Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 5 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Persuasion
— From The One Sentence Persuasion Course: 27 Words to Make the World Do Your Bidding by Blair Warren (you can read the short original document published in 2005 here)
In this short but powerful ebook, Blair Warren boils down the concept of persuasion to its most basic principles that go hand-in-hand with some basic human needs. And he encapsulates them in one sentence. “Not a sentence that one delivers, but a sentence that one remembers. A sentence that can help guide your efforts from beginning to end in virtually every situation imaginable.”
And what is that sentence?!
“People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions and help them throw rocks at their enemies.”
Let’s take a quick look at these basic principles, “they are the tools for anyone who must connect with others and, more importantly, make these connections pay off.”
On encouraging their dreams…
“Parents often discourage their children’s dreams “for their own good” and attempt to steer them toward more “reasonable” goals. And children often accept this as normal until others come along who believe in them and encourage their dreams. When this happens, who do you think has more power? Parents or strangers?”
On justifying their failures…
“While millions cheer Dr. Phil as he tells people to accept responsibility for their mistakes, millions more are looking for someone to take the responsibility off their shoulders. To tell them that they are not responsible for their lot in life. And while accepting responsibility is essential for gaining control of one’s own life, assuring others they are not responsible is essential for gaining influence over theirs. One need look no further than politics to see this powerful game played at its best.”
On allaying their fears…
“When we are afraid, it is almost impossible to concentrate on anything else. And while everyone knows this, what do we do when someone else is afraid and we need to get their attention? That’s right. We tell them not to be afraid and expect that to do the trick. Does it work? Hardly. And yet we don’t seem to notice. We go on as if we’d solved the problem and the person before us fades further away. But there are those who do realize this and pay special attention to our fears. They do not tell us not to be afraid. They work with us until our fear subsides. They present evidence. They offer support. They tell us stories. But they do not tell us how to feel and expect us to feel that way. When you are afraid, which type of person do you prefer to be with?”
On confirming their suspicions…
“One of our favorite things to say is ‘I knew it.’ There is just nothing quite like having our suspicions confirmed. When another person confirms something that we suspect, we not only feel a surge of superiority, we feel attracted to the one who helped make that surge come about. […] It is a simple thing to confirm the suspicions of those who are desperate to believe them.”
On helping them throw rocks at their enemies…
“Nothing bonds like having a common enemy. I realize how ugly this sounds and yet it is true just the same. Those who understand this can utilize this. Those who don’t understand it, or worse, understand but refuse to address it, are throwing away one of the most effective ways of connecting with others. No matter what you may think of this, rest assured that people have enemies. All people. It has been said that everyone you meet is engaged in a great struggle. The thing they are struggling with is their enemy. Whether it is another individual, a group, an illness, a setback, a rival philosophy… when one is engaged in a struggle, one is looking for others to join him. Those who do become more than friends. They become partners.”
Lastly, in all of this information, did you notice there is something missing? YOU! “There isn’t a word about your wants, your needs, your hopes or your concerns. There isn’t a word about your offer or proposal. There isn’t a word about what you think. It is all about the other person… Can you even imagine how much more charismatic you will become when you come to be seen as the one who can fulfill some of their most basic emotional needs?”
ACTION
TODAY & FUTURE: Just as the sentence is simple, the action for today or the future is very simple too (yet not necessarily easy): whenever you need to prepare a document, a presentation, a campaign, sell a product, promote your business or your brand, or do any activity that requires persuading others, utilize one or more of the angles that the author mentions. Print the sentence and keep it handy so that you can reference it and use it often.
Do you want to persuade someone to read this blog? (Hint, hint!) Please encourage their dreams of professional growth and share with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!