Persuasive Communication

Persuasive Communication

Introduction

The basic purpose of any communication is to get the message across, and to make the receiver understand the purpose of communication. Communication can be for informing, persuading or entertaining. Persuasion, no doubt, is the major component of communication that cannot be ignored. In all the different forms of communication, persuasive communication holds vital importance because it is sure to get the work done in an ideal and desired manner, and with more accuracy. According to dictionary, Persuasive Communication is any type of communication, either written or verbal, in which the communicator is trying to convince the receiver to his way of thinking. Persuasive communication is dependent on a number of factors, including the characteristics and qualities of the communicator, the message and the audience.

Discussion

The Communicator (Who)

The communicator is the Source in persuasive communication, the one who initiates the discussion and intends to persuade the other person or a number of people. It is evident that all the people cannot be good persuaders: some have the inborn capacity of persuading and convincing others easily while others gain this ability owing to their personality, their status or their likability. Other traits, like credibility and reputation also play their part in making a person persuasive or non-persuasive communicator (Castells, 2009). This implies that a person can be better communicator for the ones who like them, and might not be able to persuade others with equal amplitude and efficiency. This is due to the psychological fact that individuals are more inclined towards the words and acts of the ones they have soft corner for, and do not rely on others to an equal extend. Thus, the words of affable person hold more magnitude is more persuasive than others.

Similarly, the credibility and physical attractiveness of a person play an essential role in making the communication persuasive. It is generally observed that celebrities and other physically attractive individuals are chosen for advertising—that is the major form of persuasive communication.

If the communicator posses the above mentioned characteristics, people usually respond well to him and take the persuasive effect of his message. The source in these cases makes full use of his position and thus psychologically manipulates the receivers into persuasion (Perloff, 2010). Furthermore, it is eminent to mention here that people would not respond in the same manner to another person, who might be unattractive, angry or non-credible. This is due to the ...