How 'linguistic mirroring' can make you more convincing

The secret to connecting with someone is to simply copy their body language. Linguistic mirroring, where you mimic someone's communication style, can also make you more persuasive.

The next time you're on the Zoom staff meeting, pay attention to how each of your colleagues speaks and present their thoughts. Some may only be concerned with bullet points and bottom lines, while others might launch into a rambling story. Adjust your speech to mimic them - even if their communication style is different from yours.

If you present something in a way that the other person is used to hearing, it's easier for them to process the essence of that argument.

A study that looked at the legal profession and how linguistic mirroring could help lawyers get on the good side of judges found that if the legal teams more closely mirrored a judge's preferred writing style in documents, their chance of winning went up by 25%.