Thread by @LifeHornsWay

How To Persuade Anyone

5 Lessons In 5 Tweets

[ THREAD ]

Let's go 👇

1:

Make It Visual

What you see matters more than what you hear or read.

And it's not even close.

Visuals persuade.

If you can’t use imagery, paint a mental picture with specific, vivid words.

2:

Associate With Positive Things

Every luxury brand you know does this.

- Drink this gin to be cool like Ryan Reynolds
- Buy this perfume to be refined like Nicole Kidman
- Wear this watch to be dashing like George Clooney

Ask yourself how your product helps people…

- Grow richer
- Be more beautiful
- Find more connection
- Become more popular
- Work more productively
- Gain status and prestige

Then use words and imagery that associate your offer with the life that your listener wants to lead.

3:

Employ Contrast

Without contrast, our brains can't evaluate things.

But our brains are GREAT at contrasting things:

- Product A is pricier than Product B.
- Product A looks cooler than Product B.
- Product A has more features than Product B.

I want Product A.

Contrast is THE key to persuasion.

Create contrast between the...

- Problem and solution
- Status quo and your vision of the world
- Risk of one approach and opportunity of another

The bigger the gap between the existing situation and the promised land, the better.

4:

Use Social Proof

Have you ever started to cross the street when you see someone else crossing?

You were responding to social proof.

For better or worse, we are social creatures who copy what other people do.

Social proof is extremely persuasive, but...

Some social proof is better than others.

Contrary to intuition, the best social proof is not the most enthusiastic.

The best social proof goes like this: "I was hesitant to buy this thing. But turns out it's great."

Social proof sells better than you can.

5:

Omit Nuance

Certainty is more persuasive than uncertainty.

This one is tough for rule followers. We’re taught nuance and objectivity are good. And, they are.

Just not in persuasion...

If your goal is to persuade, speak unambiguously:

Do this:
This is the best smart phone on the market.

Not this:
There are many good smart phones on the market, and this is one of the better ones even though it has flaws.

Don't be one of the best.

Be the best.

That’s all friends!

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