The difference between convincing and inspiring

This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Language is a powerful tool in the construction of human relationships of all kinds, which differentiates us from other species; However, it is our capacity for interpretation that injects emotional charge into words, and with this, it is that they impact the world we build from what we speak.

As a mentality coach, my job is to support human beings in the different areas that make up their work, entrepreneurship or leadership, especially when it comes to building a business or company. An important part of the training is the relationship between body, language and emotion, as this impacts our representation as leaders. In this sense, the power of words is essential to connect with others. Words build language, language has meaning, and meaning generates emotions. Therefore, the use of words is significant when using them orally or in writing: we use them to convince, persuade, motivate, inspire, skew, build, feed, open or close.

Why is it valuable as a leader or entrepreneur to know about the power of words?

Because on the path of entrepreneurship, the leader, business manager or entrepreneur is constantly enlisting and inspiring others, whether to be a client or part of their project, and this is done, among others, through their language. By being aware of their words, a leader knows how to empathize with others by awakening their emotions. Life is a game of enrollment and constant negotiation, so to enroll and inspire a tool are words .

With this clear, it is necessary to understand the difference between convincing and inspiring to play in the corporate and business arena. We believe that convincing is the way to attract new customers and keep those who already are; but the conviction does not guarantee fidelity because -of origin- it is a merely argumentative position and way of living. Whoever convinces does so by imposing their arguments to advance with them ahead in order to obtain the yes of the convinced. He flanks him so that he has no choice but to accept his proposal. Inspiring, on the other hand, requires the person to engage with the client or prospect to enlist them in their lifestyle. It is necessary that those who practice inspiring their community know it, know what is important to them and what is valuable to them so that they can then know what of what it offers connects with them.

The conviction is like going to the food court of a place. You are hungry, there are irresistible offers and you choose a quick food that satisfies your appetite, but that you would hardly consume every day; Inspiration takes time, effort and involvement, like reading a restaurant menu or cooking, to choose what you like, do you good and connect with the emotion of that moment. Convincing generates immediate but fleeting results. Here are the discounts, offers, free samples, gifts, etc. Everything that a business or company can use as a strategy to attract customers, but retaining them is a greater challenge that only occurs when people are inspired by who a brand or business is and how it speaks to them.

^{You are hungry, there are irresistible offers and you choose a quick food that satisfies your appetite, but that you would hardly consume every day / Image: Depositphotos.com}

In the biological aspect, inspiration lives in the limbic brain, also known as the emotional brain. It is in charge of regulating emotions, behavior and has an important role in learning and memory. For example, the memories that we associate with a scent or the feelings that we are awakened by seeing an object or a person are regulated by this area of the brain. For its part, conviction lives in the prefrontal cortex or neocortex, the rational brain. Responsible for advanced thinking, reason, speech, planning, abstraction, perception, and what are generally known as higher functions.

For a client or prospect to arrive and stay it is necessary to connect with their limbic brain. Go deep to create memories and experiences anchored to your emotions that solidify your relationship with the brand, business or company. That turns into loyalty in the future. A discount, promotion or offer does not create loyalty, it only satisfies an immediate desire.

Therefore, as an entrepreneur or leader, a sense and purpose are required on which to sustain the business model and from which emotional relationships with people are created. People buy and join where they feel they belong, where they feel they are heard and taken into account. Loyalty is a pillar that is held firm by empathy and accompaniment. That takes time to get to know others; time to find out who the people they are talking to are. That is another very common mistake: believing that you have to sell to everyone. Especially as entrepreneurs, there is a belief that covering more will generate more customers, and this does not happen. Having a clear purpose is what sets the tone for knowing who you are as a company, and therefore, who might be interested in what you do.

Entrepreneurs: I invite you to see beyond what they sell and to know the emotions of your community. The game is about inspiring, not convincing. People emotionally connected to your mission can share this same lifestyle with others and form lasting connections. Convincing will only put out fires when necessary; true loyalty occurs when you match what is important to the people behind the clients, their emotions.

If you are looking to inspire others to join your project as members or consumers, a good start is meeting Simon Sinek. Sinek’s thinking on the subject works as a guide for entrepreneurs:

People don’t buy what you do, they buy what you do it for.

Less sales, more human. The world needs inspiration.