Persuasion vs. Manipulation Pt.1
Both concepts are very similar and can be confused with one another, but they are useful skills when working with others and in particular when working with clients. If someone needs to understand a certain point you are trying to communicate with them, sometimes manipulation may be more successful than persuasion.
Going to back to the examples of a child not eating their vegetables or wanting a hamster, a parent could choose to either manipulate them or persuade them. But before doing so they need to figure out which one will work the best for that situation.
In Jeffrey Lang’s first webinar of the two-part series Persuasion vs. Manipulation, he discusses the power of communication, in particular when working with clients. Throughout the webinar, Lang uses examples to help explain his points to the listener. For example, how would you want to hear bad news? Would you be okay with a social media message or status, or a text, or would you prefer a phone call?
When working with clients may not seem important to students now, but learning the skills during college will be beneficial when going into work. It is no secret that personalities and viewpoints are different in a group of people, meaning you will definitely work with some people in the future that you will find difficult to communicate with and for them to understand where you are coming from.
Lang said only 7% of all communication is verbal meaning the remaining 93% is non-verbal. So when working with others it is beneficial to be physically present with them, rather than having an email conversation.
“What do you need to see, hear or understand to feel comfortable about moving forward?” Lang quoted Mark Scherr at the beginning of the seminar. I think this concept is really important not just for work-life but also in everyday life and in college. Communication and feeling comfortable is vital in order to build relationships to progress and take the next step. This goes hand in hand with how do you communicate with others, both in-person and online.
Lang ends the webinar by saying “communication is to get people to see your way of thinking and act on it.” It is so important to be able to communicate with others especially so they can see your insight. It is a skill that is not only important at work, college but everyday life with personal relationships.
References:
Cambridge Dictionary. (2019). Retrieved from. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/persuasionCambridge Dictionary. (2019). Retrieved from. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/manipulation Persuasion vs. Manipulation Pt.1 – Webinar
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About the Speaker:Mr. Jeffrey W. Lang Sr. is the Director of Supervision for the Southeast Division and a Financial Planner of Lincoln Financial Advisors, a Registered Investment Advisor and Broker-Dealer.He attended Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland. He received his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (TM) certification from the College for Financial Planning in 1984. Jeffrey has also earned a Chartered Leadership Fellow and Chartered Life Underwriter designations from the American College. He attended The Richard D. Irwin Graduate School at the American College where he earned a Master of Science in Financial Services degree in 1992, the Master of Science in Management degree in 1995, a Chartered Leadership Fellow designation in 2004 and a Chartered Life Underwriter designation in 2012. Jeffrey is a PhD candidate in the Financial and Retirement Planning Program at the American College.
He is presently an adjunct faculty member at California Lutheran University’s Financial Planning program. He has been a member of the adjunct faculty for professional studies for the CFP® program at the University of Baltimore and Villa Julie College. He is frequently invited as a guest lecturer at The American College, The University of Maryland, The University of Baltimore, as well as professional associations. Jeff served as the Financial Planning Association of Maryland’s President in 2003 and as its Chairman in 2004. |
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About the author:Rosie Baker is a undergraduate student at California Lutheran University studying Communication with an emphasis in PR and Advertising. She is also minoring in Creative Writing. |
Watch the archived webinar below:
Persuasion vs Manipulation – Jeffrey Lang
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