Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dennis
The very short, free version (my notes) is also available:
My Notes
Richard
|
Richard, Love the "Cliff Notes" type of things. How about a group of HOTSHEETS like these?????????????????? Hey, what if we all contributed ONE book report and made a collection?????
So, in the spirit of the short and sweet. Here goes my "everything I know about persuasion and influence" in an elevator pitch:
Start
People are preoccupied. Life preoccupations, gender specific, past and future and the ever present NOW. You must break their preoccupation, get their ATTENTION and hold it until they CONCLUDE they MUST have your product or they CONCLUDE your view is better than the one they hold.
ALL technique and methodology should end with THEM coming to a CONCLUSION because people
may believe what you tell them, but will always believe their own conclusions.
END.
NOW, let's pretend the elevator has a few thousand floors...you have a brief period of time to CAPTURE or GET their attention...but, it is possible to hold it for longer periods of time...a good movie, will grab you and hold you all the way to the end.
A good book will do the same, although you rarely have time to read it in one sitting, but, you'll bookmark your page and return to it.
Most websites DON'T or CAN'T do that. MOST advertising doesn't do it. Most pieces of "junk mail" won't do it either.
ATTENTION is the essential piece, yet most don't know how to get it...and more importantly DON'T KNOW HOW TO HOLD IT.
Which is why I wrote,
The Prospect as Product. What is the PERFECT, never wrong, never ignored product?
THEM.
THEY.
THOSE ONES you are trying get the attention from.
When your product, service or persuasive message is ABOUT THEM, it is always a welcome message.
When it shifts to NOT being about them, you stand a chance to lose their attention.
Persuasion of any kind is only as good as long as it is able to hold their attention and to FOCUS their thoughts on what you want them to think about...not an easy thing to do.
Amazingly, people are STARVED for a little light to be shined their way once in a while. Be the light bearer, and you'll command their attention as long as you want.
Resonance. Like a tuning fork, as long as your message resonates within them, you are in harmony and have their attention. Become incongruent in your message, dissonance and disconnection, then it is Adios Amigo.
There you go, short and sweet AND pithy even.
Gordon Alexander