Maximum Influence – the 12 universal laws of power persuasion Mortensen ]
[ Kurt W
1. Law Law of of dis disso sona nanc nce e 2. Law Law of of obl oblig igat atio ion n 3. Law Law of con conne nect ctiv ivit ity y 4. Law of soci social al vali validat dation ion 5. Law Law of sca scarrcity city 6. Law of verbal verbal packa packagin ging g 7. Law Law of cont contra rast st 8. Law Law of exp expec ecta tati tion ons s 9. Law Law of of inv invol olve veme ment nt 10.Law of esteem 11.Law of association 12.Law of balance
The 5 “P” of success •
Psyche: believe you can achieve goals; have a plan; know your goals
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Persistence
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Personal development: read 30 mins per day; educational CDs for your car
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Passion
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Persuasion
The hierarchy of persuasion Long term Commitment [Respect Honor Trust] Cooperation [Convince Encourage Coax]
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Compliance [Incentive Benefits Rewards] Coercion [Pressure Manipulate Intimidate] Control [Force Fear Threats] Short term
The 2 ways to persuasion are: •
•
Conscious: you and the audience make an active attempt to understand, define and process and argument Subconscious: the listener spends little or no time processing information; instinct and emotion drive decisions
The laws of persuasion mainly operate below conscious thought
1. Law of dissonance (internal pressure) People will naturally act in a manner consistent with their beliefs, attitudes and values. If they don’t, there is dissonance. They will feel discomfort that requires adjustment. Foot-in-the-door: first, ask for a very small favor (e.g. can I have 30s of your time). This create a self-perception of helpfulness with your counterpart. Then, increase with your 2nd and 3rd request.
Foot-in-the-door approach: •
Determine end goal
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Create several steps to get there o
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First request: largest possible request that will be realistically accepted Consider your prospect’s viewpoint. They should not sense that you are acting in your own interest
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External incentives for the first request reduce this technique’s effectiveness (self perception then is acting for an incentive rather than acting out of helpfulness) It can be effective to use different persons to make the different requests, so prospect
Applying the law of dissonance 1. Get a committment Ensure that commitments are public, affirmative, voluntary and effortful. Public: get written commitment and make it public, involve family and friends Affirmative: close with a series of questions (ideally 6) that will all end in a yes Voluntary: start small and build up to larger commitments; long-term approval has to feel like it comes from your prospects own will 2. Create dissonance Show prospects they have not kept their commitment (e.g. you said you needed this right away – why do you have to think it over?) 3. Offer a solution (this is what you ultimately want to accomplish) = call to action. Your presentation should be prepared around this (e.g. if you donate right now, we can continue to feed the homeless children in Africa”)
2. Law of obligation When others do something for us, we feel a strong need to return the favor. Sometimes, the return exceeds the original debt (e.g. that’s why car salesmen offer customers a soda during negotiations). Some marketers effectively use pre-giving (e.g. free sample or service).
Applying the law of obligation •
Create the need / obligation in the mind of your counterpart (e.g. service, information, concession, secret, favor, gesture, compliment, smile, gift before a negotiation, invitation, attention, time) – any combination will work as long as it is perceived as altruistic / unselfish Examples
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o
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Concessions: you know what, you are right about …. Secret: I shouldn’t tell you this, but …. know …
Off the record, I think you should
3. Law of connectivity A sense of connectivity makes you more persuasive. It requires sincerity and true interest. The 4 aspects of connectivity are: •
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Attraction: has a halo effect; one characteristic influences the overall perception (appearance, clothes, hair, accessories, fitness) Similarity: we like people who are similar to us in terms of attitude, morality, background, appearance (people like to buy from people like them) People skills o
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o
o
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Goodwill: be interested in other people, be caring, kind, compassionate, focus on positives Bonding: use & remember names, chance of persuasion increases if name is used at start and end of sentence Humor: people like you better if you use appropriate humor, use with caution though Smile: give away freely Respect: when your audience respects you, your chance of persuading increases, show gratitude, don’t talk about your problems – other people want to talk about themselves and their problems
Rapport o
Body language
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Mirroring and matching (builds rapport)
Language (words, rate of speech, tone)
Breathing
Voice and tone
Mood (e.g. I think I would feel XYZ too if I were…)
Energy level
4. Law of social validation There is an inner desire to be part of a group We change opinions and act according to group norms, e.g. tip jar with money in it, referrals from friends, canned laughter in comedy shows, bystander apathy, waiting lines at night clubs In marketing e.g. companies claim that a product is best, most popular, etc
Application of the law of social validation •
The larger the group the better
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The greater the familiarity the better
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The clearer the principle of social validation the better (what works best? Best selling, used by experts, fastest growing ??)
5. Law of scarcity Scarcity increases value and the urge to own an item Scarcity = threat of loss of freedom to choose leads to action
Availability of product, timing or price TV shops: clock counting down offer
Application of the law of scarcity
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use of deadlines
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limited space / access
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potential loss (fear of not having something)
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restricted freedom (we want what we can’t have – signs for “soon unavailable”, “sold” sign at close-out sales
6. Law of verbal packaging Oral communication has immense power Word choice: adjust your word choice to the situation Repel words
Superior
contract
Agreement
sign here
Autograph / ok the paperwork
sell
Get involved
cancellation
Right of recision
sales person
Business consultant
commission
Fee for my services
cost
investment
Credit card
Form of payment
Problem
Challenge
Objection
Area of concern
Expensive
Top of the line
Cheaper
More economical
Service charge
Processing fee
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Double speak
Replace offensive words with less offensive words to reduce sting Offensive
repackaged
Fired
Let go
Downsizing
Rightsizing
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Used car
Pre-owned
Interrogate
Interview
Fail
Not passing
Garbage man
Sanitation engineer
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Package your numbers
Play your numbers up or down: more than three quarters; almost 8 out of 10, less than half, fewer than 2 out of 10 •
Positive and negative word choice
To create a feeling of happy/safe/confident or anxiety/depression etc; positive words put the listener in a more persuasive state of mind •
Emotion packed words
Consider the emotional impact of each word that you use; use non-emotional words to downplay events; shorter words are generally more direct / blunt / harsh •
Word choice in marketing
Marketers frequently use weasel words such as: helps, may, improved, up to, almost, about •
Use of silence
After a sales pitch, be silent do not oversell, give prospect a chance to think – the less you talk, the smarter people think you are •
Vivid language
Use vivid language to paint a picture (your prospects will become part of the message if you paint a picture with words) •
Powerful words o
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Because: prepares brain for a reason You: makes people listen But: creates conflict – do not use. Use And instead
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Use can instead of could, and will instead of would
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Use let’s to create cooperation
Use simple words and structure (everyday language will make you seem familiar) Also use verb driven language
Complex
Simple
Annually
Every year
Comprehend
Understand
Assistance
Help
Cultivate
Grow
Accomplished
Did
Essential
Necessary
Utilize
Use
Persists
Continues
Respond
Answer
Disseminate
Spread
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Use attention grabbing words o
Benefit, money, easy, new, free, now, fun, proven, guarantee, results, health, safe, how to, save, love, you/your
Vocal techniques •
Pace: faster, louder, more fluent, varied vocal frequency = more persuasive o
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Slow pace: give impression of thoughtfulness, working through process, respect, important point Faster pace: create excitement and energy
Vocal fillers: must be eliminated
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Pitch: the lower the better Pauses: use before making an important point; use high pitch before and low pitch after pause
7. Law of contrast The human mind looks for benchmarks for comparison. This law deals with how we are affected when we are introduced to 2 vastly different alternatives in succession distorts or amplifies perception Time-critical, i.e. alternatives must be presented simultaneously or within short timeframe
Categories: •
Sweetening the pot o
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Cost per day / minute = can of soda
Shifting focus o
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Price tags with previous price strike-through
Reducing it to the ridiculous: create perspective o
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Triple value (infomercials: added bonus, free shipping etc)
75% lean vs 25% fat results in different rating of burgers
Door in the face o
Make an initial huge request that will be turned down
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Follow up with second, reasonable request
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Second request now has a higher chance since social norm is to meet concession (allowing rejection of first request) with a concession (second request)
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Example: home is on market for $500, builder tells and agent to big $350 anonymously, this offer gets rejected; builder then bids $420 and offer gets accepted
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Comparison effect: taking their temperature o
E.g. present billiard tables: low scale to high scale first: average sale $500; high scale to low scale: average sale $1000
How to use: •
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Starting high: make an initial request that is certain to be denied with a reasonable one
follow up
Timing: delay between the 2 must be short
8. Law of expectations Expectations affect behavior and become reality e.g. when a baby falls, it cries if parents act concerned •
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Placebo effect Time expectations: a project will take 3 or 6 months, depending on what the expectations are; it is therefore good to set sub-deadlines Reputation expectations: people are likely to act as expected o
“you’ve always impressed me with your ability to…”
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“I’ve always liked how you…”
people will come through for you
First impression expectations influence perception
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Embedded commands
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laugh instead
Pre-supposition: assume the sale “you’ll love how this car drives in the mountains”
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e.g. have a pepsi day
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most effective when they are short and concise (2-4 words)
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e.g. become wealthy, how good it feels, use this skill, buy now
Goal setting & visualizing: goals must have the power to stretch and inspire and be realistic Environment : broken window theory: building with broken window = nobody cares = more vandalism
9. Law of involvement The more you involve the audience the more persuasive you are •
increasing participation: make it their problem o
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role playing
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asking for advice: people have a desire to feel wanted / needed
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visualization: how your product or service will help them
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contact e.g. by store employee
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the power of yes: use wouldn’t, shouldn’t, doesn’t
creating atmosphere o
music
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aroma e.g. in stores or at work
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rushed vs relaxed (tension in the air)
use questions, quotes, change mediums, speak in first person, make them feel important, give tips, keep your body moving, avoid excessive detail
using the art of questioning o
skilled negotiators ask twice as many questions
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questions involve and elicit response
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hands-on experience: e.g. test drive, introductory offers, have customer fill out the sales contract
maintaining attention o
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physical movement (especially nods: in advertising: repetitive vertical movements such as bouncy balls)
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store placement (having to go through entire store to get to groceries, having to go through entire mall to get from one department store to the next)
be careful what words you use when you ask, as it has an impact on the response: “how fast…..” vs “how slow……”
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telling mesmerizing stories o
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use specific details to make stories tangible, pack stories with emotions
repeating and repackaging o
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use unstructured questions to get lots of information
in order to increase retention, repackage the same message up to 3 times, so it does not seem repetitive
building suspense and distraction o
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distraction: food, sex appeal suspense: unfinished thought / idea / story breaks in movies
timing of TV commercial
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generating competition – most people like competition, it involves them
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engaging the 5 senses
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Law of esteem
All humans need and want praise, recognition and acceptance Symptoms of low self esteem: inability to trust others, aggressive behavior, gossiping, resentment of others, criticism of others, inability to take criticism, defensiveness, procrastination, inability to accept compliments Pride vs self-esteem Pride
Self-esteem
External security
Internal security
Scarcity mentality
Abundance mentality
Comparisons to others
No need to compare
Value in possessions or positions
Value in self
Tears others down Concerned with who is right
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Lifts others up Concerned with what is right
Enhance your prospect’s ego •
Ingratiation: make others feel important (gain favor by deliberate effort – compliments , flattery, etc, e.g. I normally don’t do this but for you on an exception I wil…)
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Sincere praise – praise the act, not the person
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Acceptance o
Unconditional
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Never criticize people you want to persuade
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Give genuine thanks
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Law of association
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Endorsements
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Anchors
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Smells
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Music
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Symbols
Affiliation o
Advertising (puppies, babies, etc)
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Sponsorship
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Color triggers (communicate and trigger thoughts, moods, emotions)
Red: strength, power, anger, danger, aggression, excitement
Blue: coolness, trust, loyalty, harmony, devotion
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Yellow: brightness, cheerfulness, intelligence, wiseness
Orange: brightness, unpleasantness, sun, warmth, bravery, invigoration, radiation, communication
Purple: royalty, passion, authority, stateliness, integrity, mysticalness
White: plainness, purity, coldness, cleanliness, innocence, hygiene
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Black: desperation, wickedness, futility, mysteriousness, death, evilness
Gray: neutrality, nothingness, indecision, depression, dullness, technology, impersonality
Law of balance
Balance between emotion and logic is needed to maximize persuasiveness We are persuaded by reason but moved by emotion 90% of decisions are emotion based
4 forms of evidence •
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Testimony (quote, interview, endorsement) can be implied with someone’s presence, picture, signature Statistics Analysis Examples
Do not provide too much evidence but focus on the strong evidence • •
• • • •
Use expert supported evidence Statistical evidence is more convincing if combined with individual case studies Document testimony sources Use new / updated data as it is more relevant Use evidence consistent with the audience’s beliefs Build credibility by acknowledging the other side
Emotions Avoid negatives in the persuasion process or provide a solution to it
When using emotions in persuasion, consider: • •
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The nature of the experience (funeral, party, meeting…) The audience (male, female, age, religion…)
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The likely emotion that is being created
Pre-persuasion checklist: • • •
Discover what your prospects want and need to hear Design and structure a winning persuasion argument Deliver the message with passion, compassion and purpose
Checklist • • •
• • •
Beliefs and values of your audience Change (how resistant to change is your audience) Acceptance (knowledge, interest, background & demographics, support for presenter’s views, and beliefs of the audience) Listening Personality directions Persuasion structure & engineering
Audience types and how to handle: •
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Hostile: find common beliefs and values; use humor; don’t start the presentation with attacking their position; don’t give them a reason to not like you; build credibility; express you are looking for a win-win; meet them before the persuasion situation; show you’ve done your homework; respect their feelings and values; use reasoning; use the law of connectivity and balance Neutral or indifferent: spell out the benefits of your proposal and point out the downside of not accepting your proposal; grab attention with a story; make them care by showing how the topic affects them; avoid complex arguments; identify why they should care; make them feel connected to the issue; use the law of involvement and social validation Uniformed: encourage them to ask questions; keep the facts simple and straightforward; find out why they are uniformed; use examples and simple statistics; quote experts the audience respects; stress your credibility such as degrees; make your message interesting to keep their attention; use the law of dissonance and scarcity Supportive: increase energy and enthusiasm with inspiration; prepare them for future attacks by inoculating them against other arguments; get them to take action and support your cause; let them know what needs to be done; use testimonials to intensify the commitments; use the law of esteem and expectation
Listening: focus, don’t think about your response, don’t conclude • • • • • •
Give them your undivided attention Look the directly in the face while they are talking Show sincere interest in them (nod, uh-hum) Ask questions to keep the conversation going Use silence to encourage them to talk Pause before replying / continuing (3-5 seconds)
Personality directions Logical vs emotional Introvert vs extrovert Motivated by inspiration or desperation Assertive or amiable
Structuring: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
create interest = reason to listen state the problem – how does it affect the audience offer evidence present a solution call to action (the most important aspect of your presentation) a. what do I want to accomplish b. what will make my message clear to the audience c. what will increase my credibility and trust d. what laws of persuasion am I going to use e. what do I want my prospects to do f. who is listening to my message g. what is their initial mindset h. when will the call to action work i. why should they care j. in what areas of their lives does it affect them k. how will they benefit
Call to action Should not come as a shock, should be smooth and seamless
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