HIGH POINT, N.C., March 20, 2023 – The lineup of global mentors continued March 14 with High Point University’s Persuasion Expert in Residence Phil M Jones. He is a motivational business speaker and international bestselling author, bringing his expertise in consulting to hundreds of different industries across 59 countries and five continents.
“One of the greatest pieces of advice I got at an early age is when you’re in a room, be in that room, not somewhere else,” said Jones.
“Having the opportunity to discuss how persuasion may be used within the international relations setting or through diplomacy was truly amazing,” said Shannon Bossidy, a senior international relations major. “He stressed that it is important to not get attached to the outcome you necessarily prefer the most, but you must think logically and strategically to get to an outcome. I love that HPU grants us these opportunities as it allows us to apply the knowledge we are gaining from our classes and professors to the real world.”
Jones also shared lunch with a group of students and led a Life Skills Seminar in the Life Skills and Leadership Theater. During the seminar, he shared with students why persuasion is a necessary life skill and how they can be more influential in conversations.
Three ingredients to be more influential in conversations:
- Curiosity: “We start our conversations from a position of curiosity,” said Jones. “If you’re looking to be more influential, start by understanding the other person’s context. You ask curious questions and get people to share more about their world.”
- Empathy: “If you want to be persuasive, you have to care about what the people you care about care about. Curiosity plus empathy equals trust.”
- Courage: “If you show curiosity and that leads to understanding people better, you now have the courage to ask for what you want. This courage now means you’ve taken an action and are driving a change. If you do this out of order, you’ll be less persuasive.”
Junior Ben Smid, a finance major, said what he took away from the seminar are the motivations and reasons why people make decisions. Those motivations Jones referred to are comfort, fear and a choice they want to make.
“He defined motivation as a reason to move, and described how if the reason is big enough, anyone will do anything,” said Smid. “Understanding these key aspects of motivation will be extremely useful in my future as I apply for jobs, overcome rejections and influence people to drive change in the workplace and the world.”
Smid added that having access to global leaders like Jones is an incredible opportunity for students to grow and learn from some of the best leaders in their respective industries.
Jones is one of many global leaders that comprise the Access to Innovators Program at HPU.