If you want to convince someone of something, here’s a handy bit of wisdom: people who feel at ease are more open to trying new things, whereas people who do not will automatically raise their defences. So create an atmosphere in which you feel at ease yourself, then convey that ease and openness to the person you are trying to convince. Really surprise them, make them curious, explain what your proposal might bring them. You will probably no longer need to convince them at all, for they will have already been convinced.
Joschka Breitner, Slowing Down in the Fast Lane: Mindfulness for Managers316