Persuasion Mastery: Transferring Power and Credibility

One extremely important technique in mastering persuasion is the transfer of power and credibility.

The company you keep and the people who endorse you have a powerful effect on your ability to persuade.

You are also judged by the company you keep. People will make assumptions about you based on your friends and associates, which can be very powerful or devastating depending on your group of friends and associations.

Being able to have a strong line-up of people who will willingly endorse you or belonging to the right groups or associations is something everyone who persuades must consciously set out to develop.

Transfers of power happen every day in dozens of situations.  You recommend your barber to your neighbor and he starts doing business with that barber; you want to get into the best doctor in town so you have your friend drop a good word for you. You want a good job so you give your very best reference. In each of these examples there was an active transfer of power, some more overt than others, but in each one person went to bat for the other,  actively saying,

“You can trust this person because I say so and you trust me.”

There are two ways in which transfer of power happens, either Actively or Implied.

Active transfers of power typically happen when one person asks another to endorse them or vouch for them in some way.

Active transfers can also happen when someone you’ve just met introduces you to peers or colleagues. That individual is putting their relationship and credibility on the line for the person they are introducing or endorsing.

All too often we miss the opportunity to get active transfers of power because we are afraid to ask, yet that simple transfer of power and credibility from me to you makes persuasion much easier and much more effective. A more applicable example to business would be asking for referrals and having the person who you want to refer you actually introduce you in person or by phone and give their endorsement of you at the time.

Another often-overlooked transfer of power is testimonials. When one CEO tells another CEO of a similar company that one supplier is better than another, that supplier’s chance of winning business improves. The same is true when you have written testimonials or if you are putting them on your website, audio or video promotions.

Implied transfers of power happen when people listen to what you say based on what they believe about people, places, events, organizations or shared experiences.

The organizations you belong to have a lot of power, prestige and trust associated with them as well. Organizations that can be particularly powerful are

• Fraternities
• Fraternal organizations (Masons, Elks, Shriners)
• Business organizations (Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, Jaycees, Rotary, Young Presidents Organization)
• Secular organizations (churches, synagogues, Christian Businessmen’s Associations)
• Charities (American Red Cross, Make A Wish Foundation)
• Informal organizations like Neighborhood Watch

They all give you an opportunity to associate with people who will be more willing to listen to what you say and trust you based on your shared experiences or shared commitment to a set of ideas or principles.

Other implied transfers of power and credibility happen when you are the subject of media coverage. This is why as a persuader you must have a personal public relations plan. With some notable exceptions, people believe more of what they see, read or hear because there is an assumption that if it is in print or on the news, then it must be true.

Power and credibility transfers are reciprocal.

If you want people to endorse you, then be the first to endorse. Be known for your willingness to help people make the connections they need so they are indebted to you and will help you make the connections that are important to you.

Also be very careful how you use the credibility that has been transferred to you. You alienate two people the moment you mistreat a person whose trust has been given to you: the mistreated person and the person who endorsed you.