There is no action without a decision to act. And no decision to act without considering the options to act. But options have to be presented. Present. Decide. Act. Ok, how do Germans persuade?
Objectivity
The Germans separate message from messenger. The presenter consciously and purposely moves into the background. In the German business context the message takes center stage. Germans believe that arguments should speak for themselves.
Competence
For Germans a core competence is the ability to identify, analyze and solve complex problems. For them the key to success is problem-solving. In the German business context to be competent is to focus primarily on problems.
Systematics
Germans are systematic in their thinking. Complexity is understood only by grasping how its component parts interrelate and interact. For a component part can only be understood via its role within the whole. Germans use theories and models to explain complexity.
Reality
Germans define realistic as understanding reality. To understand the present is to understand how it became so. Germans expect a clear explanation of the path from the past to the present. A realist understands the history of a given situation.
Inform vs. Sell
In the German business world to persuade means to inform persuasively. Persuasive argumentation guides an audience to its logical conclusion. Selling the conclusion is not necessary. Germans do not ask the so-called closing question in a direct and frontal way.
