Every decision we make is the culmination of a knockout tournament of implausible magnitude with millions if not billions of neurons competing; first one-on-one, then small group vs small group, then slightly larger group vs slightly larger group. By the time this decision tree has come to its zenith, we see a limited number of options, all contained in a class we believe to be adequate, or at least appropriate to the situation.
Persuasion is the art of interrupting this chain of events early enough to avoid stiff opposition from the competing groups of neurons, and late enough that you can see your way to the desired effect. To effectively execute this interruption, you need to bypass layers of protection or cynicism in the brain specifically designed to stop you from being able to short circuit the process. This is done by exposing the brain to an unexpected stimulus and then inserting the information you wish at this point.