Power is intricately connected to persuasion in that it increases your ability to persuade, influence, and stir action in others. Power enhances all aspects of persuasion and influence. Power will magnify your ability to hit the persuasion target. Power opens the window for you to have greater persuasive capabilities and influence over your audience. Consequently, when your audience perceives that you hold great power over them, you will be very persuasive in moving them to action.

Power exists only because your audience allows it. They grant you the ability to persuade them based upon your real or perceived power. Your audience has the discretion to follow, remain indifferent, or rebel against your power. Even if your boss has made threats, or the thief has a gun, you have the choice of choosing your behavior in response to his power play.

You only have power over a person to the extent that you control something they want, need, or desire. This could be safety, information, rewards, freedom, or avoidance of punishment. Power does not have to be exerted to be effective. A bank robber holds power as he stands menacingly with a gun, yet he doesn