Some people are suspicious of statistical proof, so make sure your statistics are credible and sound. Know where you got them and who did the research. People know you can arrange statistics to say just about anything. Use statistics sparingly and only in conjunction with other forms of evidence. Besides, a roll of statistics can be very boring. As you prepare your message, understand that we humans aren't capable of absorbing all of the information you can gather. We are hit with data all day long and most of the time we don't absorb it. In fact, we are very selective in what we allow ourselves to retain. When we hit information overload, we turn our minds off and retain nothing. A study on comprehension of television messages produced very revealing results. After watching commercials and other forms of messages, an amazing 97 percent of viewers misunderstood some part of every message they saw. On average, viewers misunderstood about 30 percent of the overall content they viewed. Information is just poured out too fast. The evidence that you choose must be selective, precise, and powerful. You can't afford to bombard your audience with too much information. Dale Carnegie once said, "When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity." In persuasion, your message has to focus on emotions, all the while maintaining a balance between logic and feelings. Logic and emotion are the two elements that make for perfect persuasion. We can be persuaded using only logic or only emotion, but the effect will be short-term and unbalanced. When creating the logical side of your message, you have to understand the concept of the number seven. This is also known as channel capacity, which is the amount of room in our brains capable of storing various kinds of information. George Miller wrote, "There seems to be some limitation built into us either by learning or by the design of our nervous systems, a limit that keeps our channel capacities in this general range." There is only so much room in your prospect's brain to absorb logical numbers and information. This is why phone numbers only have seven digits. Spend the time necessary to fully research the types of evidence you want to use to strengthen your arguments. You already know that using the right evidence from the right sources greatly increases the credibility of your message. However, the opposite is also true; poor or irrelevant evidence undermines the credibility of your message. When compiling evidence, consider the following: 1. Use evidence supported by an independent expert rather than facts presented alone. 2. Statistical evidence will be more persuasive when paired with individual case studies. 3. Document the sources of all testimonials. 4. New information is often more convincing than old. 5. Evidence consistent with your audience's beliefs will be more persuasive because they'll evaluate everything from their own perspectives and attitudes. 6. Build credibility by also acknowledging and even including the other side of the argument. A two-way discussion will bear far more weight than a one-sided lecture. Evidence works best when it is suited to the audience and their experience. Consider the following presentation points: 1. Referring to evidence as fact increases its weight 2. Evidence that is verifiable will always be more persuasive. 3. Evidence that is specific will always be more persuasive. 4. Unbiased testimony is more persuasive than a biased one. 5. Personal experience is more persuasive than not having any personal experience. 6. Presenters who have not yet established their credibility will benefit more from the use of evidence than those with established credibility 7. Evidence is especially important when the audience is unfamiliar with the topic. 8. Factual evidence is particularly persuasive when the audience consists of highly intelligent people. 9. Evidence is more persuasive when you provide not only the source, but also his/her qualifications. 10. Evidence is more persuasive when you confirm an audience's beliefs. Your audience wants to know what the experts say about you or your topic. Testimony is the judgment or opinions of others considered experts in the particular field or area of interest. A testimony can be a quote, an interview, or an endorsement from a credible person. It can be implied with someone's presence (attending your event), picture (on your product), or signature (on your product). Statistics are numerical proofs of your claims. For example, "this demographic uses . . ." or "four out of five dentists recommend." Using graphs and charts makes statistics more memorable and leaves a greater impression on the listener. Conclusion
Persuasion is the missing puzzle piece that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost because of your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure youve seen some success, but think of the times you couldnt get it done. Has there ever been a time when you did not get your point across? Were you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and accomplish their goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade. Kurt Mortensens trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; rather than convincing others, he teaches that you should attract them, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. He teaches that sales have changed and the consumer has become exponentially more skeptical and cynical within the last five years. Most persuaders are using only 2 or 3 persuasion techniques when there are actually 120 available! |
