Techniques for Changing Minds

This is the main 'how to' section. Below it, in the website, are generalized principles of changing minds and the psychological details of explanations and theories. In this section we cover specific techniques by which people change minds and otherwise persuade.

• Assertiveness: Being neither passive nor aggressive.
• Body language: A large part of communication is non-verbal.
• Change techniques: Ways to make change happen.
• Closing techniques: From the discipline of sales, a myriad of ways to gain closure.
• Confidence tricks: Ways people get tricked out of their money.
• Conversation: How to hold down a conversation with others.
• Conversion: Converting and retaining people in different beliefs.
• General persuasion techniques: Approaches and things that don't fit elsewhere.
• Language: Much about subtle use of words.
• Listening: Hear the person as well as what they say.
• Objection-handling: Ways of handling objections to the sale.
• Propaganda: covert persuasion of populations.
• Questioning: Using questions to get the results you want.
• Resisting persuasion: A big list of ways to avoid being persuaded.
• Stress Management: Keeping it down, building it up.
• Using humor: Changing minds and be (and use) fun.

Caveat

Just a note of gentle caution: the word 'technique' sometimes implies some kind of magic, with the implicit promise that 'if you do this you will get that'. There is no magic and the techniques here are things that if you do, you may get something of what you want. Life is a numbers game: there are no guarantees. Life is also about practice -- the more you try, the better you will get, so if things do not work for you this time, then keep trying and keep trying different things.