Maximum Influence the 12 universal laws of power persuasion Mortensen ] 1. Law of dissonance 2. Law of obligation 3. Law of connectivity 4.

. Law of social validation 5. Law of scarcity 6. Law of verbal packaging 7. Law of contrast 8. Law of expectations 9. Law of involvement 10.Law of esteem 11.Law of association 12.Law of balance

[ Kurt W

The 5 P of success Psyche: believe you can achieve goals; have a plan; know your goals Persistence Personal development: read 30 mins per day; educational CDs for your car Passion Persuasion

The hierarchy of persuasion Long term Commitment [Respect Honor Trust] Cooperation [Convince Encourage Coax]

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 dont, 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 Create several steps to get there o o First request: largest possible request that will be realistically accepted Consider your prospects viewpoint. They should not sense that you are acting in your own interest

External incentives for the first request reduce this techniques 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. thats 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 3

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Concessions: you know what, you are right about . Secret: I shouldnt 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: 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 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, dont talk about your problems other people want to talk about themselves and their problems

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Rapport o o Body language 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 The greater the familiarity the better 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 use of deadlines limited space / access potential loss (fear of not having something)

restricted freedom (we want what we cant 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 contract sign here sell cancellation sales person commission cost Credit card Problem Objection Expensive Cheaper Service charge Superior Agreement Autograph / ok the paperwork Get involved Right of recision Business consultant Fee for my services investment Form of payment Challenge Area of concern Top of the line More economical Processing fee

Double speak

Replace offensive words with less offensive words to reduce sting Offensive Fired Downsizing 6 repackaged Let go Rightsizing

Used car Interrogate Fail Garbage man

Pre-owned Interview Not passing Sanitation engineer

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 o o 7 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 Use lets to create cooperation

Use simple words and structure (everyday language will make you seem familiar) Also use verb driven language Simple Every year Understand Help Grow Did Necessary Use Continues Answer Spread

Complex Annually Comprehend Assistance Cultivate Accomplished Essential Utilize Persists Respond Disseminate

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 Slow pace: give impression of thoughtfulness, working through process, respect, important point Faster pace: create excitement and energy

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Vocal fillers: must be eliminated

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 o Triple value (infomercials: added bonus, free shipping etc) Price tags with previous price strike-through

Reducing it to the ridiculous: create perspective o Cost per day / minute = can of soda

Shifting focus o 75% lean vs 25% fat results in different rating of burgers

Door in the face o o o Make an initial huge request that will be turned down Follow up with second, reasonable request Second request now has a higher chance since social norm is to meet concession (allowing rejection of first request) with a concession (second request) 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

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: Starting high: make an initial request that is certain to be denied follow up with a reasonable one 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 laugh instead Pre-supposition: assume the sale youll love how this car drives in the mountains 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 o youve always impressed me with your ability to Ive always liked how you people will come through for you

First impression expectations influence perception Embedded commands o o o e.g. have a pepsi day most effective when they are short and concise (2-4 words) 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

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9. Law of involvement The more you involve the audience the more persuasive you are increasing participation: make it their problem o 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) role playing asking for advice: people have a desire to feel wanted / needed visualization: how your product or service will help them physical movement (especially nods: in advertising: repetitive vertical movements such as bouncy balls) contact e.g. by store employee the power of yes: use wouldnt, shouldnt, doesnt

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creating atmosphere o o o o music aroma e.g. in stores or at work rushed vs relaxed (tension in the air) hands-on experience: e.g. test drive, introductory offers, have customer fill out the sales contract

maintaining attention o 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 o o skilled negotiators ask twice as many questions questions involve and elicit response 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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use unstructured questions to get lots of information

telling mesmerizing stories o use specific details to make stories tangible, pack stories with emotions

repeating and repackaging o in order to increase retention, repackage the same message up to 3 times, so it does not seem repetitive

building suspense and distraction o o distraction: food, sex appeal suspense: unfinished thought / idea / story timing of TV commercial breaks in movies

generating competition most people like competition, it involves them 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 External security Scarcity mentality Comparisons to others Value in possessions or positions Tears others down Concerned with who is right Self-esteem Internal security Abundance mentality No need to compare Value in self Lifts others up Concerned with what is right

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Enhance your prospects ego Ingratiation: make others feel important (gain favor by deliberate effort compliments , flattery, etc, e.g. I normally dont do this but for you on an exception I wil) Sincere praise praise the act, not the person Acceptance o o o Unconditional Never criticize people you want to persuade Give genuine thanks

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Law of association

Endorsements Anchors o o o Smells Music Symbols

Affiliation o o o Advertising (puppies, babies, etc) Sponsorship Color triggers (communicate and trigger thoughts, moods, emotions) Red: strength, power, anger, danger, aggression, excitement Blue: coolness, trust, loyalty, harmony, devotion 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

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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 Testimony (quote, interview, endorsement) can be implied with someones 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 audiences 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: 14 The nature of the experience (funeral, party, meeting) The audience (male, female, age, religion)

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 presenters views, and beliefs of the audience) Listening Personality directions Persuasion structure & engineering

Audience types and how to handle: Hostile: find common beliefs and values; use humor; dont start the presentation with attacking their position; dont 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 youve 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

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Listening: focus, dont think about your response, dont 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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