You can find lots of hints in the way they like to communicate. For example, Sytch says, “I have some colleagues who love long emails with lots of bullet points and spreadsheets attached. The way to respond to them is probably write an equally long email by addressing their bullet points one by one.” In other situations, you might know someone who adds colour with personal anecdotes and feelings. You could shoot off a similar response – perhaps including a short story of your own to hammer home your point. Or, if you’re talking to someone who’s more buttoned up and direct – maybe a superior or an executive – go straight for the answer. Leave the humour at the door, if that’s what they do.

In short, Sytch says “if you present something to me in a way that I’m used to hearing, how I articulate my thoughts – it’s easier for me to process the essence of that argument, so as a result, it allows you to be more persuasive.”

Sure, it’s easier said than done to spend time learning about someone’s communication style through diving into hundreds of documents like the lawyers in the study – if you even have such a resource available. But you can use your network to get a similar perspective on a person, especially if you’ve never met them. Ask someone who’s interacted with your “target”, says Sytch. Something like, Hey, I’m presenting to Bryan. What’s he like? What types of questions does he ask? What do I absolutely have to do to win him over?

“Being sensitive to that process of delivering information – how other people process that information – can give us a better chance of being heard,” says Sytch.