Opinion leaders are well-known individuals who can influence the public's opinion on a subject matter that they are well versed in. There are several opinion leaders in my community who work and advocate for a different issue. Of these, the most effective is an opinion leader in my neighborhood is one who influences the public on political issues. She is a knowledgeable leader who is outspoken, self-confident, gregarious, and is always a source of information and advice to political leaders from the area. I had made arrangements to interview her. When her secretary confirmed the interview, I was able to meet her in the office, where I conducted the interview, which lasted for thirty minutes. During the interview, it became apparent that she applied different tactics of persuasion to convince the vast majority to take up her position on certain political matters.
Tactics Used in Persuasion
Persuasion is explained as the process whereby one gets persuaded to believe in something, especially a political or religious idea. Persuasive approaches are made up of different tactics (Perreault & Kida, 2011). Some of these tactics are apparent in how the opinion leader persuades others. Tactics develop across time through trial and error, but they are evidence-based, thus ensuring leaders know what will work in regards to convincing the masses (Perreault & Kida, 2011). The political opinion leader from my community heavily depends on contrast as a persuasion tactic. Throughout the interview, she intensifies the advantages and benefits that the courses of action she advocates for yield in time. She, however, downplays the benefits of other approaches that are equally beneficial (Jowett & O' Donnell, 2012). Here, she can easily mislead and manipulate the public on what option is best for them (Regis University, 2013). Since most people believe her as she commands authority, they are likely to adopt her approaches.
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Another common tactic that she employs as part of her persuasion technique is the use of storytelling. She is a captivating storyteller who uses her words in a, particularly interesting manner. She highlights the things she believes her audience needs to hear most such as values, truths, and priorities (Regis University, 2013). By using storytelling, she pushes the public into adopting her ideas by leveraging their interests that they are keen on achieving. She also makes use of repetition when persuading the public to agree with her approaches (Jowett & O' Donnell, 2012). Here she finds the most interesting and factual elements of her approach; she then links it to the outcomes that the public desire. She then finds numerous ways to reiterate it to the public so that they are interested in the message and realizing the results that they desire (Regis University, 2013). This often results in them adopting her political ideas
The opinion leader also simplifies her messages to make them appear easy to adopt. She ensures that when advocating for an approach, she uses the simplest words and examples that laypersons can understand (Regis University, 2013). She also says a few points when arguing for the adoption of her ideas. Using a simpler language and expounding on fewer reasons ensures that the public can recall what she advocates for, thus making them inclined to choosing her approach. She also instills fear among the public (Techniques and tactics of persuasion, n.d). This is done when she causes them to doubt their thinking that they have not done all they could to control events that can affect their lives. This leads to the public being willing to listen to what one has to offer, and if they find her persuasive, they adopt her ideas.
She is also well known within the political scene and can connect the people with some of the resources they need. This often leads to more people being agreeable with her point of view in the hope of getting more resources or standing out by associating with these leaders (Regis University, 2013). I also noticed that the opinion leader leveraged the people's commitment to persuading them to adopt her strategies. She identifies their political ideas and sentiments that are almost similar to what she stands for (Techniques and tactics of persuasion, n.d). She then links them together by asking the people to be committed and consistent in their actions (Techniques and tactics of persuasion, n.d). This will result in the public's change of heart or adoption of the approaches that she advocates for.
Another strategy that she uses in persuading the members of the community is conformity. Most people like to be part of something to feel connected as they are social beings (Regis University, 2013). When one brings up an idea that they could be missing out on a major sensation that is beneficial to them, most people are likely to do what they can to join it. With this in mind, the political opinion leader leverages conformity on people who end up believing in what she says and adopting her ideals (Regis University, 2013). Such a tactic can be misleading, and the public will end up being manipulated, mainly if the ideas she advocates for only serves to benefit a few people (Regis University, 2013).
Conclusion
After interviewing with the community's opinion political leader, it was apparent that she applied different tactics of persuasion to convince the vast majority to take up her position on certain political matters. The political opinion leader used several tactics such a fear, storytelling, conforming, association, and repetition. Some of these tactics used have ethical complications that lead to the misleading and manipulation of the public. Public opinion leaders must be ethical and ensure that they understand their ethical responsibility in any tactic of persuasion that they use.
References
Jowett, G. S., & O'donnell, V. (2012). Propaganda & persuasion. Sage Publications.
Perreault, S., & Kida, T. (2011). The relative effectiveness of persuasion tactics in auditor–client negotiations. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 36(8), 534-547
Regis University. (2013). 7.1 Primer for persuasion.
Regis University. (2013). 7.2 Ethics and the use of tactics.
Techniques and tactics of persuasion. (n.d). Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/23888543/TECHNIQUES_AND_TACTICS_OF_PERSUASION
