Persuasion Knowledge Theory

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Jaap de Jonge
Editor, Netherlands

Persuasion Knowledge Model

Of course we will help you 😃.
Persuasion Theory is a mass communication theory that deals with messages aimed at subtly changing the attitudes of receivers.
The PERSUASION KNOWLEDGE MODEL by Marian Friestad and Peter Wright is indeed something else. It is a personal persuasion and sales/marketing model.
Background: Every sales process, both online and face-to-face, is an attempt at persuasion. As a company you try to convince a customer to choose your service or product. Every attempt at persuasion is an interaction between the seller and the customer. Many theories of consumer behavior place a strong emphasis on achieving results, so what the SELLER must do to convince/persuade his customer. How the CUSTOMER is positioned in this process is often overlooked. For example, what does the customer know about the offered product? What does the customer know about the seller? And finally, does the customer have any knowledge of persuasion knowledge?

Yet, these three forms of knowledge are certainly important for how successful a persuasion attempt will be. These 3 forms of knowledge are described in the Persuasion Knowledge model.

According to the persuasion knowledge theory, three types of knowledge play a crucial role in the persuasion process:
- TOPIC (PRODUCT) KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge of the seller and the customer about the offered product.
- SALESPERSON / CUSTOMER KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge of the customer about the seller, and vice versa.
- PERSUASION KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge about the ways of persuasion.

In this, the seller usually starts with a persuasion attempt, based on the 3 above three forms of knowledge. So: "What does my product offer?", "What do I know about this customer?" and "How can I convince this customer?".
The customer, in turn, determines a strategy (based also on these three forms of knowledge) how to deal with the attempted persuasion. So: "What does the product offer?", "What do I know about the seller?" and "How does the seller try to convince me?".

Jing Yu
Teacher, China

Another Question About the Persuasion Knowledge Model

Thanks a lot for your kind answer. I read a paper written by Sarah Alhouti, Catherien M. Johnson and Besty Bugg Holloway, named "Corporate social responsibility authenticity: Investigating its antecedents and outcomes", which takes use of "persuasion knowledge theory" to explain the relationship between 'consumer perceived CSR commitment" and "consumer perceived CSR authenticity".
In that paper, it says that " From the theoretical perspective of persuasion knowledge theory(Friestad &Wright,1994), consumers evaluate whether the CSR act is making a real and meaningful difference by assessing the knowledge they have about the cause and the work needed to solve the problem. Based on the individual's knowledge about the company's giving and the magnitude of the social issue, he or she will attribute the CSR act as either authentic or inauthentic."
According to your answer to my last question, Persuasion knowledge model(not theory) shows us a kind of persuasion techniques. So, did the paper I mentioned use the wrong theory to explain its research issue?
I am looking forward to getting your advice. Thanks again.

Jaap de Jonge
Editor, Netherlands

Application of Persuasion Knowledge Model in CSR

Thank you for your further question. I am not an expert in this particular theory. However it would appear thinking from the persuasion knowledge model of Friestad and Wright that the consumer considering the CSR efforts of some company will think about the 1. Product being offered, the 2. Sales person (and selling company) including its perceived CSR commitment and CSR authenticity and 3. Persuasion mechanisms used (here you could also position the perceived CSR commitment and CSR authenticity).
So I think that this model is indeed an appropriate and useful tool to look at the perceived commitment and authenticity with respect to the CSR effort of some company. I hope this is helpful.