Why Does Persuasion Have a Bad Reputation Among Some Peer Support Specialists?

Clinicians and peers often recoil from the idea that ‘persuasion’ has a role in clinical work.  We don’t want to coerce people.  We don’t want to pressure them.  “Persuasion” can bring up images of the used car salesperson, pushing people to buy something using tricks and deceit.  While that is one form of persuasion, it is not the most common type. 

 Merriam-Webster defines ‘persuasion’ as an act or process of “moving by argument, entreaty or expostulation to a belief, position or course of action.”  In situations where peers are talking to clients, we are talking about acts that move people toward beliefs or actions that will be part of their recovery.  It is something in their own interest.  

 Persuasion is not coercion.  Coercion involves forcing people to do something against their free choice.  Peers should be fully respecting someone’s responsibility to choose for themselves – and so when we try to persuade people, we are using processes to help them make decisions that are in their interest and that are fully respectful of them as the decider. 

 Several years ago, Jay Conger wrote a very useful article on persuasion in the Harvard Business Review focusing on how not to persuade people (Conger, 2017).  From his view, these strategies should be avoided because they are not only disrespectful, but also because they do not work.  The examples include:

 ·        The persuader attempts to make their case with an up-front, hard sell. “In reality, setting out a strong position at the start of a persuasion effort gives potential opponents something to grab onto – and fight against.”

 ·        The persuader resists compromise. Conger states that too many people see compromise as surrender or failure, but it is essential to constructive persuasion. Before people buy into any proposal, they want to see that the other person is flexible enough to respond to their concerns. Compromises can often lead to better, more sustainable shared solutions. By resisting compromise, ineffective persuaders unconsciously send the alienating message that they think persuasion is a one-way street.

 ·        The persuader thinks the secret of persuasion lies in presenting great arguments. ….” arguments, per se, are only one part of the equation. Other factors matter just as much, such as the persuader’s credibility and his or her ability to create a proper, mutually beneficial frame for a position, connect on the right emotional level with an audience, and communicate through vivid language that makes arguments come alive.”

 ·        The persuader assumes persuasion is a one-shot effort. “Persuasion is a process, not an event. Rarely, if ever, is it possible to arrive at a shared solution on the first try. More often than not, persuasion involves listening to people, testing a position, developing a new position that reflects input from the group, more testing, incorporating compromises, and then trying again.”

In one sense persuasion is a key element of all healthcare, and providers are always using persuasion to help clients make healthier choices in their life.  Peer Support Specialists need to be very skilled at persuasion if they are to have a positive impact in the lives of their clients.  Fortunately, they are uniquely positioned to persuade clients.  Consider the following factors:

1.     Peer Support Specialists share the experience of illness with their clients and talk openly about it.  Research suggests that we are more open to persuasion by people that we see as being similar to us or has having shared qualities to ours.  Because of their personal experience with illness, treatment and recovery, Peer Support Specialists are often seen by clients as trustworthy authorities on this process. 

 2.     Peer Support Specialists are often seen as having the client’s interests as their top priority.  Trust in healthcare professionals has been declining over recent years, in part because some clients see clinicians as motivated by other factors including achievement and money.  Because of their personal experience with recovery, Peer Support Specialists are often seen having their clients’ interest as a higher priority than other professionals.  This may not be true for some peers, but in terms of persuadability, that assumption means Peer Support Specialists can have a greater impact on the views and actions of their clients.

 3.     Because of their own experience as a patient, Peer Support Specialists often have a better understanding of the client- perspective.  They see what clients care about and worry about.  They know the anxieties and headaches faced in treatment and recovery.  That information is often key in helping to persuade clients about what steps will be most helpful to them.

 4.     Peer Support Specialists are seen as successes by clients.  The credibility that goes along with that success makes Peer Support Specialists more influential for any client trying to find a way to be successful.

We have all seen people abuse the power of persuasion.  It is important for us all to be watchful for the potential of coercion, either by us or by colleagues.  However, we don’t want to proverbally “throw the baby out with the bath”.  Persuasion is central to the helping process, and Peer Support Specialists need to become masters at persuasion if they are to fully own the healing potential of their role.

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