Get ’em thinking your way: The 12 most persuasive words

Need a customer to send a check today? Want employees to turn in all their receipts with the expense reports? Use these 12 words to make your case.

Sales may get the rep for being the top negotiators in your company. But you know that being a Finance staffer requires negotiation on a daily basis.

Whether it’s your company’s internal or external customers, vendors or even an auditor, you’re likely constantly trying to persuade someone to do it Finance’s way.

Here’s a little help, courtesy of Yale University.

It’s compiled a list of the 12 most persuasive words in the English language. Check out the top words and how with a little creativity you can use them in your e-mails, on the phone and in face-to-face interactions to make a more convincing case for Finance:

1. You. That payment may be for your company, but if your e-mail subject line to that past due customer involves the word “you,” it’s more likely to be opened. (Note: “YOU owe us money” probably isn’t your best bet.)
2. Money. This one may be the easiest for Finance to pepper throughout its interactions. And while telling your CEO you can save money by switching more employees to direct deposit, telling him or her you can save $X per employee is at times even better.
3. Save. There are lots of things that can be saved: time, money, aggravation.  Try highlighting any and all of those things in your communications for a more responsive audience.
4. New. True, for some set-in-their ways folks, new is scary. But most people will at the least be curious about what the “new” policy or procedure or system, is.
5. Results. You may try to focus on results to persuade people to your way of thinking. But identifying them as “results” makes a more compelling case.
6. Easy. Who doesn’t want things as easy on themselves as possible? Just like the word “you,” easy promises a very personal benefit. Warning: Make sure what you’re promising really is easy, or you will lose credibility.
7. Health. Yes, this may help your benefits staffers get folks attention, but Finance as a whole can use this persuasive word when it comes to one thing that’s very important to most people: their financial health.
8. Safety. Whether it’s the safety of employees’ personal information in your Payroll system to the safety of using Direct Deposit, that word puts minds at ease.
9. Love. Not a word you think of much in business communications. But if used now and then to emphasize that employees will love the new online purchase req. system, you should go ahead and say so.
10. Discovery. This may be one of the tougher ones to incorporate. Perhaps you’ve made a discovery that switching to an automated clearinghouse will save your company $.63 per payment. Be sure to phrase it that way.
11. Proven. Stats make a compelling case, whether it’s why automatic enrollment improves 401(k) participation rates or why positive pay cuts risks of check fraud. Explain why it’s “proven,” and you’ll get their attention.
12. Guarantee. This can be a dangerous one; people may try to call you on a guarantee later. But if your new expense reporting process is guaranteed to save employees time when filling out reports, don’t hesitate to say so.