When you’re trying to persuade someone to do something you want, appealing to what’s important to them can go a long way. To that end, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can help you narrow down what your audience wants.
To use an extreme example, if you were wandering around in the desert (as you do) and came across a man dying of thirst, you would probably not offer to set him up on a date or discuss his career objectives. He would be far more interested in getting water first.
While many of us tend to have the bottom layer mostly accounted for, the rest of the pyramid can be up for grabs. If you’re an employer looking to hire someone who isn’t in a well-paying position at the moment, you might have better luck persuading them with higher pay than the promise of prestige. Conversely, if your target is already well-off, status and recognition may be more important. The art of persuasion is all about identifying needs.
How to Win Friends and Influence Your Audience: 10 Theories to Know For Greater Persuasion [Buffer Blog]
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One response to “Employ Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs To Be More Persuasive”
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can be used for so much. Personally used it myself recently to identify why I was in a bit of a slump. Not only did it help work out my problems, but it also helped to illustrate how only a small number of changes could have multiple positive impacts on my needs.