Some people voice resistance openly: "I'm not interested." "I don't think the idea will fly." "I can't give it my full attention until next year." Others gesture their resistance: clock watching, foot or finger tapping, playing with objects within reach, doodling on paper, staring out the window or door. Others look for distractions to take them away: phone calls and fires to put out. Some try to make a game of it: They ask unrelated, distracting questions, nit-pick your data, and toss out silly comments. Some are openly rude and grow irritable. Some withhold key information and observations so you have to guess what they know. Others just sit patiently and wait for you to "get it over with" so they can politely say no.

Recognize all these signs of resistance so you know how far you are from agreement and can deal with their concerns early-while there's still time to resolve them and rally their support.

How? Engage the other person early. Make the interaction a dialogue, not a monologue. People believe their own data. They decide things for their reasons-not yours.

So what that means for you and me…is when trying to persuade, engage others in the conversation sooner rather than later.