Recently, I have been fascinated by the science of persuasion. I suspect its the power that comes with it.

Imagine this - you are SO persuasive that you get YOUR way every single time.

Your boss gives you a promotion, third one in the quarter.
Your customer offers you a $1,000,000 business deal with just one presentation.
Your employees work double time, with no complains and produce their best work.
Your children volunteer to do extra homework so that they can make you happy.
The Sri Lankan government offers you a lifetime visa to their country with no strings attached…

Ok ok, I am stretching this a bit too much (about the last one)

But you get my point.

So how do you be right all the time?

There are ten ways that I wrote extensively last week: Ten Timeles Persuasive Speaking Techniques.

And today, I found an article on Lifehacker that deserves your attention. It’s titled How To Craft A Strong Argument. Here’s a summary done by Wendy Boswell.

“Basically, the key to crafting a strong argument is prepare, prepare, prepare. Pick a point, and branch out your points and research not only your side, but the opposing side. Back yourself up with at least three pieces of evidence - hard facts that can support your premise should you be challenged. Basically, this is good advice for any situation where you’re going in trying to convince someone else of how right (and how wrong) they are.” — Wendy Boswell

Let me offer you two more.

I got the first one from “How To Be A Rainmaker”, a must-read for anyone who wants to clinch a deal (be it a business, a contract, a marriage, sex etc)

EVERY OBJECTION THEY GIVE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO SAY YES!

Most salespeople talk too much, to the extent that they become pushy. However a smart salesperson always let their potential customer talk. SO THAT they can understand their concerns. If they are not willing to buy, the smart salesperson will want to know why they say no. Because every objection their customer gives is an opportunity for them to say yes!

Let me give you a recent example.

As you know, I have recently launched The FAQ Book on Public Speaking. One of the immediate objections I received was “I will wait for your hard copy book.” Fair enough. I dug deeper and realize that they want to buy something TANGIBLE, something that they can see, touch, smell and feel. Put simply, they prefer old fashioned books, ink on dead wood material.

Having understood their concern, here’s how I crafted my argument.

I started by reminding them of WHY they should even get my book - be it electronic or printed - in the first place. Note, here’s the strategy of getting them to say YES as early as possible. (Strategy #3).

“What you are going to buy is not just a book. It’s an IMMEDIATE solution to ALL your current and future problems that you will face when you deliver your next presentation or speech.

So why wait till the hard copy book is out when you can have all your problems resolved right now?

Won’t you want to be wildly successful in your upcoming presentation?

And then I brought up another concern they have - “There is a higher chance that I will read a hard copy book than an ebook…” Using the same strategy, I counter-propose, this time with hard facts (numbers).

Research has shown that whether it is an electronic book or printed book, the same statistics stay. 72% of those who bought never complete the book. And less than 3% put what they have learned into practice.

So it is not about the book at all.

It’s about YOU!

It’s about your commitment to milk the benefits of what we have to offer you, whether it is an ebook or a hard copy book. And truth be told, you spend almost 80% of your time in front of the computer, some people even 90%. This means that you will actually have a significantly HIGHER chance of reading the ebook than the hard copy book!

After putting forth the arguments and evidence, I reminded them of the most attractive bonus, the one that created a significant buy-in by my customers. One that only people who bought the ebook will have. Here I am selling them an EXCLUSIVE benefit. Something that a hard copy book won’t be able to give. Something that will supercede the need to see, touch and smell the book. (Strategy #8)

PLUS…

When you buy the package, you don’t just get ONE book, you get a free lifetime upgrade to future versions of the book which means that you will eventually get all the answers to every speaking related question you can ever think of.

PLUS…

Four other fast-action bonuses.

That’s over 500++ speaking tips, tactics and best-kept secrets that have been tried and tested and 71 insider strategies that will teach you how to design and deliver presentations that will win your potential clients over and guarantee you their business.

To conclude, I gave them what they want! That’s right, they STILL want the hard copy book.

“But I thought you want them to buy the ebook instead?”

No. Not at all. I want them to buy BOTH. That’s my proposition all along. Of course their natural objection would be “Wouldn’t that be so pricey?” which led me to say to my final statement.

If you buy the package today, I will make sure you get a very special discount when the hard copy book is out. What’s there to lose? (grins)

Are you getting it?

Here’s another one. This time, the tip was inspired by the movie “Thank You For Smoking”.

Jim Beaver did an excellent job summarizing the plot of the movie. Here you go:

Tobacco industry lobbyist Nick Naylor has a seemingly impossible task: promoting cigarette smoking in a time when the health hazards of the activity have become too plain to ignore. Nick, however, revels in his job, using argument and twisted logic to place, as often as not, his clients in the positions of either altruistic do-gooders or victims. Nick’s son, Joey needs to understand and respect his dad’s philosophy, and Nick works hard to respond to that need without compromising his lack of values. When a beautiful news reporter betrays Nick’s sexually-achieved trust, his world seems in danger of collapsing. But there’s always one more coffin nail in Nick’s pack.

It’s a MUST-WATCH if you want to see the power of arguments live. I have to admit that Nick did commit several logical fallacies but hey, it’s still both enjoyable and educational movie to watch. Especially how he was able to turn cigarettes into everybody’s friend! Classic.

The most powerful lesson I have learned from the movie can be summarized in a sentence like this:

I proved that you’re wrong, and if you’re wrong, I’m right. A

As Nick lavishes to his son, “That’s the beauty of argument, if you argue correctly, you are never wrong…”

Argument has to be won with hard facts, evidence as they call it by credible sources. See how he refute the little kid’s argument that “smoking kills” by questioning the credibility of the statement. Notice that he doesn’t have to prove whether he is right. As long as he proves the little kid wrong, he will be assumed to be right. That’s the subtlety of a good argument.

Kid #3: My Mommy says smoking kills.
Nick Naylor: Oh, is your Mommy a doctor?
Kid #3: No.
Nick Naylor: A scientific researcher of some kind?
Kid #3: No.
Nick Naylor: Well then she’s hardly a credible expert, is she?

Here’s one with his son.

Joey Naylor: …so what happens when you’re wrong?
Nick Naylor: Whoa, Joey I’m never wrong.
Joey Naylor: But you can’t always be right…
Nick Naylor: Well if it’s your job to be right, then you’re never wrong.
Joey Naylor: But what if you are wrong?
Nick Naylor: OK, let’s say that you’re defending chocolate, and I’m defending vanilla. Now if I were to say to you: ‘Vanilla is the best flavour ice-cream’, you’d say:
Joey Naylor: No, chocolate is.
Nick Naylor: Exactly, but you can’t win that argument… so, I’ll ask you: so you think chocolate is the end all and the all of ice-cream, do you?
Joey Naylor: It’s the best ice-cream, I wouldn’t order any other.
Nick Naylor: Oh! So it’s all chocolate for you is it?
Joey Naylor: Yes, chocolate is all I need.
Nick Naylor: Well I need more than chocolate, and for that matter I need more than vanilla. I believe that we need freedom. And choice when it comes to our ice-cream, and that Joey Naylor, that is the definition of liberty.
Joey Naylor: But that’s not what we’re talking about
Nick Naylor: Ah! But that’s what I’m talking about.
Joey Naylor: …but you didn’t prove that vanilla was the best…
Nick Naylor: I didn’t have to. I proved that you’re wrong, and if you’re wrong I’m right.

And of course the smart son learned well and see how he convinced his mum to let him go on a business trip with his dad.

Joey Naylor: Mom, why can’t I go to California?
Jill Naylor: Because, California’s just not a safe place. And besides, I’m not sure it’s appropriate for your father to bring you on a business trip.
Joey Naylor: Appropriate for who?
Jill Naylor: What?
Joey Naylor: Mom, is it possible that you’re taking the frustration of your failed marriage out on me?
Jill Naylor: Excuse me?
Joey Naylor: This California trip seems like a great learning opportunity and a chance for me to get to know my father. But if you think it’s more important to use me to channel your frustration against the man you no longer love I’ll understand.

That’s soft tactics! Mean but cool!

Senator Lothridge: Now as we discussed earlier, these warning labels are not for those who know, but rather for those who don’t know. What about the children?
Nick Naylor: Gentleman. It’s called education. It doesn’t come off the side of a cigarette carton. It comes from our teachers, and more importantly, our parents. It is the job of every parent to warn their children of all the dangers of the world including cigarettes so that one day when they get older, they can choose for themselves.

Notice how Nick cleverly avoided the argument and created his own argument, forcing the senator to play on HIS tuff!

Wow, a very long post…. that’s what happen when you are fascinated with something. Hope this is useful for you.

Feel free to share me with your thoughts on the persuasion techniques I just shared with you or even resources that we can go to, so that we can be right all the time!

Cheers,
Eric Feng
Your Public Speaking Coach

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