Subliminal Persuasion
What is subliminal persuasion? It is simply influencing people
at a level below their conscious recognition. Many people don't
even realize they are being influenced by a smile, making even
that a subliminal technique. Here are two more subtle methods.
Subliminal Persuasion Using Inflection
It is easy to assume that a sentence like "I can't promise
you that price." has only one meaning. In reality, though,
inflection provides much of the actual meaning. Look at the each
of the sentences below, each with a different word emphasized,
and followed by the implied meaning.
I can't promise you that price. (But maybe someone
can.)
I can't promise you that price. (There's no
way.)
I can't promise you that price. (But maybe you'll
get it.)
I can't promise you that price. (But I can promise
someone else.)
I can't promise you that price. (But maybe a
good price.)
I can't promise you that price. (But I can promise
something.)
The meaning of our statements is determined by which words
we emphasize, and it is a subtle process. If you can't promise
him that price, you can tell him "I can't promise you that
PRICE," and he may still feel good about the situation,
especially if you immediately follow with what you can promise
him. You probably know what you want to say. Understanding the
subtle and often subliminal power of inflection will mean you
actually say it.
Subliminal Persuasion Using Their Own Words
Restate what a person has said they want, and then show them
how you can give them that. We all need to have some internal
consistency, so we don't like to act against what we say. This
is why, as long as you have what they need, this technique works
well. For an example, we'll suppose you are selling a prospect
a vacation.
Once you listen to what they want, you find something that
fits their needs, and then say, "If I remember right, you
said you wanted a warm beach, under $2,000 for the week, and
with nearby nightlife. I think we're in luck. Both of the packages
we just looked at fit your criteria, so do you like Cancun or
the Bahamas better?"
It's tough for someone to say they are not interested when
you just found exactly what they said they wanted, and reminded
them of their words. They probably won't even notice that you
are using their exact words. They'll just feel uncomfortable
contradicting what they said, and find it easier to agree. That's
subliminal persuasion.
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