Saturday, May 10, 2008 

Why Persuasion Works

We are persuaded everyday in one way or another whether we realize it or not. We are persuaded by advertisements, friends and family, even our bosses and coworkers. The degrees to which the persuasion works varies, but there is one factor that plays a role in each situation: stress.

What is stress?

The interesting part about persuasion and stress is that we tend to separate the two so much that many dont make the proper association. Stress is the changing of a situation to seem as if it is different than it actually is. When youre stressed out, your responsibilities seem larger than they are. To stress something is to put more weight on it literally or figuratively. Everyone is stressed or stressed someone else out each day, and the good news is that you can take this fact and use for your own good.

What does stress do?

What you might not realize at first is that stress changes your perspective on things. While you might think that its your work or your responsibilities that change your stress levels, its actually your stress that is making work seem like its the culprit. Heres what happens: when youre under stress, you cant focus as much. Youre so wrapped up in whatever is causing the stress that you start to make decisions based on the stress that you are feeling.

For example, when youre really stressed, you might respond differently to your friends and family. In persuasion, sales people use the prospect of stress to change the way that you think about their product or their service. What they do is change your thinking so that youre worried about the product enough that you feel that you have to purchase it. In the boardroom, you might persuade people to your viewpoint by stressing that the company will not do well unless your proposal is followed.

Why people want to avoid stress

All of us want to avoid stress as much as possible it doesnt feel good, it doesnt seem to be helpful or healthy. And studies have proven these facts. While a little stress can help to focus our minds on a goal, too much stress can lead to problems with our health and with our bodies. By creating a situation in which you point out the problems of something that is important to you, you can use the natural avoidance of stress as a way to lead someone to your suggestions.

No one wants to ever feel uncomfortable or be presented with the idea that they could felt uncomfortable. By realizing this fact, you can use it to change the way that people look at what you want.

Using stress in persuasion

When you want to use the idea of stress in your own relationships, you will want to be careful. Many times, people can tell when someone else is trying to take advantage of them in a weaker spot. However, when something is going wrong in a relationship and that is causing stress, introducing ways to change the problems is the best course of action. Because of the stress of the problems, they are much more likely to be accepted and followed as a way to stop the stress.

How to manage your stress so that you cant be easily persuaded

On the other hand, if youre easily stressed, you will find that you are more easily persuaded and thats not always something that is positive. What you need to do is learn how to manage your stress so that you can make decisions that are right for you. In a conversation with someone else, it helps to lower your voice in order to diminish the emotional aspect and keep you from becoming stressed and agitated.

You can also make sure that you are focusing on the facts of a situation rather than looking for the benefits of something immediately. When you start to focus on what something can do for you, you can forget about the basic construction of an idea or a product and start to overlook flaws. Try to look at situations as though you were selling it or as though you were in the other persons position, ask yourself how would you feel?

Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but when you realize how you can use it to your advantage, it can be one of the most powerful tools in your relationships.

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San Antonio Schools Receives Grants to Prepare Students and Build New Facilities

Grants Help Students Prepare for Postsecondary Education

Three San Antonio Schools high schools have received grants from the state of Texas to aid students in achieving their goals of attending college or university. The Texas High School Completion and Success Grants, totaling $200,000, were awarded to Edison Technical High School, Fox Technical High School and Navarro Academy. Each of these San Antonio Schools will use the funds in a way that will address the particular needs of its students.

Edison Technical High School plans to use the $80,000 grant to create and run the Saturday College Readiness Academy. This is an exciting and innovative program that will be jointly taught by Edison teachers and university professors. This will allow the students to get a feel for what is expected at the university level. The main goal of the Saturday College Readiness Academy is to raise the students ACT and SAT scores in order to better their chances at succeeding in the college admissions process.

San Antonio Schools Fox Technical High School is using a portion of its $80,000 grant to implement SAT and ACT workshops that will help the students become ready to take the test. Fox Technical High School also plans to use the funds to help pay for students exam fees. A teacher training for the college-preparatory Advancement Via Individual Determination program will be paid for with the remaining funds.

Navarro Academy, which received $30,000 in grant funds, is one of several San Antonio Schools that will establish an Advancement Via Individual Determination training sessions for its teachers. Navarro Academy plans to use the bulk of its grant to institute a transportation fund for before and after school tutoring and mentoring.

Even though each schools is allocating their funds to different services, they like all San Antonio Schools must improve their students scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. This program has set several important goals for all schools in Texas to increase the number of: 9th-graders graduating from high school in four years, students who graduate college-ready, as demonstrated through enrollment in a college-preparatory curriculum including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual-credit courses, and students who take college-entrance exams.

San Antonio Schools Uses Funds to Build Three New Schools

Starting the 2006-2007 school year, students at Margil Elementary School, Crockett Elementary School and Douglas Academy will enjoy new facilities. Margil and Crockett Elementary Schools have moved to two brand new buildings while Douglass Academy has undergone a complete renovation of its existing facilities.

Margil Elementary, a San Antonio Schools elementary that was originally built in the early 1970s, has two newly designed features. The schools striking towers emulate the architecture of Avenida Guadalupe located nearby. The other feature unique to the school is its cafetorium, which is created by a retractable wall that when raised combines the gym and cafeteria.

Crockett Elementary School has moved into a new 104,945 sq. foot building centered on a beautiful courtyard. The newest features for the school will be an improved library, science laboratories, and larger classroom size. The schools air-conditioning system has also been updated and parts of the school that had previously not been air-conditioned now will be.

San Antonio Schools Douglass Academy, a Texas Governors Education Excellence Award winner, has received a needed renovation. The schools refurbishing has focused on the including the African-American and Mexican-American cultures of the neighborhood in its decorations and design. The added facilities include a new gym, computer lab, wireless connections, an intercom system and classrooms built specifically for the Early Childhood Program and Life Strides for special needs students.

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more information on San Antonio schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Texas/San-Antonio/index.htmlMetal Gear Solid 4 Gets Its Own Bluetooth Headset