Persuasion isn't inherently difficult. To do it right, says Borg, people just need to focus on listening to the person they're trying to persuade and accordingly.

Whether you're seeking a new job or clinging to an existing one, persuading people of your value is going to be your key to success during this recession. Borg spoke to CIO.com about how to persuade others without being pushy and about the dangers of steamrolling people into submission.

CIO: When trying to influence or persuade others, what's the biggest mistake people make?

James Borg: One of the worst crimes is the lack of true or active listening. People only half-listen to other people who are speaking, and they don't observe people that well. We have the capacity to think at four- or five times the rate of someone who's speaking to us. Consequently, we listen badly because we're formulating our responses while the other person is speaking, or we're thinking about something else, like shopping. Because we don't listen, we fail to pick up .

Observing body language is the closest we can come to mind-reading. If you make a statement, and that statement produces a grimace on the face of the other person, their body is telling you that something you said doesn't gel with them. It's a clue for you to change your tact or to inquire what it is that's bothering that person.