April 30, 2006
Persuasion Through Parallelism
Master persuaders know that people are more likely to agree with them, like them, buy from them, and hire them if they feel they have more in common with them. To encourage this, master persuaders highlight their similarities to the customer or business associate. How can you do this?
1. Talk about what you have in common. No matter how different you may think you are from someone, you are bound to have at least a few things in common with him. Find out what they are, talk about them, and begin to connect. Successful people find ways to click with anyone and know how to get along with people from all walks of life, ages, and areas of expertise. Doing so is beneficial to you in several ways. Not only do you increase the likelihood of the person saying “yes”, but you also expand your base of knowledge and experience.
2. Look the part. If you’re meeting with a banker who dresses conservatively, match the tone of his clothing. If you’re having lunch with someone who’s more trendy and fashion-forward, work a little more verve into your look. People tend to look for what they know in others. I’m not suggesting you forget who you are or pretend to be something other than what you are. All you need to do is lean toward his point on the spectrum.
3. Compliment him. Everybody loves a compliment. This doesn’t have to be artificial. Something about him probably impresses you. Verbalize what it is. We all want to work with people who like us and make us feel appreciated. When someone tells us we’re great, we want to live up to that and show it off.
Filed under: Selling Yourself
TrackBack URI
2 Responses »
Comments
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>
View Dave Lorenzo's profile
David:
Another great post. I particularly like your first point. One of the common sense tips I give all of my coaching clients is to “focus first on points where you agree — not disagree — when resolivng interpersonal conflicts or building relationships with other people”.
Talking about what you have in common is a great way to focus on where you agree with another person.
Keep up the good work.
Bud Bilanich
The Common Sense Guy
www.CommonSenseGuy.com
Comment by Bud Bilanich — April 30, 2006 @ 18:10
Thanks, Bud.
Comment by Dave Lorenzo — May 2, 2006 @ 13:05