Margaret’s Persuasion Coach Blog

As the political campaign season continues, remember that sarcasm, name calling, insults, and making fun of others' candidates or beliefs do not persuade those who disagree with you to change their minds. Rather, these "wrong making" messages only cause them to resist...

My latest book is nearing publication!!! I recently uploaded the manuscript of Love on the Rocks with a Twist to the publisher and, with their help and advice, selected my interior design features–layout, fonts and fleurons. Now the ball is in their court. I'm told...

A belated "Happy New Year" and many thanks to my readers for your patience with my longer than usual midwinter break. You may remember that, early in 2015, I posted a blog article about my experiment with an idea I had read about. Instead of making New Year's...

This can be one of the most wonderful, and yet the most stressful, times of year. We love the beautiful decorations and yummy treats, but can get frazzled trying to get everything ready. We reconnect with people we may not see very often, but some of them are people...

The December issue of The Oprah Magazine asked, “If you could give a gift to the world, what would it be?” Teresa Shupe of Mountain City, TN replied, “I would give all people a pardon for the biggest mistake they believe they've ever made.” She felt that, if we could...

Long ago, a friend of mine was diagnosed with an incurable, wasting disease. People started avoiding her. A neighbor she saw at the grocery averted his eyes and moved on. I doubt that he meant to be hurtful. More likely he didn't know what to say, feared “getting it...

Many people find the “Interest-Driven,” or win-win, interactional and communication skills I teach counterintuitive. When my students, trainees and clients begin to "get it," when they experience interactions that result in more interest satisfaction for both parties...

In Part I of this series, I noted that economists and sociologists have concluded that the single best thing a society can do for its overall wellbeing is to improve the status and wellbeing of women. I added that groups with a more balanced mix of both male and...

In country after country, study after study; economists and sociologists have seen that the single best thing a society can do for its overall wellbeing is to improve the status and wellbeing of women. Not to say that we should only do one thing to improve our...

For several months, I've been watching a lot of sports on TV, and I mean a lot. No one has been more surprised by this development that I have. It started when the Houston Rockets got into the playoffs. When they were finally eliminated, I found myself wanting to...