The Worlds Four Different Thinkers and How to Become The Ultimate Persuader

The way others think has always been of huge interest to me. Understanding the way other peoples brains work and what they may be thinking has always appeared to be the key to success in my eyes and now I think it time to start to share this knowledge with you.

As always when searching for answers they come from the places you least expect. In this case I was speaking with my life coach about ways in which to persuade others to come to my own point of view and she brought up the theory of persuasion. She said that no matter how persuasive or convincing an argument I felt I was making it may be totally unconvincing to someone who thinks differently to me.

This theory is pretty simple but it stood out to me straight away. I had never thought of this before (which makes me think I cannot be the only one) and started to question her on the theory. She told me there were four different types of thinkers and I have explained how they differ below.

Visual - Visual thinkers think in images. they find it easiest to draw out their thoughts in pictures or diagrams and respond best to visual stimulus.

Audible – Audible thinkers, as expected, think in sound. They often talk through situations in their heads and respond best to audible explanations or arguments.

Logical – I am a logical thinker so this is probably the thought process I am most qualified to speak about. Logical thinkers weigh up the pros and cons of any situation in their heads and generally come to the most rational outcome. They rarely rush into decisions and generally give balanced arguments based on facts.

Emotional – Probably the most unpredictable of the thought processes, emotional thinkers are guided by their feelings rather than the facts of a situation. They are more inclined to make rash decisions but that doesn’t mean these decisions won’t be right. Emotional thinkers can also often make decisions very quickly because they’re initial feelings usual rule their thoughts.

So Why Is Any Of This Important?

By working out what sort of thinker someone else is and adapting your approach to suit them you can either explain, argue or just simply interact with that person more successfully. This may not seem that powerful but think back to the last time you failed to pursued someone to come around to your way of thinking, maybe you just weren’t arguing in a way that made sense to them.

Take that idea to the next level. Imagine trying to persuade your boss that your new idea deserves to be given a go or that someone should buy your car. These are times when you may need to use every tool in your arsenal to get the other person to think the same as you and to achieve that you may have to do just the opposite and think like them.

How To Apply the Theory of Persuasion

The most important and probably the most obvious thing to remember is this isn’t full proof, not expect to be able to work out how everyone you meet thinks but in my experience I find I get it pretty right 70-80% of the time. (I’ve had practice) It is also worth noting that people don’t necessarily think in only one way often they mix a couple of the different types.

That said don’t let that thought stop you trying to use this theory to your upmost advantage. You need to start in the obvious place and try to work out how they think. Obviously if you have know the person for a while it is a lot easier but if not asking selective questions can really open the doors and give you full access to their mind.

For example a question as simple as “what did you think off …………?” can reveal much about people thinking. An emotionally driven person will almost certainly answer this question instantly and use ‘extreme’ language to describe their opinions. (they very rarely think something is ‘OK’ it is either amazing or horrible not in the middle) In contrast a logical thinker will likely pause as they consider their answer and are much more likely to fall somewhere between good and bad.

Spotting the visual and audible thinkers may be even easier, the way they dress can be a give away (visuals are generally better dressed) but not as much as the way they present their ideas. A visual thinker will often reach for a pen and paper to help show their thoughts diagrammatically. Its this body language you need to tune into to spot how people think best and remember its the small things that are the giveaways.

Now you think you know how the other person thinks it is simply a case of adjusting the way you interact with them to maximise their understanding of you. If I talk to a visual thinker I try to draw things or write stuff down. If they think emotionally I try to throw my logical ideas out the window for a moment and pitch them a feeling. This all takes practice and you’ll generally find it easiest to interact with people who think the same as yourself but eventually you will find adapting your thinking easier and easier.