Persuasion
Value, proof, risk, action
Persuade a decision maker while naming the uncertainty rather than hiding it.
The shape
- Value
- Proof
- Risk
- Action
Why that order
Naming the risk yourself is what makes the value believable. An argument with no acknowledged downside invites the listener to go looking for one.
A worked example
- Value
- The automation should cut manual processing time.
- Proof
- The pilot reduced it by 40 per cent.
- Risk
- The remaining concern is integration with the legacy system.
- Action
- I recommend expanding the pilot to one more workflow.
What usually goes wrong
Naming a token risk to look balanced. If the risk you name is not the real one, the person who knows the real one stops trusting the rest.
Used in
Where this shape does its work in a real situation.
Mostly serves Message, and reaches into Intent.
A framework tells you what shape the answer takes. It cannot tell you whether shape is what you are short of, and for most people it is not. Which one is yours, and whether a framework is the right instrument at all, is what a Discovery Call is for.
Take the AssessmentOr read the whole glossary first.