My daughter was always the best at bribing me into doing something she wanted when she was a toddler. The boys never seemed to catch onto the subtleties of expression and body language. Now that she’s a teen, it’s only gotten worse. Meanwhile, my sons continue to use the brute force approach, to minimal results.

Body language and expression go a long way toward making a person feel at ease and ready for a conversation. Persuasion doesn’t take place without the consent of the person you’re attempting to persuade. You can’t just thump them on the head and expect them to be ready to listen and engage in your message.

Clean yourself up. Smile. Use a breath mint. Set up the stage before you pounce. Make sure you’re wearing appropriate clothes. You wouldn’t want to try convincing a group of surfers of something wearing a suit and tie and the opposite is also true; don’t show up as a surfer to a serious board meeting.

Persuasion only occurs when the target is willing and ready to listen. Reduce the noise and you improve the chances of making a connection.