A GROUP of talented school leavers was treated to a masterclass in business and persuasion techniques as part of a special lecture with Alliance Manchester Business School expert, Dil Sidhu.

Dil, who is a protégé of Dr Robert Cialdini – author of the 1984 book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – revealed the secrets of persuasion to 30 A-level graduates seeking to boost their appeal to universities and future employers.

Dil said: “We work to six core principles of persuasion, which are: reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consensus, commitment and liking. While these concepts are of great importance in the corporate world, they can also be applied to young people looking to impress prospective employers or admissions teams at universities.”

The event, which took place at the Marriott Manchester Airport Hotel on October 22, was organised by in-school tuition provider, Yipiyap.

The Altrincham-based company employs high-achieving gap year students to deliver peer-to-peer learning support in 26 primary and secondary schools in the North West.

Dil said: “It was extremely interesting to meet the tutors and hear about their goals for the future and how strategic they are being in planning their careers from such a young age – I hope my advice will go some way to helping them secure the university places or job interviews they need.”

Anne Morris, founder of Yipiyap, said: “We go to great lengths to ensure that we hand-pick the right tutors who can nurture and inspire pupils to help them reach their full potential. We were truly honoured to have someone as influential and talented as Dil Sidhu on board to share his advice at this exciting and critical stage of their lives.”

A series of lectures, including from business leader, Chris Morris, and neurologist, Dr Montu Sumra, is planned to take place during the academic year.