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Discussion Week 2 (Com 620)

The document discusses Derek Sivers' 2010 TED talk where he argues that announcing your goals can reduce motivation to achieve them. It analyzes how Sivers' speech follows the four steps of persuasion outlined by Jay Conger: 1) establishing credibility by citing research; 2) finding common ground by appealing to the audience's desire to achieve goals; 3) providing evidence from a study; and 4) connecting emotionally by engaging the audience. The document concludes that Sivers successfully persuaded his audience to keep their goals private according to Conger's framework.

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Destiny Cherie
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35 views2 pages

Discussion Week 2 (Com 620)

The document discusses Derek Sivers' 2010 TED talk where he argues that announcing your goals can reduce motivation to achieve them. It analyzes how Sivers' speech follows the four steps of persuasion outlined by Jay Conger: 1) establishing credibility by citing research; 2) finding common ground by appealing to the audience's desire to achieve goals; 3) providing evidence from a study; and 4) connecting emotionally by engaging the audience. The document concludes that Sivers successfully persuaded his audience to keep their goals private according to Conger's framework.

Uploaded by

Destiny Cherie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The video I selected is a TED talk from entrepreneur and book publisher Derek Sivers.

In his
brief speech, he talks about how announcing your goals can keep you from achieving them. Jay
A. Conger lays out four main steps to persuasion in his book, The Necessary Art of Persuasion.
The first step is to establish credibility. For a persuasive speech to be effective, credibility must
be established. Credibility is the cornerstone of effective persuading; without it, a persuader
won't be given the time of day (Conger, 2008). Siver does an excellent job of establishing his
credibility throughout his speech by bringing in substantial evidence to support his claims. To
prove credibility, one can utilize outside sources of information to support their position
(Conger, 2008). Siver informs his audience of research completed by psychologists that support
his claims on the downfalls of announcing one's goals. Conger states, "Psychologists have found
that it's called a social reality that the mind is kind of tricked into feeling that it is already done,
and then because you've felt that satisfaction, you are less motivated to do the hard work
necessary" (Ted, 2010, 1:11). He further supports his claim by listing three other people who
have studied this concept throughout the years.
Conger's second step to persuasion is finding common ground. This step focuses on the
advantages people will experience when considering one's message. Effective persuaders must
be skilled at describing their positions in terms that illuminate their advantages (Conger, 2018).
Sivers executes this plan effectively by tailoring his message to the outcomes his audience most
desires. He talks about the satisfying feeling that comes from achieving one's goals. He knows
that everyone desires to achieve their goals and feel a sense of pride in themselves. He tailors his
message to help his audience achieve that satisfying feeling.
The third step is providing evidence. As with credibility, people want to know that they can trust
you and your message. People are more likely to be persuaded when you give them evidence that
the idea you're trying to convince them to support actually works (Jennyavw, 2016). Sivers
supports his message by sharing details of a study that was conducted involving 163 people. The
people were divided into two groups, half announcing their goals and the other half not. After the
study was completed, evidence showed that the people who announced their goals were more
likely to quit a task before reaching their end goals.
The final step in the art of persuasion is connecting emotionally. It is crucial for speakers to
prove that they care about the message they are spreading. Furthermore, it is also important for
speakers to understand the emotional state of their audience to shape their message accordingly.
At the beginning of his speech, he sets a mental scene for his audience to connect them
emotionally to his message. He asks his audience to imagine their biggest personal goal and how
amazing it feels to share it with everyone around them and hear their congratulatory cheers. After
getting them to admit to how wonderful it feels to share their goals and how much closer it
makes them feel towards their goals, he hits them with his message on why they should have
never shared their goals. Through his speech, he takes his audience on an emotional rollercoaster
ride that constantly keeps them engaged with his message. He speaks with a lot of passion,
proving that he cares about his message and getting his audience to understand the benefits of his
message.
According to Conger's steps of persuasion, Siver did a fantastic job persuading his audience to
keep their goals to themselves.
References
Conger, J. A. (2008). The necessary art of persuasion. Harvard Business School Press.
https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1044319&site=eds-live&scope=site
Jennyavw. (2016, November 15). The art of persuasion: Four steps to persuade effectively.
Applied Vision Works. https://www.appliedvisionworks.com/persuasion/the-art-of-persuasion-
follow-this-system-to-learn-the-skills-you-need-to-persuade-effectively/
TED. (2010, September 2). Keep your goals to yourself | Derek Sivers [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHopJHSlVo4

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