10 Persuasion Techniques That Don’t Feel Fake

Persuasion techniques are reliable communication strategies that motivate people to act, feel a certain way, or influence their decision. 

I understand how the idea of learning specific persuasion techniques feels fake, weird, wrong — or worse. 

Is what you are about to read a blueprint for manipulating people?

Yes. 

But it’s a blueprint everyone uses. 

If you are a human adult in command of their reasoning, then you probably use — and are definitely influenced by — all of the persuasion techniques I list below.

There is no high horse to ride on. We are all persuading one another all the time. Or being persuaded. Best to get on top of these tactics and understand how they work.

And you will see that there are authentic ways to use these techniques that don’t deceive people at all. Persuasion techniques themselves are not good or evil — it’s all about how they are employed.

You will be able to open more doors if you can learn more persuasion techniques and gain greater control over the ones you already use. Finding techniques you are comfortable with will deepen what you can put into the process, and make it more genuine throughout.

1. Anticipating Objections

Preparing for common concerns in advance to address them proactively

One of the most reliable ways to win people over is by having rock-solid responses to their most serious doubts. This comes from researching your audience and figuring out the most common hang ups — the 5-10 things most frequently holding people back — and having a plan to respond. 

Showing people you’re attuned to their needs is more persuasive than getting defensive. 

At best, you’ll be able to convincingly address the biggest issues before your audience has even brought them up. At worst, you will be well-prepared to handle customer objections and make it easier for them to move forward.

Tips:

• Ask clarifying questions. Objections are always personal and nuanced, and motivating people to overcome them requires a more than a canned, generic response.
• Listen to their specifics. Let people fully articulate their objections to surface information you can use to make your response more relatable.
• Confirm the resolution. Check to make sure that you have fully resolved every aspect of their objection. 

2. Storytelling

Using a story to illustrate a point in a relatable, intuitive, or memorable way.

Storytelling can bridge the gap between what you’re selling and what people care about. 

Take the example of my friend who worked as a sales manager for a battery manufacturer. Their big selling point was that the batteries worked great in cold weather — but buyers didn’t really care — until he told the story of a trucker stranded in sub-zero temperatures, waiting for a battery that would handle the cold. The story turned the technical specs into a relatable and emotional experience, and drove a number of his largest sales.

A relevant story makes an abstract idea tangible and taps into people’s emotions. People might not dream of buying a better battery, but they can easily picture themselves helpless in the cold and wanting a solution fast. 

When you speak to people’s fears, desires, or experiences, you create a deeper connection. This is why brands use storytelling in case studies, customer testimonials, and even 10-second ads — they’re simple, relatable, and easy to recall.

Tips:

• Keep it simple: A good story is like a joke: clear, structured, and easy to retell.
• Be relatable: Choose scenarios your audience can connect with, obstacles they are likely to face, and decisions they have to make.
• Avoid pure fiction: Make sure the story stays believable, as exaggerating outcomes can hurt your credibility.

3. Authority

Using experience, expertise, and credentials to strengthen the appeal of your argument.

Authority is relative — someone doesn’t have to become a subject matter expert to persuade us; they just need enough credibility to feel trustworthy in comparison to our own knowledge.

For example, I have a friend who lived in Tokyo for three years. When she tells me that she found a good ramen place, I trust her judgment. She’s not a credentialed wheat noodle critic, but her personal experience signals credibility.

This technique is very straight-forward — take every chance to foreground any authority you have in order to reinforce your credibility.

It’s why every new brand goes out and applies for awards, credentials, certifications, and the like. There are many such opportunities available in every industry. Each credential turns into a trust badge on their website, a clear authoritative signal that the brand is recognized by institutions that matter. 

Tips:

• Validate your position by connecting it with established best practices from authoritative institutions.
• Adapt to your audience and establish authority in ways that resonate — a casual story for a friend, or professional credentials for a client.
• Be genuine because inflated credentials and fake expertise will undermine trust.

4. One Striking Detail

Using a unique, striking, and relevant detail to make your message stick.

It’s really hard to motivate people with broad statements and technical data — they’re forgettable. But a single, vivid detail that creates an emotional connection can be extremely powerful. History is full of episodes where a single phrase or photograph galvanized entire nations to rally behind a cause.

The deliberate use of this technique is everywhere in politics, but also in marketing and everyday story swapping. The striking detail is persuasive because it is what people remember and retell.

Think of how Apple introduced the iPod in 2001 as, “1,000 songs in your pocket.” It’s a crisp little detail that was wildly shocking at the time. 

Tips:

• Make it relevant. Choose details that connect directly to your audience’s experiences or aspirations.
• Be as specific as possible. Select concrete details that set your product apart or ground abstract benefits in everyday life.
• Highlight details with emotional resonance. Select details that lean into the fears, anxieties, hopes of your target audience. 

5. Clarify Next Steps

Breaking down the path forward into simple, clear steps. 

People will put off decisions at the slightest sign of friction. You should take every opportunity to highlight a well-defined path forward that removes ambiguity and guides your audience towards conversion.

For example, an online store might reassure buyers with: “After you place your order, we’ll process it within 24 hours and send you a tracking number.” Knowing what happens next builds trust, nudges people toward action, and increases ecommerce conversions.

In face-to-face negotiations, clarifying the next steps can eliminate uncertainty, remove ambiguity, and reduce tension. People have to mentally commit first, and that is easier to do when they have a clear idea about what’s ahead. 

Tips:

• Spell it out. Break the process into small, logical steps so there’s no room for confusion.
• Reassure along the way. Highlight safeguards or guarantees that address common fears, like refunds or customer support.
• Motivate at every step. Show how each step leads to a safe and positive outcome.

6. Asking Questions

Getting to know your audience better through proactive questioning

More than one of my friends, after a bad date, has remarked, “They didn’t ask me a single question about myself!” 

I get it. It’s hard to be persuaded by someone who doesn’t seem to care what you have to say. Plus, questions provide excellent opportunities to engage the listener, gain new information, and give them the chance to think out loud about their own decisions. 

This last bit is often the most important. Allowing people to articulate their thoughts, beliefs, and reasoning causes people to think critically about their position. This makes it possible for the other person to reflect, question their assumptions, and consider new perspectives.

Gathering new information is important, but it’s hardly the only thing you can use questions to accomplish.

Tips:

• Ask open-ended questions. These encourage deeper thought and more detailed responses.
• Avoid leading questions. Let people come to their own conclusions rather than pushing them in a direction.
• Listen more than you talk. Use their answers to shape how you proceed.

7. Framing

Shaping and presenting your message to influence how others interpret it.

Explicit framing, like telling someone, “Consider how much money you’ll save,” directs their thoughts, though it can feel overbearing or preachy.

Implicit framing is simply presenting information in a way that aligns with your goals. This is usually what people are talking about when they speak of framing as a persuasion technique. 

By highlighting certain aspects and downplaying others, framing shapes the way an audience thinks about a situation or choice. 

For example, the claim that, “This product removes 99% of stains,” is much more appealing than, “This product leaves 1% of stains,” even though the claims are identical. It’s impossible to imagine a stain removal brand being confused about which framing will perform better with customers.

Another great example of implicit framing are prescription drug commercials, which always show people leading happy, active lives. None of what’s happening on screen has any relevance to the disease in question, but it frames the call to action of asking your doctor as a key to living the life you’ve always dreamed.

Tips:

• Use positive framing: Draw attention to what people stand to gain to encourage optimism and action. 
• Use negative framing: Emphasize the risks or potential losses to create urgency or caution. 
• Highlight contrasts. Show different angles or situations to frame an issue in a way that allows your audience to see it from a new perspective.

8. Callback

Referring back to an idea from earlier in the conversation

You can refer back to your own ideas or the other person’s ideas with this technique. It’s usually more powerful when you refer back to something they said and frame it in a new light. 

People often feel like the other person isn’t fully paying attention. Calling back to an earlier point cuts against this expectation and demonstrates that you are actively listening. It also gives you the opportunity to revisit key points from a new angle.

On a deeper level, this technique creates shared references that can build intimacy and trust — even during a relatively short interaction. 

Think about how standup comics use callbacks to unify their audience. It’s more intimate when the comic refers back to something that everyone is “in on” as opposed to referencing things only some folks know. You can use the same technique to connect on a more personal level with your audience.

Tips:

• Ask good questions early to uncover details you can use later.
• Reframe callback information to strengthen your argument. 
• Avoid weak connections because a forced or irrelevant callback can backfire.

9. Anchoring

Using a reference point to set expectations or influence decision-making.

Anchoring works because people tend to focus on the first piece of information they get and use it to make sense of everything that comes after. By introducing an anchor, you can set a reference point that people use to compare other options. 

You can use high anchors or low anchors to influence how the other person perceives your offer. When someone “starts high” while negotiating their salary, or begins with a “lowball” offer for a used car, they are using an anchor to direct the discussion in their favor. 

I see anchoring used all the time on pricing pages for software products. For example, you might see a prominently displayed “Enterprise Plan” at $2,500/month. This high anchor makes the “Pro Plan” at $500/month feel more attainable and like a great value in comparison.

By deliberately using anchors, you can highlight savings, suggest value, and steer people’s perceptions of quality.

Tips:

• Use a low anchor to attract hesitant buyers and establish trust.
• Use a high anchor to make subsequent options seem more affordable or appealing.
• Keep anchors realistic so that they don’t backfire and cause people to dismiss your offer entirely.

10. Loss Aversion

Appealing to people’s natural desire to avoid losing what they already have

Loss aversion is a well-documented concept in psychology and behavioral economics. More often than not, people are more motivated to avoid losses than they are to gain benefits. This psychological tendency makes loss aversion an important tool for persuasion. 

Focusing on what someone stands to lose — whether it’s time, money, or opportunity — can create more urgency than showing people what they stand to gain. Once you can recognize this cognitive bias, you will see it employed in sales tactics everywhere. 

For example, I recently tested a new SEO tool and just received an email with the subject line: “Don’t risk losing access to your saved files — upgrade now to keep them safe.” Rather than explain the benefits of the tool, the company has framed my decision to upgrade as a way to avoid loss.

Tips:

• Clearly state potential losses. Be specific about exactly what people miss out on if they fail to act.
• Use time-limited offers. Emphasize scarcity, such as a limited-time discount or a soon-to-expire feature.
• Make it personal. Connect the loss to personal stakes, such as wasted time or missed opportunities.