The Art of Persuasion in the New Economy

Aristotle's Ῥητορική, Romanised as Rhetorike, is the text book of rhetoric.  I define rhetoric as the art of putting forward a coherent, cogent argument, for or against a position, to persuade the audience.  In essence, it is the art of persuasion. 

The Toastmasters programme is based on Rhetorike, broken up into the various projects and Pathways.  In an age of interconnectedness, where ideas themselves have become a currency for acceptance, and passport to socioeconomic elevation, rhetoric has increased in value exponentially.  In this age of hyper-competitiveness in business, it is art of persuasion that closes that deal.  It is the fine line between success and failure. 

Rhetoric is the basis of our civilisation.  The moment one man was able to persuade others towards a common cause, from banding together to hunt bigger game, to building the Pyramids, civilisation began.  As we move into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, more of our GDP is generated through ideas, because we are now a knowledge economy.  In a knowledge economy, every single person needs to master the art of persuasion.  This is necessary to exercise market leadership, personal values, even being part of the national conversation in a digitally connected world. 

Where the art of rhetoric used to be a soft skill, it is now a foundational requirement for success.  To illustrate that point, in “Getting There: A Book of Mentors”, author Gillian Zoe Segal interviewed Warren Edward Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and one of the wealthiest men in the world.  He said, “In graduate school, you learn all this complicated stuff, but what’s really essential is being able to get others to follow your ideas.” 

He also said, “I don’t have my diploma from the University of Nebraska hanging on my office wall, and I don’t have my diploma from Columbia up there either — but I do have my Dale Carnegie graduation certificate proudly displayed.  That $100 course gave me the most important degree I have.  It’s certainly had the biggest impact in terms of my subsequent success.” 

He also said, “If you’re a salesperson, you want people to follow your advice.  If you’re a management leader, you want them to follow you in business.  Whatever you do, good communication skills are incredibly important and something that almost anybody can improve upon, both in writing and speaking.” 

Successful people recognise the art of public speaking, or persuading, of convincing.  It is the art as old as language, the ability to tell a story, and bring any audience on that narrative journey.  There is a reason why storytellers and bards were so important in many cultures.  It is words and ideas told in the form of a story that created their world.  It is words and stories told by us that move people to getting us that deal, to listening to our advice, to buying our ideas. 

Only people who recognise the value of a good story, and the art of selling an idea will see the value in Toastmasters.  And only those who are able to take it seriously, and apply those skills practically, in their work, in their professional and personal life, in their interactions with others, will find that common thread that binds us all, to move others to a position that benefits us.