The Difference Between “Persuasion” and “Manipulation”

Unfortunately, “sales” and “persuasion” are sometimes considered dirty words in our culture.  While entrepreneurs and small business owners are praised in our society, the notion of a salesperson conjures up caricatures of joke-telling con artists in plaid sports jackets.  Yet, often the most important role played by a small business owner is the role of salesperson.

Indeed, in the past there have been and there will continue to be a few bad apples that stain the image of the professional salesperson.  With the media coverage we have today, you would be hard-pressed to find any profession or calling that doesn’t have its share of jerks and miscreants.  But the negative image of the salesperson that we regularly see portrayed in the movies and onstage couldn’t be further from the truth.  At least they’ve never been in any of my workshops.

Although many of the manipulative “moves” of the hard sell salesperson have been discredited along with the stereotype, we must be careful not to discredit the entire act of selling. Selling is about persuasion and there is a big difference between persuasion and manipulation. Persuasion is the process of guiding people toward the adoption of an idea, attitude, or action by rational and emotional means.  It is a strategy for solving problems that is meant to benefit all parties in the end.

Unfortunately, persuasion is often confused with manipulation. Manipulation is the act of guiding another person towards something that is not in their best interest by subverting their thought processes.  Manipulation means influencing a person or a group of people in such a way that the manipulator tries to get what he or she wants; or makes a person believe something in a calculating, indirect and dishonest way. Manipulation is deceptive, surreptitious and adversarial.  It is designed for one person to win at the others expense.  It is a form of psychological abuse.

Persuasion is straightforward, overt and collaborative.  Persuasion is designed so that both parties win.  If you are not be comfortable having someone do to you what you are doing to them in the act of persuasion, you have crossed the line from persuasion into manipulation.  You are no longer selling.

« Why Salespeople Earn More than Customer Service Personnel | Home | Why People Buy – According to the Experts »

• FREE Sales and Marketing Resources

  

  Download either of two FREE Reports:

  "How to Build a Lead Generation Machine"

  "The Power of a Process for Increasing Sales"

• Sign up to receive any of three different sets of sales and marketing tips:

  "How to Generate Leads Using the Internet, Social Media and Referrals"

  "21 Unconventional Ideas for Transforming Your Sales Results"

  "25 Things They Never Taught You About Managing Salespeople (That You Need To Know!)"