The Art of Persuasion in an Age of Uncertainty

In today’s uncertain environment, the ability to sell our ideas, points of view, products, services and even our reputation is crucial. Communication and interpersonal skills are now ranked as critical business skills by recruiters, and a flattening out of hierarchies in our interdependent society has led to increased dependence on interactive skills. However, persuasion is often overlooked in current management literature. In their paper, IESE’s … [ Read more ]

Being a Good Public Speaker Takes Practice

“A man of extraordinary strength and intelligence may never be more than a failure in society if he doesn’t know how to speak in public,” noted the writer William Channing in the 19th century. Two centuries later, knowing how to speak in public is a skill increasingly valued in the workplace. The ability to change public perception through a persuasive presentation is considered one of … [ Read more ]

Beyond Words

Television advertisements, public presentations, business negotiations, the opening arguments in a courtroom… persuasive communication is critical in many contexts. But how can speeches move people and mobilize masses? Where does the power of words come from? The answer is not so much in what it is said, but in how it is said, or rhetoric. The term rhetoric embraces all public speaking and interpersonal communication … [ Read more ]