What Is Enlightened Self-Interest — And Why Should You Care?

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Although technology, society, demographics, and economies have changed greatly, some persuasive patterns remain remarkably unaltered by time.

The oldest method of getting someone to do something is to reward or punish, typically known as a “carrot” or a “stick.” Common business incentives include an increase in compensation, recognition or responsibility.  That’s the “carrot” side of this equation; the “stick” side involves punishing someone for either doing or not doing something. Pay is docked, participation in a project is cancelled or the highly anticipated business trip is withheld.

Rewards and punishments are largely considered coercive actions. The moment you remove the coercion (the carrot or the stick), the coerced individual regresses to previous behavior. Long-lasting career success requires real agreement, not a momentary nod.

Another age-old approach to attaining buy-in is through normative means, or via the “norms” of a group. As in, “all the kids are doing it.”

This is a very difficult way to reliably achieve agreement because people are so mercurial. Today, you must be savvier than ever in your approaches to persuasiveness. And the savviest approach of all involves appealing to your target’s enlightened self-interest.

The concept of enlightened self-interest is largely attributed to 19th century French economist and social observer Alexis de Tocqueville and his landmark work, Democracy in America.

de Tocqueville’s idea involves doing things that are positive and right (profitable and ethical, in other words). If it’s positive for you (your increased income, your professional status, strengthening your organization), positive for other parties involved (your target and your target’s organization) and positive for the larger whole in which you operate (your industry or your community), then why not do it?

Self-interest can be good; enlightened self-interest is tremendous.

Appeal to the enlightened self-interest of others and prepare to hear “yes” again and again.

Do You Possess These Five Essential Persuasion Behaviors?

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A behavior is how you conduct yourself in a given situation. In professional settings, wildly persuasive people are:

  1. Assertive: Inclined to be bold and self-assured
  2. Empathetic: Possessing the ability to see the world from another person’s perspective
  3. Communicative: Adept at applying verbal and nonverbal communication
  4. Tenacious: Extremely persistent in adhering to or accomplishing something
  5. Resilient: Possessing the ability to recover quickly after hearing “no”

How many of these persuasion traits do you possess?

How a Little ‘Yes’ Leads to a Bigger ‘Yes’

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The scientific psychological evidence is clear: People are more willing to take you up on larger requests later if they’ve said “yes” to smaller ones first.

Consider how many times your buyer has said “yes” in one form or another, even in the earliest stages of your sales process:

  • “Yes, I’ll tell you my name.”
  • “Yes, I’ll tell you when I’m thinking of buying.”
  • “Yes, I’ll tell you what aspects of your offer interest me.”
  • “Yes, I’ll tell you where else I’ve gotten information.”
  • “Yes, I’ll tell you my phone number.”
  • “Yes, I’ll tell you my e-mail address.”

This is powerful sales psychology. Ignore it at your peril, because a much bigger “yes” could be in your future.

Influencing Down: 7 Ways to Convince People Who Answer to You

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Your ability to influence multiple people can take many different forms, requiring you to “influence up” (your boss, shareholders, a client’s president) and “influence down” (your department colleagues, a new hire, a contracted employee).

In a previous post, I presented seven ways to influence up. Now, let’s look at the opposite of influencing up, which is influencing down the hierarchical ladder. You don’t want people merely following orders or feeling coerced, because you’re likely to attain compliance but not commitment. Instead, you want enthusiastic supporters who demonstrate innovation and passion for their work and the outcomes.

Here are seven ways to influence down (which, like influencing up,  also work well in individual persuasion situations):

1. Use your “home field advantage.”

Your office is the perfect place to persuade, especially if you and your targets are surrounded by your honors, awards and diplomas — which subtly show the power of your position. Showcase your authority and remain more comfortable than anyone else in your own surroundings. (Obviously, if you work in a cubicle or you’re pitching a large group, you’ll need to find an alternate location. In that case, a neutral space such as a conference room or an offsite location might work best.)

2. Avoid condescension at all costs.

Treat everyone as a rational adult by never implying a concept or topic is above someone else’s “pay grade.” Keep your voice confident, low-pitched, and professional, and avoid “up talk” at the end of sentences (ending the sentence on a higher pitch than you began, making declarative statements sound like interrogatives).

3. Be brief but not abrupt.

Make and take time to entertain questions. Pay as much attention and invest as much time as you would if you were influencing up. Don’t expend less energy simply because people have lesser positions.

4. Leverage honest ingratiation.

In other words, sweet-talk your targets: “Your team has an exceptional track record with this marketing campaign, and I’d like your support in taking the initiative to the next level, because I know you guys can handle the added responsibilities.” If you’re honest and sincere, this is a fine tactic. If you’re neither, then it’s merely manipulative and will be unethical, ineffective and perhaps even counterproductive.

5. Request input.

Don’t just ask for positive feedback, but invite negative comments, too, about what weaknesses your targets can detect in your pitch: “What do you see as the main vulnerabilities of this marketing plan?” It’s far more effective to elicit views regarding both sides of the issue rather than blindly believing your idea is perfect (or at least the only option).

6. Give targets an opportunity to contribute.

Explore how latitude of action and independence could help sway opinion: “We need someone to organize the database, work with the agency on calendar issues and write the sales force communication. Which of these tasks would you most prefer?” In fact, application of talents and recognition for accomplishment are two of the primary motivators in the workplace. Why? Because people love autonomy. Incorporate that need into your plans whenever possible as another way of appealing to others’ self-interests.

7. Don’t micromanage.

I call this approach allowing “freedom with fences.” You delegate to subordinates all the time with the intent of reducing your own labor intensity, and the same dynamic applies here. Set aside some time to provide feedback, of course, as well monitor results and fine-tune, while still remembering that autonomy often drives employees. (Feedback isn’t necessarily something all employees want, but it’s something you should know they need.)

What Is Your Influence Quotient?

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Horsepower. Pull. Sway. These should be words used to describe your organizational influence.

Readers of my book, Persuasion Equation, know that I consider “persuasion” to be an action and “influence” to be a state or a condition. Influence reflects the ability to create an effect without exerting an effort. The ability to persuade depends significantly on your influence and, frankly, has precious little to do with your title or ranking in an organization.

Below are 11 ways in which you can evaluate your IQ — that is, your influence quotient. Don’t overthink your answers, and don’t search for surgical precision. Just answer the questions, completely and honestly.

1. Do others in your organization regularly ask for your opinion?

Never                            Sometimes                                         Often
1         2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10

2. Have you been asked repeatedly to present your ideas, projects, or results to your organizations’ senior management?

Never                            Sometimes                                         Often
1         2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10

3. Have you been cited in outside media for your positive contributions?

Never                            Sometimes                                         Often
1         2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10

4. Have you been asked to speak to industry trade groups?

Never                            Sometimes                                         Often

1         2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10

5. Are you invited to weigh in on future company initiatives?

Never                            Sometimes                                         Often

1         2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10

6. Have others asked you to informally mentor them?

Never                            Sometimes                                         Often

1          2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10

7. Do your peers repeatedly use you as a sounding board?

Never                            Sometimes                                         Often

1         2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10

8. Have you been formally asked to play a role in your organization’s leadership development?

Never                            Sometimes                                         Often

1          2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10

9. Are you actively involved in the design and execution of company or workgroup policy?

Never                            Sometimes                                         Often
1         2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10

10. Are you invited by powerful people in your organization to get together socially?

Never                            Sometimes                                         Often

1         2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10

11. Do you believe people speak about you in an overwhelmingly positive way when you’re not present?

Never                           Sometimes                                          Often

1         2          3          4          5          6          7          8          9          10

What Your Score Means

Add up your score, and divide by 11.  This is your Influence Quotient.

If you score 1 to 3, your Influence Quotient is Low.

If you score 3 to 6, your Influence Quotient is Medium.

If your score 6 to 8, your Influence Quotient is High.

If your influence score is more than 8, your IQ is Superior.

Does the title on your business card have something to do with your organizational pull? Of course, it does. But it’s not the most powerful. People who rely on their position for their power base typically don’t enjoy great careers. Which is why no matter where you are in your organization (or even if you are an entrepreneur), this test can help determine the way to get more sway.

Storytelling 202: Five More Ways to Persuade (Part II)

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Storytelling has long been a foundation of the art of persuasion. Why? Because it is one of the oldest, most effective forms of human communication.

In a previous post, I introduced the concept of “situational persuasion success stories” — prepared retellings of how you previously helped improve somebody’s condition in given situations. Click here for a primer on those kind of stories.

Now, I’m going to present five key elements — along with examples — of all effective situational persuasion success stories:

1. The story should have a point.

Whether it’s how a colleague overcame professional limitations and rose to the executive level or how a client decided to take a risk despite the economy’s ambiguities, you tell situational persuasion success stories to fit a particular set of circumstances. That’s the point, and your stories should have one, too.

Example: A former colleague used to ask so many questions that we jokingly referred to him as “the reporter.” He took all the answers he received from people — his cubicle neighbors, co-workers in other departments, his boss, the custodian — and came up with new and more effective ways to do things. His co-workers initially thought he was just a pest, but they soon came to rely on him as their go-to guy whenever they had a problem at the office. His credibility soared. The lesson I took away from that? Sometimes it pays to ask questions.

2. The story should contain telling, vivid details.

Describe the type and time of day, maybe the main character’s fashion sense and one flattering physical trait. Recount the way in which that person considered an idea, and then relate a contrasting detail or complicating factor.

Example: She was the quintessential corporate executive: well-dressed, articulate, comporting herself as if about to call to order a board of directors meeting. And she was eyeing up a radical custom-painted, candy-apple-red Harley-Davidson Super Glide with one of the most sinister skull paint jobs I’ve ever seen.”

3. Beginnings are crucial.

Don’t open your situational persuasion success story with a cliché. Instead, develop creative ways of getting started. If your prospective buyer says this: We just don’t know what’s going to happen with our industry and the economy, you might begin your situational persuasion success story like this: That’s exactly what Steve Buyer said, not more than two months ago.

Bingo! Your target is listening — because he wants to know who Steve Buyer is and how he managed to overcome a similar situation.

4. The story should use a repeatable phrase, for emphasis.

Phrases like “You can’t save your way to success,” “Lead, follow or get out of the way,” and “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you don’t move” all work. In your next persuasion conversation, try working in just one of these phrases at the end. Chances are, your target will repeat it.

Example: A buddy of mine didn’t know the first thing about how to do his job — he even told me he wasn’t sure why he was hired. But the guy paid constant attention, asked lots of questions and immersed himself in his job, deciding to learn five new things about his job every single day. Now he’s CEO. He had to start somewhere, didn’t he? And so do you. 

[Wait for the echo.]

So do I.

5. The story should contain at least one unexpected element.

People love to be surprised. Think about the plot turns in books, movies and even songs. If you know exactly how things are going to turn out, why stay tuned in?

Let’s pick up the Steve Buyer story: That’s exactly what Steve Buyer said, not more than two months ago. His company was struggling, its stock value had sunk, key managers ditched the organization, and all rational indicators told him not to make any big decisions. Then, his firm experienced a product recall. That’s when Steve and his colleagues decided to invest in their business, instead of cutting back. We put together a performance initiative designed to keep revenue flat but increase margins. Morale improved, the company attracted some talented new people, and now, although not completely back to business as usual, it’s well on its way — all because Steve and his team turned left when his competitors would have turned right.

Next time you find yourself in a tough persuasion situation, consider turning left instead of right and try out a situational persuasion success story. Develop ones that will involve client acquisition, engagement and recovery, and you’ll have a story for just about every persuasion situation. Then practice, practice, practice.

In my next post, I’ll cover storytelling stumbling blocks and how to avoid them.

What Are You Drinking? How Senses Affect Persuasion

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Did you know that the type of beverage you drink, the surface of the chair on which you sit and the color of your clothing all play a role in getting to “yes” (or “no”) faster?

Thalma Lobel, a Ph.D. and director of the child development center at Tel Aviv University, claims that decisions, judgments and values are derived as much from outside factors as they are from our brains.

In her 2014 book, Sensation: The New Science of Physical Intelligence, Lobel provides scientific evidence of how targets respond to common situations that, on the surface, appear insignificant. Here are some of her key observations:

  • People drinking warm beverages such as coffee or tea are judged by their targets to be more generous, caring and good-natured than those enjoying cold beverages such as soda or iced coffee. The concept of “warm” and “cold” extends beyond the drink and transfers to the individual drinking it. While what you say is important, so is what you drink.
  • That “warm/cold” mentality is at play in other facets of our lives, too. Take the chair you opt to sit in while making your pitch. Studies suggest harder chairs make people tougher negotiators, while softer chairs reduce their aggressiveness. Hmmm. Maybe you should add a soft and comfy chair to your office for guests…
  • Researchers found that men consider women who wear a red blouse (opposed to a blue, green or gray blouse) consistently sexier and more attractive. That kind of social proof can easily transfer to persuasion situations. Red represents strength, power and energy, regardless of gender. Wear it when you need to hear “yes.”

 

Why Expertise and Credibility Go Together Like Chocolate and Peanut Butter

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Let’s hear it for BusinessDictionary.com — the only online dictionary to define “expertise” the same way I do. The site states that the term describes the “basis of credibility of a person who is perceived to be knowledgeable in an area or topic due to his or her study, training or experience in the subject matter.”

The emphasis on “credibility” is mine. Why? Because credibility equates to expertise almost every time.

Consider that having credibility enables you to do each of the following:

• Persuade people more easily, showing them new ways of thinking and allowing your expertise to help buyers make up their minds between buying now and waiting until next year.

• Influence more people both directly and indirectly, generating a naturally positive effect and demonstrating your expertise when you’re, say, explaining key details to first-time buyers.

• Reduce conflict, allowing your track record to speak for itself and proving you’re a top-notch professional. Which means that when it comes to waxing wise (and perhaps even philosophical) about hot industry issues, your expertise allows your voice to inform, educate and prevail.

Expertise levels in any business — including yours — can fall into multiple categories, leaving room for certain employees to step up and fill observed voids.

One of those employees should be you.

(Photo by DodgertonSkillhause)

How Telling Stories Can Help Convince Customers

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I love to tell stories. Why? Because stories are the key to persuading others.

In a selling environment, I call them “situational sales success stories.” Or S3 stories, for short. These are pre-created retellings of how you helped buyers or colleagues improve their condition in given situations. Here’s an example:

“What you’re saying is exactly what Steve Buyer said, not more than two months ago.
[Grab your listener right away with a relatable opener.]

“His company was struggling, its stock value had sunk, key managers ditched the organization, and all rational indicators told him not to make any big decisions. Then, his firm experienced a product recall. That’s when Steve and his colleagues decided to invest in their business, instead of cutting back.
[Include at least one element of surprise.]

“We put together a performance initiative designed to keep revenue flat but increase margins. Morale improved, the company attracted some talented new people, and now, although not completely back to business as usual, it’s well on its way — all because Steve and his team turned left when his competitors would have turned right.”
[Use a repeatable phrase for emphasis.]

The following are five must-have situational sales success stories to keep in your arsenal at all times, regardless of what you sell or who you’re trying to persuade. I’ll provide the bones; you flesh them out:

  1. A buyer who never used your company’s products or services is now one of your biggest fans.
  2. A client who faithfully used the “other brand” until you showed him the light.
  3. A customer who was loyal to only one method until you showed him another option.
  4. A buyer who couldn’t afford your best offer, but you helped his company figure out a way both of you could still do business together.
  5. A customer who initially wanted to delay purchasing until you proved why buying now was a wiser decision.

Now that you have some ideas for situational sales success stories, consider ways to refine them and make them more exciting. Take the above example and create one powerful, truth-based story for each of the five situations, and then write them down. Make them all capable of being told in less than 25 seconds. Require every salesperson on staff to learn the five stories and be able to recite them. Test employees and help them internalize high-quality S3 stories.

Remember, you can share these stories face-to-face in one-on-one situations, in larger group settings such as a business meeting, as videos, via e-mail, blogs and text messages, on social media (Twitter should challenge even the strongest tellers of S3 stories) and by using that old-fashioned device everybody once called a telephone.

How Apple, Lexus and Harley-Davidson Can Help You Persuade

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Think about why the Apple, Lexus, and Harley-Davidson brands have such magnetic appeal. Why do consumers so unequivocally believe in them and profess unwavering loyalty to them? Because those objects conjure emotions that convince buyers the iPhone 6S, the LX and the FLHXS Street Glide Special are in some way superior to competing products.

In essence, they represent the epitome of “cool” in their specific product categories as perceived by their particular (or potential) users.

Researchers Caleb Warren, assistant professor of marketing at Texas A&M University, and Margaret C. Campbell, professor of marketing at the University of Colorado, Boulder, conducted six studies to determine what makes consumers perceive brands, companies and even people as “cool.”

Published by the Journal of Consumer Research in 2014, their findings suggest that individuals gravitate toward objects of autonomy, meaning that the companies behind those objects eschew pre-existing norms or status quo expectations in pursuit of their own vision. “Although cool brands are typically desired, coolness and desirability are not the same thing,” Warren and Campbell wrote. “Consumers prefer cool brands only when they want to stand out rather than fit in.”

When your persuasion situation involves an idea focused on a specific brand or product, recognize that the emotions conjured by that brand or product can create an irresistible urge in your target’s mind to say “yes.” Part of the work has already been done for you.