The lost art of verbal communication.
 

Today it is yelling and screaming. Cursing even. Where has civilized discussion gone?

Well in many of OUR business situations, such as with contract negotiations, it is still a valuable skill and one that you should choose to master.

Getting into a negotiation might also depend on your verbal skills too...so it not only can get you into the room to make your pitch, but it can also be used to get the deal you want.

Harvey Brody teaches the magnet under the table, where you manipulate the iron filings on top to get them to align the way you want. You literally do this with your language.

And talk, verbal communication, THAT IS EFFECTIVE and purposeful seems to be a dying art.

I will have more to say on this matter, as I am reviewing some old work from long ago, back in the olden days when we had to see people, TALK to them, and use our verbal judo, or whatever we want to call it...in such a way to get a mutually beneficial WIN for all parties.

What are some of your best TALK strategies? How do you prepare for your face-to-face presentations, and are there any methods or techniques you might be interested in learning?

I have a bag of tricks, that has been kept up on the shelf, but I will get them down, dust them off and then take a look at the state of VERBAL communication in the Post Pandemic/YELLING era.
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One start up secret is; I keep it forefront in my mind, the basic PREOCCUPATIONS and which one I believe my target to have...and use the first few minutes to verify that opinion...cause, if you get it right, then you are in a much more powerful position than you think.

Don't you even utter another word until you have mastered the Arts and Sciences of VERBAL judo (I'll do better, but it works for now).

Gordon

From verbal JUDO to oral aikido
 

In 1970, in downtown Honolulu, I took my first Aikido lesson and was hooked. This after about 6 years of Judo instruction, the last year being more of street combat style because I thought I was going into the Marines.

Thankfully, some savvy Navy recruiter got me at the right time and said the right thing to me, to make me head for swabby land.

Anyhow. Although the results could be just as violent and devastating, the teaching and philosophy behind Aikido was less violent, less aggressive and more from a defensive stand point.

Well. As I mentioned above, today VERBAL communication is more like MMA cage matches, whereas in business, if you want to pocket some bag and smile to the bank...you need some Aikido like language moves.

It is often not what you say, but how you say it which makes the differences. Today, I'll give you a master secret to it, akin to feeling ki (energy) of your opponent before they even make a move.

So, are you armed with the weapons you need to defend yourself from the thugs in the boardroom, who want to take your chips and crush you like a bug (or, are you ready to deal with a Trump like character)?

The big KI secret of verbal combat is: the Socratic Method. A simple leg sweep, or energy redirection of a non judgmental QUESTION?

When you know how to ask the right kind of question, at the right time, you can get life changing results, much like the Navy recruiter got me to do, with a simple question to an 18 year old gung ho kid.

I'll be reviewing some of the Socratic Method, as it is used in the business offices of the world in the hopes some of you can make use of it for your own good and in a Win/Win/Win situation.

Gordon

I think you're right...
 

Hi Gordon,

My thoughts are... with certain things... verbal and even visual communication can be more powerful than writing!

The reason I think is because more emotion comes across... In your voice, or in your expressions...

Until recently, the great power of written communication is it can be easily recorded and mass-transmitted... through the mail, or via email, or via a publication...

But now, when it is so easy to put a video up online... there is much more power to be had in audio and video compared to the recent past! (I really should use it more, I'm starting to convince myself as I write this)... :)

Of course, one-on-one, there's power in getting real-time feedback on what you're saying... That's also pretty powerful, if you know how to use it...

Sounds good to me, anyway... :)

Best wishes,

Dien

Situational context. Getting a deal and getting the girl, two very different things.
 

The whole idea behind PUA (Pick Up Artists) is the use of word/touch manipulation and even some stage hypnosis all to get a girl to say yes...and it is mainly bought by those guys who need the help. The incels and hopeless guys who think they deserve to get what they want.

They don't.

And so the context of verbal communication; the where and when...are just as important. In a business setting, when wheeling and dealing, one wrong word can screw the pooch on things.

With ONE sided talk, as we see on YouTube, webinar replays, and as a tool for mass communication...there still are some ways to evoke an emotional reaction, depending, of course, on the audience. See any Trump Rally to witness these knee jerk reactions. Powerful are the believers.

So, the smart thing would be to seed the audience with your own peeps, such as they did on four camera TV shows, where you can hear the 'pros' on the laugh track.

But in the real world, whether it is a business deal, or a child/parent, or teacher, or personal relationship, the person who knows how to control and is aware of what they utter, has tremendous power in that setting...and the good news is, it can be learned.

In my escalator of biz op, it starts with TALK, and ends with TALK to the masses. In my golf biz, I did one to one talking, then groups, then on mass media, then rinsed and repeated for the next thing.

Knowing how to expedite or speed up the escalator can shave off years of trial and error, and get one to their goal much faster...depending on whether they master the art of personalized dialogue.
Gordon

The first few secrets to powerful verbal command.
 

Here are some secrets to increasing your verbal commands.

SURPRISE. Think Glenn Osborn here, he is the master of the surprise, which totally disables the RAS, and he implants the good will he builds off of and uses.

SILENCE. Is golden. "You say it best, when you say nothing at all," sings Alison Krauss. Better to let them think you are a silent idiot than to open your mouth and prove them right. Knowing when to be quiet is one of the most powerful of verbal command techniques.

YES OR NO QUESTIONS. Old timey salesmen were taught to get a small yes, and build up a series of yes, yes, yes all the way to the sale. It gives you great control of a conversation.

INTENSE LISTENING. Lean in, listen carefully, repeat back key ideas, and you can get a lot of people to do as you ask. This is how you lead by following along.

There are some more techniques, and I'll post them up later...but each technique or method has a lot of depth to it. The Socratic Method, used skillfully, and with Total Conscious Awareness is the heart of Powerful Verbal Communication.

Gordon

Wow! Very valuable...!
 

Hi Gordon,

I LOVE IT!

These are all very valuable... Human psychology doesn't change...

The biggest deals are generally one-on-one... Those who don't know these are leaving a lot of deals - and money - on the table...

Best wishes!

Dien

A Socratic Question That Got THE IDIOT to Hire My Client
 

Thanks Gordon,

I was Asked to Help a lady close a sale for one of her Clients.

I needed a FAST way to get info.

So I THUNK a bit.

Then Called Her Prospect on The phone.

Spoke to a Receptionist or Secretary of This Building Contractor.

MY
SOCRATIC
QUESTION -

I said, "I Know Your Boss Went to School at Harvard. Am Calling to Ask for a Contribution to the "Harvard Review" Biz Magazine.

INSTANTLY.

SHE SAID, "No, No. My Boss went to Stanford.

ME - "Oh My Mistake".

HANG UP.

Yippee. Cha-Ching!

NOW I know the Guy went to Stanford.

I call up the Stanford University LIBRARY.

Have the Librarian Look Thru The CLASS YEARBOOK. And She FINDS The Man!

Write down The Names of some of his Friends.

College Professors.

THEN LUCK STRUCK.

I called back to Check if his Professors STILL TEACH there.

Got sent to The Administration Building.

Talked to a Lady in Charge.

Told her what I was doing.

She Said, "Sam Brooks?" I Remember that RASCAL! What is he doing now?
He was always Getting Drunk. Chasing girls. Getting in fights. Terrible Grades.
What mischief is he into?"

When I told her he was a Multi-Millionaire Owner of a Construction Company - she laughed and Laughed.

Said, "Please tell me the name so we Don't Hire them to Build anything on-campus. That man is an IDIOT."

RESULT?

We Rewrote My Friends Sales Presentation.

And "The Idiot" Said, YES.

So my Friend got the job.

Thanks,
Glenn