In this article we’ll be looking at “attraction marketing-based persuasion” vs. various UN-attractive forms of coercion or “arm-twisting”. When you know how to increase your persuasive skills, what you’re presenting comes across in a more powerful and convincing way AND you create long-term influence with your potential customers.

The Current Challenge We Face As Small Business Owners
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Research has indicated that the average customer recalls approximately ten words from your marketing and sales message. Over forty percent remember what you said inaccurately. And over sixty percent remember things you didn’t say!
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Today’s consumers are hit with thousands of persuasive messages every day of their lives. This has made our work as small and home business entrepreneurs much more challenging.

Researchers, delving into the psychology of persuasion, have discovered some key principles which make us more persuasive when we’re communicating with other people, whether it be a formal sales presentation, in a meeting, conducting training sessions, or simply one-on-one conversation with a prospect or customer over the phone.

These findings are critical for implementing successful marketing strategies. This can be any time you’re talking with another person about your business, products, or services you provide. You can talk with others in an attractive or unattractive way. Obviously we’re after Attractive Persuasion!

Following are Ten Principles of Dynamic Persuasion which I first learned from master persuader, Kurt Mortenson and his book Magnetic Persuasion: How to Create Instant Influence.

PRINCIPLE #1: Cognitive Dissonance

Create mild discomfort or conflict in the minds of your customer. When people feel this inner conflict they look for a way to resolve it. It can be resolved in and through the product or service your marketing or selling.

PRINCIPLE #2: Identification

Create connections, bonds, and rapport with the customer. The more connected you are to them the more “in sync” they’ll feel with you. We want to be persuaded by people with whom we feel connected.

PRINCIPLE #3: Reciprocity

Give much more than what is expected. This creates a subtle obligation to return the favor. In the case of a training session, this manifests itself as a desire to listen to you and do what you suggest.

PRINCIPLE #4: Appreciation

Offer genuine praise and sincere compliments to customers. Praise releases self-esteem and a greater openness and receptivity in your customer. Compliments have the power to change behavior.

PRINCIPLE #5: Verbal Packaging

Use language to paint a picture of the importance of what you’re sharing. Use it to leverage the desired response in the customer. The words we use (or don’t use!) have power and can help or hinder our sales and marketing goals.

PRINCIPLE #6: Participation

Get people actively involved in the presentation. When they feel part of the process the distance between your presentation and their lives decreases.

PRINCIPLE #7: Anticipation

Make it clear what you’re expecting people to do at the end of your presentation. Treat customer the way you want them act as a result of your pitch. We can program our minds to become whatever we want.

PRINCIPLE #8: Social validation

Create implicit and explicit sets of norms. Other people’s behavior tends to guide our actions when we’re part of the group. People tend to change their behavior based on group norms

PRINCIPLE #9: Contrast

Show how your product or services compares to (and is better than!) other similar products and services and you’ll steer customers toward what you have to offer. Create extra value in what you’re presenting in the minds of your customer.

PRINCIPLE #10: Motivation

Create a hunger and thirst in your customer for your information. Motivation allows you to tap into the passion of your customer and move them to action. Motivation is all about finding and fulfilling people’s needs and wants.

These principles should be incorporated into actual face-to-face presentations, phone conversations, and into your written sales and marketing pieces. Implementing these principles can definitely help you be an “attractive persuader”!

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