Week 4 resources for in-class activities
Persuasion Principles (for our Persuasion Bee, week 5)
http://changingminds.org/principles/principles.htm
Much of persuasion and other forms of changing minds is based on a relatively small number of principles. If you can understand the principles, then you can invent your own techniques. It thus makes sense to spend time to understand these principles (persuaded yet?).
To prepare for the Persuasion Bee: click the link to read more about each principle, develop your own working definition of each principle then find a real-life, true example of the principle at work. During the Bee you will be asked for a definition in your own words (NOT the rote memorized words below) as well as an example from real life. It might be helpful to use some memory methods as you prepare. There will be an award for the winner. Can you say "gift card"?
See alsoPrinciples of war
Sequential Requests (for our Persuasion Skits, week 6)
(http://changingminds.org/techniques/general/sequential/sequential.htm)
Sequential requests are a class of persuasive methods that depend on requests and persuasive statements being carried out in a specific sequence. A number of these, in particular FITD/DITF, have receive particular academic attention.
These are body language positions that convey the emotions of Virginia Satirs Stress Responders and are particularly useful for people speaking. They may be used not just to express stress but also in speaking with others to elicit particular resonses.
1. Placater: This conveys a request for them to stay calm and may be used in such situations as giving them bad news or asking them for something. It says 'please don't be upset or take offense'.
Body position
2. Blamer: The blamer points out problems or issues that the other person has. It says 'you're in trouble'. Maybe it is from you, but often it can be from other situations or people.
Body position
3. Computer: The computer is thinking or evaluating, often held back in a reserved or protective way. It says 'I am considering carefully what you say'. It is useful when someone questions you. It sets the frame as logical and considering.
Body position
4. Distracter: This sets the mood as humorous and fun-seeking. It is useful for distracting from difficult situations.
Body language
5. Leveller: The Leveler position conveys credibility, honesty. It says 'I am comfortable and relaxed because I have nothing to hide. This is a typical speaking position.
Body position
AND...
Sales Body Language http://changingminds.org/disciplines/sales/articles/sales_body_language.htm
Getting body language right when selling is a tricky business. Here are some tips to help manage your non-verbals.
Open assertion: Stand openly, welcoming them, inquiring of their needs and showing readiness to listen.
In talking with them, generally be clear and assertive, neither dominating nor submitting, although some movement in either direction can work if done with care and in the right circumstances, for example being as servile as your context demands.
Clear body language is relaxed and precise, without being held in or under control. It supports speech, for example in emphasizing key points, and never contradicts it. It does not include unnecessary movement which may cause confusion or betray nervousness.
Match and move: Start off largely reflecting them back, for example by matching body language and using similar verbal style, in order to create an emotional bond with them. Keep your body at the same level as them, for example standing up to greet them and sitting at the same time (not slumping below them).
Then move or speak differently. If they have bonded with you, then they will now be following you, rather than you following them. If they do not do so, then keep matching and moving until they do. Do not move to closure until they are following you.
Lean in: When you lean in towards the customer, you are getting closer to them, creating a bond. There is a danger here in that the person may consider it an invasion of their personal body space, so still treat distance with care until you have their confidence. Leaning in, rather than moving in, is a tentative action and hence is more acceptable.
Leaning in can be conspiratorial when the sales person lowers their voice, as if making this exclusive offer in a way that cannot be heard by their boss or other customers (who would of course snap it up immediately).
Leaning also lowers the body and is a subtle bow, showing respect and deference, hence taking the sting out of any perception of dominance.
Subtle moves: When using body language to influence proceedings, do so with care. Some actions you can use include:
Care with power: Beware of dominant body language or other displays of power. Whilst many sales people still try to take this position of control, it is a high risk strategy.
Assuming superiority can work when customers are uncertain or are submissive and is more common in retail situations. However it can easily cause an antagonistic and counterproductive reaction and so should be used only with care. In particular it is hazardous when the sales person mentally translates product knowledge into social superiority.
Think aligned: Overall, it is important always to ensure your body language matches what you say, otherwise you will appear deceitful. The best way to do this is to manage your thoughts, which will then naturally shape your body.
This may seem to contradict previous advice, but both can be used.
Alignment should be easy but can be difficult. You should respect and like all customers and believe deeply in what you are selling. You should also respect yourself and consider yourself equal to others (not superior and not inferior).
Couple this with observing your own body language as feedback on your thoughts and you will not go far wrong. Review and practice can help this.
And... Proxemics:
http://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/body_language/proxemics.htm
Proxemic communication is communicating with others by virtue of the relative positioning of your bodies.
Geographic territoryThere are different parts of the world where people act differently.
The primary territory of a person is their personal area, which may be a house, a bedroom, a den or study, where they feel most at home. Here, they can be themselves and be relaxed.
Secondary territory is where they also feel comfortable. This may be neutral places such as bars and restaurants or other private places such as at a friend's house or a club.
Public territory is not owned by us or people we trust, but it is neutral. This includes streets, parks and other public places. There may be threat or safety here, depending on the place and the time.
Interaction territory is a temporary private space where I am having a conversation with others. This may be in a café or even moving along a corridor. It is assumed I can communicate with relative privacy within this space.
Personal spaceThe personal space around my body includes a number of concentric circles where the closer areas are reserved for more trusted people. If you are closer to me, you may attack me, so I will seek to keep close areas safer by forbidding all but approved friends.
Hall (1966) found four key zones:
Also the distance varies greatly with nationality. For example the casual-personal distance may be:
Body anglingBodies may be angled with other people ranging from side-to-side to face-to-face.
Direct face-to-face can be confrontational or intimate and so many conversations are held with people sitting or standing at an angle to one another.
When side-by-side, people face the same way and hence it is difficult to see the other's face. This is done as a practical step when walking or may be deliberately used to 'face the same problem'.
So what?See alsoUsing Body Language, Greeting body language, Social distances
Edward T. Hall, The Hidden Dimension, Doubleday, Garden City, N.Y., 1966
http://changingminds.org/principles/principles.htm
Much of persuasion and other forms of changing minds is based on a relatively small number of principles. If you can understand the principles, then you can invent your own techniques. It thus makes sense to spend time to understand these principles (persuaded yet?).
To prepare for the Persuasion Bee: click the link to read more about each principle, develop your own working definition of each principle then find a real-life, true example of the principle at work. During the Bee you will be asked for a definition in your own words (NOT the rote memorized words below) as well as an example from real life. It might be helpful to use some memory methods as you prepare. There will be an award for the winner. Can you say "gift card"?
- Alignment: When everything lines up, there are no contradictions to cause disagreement.
- Amplification: Make the important bits bigger and other bits smaller.
- Appeal: If asked nicely, we will follow the rules we have made for ourselves.
- Arousal: When I am aroused I am full engaged and hence more likely to pay attention.
- Association: Our thoughts are connected. Think one thing and the next is automatic.
- Assumption: Acting as if something is true often makes it true.
- Attention: Make sure they are listening before you try to sell them something.
- Authority: Use your authority and others will obey.
- Bonding: I will usually do what my friends ask of me, without negotiation.
- Closure: Close the door of thinking and the deal is done.
- Completion: We need to complete that which is started.
- Confidence: If I am confident, then you can be confident.
- Confusion: A drowning person will clutch at a straw. So will a confused one.
- Consistency: We like to maintain consistency between what we think, say and do.
- Contrast: We notice and decide by difference between two things, not absolute measures.
- Daring: If you dare me to do something, I daren't not do it.
- Deception: Convincing by trickery.
- Dependence: If you are dependent on me, I can use this as a lever to persuade you.
- Distraction: If I distract your attention, I can then slip around your guard.
- Evidence: I cannot deny what I see with my own eyes.
- Exchange: if I do something for you, then you are obliged to do something for me.
- Experience: I cannot deny what I experience for myself.
- Fragmentation: Break up the problem into agreeable parts.
- Framing: Meaning depends on context. So control the context.
- Harmony: Go with the flow to build trust and create subtle shifts.
- Hurt and Rescue: Make them uncomfortable then throw them a rope.
- Interest: If I am interested then I will pay attention.
- Interruption: Break the flow.
- Investment: If I have invested in something, I do not want to waste that investment.
- Involvement: Action leads to commitment.
- Logic: What makes sense must be true.
- Objectivity: Standing back decreases emotion and increases logic.
- Obligation: Creating a duty that must be discharged.
- Ownership: I am committed to that which I own.
- Passion: Enthusiasm is catching.
- Perception: Perception is reality. So manage it.
- Persistence: In all things, persistence pays.
- Positivity: Use positive methods.
- Pull: Create attraction that pulls people in.
- Push: I give you no option but to obey.
- Repetition: If something happens often enough, I will eventually be persuaded.
- Scarcity: I want now what I may not be able to get in the future.
- Similarity: We trust people who are like us or who are similar to people we like.
- Simplicity: Simple means easy to understand and agree.
- Social Compliance: The pressure to conform.
- Social Proof: When uncertain we take cues other people.
- Specificity: People fill in the gaps in vague statements.
- Substitution: Put them into the story.
- Surprise: When what happens is not what I expect, I must rethink my understanding.
- Tension: I will act to reduce the tension gaps I feel.
- Threat: If my deep needs are threatened, I will act to protect them.
- Trust: If I trust you, I will accept your truth and expose my vulnerabilities.
- Uncertainty: When I am not sure, I will seek to become more certain.
- Understanding: If I understand you, then I can interact more accurately with you.
- Unthinking: Go by the subconscious route.
See alsoPrinciples of war
Sequential Requests (for our Persuasion Skits, week 6)
(http://changingminds.org/techniques/general/sequential/sequential.htm)
Sequential requests are a class of persuasive methods that depend on requests and persuasive statements being carried out in a specific sequence. A number of these, in particular FITD/DITF, have receive particular academic attention.
- Foot In The Door (FITD): Make small offer then increase.
- Door In The Face (DITF): Cause rejection then make real offer.
- Bait-and-Switch: Great offer that never happens.
- Low-ball: Make it attractive, then make it real.
- That's not all (TNA): Add a string of benefits.
- Disrupt-Then-Reframe (DTR): Break the pattern then rebuild differently.
- Fear-Then-Relief (FTR): Scare them then rescue them.
- Selling the Top Of The Line (TOTL): First promote an expensive product. Then show them a cheaper product.
- Dump and Chase (DAC): Provoke objections then negotiate on them.
These are body language positions that convey the emotions of Virginia Satirs Stress Responders and are particularly useful for people speaking. They may be used not just to express stress but also in speaking with others to elicit particular resonses.
1. Placater: This conveys a request for them to stay calm and may be used in such situations as giving them bad news or asking them for something. It says 'please don't be upset or take offense'.
Body position
- Palms facing up in supplication.
- Body facing directly towards others, with shoulders and hips level and heels below the shoulders so the legs are slightly apart, with the feet facing forward. Feet and whole body facing forward.
- Head vertical or slightly tilted with eyebrows slightly raised as a question or raised only in the middle as in pleading.
2. Blamer: The blamer points out problems or issues that the other person has. It says 'you're in trouble'. Maybe it is from you, but often it can be from other situations or people.
Body position
- Body square on and leaning forward slightly.
- Finger on one hand raised. Pointing directly at them for strong effect (this is an attack) or at the ceiling (this is a warning of attack).
- Head slightly down with eyebrows lowered slightly.
3. Computer: The computer is thinking or evaluating, often held back in a reserved or protective way. It says 'I am considering carefully what you say'. It is useful when someone questions you. It sets the frame as logical and considering.
Body position
- Body square on, though possibly also back a little, possibly resting on rear leg.
- Arms often crossed, possibly with with one supporting the other, which is under the chin (propping up head whilst thinking).
- Head level with eyebrows slightly in (thinking).
4. Distracter: This sets the mood as humorous and fun-seeking. It is useful for distracting from difficult situations.
Body language
- Body at various angles, uneven.
- Smiling, possibly wryly and with one eyebrow raised (if you can do this!).
5. Leveller: The Leveler position conveys credibility, honesty. It says 'I am comfortable and relaxed because I have nothing to hide. This is a typical speaking position.
Body position
- Palms facing downward, fingers out flat, as if resting on a table, slightly wider than the body.
- Body facing directly towards others, with shoulders and hips level and heels below the shoulders so the legs are slightly apart, with the feet facing forward. Feet and whole body facing forward.
- Head vertical, with relaxed face and even eyebrows.
AND...
Sales Body Language http://changingminds.org/disciplines/sales/articles/sales_body_language.htm
Getting body language right when selling is a tricky business. Here are some tips to help manage your non-verbals.
Open assertion: Stand openly, welcoming them, inquiring of their needs and showing readiness to listen.
In talking with them, generally be clear and assertive, neither dominating nor submitting, although some movement in either direction can work if done with care and in the right circumstances, for example being as servile as your context demands.
Clear body language is relaxed and precise, without being held in or under control. It supports speech, for example in emphasizing key points, and never contradicts it. It does not include unnecessary movement which may cause confusion or betray nervousness.
Match and move: Start off largely reflecting them back, for example by matching body language and using similar verbal style, in order to create an emotional bond with them. Keep your body at the same level as them, for example standing up to greet them and sitting at the same time (not slumping below them).
Then move or speak differently. If they have bonded with you, then they will now be following you, rather than you following them. If they do not do so, then keep matching and moving until they do. Do not move to closure until they are following you.
Lean in: When you lean in towards the customer, you are getting closer to them, creating a bond. There is a danger here in that the person may consider it an invasion of their personal body space, so still treat distance with care until you have their confidence. Leaning in, rather than moving in, is a tentative action and hence is more acceptable.
Leaning in can be conspiratorial when the sales person lowers their voice, as if making this exclusive offer in a way that cannot be heard by their boss or other customers (who would of course snap it up immediately).
Leaning also lowers the body and is a subtle bow, showing respect and deference, hence taking the sting out of any perception of dominance.
Subtle moves: When using body language to influence proceedings, do so with care. Some actions you can use include:
- Raising eyebrows or tilting head slightly to show questioning or surprise.
- Pausing with held breath after question to wait for an answer.
- Pressing lips slightly together with light frown to show disagreement.
- Gently smiling to show liking of the customer and comfort with the situation.
- Slow and deep breathing with relaxed face to show confidence.
- Slight wince when they mention things that are outside your intent.
- Gesturing with open palms to show openness (not with lecturing finger or aggressive fist).
- Regular soft eye contact that shows caring (not looking away nor staring at them).
Care with power: Beware of dominant body language or other displays of power. Whilst many sales people still try to take this position of control, it is a high risk strategy.
Assuming superiority can work when customers are uncertain or are submissive and is more common in retail situations. However it can easily cause an antagonistic and counterproductive reaction and so should be used only with care. In particular it is hazardous when the sales person mentally translates product knowledge into social superiority.
Think aligned: Overall, it is important always to ensure your body language matches what you say, otherwise you will appear deceitful. The best way to do this is to manage your thoughts, which will then naturally shape your body.
This may seem to contradict previous advice, but both can be used.
Alignment should be easy but can be difficult. You should respect and like all customers and believe deeply in what you are selling. You should also respect yourself and consider yourself equal to others (not superior and not inferior).
Couple this with observing your own body language as feedback on your thoughts and you will not go far wrong. Review and practice can help this.
And... Proxemics:
http://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/body_language/proxemics.htm
Proxemic communication is communicating with others by virtue of the relative positioning of your bodies.
Geographic territoryThere are different parts of the world where people act differently.
The primary territory of a person is their personal area, which may be a house, a bedroom, a den or study, where they feel most at home. Here, they can be themselves and be relaxed.
Secondary territory is where they also feel comfortable. This may be neutral places such as bars and restaurants or other private places such as at a friend's house or a club.
Public territory is not owned by us or people we trust, but it is neutral. This includes streets, parks and other public places. There may be threat or safety here, depending on the place and the time.
Interaction territory is a temporary private space where I am having a conversation with others. This may be in a café or even moving along a corridor. It is assumed I can communicate with relative privacy within this space.
Personal spaceThe personal space around my body includes a number of concentric circles where the closer areas are reserved for more trusted people. If you are closer to me, you may attack me, so I will seek to keep close areas safer by forbidding all but approved friends.
Hall (1966) found four key zones:
- Intimate: touching to 10 inches. For close friends and family.
- Casual-personal: 18 inches to four feet: Informal conversation with friends.
- Social-consultative: four to twelve feet: formal transactions.
- Public: Addressing groups of people.
Also the distance varies greatly with nationality. For example the casual-personal distance may be:
- North America: 18 inches
- Western Europe: 14 to 16 inches
- Japan: 36 inches
- Middle East: 8 to 12 inches
Body anglingBodies may be angled with other people ranging from side-to-side to face-to-face.
Direct face-to-face can be confrontational or intimate and so many conversations are held with people sitting or standing at an angle to one another.
When side-by-side, people face the same way and hence it is difficult to see the other's face. This is done as a practical step when walking or may be deliberately used to 'face the same problem'.
So what?See alsoUsing Body Language, Greeting body language, Social distances
Edward T. Hall, The Hidden Dimension, Doubleday, Garden City, N.Y., 1966