1. RECAP

   Recap … last week, I uncovered the first fundamental tool of persuasion and that was: know exactly what you want, I mean exactly! Knowing what the end result is going to look/feel/sound critical to success.

    

    

2. COVERT TECHNIQUE #2

   Now, this week, I want to share another fundamental in the persuasion game … realize exactly who can give it to you. There’s nothing worse than wasting a lot of time trying to persuade someone who really doesn’t have the power or ability to do what you want them to do anyway. So, be sure to qualify the person before you invest any amount of time.

   Once you know exactly what you want and exactly who can give it to you, you’re more than halfway to getting what you want!

   One of the keys to persuading people most effectively is to do it so that they think they are acting on their own ideas and own initiative (and not being persuaded or directed by you). To do this, the techniques used are almost entirely covert … under the radar. Now because I’m saying it this way, please do not make the mental leap that anything unethical is happening. No. Ethics are an entirely different matter. These tools are like a hammer … you can either use a hammer to drive a nail, or smash someone in the face … it’s all up to the motives and drives (and ethics) of the user.

   Back to our technique of the day: Knowing exactly who can give you what you want.

   To be certain that you are in fact talking with the right person, ask some key questions including: "If what you see here fits your situation, would you be able to decide today?" … or … "Will there be anyone else involved in making the final decision to proceed?"

   Once you know that you are dealing with the final decision maker, your time is being well spent. By asking those preliminary questions you have removed their option to retreat to a higher authority. They can no longer say, "This looks good, but I have to check with my Lawyer/Mother/Partner/Board/ … Dog … etc!

   These first two tactics are fundamentals to make sure are in place before any real persuasion techniques are used. Otherwise, you are just talking without a direction to a person who can’t help you!

   Key Point #1: Know exactly what you want

   Key Point #2: Know exactly who can give it to you

    

    

3. PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

   Remember the Presidential Debate?

   There is so much information from a persuasion perspective that literally several books could be written about the verbal and non-verbal communication of each of the participants!

   Who won? I’ll leave that up to you. Who was most persuasive? Well, again, that’s up to you. Persuasion produces individual results. Yes, they are trying to persuade all the "undecided" voters, but they need to persuade each individual one.

   And let’s think about the "undecided" voters … how many of them are there, really. Well, it’s estimated at 18% of the voting public. Of the approximately 270 million people in the United States. 269 out of every 1,000 people are too young to vote. Another 249 people out of every 1,000 are of voting age, but are not even registered to vote. 86 out of every 1,000 are registered to vote but do not vote. Only 396 out of every 1,000 people in this country actually vote! If we take the current polling information that says that Bush and Kerry are about even … each getting 46% of the voters to vote for them … that means approximately 183 people vote for Bush and 183 vote for Kerry. That totals 366 of the 396 that vote … leaving only 30 voters out of every 1,000 that are "in play" and that can be "persuaded."

   The Psychology behind people who say they are "on the fence" is very interesting. Of those who say they are "undecided" only a very small percentage actually are. There are many, many reasons why they may feel they are on the fence, but when presented with facts from both sides, many people will only hear the points from the candidate they favor and will argue with or disagree with the points for the opponent. After a short amount of time they’re internal preference will become obvious. Only the true undecided people will hear the points and weigh the facts evenly from both of the candidates before deciding.

    

    

4. 100 PERSUASION TECHNIQUES IN 100 DAYS

   Quick Hit Persuasion Tactics

   I have researched over 200 specific persuasion tactics and over the next 100 consecutive days, I’ll reveal the top 100 proven persuasion techniques.

   100 Persuasion Tactics in 100 Days …

   For the next 100 days … I will post one new one per day on my website: www.jimspeakman.com

   Check it out! Their FREE! Not all of them will fit your particular circumstance, but many of them will.

   Look on the lower right of the home page and you’ll see "Today’s Article." That’s where I’ll post each one. These particular "articles" will be very short. If you want more information on any of these specific tactics, simply send me an email … I respond to every single one.

    

5. CONTACT ME

Check out my 19 different topics and the "Today’s Article" section of my website: www.jimspeakman.com or send me an email directly at: jim@jimspeakman.com