Over the years, salespeople have earned a bad reputation for being pushy and persistent when the customer least wants them. No matter what persuasion tools they have up their sleeve, people do their best to resist them. The image of an annoying door-to-door salesperson is a constant in your mind.
But when you think about it, we are all sellers. We sell products, ideas and beliefs both to other people and to ourselves. We also use the different persuasion tools to convey our message. Some of us are better at it than others.
Here are some persuasion tools you may have come across in the past.
Persuasion tools n. 1: resplendent generality
Glowing generality is the art of using vague but bright words to make other people think your product is special.
Words like “all new!” or “new and improved!” they are often used to pique customer interest. I see these words a lot when I go to the supermarket. Shampoos, washing powders, and lotions always use this particular persuasion technique.
But what is new and improved about these products? Are they really that different from the old ones? That’s the thing about brilliant generality.
Just seeing the words “new and improved” forces us to buy a certain product! Everybody wants to have the latest incarnation of a product.
Tools of Persuasion # 2: Bandwagon
Have you ever heard of the phrase “join the train”? If you know what that means, then you should have a pretty good idea of what chariot technique is.
Basically, it’s about telling your clients that hundreds of other people have already joined the club and that you should too.
Look at the McDonald’s campaign that says millions were served. Since everyone else loves their burgers and fries, you know that you definitely will too. There is something so fun about the chariot technique that I find it to be one of the most effective persuasion techniques out there.
Persuasion tools n. 3: insults
Insults are a way of comparing your product with another. Among all the persuasion methods, this one is the most negative, requiring you to say less than wonderful things about your product’s competition. I would not recommend this technique unless you can back it up with reliable evidence and you are not intentionally damaging someone else’s reputation. However, I am only making you aware.
I remembered an incident when I was still in college. There was a kind of cat fight between two women over who a popular tennis captain should date. The fight went on for days with insults left and right. Girl A was spreading “notorious” news about Girl B, and Girl B didn’t realize it until it was too late. From what I heard, there was some truth to what Girl A said, and that helped the tennis captain make up his mind.
There are different persuasion tools for different people. Now that you’ve read this article, do you have any idea which one suits you best?