Don't raise your voice, improve your argument.

Persuasion is the act of convincing someone to change their beliefs or do something you suggest. Understanding the art of persuasion can not only help you learn how to influence others; it can also make you more aware of the techniques others might use to try and change your beliefs and behaviors. Ideas are the currency of the twenty-first century. The ability to persuade, to change hearts and minds, is perhaps the single greatest skill that will give you a competitive edge in the knowledge economy — an age where ideas matter more than ever.

Persuasion is part of the communications process. The five basic elements of persuasion--source, message, medium, public and effect.

The quality of source--the person or organization sending the message--is very important in influencing how effective the message is. The source must have credibility. The more credible the source, the more persuasive it is. The best way to remain credible is to be honest and accurate all the time. Being liked by your audience is important to being able to persuade them.

The message is the lone aspect over which a writer has total control. You decide what to say and when and how to say it. The best persuasive writing employs both factual and emotional arguments.

Although "the medium is the message" may be somewhat exaggerated, it does speak to how important it is to use the right channel to reach your audience. Spoken communication is more likely to bring about "yielding," some say, but the written word achieves better comprehension. If you keep your message brief, your target audience will focus on your message, not someone else's interpretation.

You must know your audience. The decisions about what to say and where to put that message to reach your target will be informed by your knowledge of that target. Remember, audiences tend to forget things, no matter how strong and specific the message is, so you may have to repeat your key points.

As in all things business, there is a bottom line, or effect: Did the audience do what you wanted it to do? As we approach elections, and watch, listen to and read all the information from candidates, those running for office will find out quickly whether their messages persuaded us to vote for them.

In business, however, it may take much longer to tell whether or not a message had its intended effect. Advertising tries to raise awareness. PR attempts to persuade. And sometimes, the effects of those processes are not realized for a substantial amount of time.

Understanding the elements of the persuasive process may help you improve your business communications, better reach your target audience and improve your bottom line. The art of persuasion requires patience and commitment to the process. If it were a matter of simply saying "Believe me!" there wouldn't be much persuasion involved. In order to change someone's mind, you need to take the time to develop your arguments and explain your rationale, subtly and consistently. If it's a simple message, it might not take long to deliver. But if you want to communicate something more complex, you need to be patient with your audience and keep them engaged.