How to get people to do what you want them to...

Yes, we've all been in this situation: you need something done, but you can't do it yourself, or you're trying to get out of something... Here are a few sneaky ways to get people to do what you want them to and to get out of things you don't want to do!

Never blame someone directly

Instead of blaming something directly by saying "you"blame the object, such as "the glass broke" instead of "you broke the glass". This prevents people from getting angry and defensive and makes people a lot easier to deal with.

Maintain eye contact

When someone is about to ask you a favour, which you don't want to do, maintain eye contact. It leaves them feeling confronted and they often end up reasoning with themselves, rather than asking you to do it. It also works the same way the other way around: do you want something done? Maintain eye contact to make them agree more easily.

Speak softly

When you're in an argument, try to speak softly: this forces the other person to listen actively. Besides that, when you yell while arguing, this also is a telltale sign of sounding more convincing to distract attention from irrational thought.

Make yourself dull...

It seems odd, but if you don't want to talk to someone you don't like, make yourself seem so dull that they will be willing to seek drama elsewhere. This way you don't have to see the other quite that often, and you don't have to be mean about it.

Flinch

When you're negotiating something, and an offer comes by that you can't accept, try flinching visibly next time. Most people will just forget about it, assuming it would be rude to notice it and probably even raise the offer or try to negotiate much better terms for you.

Illusion of choice

Give people the illusion of choice: instead of asking, "Do you want to start your work?". try to ask, "Isn't it time to get some work done?".

Avoid apologising too much

Instead of saying "Sorry for the wait" when you let someone wait, try to say "Thank you for your patience". It makes them more likely to be kind and patient with you, since you have already asserted they're kind and patient people, denying that would hurt their own self image.