Communication Skills: The Art of Persuasive Communication (for Beginners)

This step-by-step course shows you how to craft your message in the most persuasive way possible. You'll learn how to bring listeners along with you on the journey from Point A to Point B.

The course was created with people like small business owners or entrepreneurs who have to meet with potential clients, non-profit advocates who want to raise awareness or support, and professionals who need to convince internal stakeholders to partner with them on their important projects.

The lessons can be applied to various communication situations like public speaking messages, group meetings, and one-on-one conversations. Please note: The course is not about how you actually stand up and present live and in the moment. It's about how you craft and shape your message beforehand so it has maximum impact. Additionally, the course is not about sales, "hard selling," or any closing sales techniques. In fact, quite the opposite. The course teaches good, fundamental principles of ethical persuasion that everyday professionals can use with integrity.

The course includes lessons in the following: 

• How to customize your message to listeners' interests

• How to create a greater sense of identification between you and your listeners

• How to boost your credibility

• How to engage listeners' minds and emotions with your message

• How to design your talking points for maximum persuasive flow

• The course provides two speaking templates to speed up your preparation and ensure a well-crafted message

• Welcome & Course Overview
• Moving from an Informative to Persuasive Message
• Tailoring Your Message to Specific Listeners
• Increasing Your Identification with Listeners
• Your Credibility as a Speaker (Ethos)
• Communicating Your Competence
• Communicating Your Character
• Communicating Your Goodwill
• Appealing to Listeners' Emotions (Pathos)
• How to Tell Stories to Appeal to Listeners' Emotions
• How to Use Creative Language to Add Impact
• How to Use Your Emotions: Emotional Contagion
• Appealing to Listeners' Minds (Logos)
• Practical Ways to Appeal to Listeners' Minds
• How to Design Your Overall Message for Maximum Persuasion
• How to Hook Your Listeners
• How to Show Listeners the Real Problem that Needs to be Fixed
• How to Explain Your Solution Clearly
• How to Help Listeners Visualize the Benefits of Your Solution
• How to Explain the Potential Downside to Stay Ethical & Maintain Credibility
• How to Make Your "Ask" the Easy Way
• Putting it All Into Practice (Application, Review, and Template Walk-Through)
• Wrap Up & Next Steps