The Role of Covert Persuasion in Business

The Role of Covert Persuasion in Business Is Very Important

Many people are interested in the role of covert persuasion in business. They want to know how to maximize their persuasion techniques and become more successful. The article we have for you today appeared in the Huffington Post and features the  strong, successful and determined, Arlene Dickinson.

The Role of Covert Persuasion in Business

By the time Arlene Dickinson was 30, she was divorced with four kids, had no savings and a high school diploma. Today, she’s one of the country’s most influential entrepreneurial leaders. Here’s how the Dragons’ Den co-star and CEO of Venture Communications used the art of persuasion to achieve success (and how you can, too).

How has persuasion helped you?

It’s helped me significantly. You can’t do anything on your own. At the end of the day, you do need support and need somebody to take a leap of fate with you. Sometimes, because you have a vision, it doesn’t mean you’re going to get anything done. For me, persuasion has helped me to get people to follow my vision, to believe in me and my efforts. It’s been a critical part of my life.

What tips do you have for women who want to get ahead in business?

To try to not play the feminist role. I always say I’m not a woman in business, but I’m a person in business who happens to be a woman. Emotion is not a dirty word. Instead of making excuses or trying to quell the emotional capacity we have, we should be embracing it and utilizing it in a positive manner and not making excuses for who we are.

Everybody shows emotion in some way and the truth of the matter is nobody will ever do anything for you in business unless they’re emotionally connected to you — and women do that better than anyone.

What is your advice for the younger generation of women interested in business?

They have to be confident and be able to illustrate why they deserve a place at the boardroom table. Women fought that fight 50 years ago to get into the workforce and for equality — now we need to show up and bring value to the boardroom table.

I think young women in particular need to realize their career will likely take a different path than men’s will, they have to embrace that too. They might have kids, they might get married or move cities; those are things most women deal with and not men.

Ms. Dickinson understands the role of persuasion in business and reveals her techniques for success in her book “Persuasion-A New Approach to Changing Minds”

Read More…

Propaganda and “The Bandwagon” Method of Persuasion

Propaganda and the bandwagon method of persuasion are used all the time in advertising

Whenever it is necessary to get a crowd or group of people to join together for one purpose you may choose to use propaganda and “the bandwagon method of persuasion.”   This is not a new concept of course, the phrase bandwagon has been around a long time for a reason, it refers to a situation where others join or act  in unison with a group for a specific purpose. This method of persuasion is described in this short article found on Changing Minds

 

Make it appear that many people have joined the cause already, and that they are having lots of fun or getting significant advantage.

Show that those who join early will get the better prizes, such as positions of authority or other advantages.

Link it to morality and values, showing that those who join sooner are more moral and pretty much better people all around.

Make a loud noise. Use bright colors. Play a fanfare. Become impossible to miss. Be in-your-face until they join up.

Example

A political party holds a rally with much flag-waving and razz-a-ma-tazz.

A new religious group ensures all of its members attend services and become active participants in recruiting new members.

Discussion

The Bandwagon uses social evidence to legitimize itself and become attractive. It plays heavily on the need for belonging, making the group a desirable place to be. It may also use the scarcity principle, showing that it is better to join sooner or later.

The term ‘bandwagon’ came from the Temperance movement, where an open wagon would literally have a band on it and drive around town picking up drunks who would symbolically ‘get on the wagon’ of alcohol-free (and religious) living.

I think advertising uses this method very well. Just look at Apple. How many people really need all the beeps and whistles on the iPhone? Yet, consumers line up for hours just to say that they have it already,that they got it the opening day. I am mystified by this but it works everytime. Apple convinces people that they will sell out immediately and that the product will be impossible to find so that if they want to have the gadget of the moment they have to be there the first day. Clearly, propaganda and the “bandwagon method” of persuasion work like a charm. Genius.

Covert Persuasion Techniques for Building Self Confidence

Covert persuasion techniques for building self confidence have been around a very long time. Would you like to be one of those people that can get what they want simply because they are confident? The more you are able to successfully persuade others to do what you wish the more confidence you will have. Take a look at this article by Michael Lee from Persuasion-sales and you will better understand the way to use covert persuasion techniques for building self-confidence. 

Gain confidence using covert persuasion techniques and use your body language to show confidence just like an athlete.

“Persuasion techniques and confidence go hand in hand. If your confidence is low, you won’t be able to persuade people. To boost your self-esteem, ask yourself, “What compliment did I receive from people before, that made me more confident?”

“Seek within yourself your strong qualities, and develop them. What good things do people say about you? Model someone who has successfully persuaded you in the past, and improve on their strategy.”

“Go down to memory lane and remember the times you have successfully persuaded, convinced, influenced or motivated someone. Here are some things to consider:”

1) “What did you do to convince your crush to be your girlfriend (or boyfriend)?

2) What did you do to persuade your boss to agree to your request?

3) What did you do to motivate someone to perform better?

4) How did you negotiate with your parents to get a larger allowance?”

“You may not be aware of it, but there are countless times that you have successfully persuaded people. You may just not be aware that you’re using persuasion techniques in those cases.”

“Write down those instances and think of how you may apply them in your current situation or future use. Find ways in which you can apply persuasion in your everyday life. Here are 4 ways to become a highly confident persuader::

Persuasion Technique # 1: Be unwavering and resolute in your purpose.

“You’ve got to stand by your objective and never let other people forcefully persuade you into agreeing with them. However, this doesn’t mean you remain stiff and inflexible if new data or proof has been presented.

Even if you still don’t like their idea, at least appear to consider their opinion in your decision. This shows respect and humility. Say something like, “You got a good point there. I’ll certainly take that into consideration.”

Persuasion Technique # 2: You also have to be passionate with your words and body language.

When you show enthusiasm, people are more likely to be influenced because you make it seem like you’re so sure about your idea…”

Persuasion Technique # 3: Never be discouraged.

“Prepare your message well and stay focused on your target. When you’re requesting something and they stay silent, don’t just go away unsatisfied. When they want you to do something and they stay quiet after you’ve told them you can’t do it, make a stand! Stick by your decision.”

“Explain to them the valid reasons why you want or don’t want to do something. If they stayed silent to make you feel uncomfortable, don’t just agree with what they want. Keep your cool. Talk to them again and tell them that your decision is final.”

“If they frown, fold their arms, take a deep breath, or shake their heads, apply the same procedure. Be confident while communicating and stay unaffected by their distracting moves or actions.”

“What if they told you that they remembered the discussion to be different? Isn’t it frustrating to have agreed on something and they suddenly said that they heard it in a different perspective?”

“You can kindly ask them to prove it. You can ask when, how, or where it was said. If they cannot maintain constancy of data and accuracy in their statements, then you’ve got a winning case.”

The fourth technique suggested in the article reminded me of an athlete who has to project confidence even when no one is looking because body language says so much about a person. So things like which seat you end up in during an important meeting or your first handshake with someone can be a form of covert persuasion techniques for building confidence and will leave lasting impressions.

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Criminal Hypnosis? Really?

People often ask “Can you really make someone do something against their will while in or while using hypnosis?”

And of course the hypnosis community at large is quick to reply with an emphatic “NO!” you can’t make anyone do something against their will in hypnosis.

They are wrong… At least on one level… okay actually several levels.

PLEASE NOTE:

This post is NOT Going to make me popular with my Orthodox Hypnosis Community. But I sincerely believe that they are doing YOU a disservice by continuing to spread this inaccurate concept about what is and is not possible within hypnosis.

Now keep in mind, most hypnotists are NOT remotely skilled enough to be able to make someone do something against your will.

The corollary to that is also “how you ‘define” hypnosis

Not to mention something few people ever really talk about, and that is..

“What is it people really want to do, versus what they say they want to do or will do.”

A couple posts ago I showed you a video of Darren Brown Doing street hypnosis and literally walking away with a guys keys, wallet, watch etc.

Real or not? I will let you decide on that but I will tell you that what Darren is demonstrating as Street Hypnosis is a form or “waking hypnosis” Below is a video from my good friend Richard Nongard… Also a very skilled hypnotist.

Richard has a very different view of hypnosis that we see in Darren Brown’s example. Check out His YouTube Video Below

Richard has very specific view of what constitutes “hypnosis” and a hypnotic state. I don’t necessarily agree with him. Check out the Darren Brown Post On Street Hypnosis Below…

As you can see, from the two very different perspectives one side says hypnosis works this way, the other side says hypnosis works “that way”

The ability to make some do something is not a question of is it hypnosis or not.

In fact, what we really need to exploring are the differing states of mind that a human being can access and experience and what types of phenomena become possible when those states are accessed.

I’ve found three variables (and these are very big picture variables mind you)

A. you have to know your target/subject

B. You have to manage your environment

C. You have to manage the context of the interaction

If you can control those three variables, (and there are many ways to do that) you can in fact make anyone, do just about anything.

Period.

What do you think?

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Mind Control-Cults-Brainwashing & Thought Reform

 

While Mind Control On The Surface May Sound Extremely Sexy.

Many of the methods used to create mindless cult members go far beyond what most people would be willing (or should be willing) to do to create mindless servants and followers. None the less these things are possible and actually many of the methodologies listed below are found in organizations that "do not" necessarily fall under the aegis of religious cults.

Keep that in mind as you peruse this particular piece.

Please Note This post gives some rather unsavory information in a somewhat humorous way. Do not let the humor fool you.

The techniques discussed in the video are real methods used by cult leaders and "rogue’ agencies to "reform" the thoughts and ideologies of unknowing citizens.

 Below is a exerpt from wikipedia detailing the work of Robert J. Lifton an expert in the field of thought reform aka brainwashing.

Theory of thought reform For more details on this topic, see Thought Reform (book). Lifton investigated the thought-reform procedures used against American POWs returning from the Korean War while involved in their psychiatric evaluation.

[2] Lifton’s 1961 book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of "Brainwashing" in China was a study of coercive techniques that he labelled thought reform or "brainwashing", though he preferred the former term.

Others have labelled it also as "mind control".

Lifton describes in detail eight methods which he says are used to change people’s minds without their agreement:

 

* Milieu Control – The control of information and communication.

* Mystical Manipulation – The manipulation of experiences that appear spontaneous but in fact were planned and orchestrated.

* Demand for Purity – The world is viewed as black and white and the members are constantly exhorted to conform to the ideology
                                          of   the group and strive for perfection.

* Confession – Sins, as defined by the group, are to be confessed either to a personal monitor or publicly to the group.

* Sacred Science – The group’s doctrine or ideology is considered to be the ultimate Truth, beyond all questioning or dispute.

* Loading the Language – The group interprets or uses words and phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not
                                                 understand.

* Doctrine over person – The member’s personal experiences are subordinated to the sacred science and any contrary experiences
                                               must be denied or reinterpreted to fit the ideology of the group.

* Dispensing of existence – The group has the prerogative to decide who has the right to exist and who does not.