspect of the decision-making process.

If you accurately identify the preferred decision-making style of the person you’re selling to, you can then tailor your sales processto provide them with more of what they need and less of what won’t influence them to act. This will ensure your message gets its best possible reception which, in turn, will lead to your being more persuasive and getting more business done.

The 5 Paths to Persuasion