There exists no purpose to communicating but to affect behavior. Any time someone puts pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, paintbrush to canvass, or lips to sound, he or she is seeking to influence the thoughts, ideas, and ultimately the behavior of another. I’m doing it right now; you’ll be doing it if you respond and disagree.
The reason some may disagree may be because the statement may sound cynical and manipulative. Certainly communications can be. The peripheral route of communications as explained by Kassin, Fein, and Marcus (2008) is most cynical indeed. Equating its usage with Hitler (2008, p. 191) can do nothing but. But consider the ways that the central route, also explained by Kassin, Fein, and Marcus (2008) has been employed to elevate and edify mankind in ways that, at the time, could hardly seem possible. Martin Luther King and the I Have a Dream speech during the height of civil unrest. Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address when the nation was torn by war. Winston Churchill and his Their Finest Hour speech when the British Isles were on the brink of despair and defeat. Far from cynical or manipulative, these speeches spoke to our greater selves. And yet their intent was pure and simple: to persuade. Because of this, the power to communicate is the greatest power that man wields in the universe. Religion, science, political theory, invention, philosophy—all loose their power utterly without the ability to convey an idea and, in so doing, persuade another. Communications is the power to bring diverse people together to accomplish great things.
As a corporate communications professional who will be out of work come the end of the year, this topic of persuading through communications is especially poignant. How I might use the principles of persuasion may be demonstrated above. I have a love and passion for communications. As I market myself to potential employers I would hope to convey this passion in my words and actions. According to research cited by Kassin, Fein, and Marcus (2008), framing something in positive terms can lend power to the argument. In my proclamation above I stress the positive aspects of communications by giving homage to great speeches of the past.
The first place I would have the opportunity to demonstrate this positive passion may be in my professional network. If those with whom I work and associate understand my passion for communications then perhaps they will be willing to help me secure a position. Another place I might attempt to persuade might be my resume and cover letter. Then of course there are my blogs, twitters, web site, and other social media. Finally, presuming that these attempts to persuade were successful, a personal interview would be the final test of my abilities to influence through the power of communication.
Through the course of these opportunities to persuade I will need to consider the question of message discrepancy—the degree to which my position differs from that of my audience (2008). Historically my style has been to take an extreme position to make an impression, demonstrate passion, and to elicit a substantive discussion. Take my preamble, for example, “There exists no purpose to communicating but to affect behavior.” This statement is designed to provoke a response. It is decidedly inflexible and in and of itself invites challenge. However, according to research cited by Kassin, Fein, and Marcus (2008), a more cautious approach may be more advisable. Extreme positions can turn people away and be counter-productive, while less radical positions help the audience make the baby steps necessary to shift their attitudes (2008). With this in mind, perhaps I could change the tome of the statement to be more like “I have always felt that the beauty of communication lies in its ability to inspire people to do great things.” This statement says more or less the same thing but in a more inspiring fashion that leaves room for discussion.
So far, however, I’ve spoken of just me and my approach. A common failing of many communicators is the lack of consideration given to the target audience. Questions such as the audience’s current position, its needs, desires, need for cognition, and so forth must be carefully considered before a persuasive argument can be developed. Answers to some of these questions might be found by researching the company, the interviewers on the internet, and by speaking with those within your personal network that may have some level of insight into these issues.
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