In order become a powerfully persuasive person you need to understand how to get past the resistance.
Resistance is our defensive mechanism to shield us from being sold a product or service. Everyone likes to buy that shiny new car or home but no one likes to be sold. Being sold is to feel pressure and our resistance rises as soon as we detect that is what someone is trying to do to us.
Can we slip by their resistance?
What if....
Imagine that you were asking someone out on a date. Typically you might say something like....Would you like to go for dinner and a movie on Friday night?
The person being asked has to make a snap decision. The pressure and stress builds as the recipient of the request ponders all of the reasons to say yes or no. And if the answer is no, the door has just slammed shut on you and a wall of resistance is building.
Each no you get builds more of that wall of resistance. So if you keep asking and keep hearing no, you are getting further away from a successful response.
At the moment of rejection you will both want to retreat and try forget the experience.
What if, instead you tried this......What if we were to to go for dinner and a movie on Friday night, how would you feel about that?
Remember, you only asked what if? You didn't really ask her out. So there is little or no pressure because you were just asking her thoughts on a speculative request. So if her answer is 'no I don't think that would work because I have other plans' nothing is lost you can carry on as usual.
However, if she says she would like that, then yahoo...you have a date.
Now imagine using this in a business transaction? The realtor says to his clients, 'what if we could get you possession of this beautiful place in 30 days?' How would you feel about calling this home?
Or the auto salesperson says, 'what if we could get your financing approved within the hour? How would you feel about driving it home today?'
P.S. you can replace 'what if' with 'imagine' if that works better for you!
Because...
Research has proven that when you make a request and follow up with a 'because' it becomes more persuasive. Although the research didn't explain why 'because' works so well, I speculate it is because it is complimentary to the other person. When someone takes the time to explain why they are making a request it causes us to feel appreciated. When someone makes a request without an explanation it can feel more like an order. And who likes to be told what to do?
So in my example above he might say something like this....What if we could get your financing approval this afternoon because we are offering really low rates right now. How would you feel about driving it home today?'
Imagine trying out this technique the next time you are asking someone to do business with you because it really works! How would you feel about that?
Bonus #1
It is really important to use their name at the front of your request. Using their first name makes it more personal and friendly. It seems simple and it is but it brings results because it lowers resistance.
Bonus #2
The real power in persuasion is to string several techniques together as I just did by using....their first name, what if, because and how would you feel. I call this my String theory of Persuasion.
As I write more articles on persuasion I will continue to string together multiple techniques because that's when it is most powerfully persuasive. And because...by being able to say I developed a String Theory makes me sound brighter than I actually am.....haha
Hmm.....what if you were to take this beautifully simple technique for a test drive because you will be amazed at the results you will get. How would you feel about that?
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