personal persuasion
In all cultures there are certain rules and norms which citizens are expected to adhere to. This is particularly true in “polite society” and business contexts. And while I appreciate the value of rules and norms as a guideline, I always felt some were meant to be bent, if not broken entirely.
In business, the rules of professional decorum tell us that we shouldn’t get too personal with our prospects or clients. Of course, there are absolutely topics which should not be brought up and things which shouldn’t be said, but I truly believe that our prospects and clients are looking for us to get personal.
Adding storytelling to your business interactions is one way to build and keep amazing relationships that will last a lifetime.
Something that creates a sense of rapport in a very fast and powerful way is the statement, ‘Let me share a secret with you. . .’ Hmm. A secret? Doesn’t everyone want to know a secret? Doesn’t it make you feel “special” to know that you’re about to be one of the special few that will know this information?
Working ’secrets’ and personal anecdotes (nothing absurd, but definitely pointed and geared toward the matter at hand) speeds up our client’s and prospect’s trust in us as the answer to their needs.
In seminars I often share personal stories from my youth. I have even been known to really open up about some mistakes I’ve made in the past as they relate to persuasion in terms of not really completely understanding that honesty and integrity have always got to be the highest things on the list. These are very difficult stories for me to recount because I’m not particularly proud of tactics I used as a young man. It’s not pleasant to relate things that I feel are real blotches on my personal inventory. And yet, because I have learned from my past, overcome incongruencies in my way of existing in the world, a little discomfort can be endured because I’m making a point, teaching a lesson on what to do and what *not* to do.
Not only do I tell my stories to my students, but I also step outside of my personal narrative to show why storytelling is such an important aspect of persuasion. We can be artists at anything. We can attain a level of expertise at anything we really set our minds on. Our natural strengths may be a level of artistry in business or finance and we may have to work at being artists in the kitchen or with a musical instrument. But these things happen as a result of our consistent practice and intention to learn. I wasn’t born the persuader I am today. I have put years into learning this skill and have gained my level of expertise through constant study and desire to be the best.
My suggestion. . . find a personal story that relates to your business and start relating it to your prospects and clients. Watch how this quickens rapport and trust by magnitudes. We all crave a good story.
