How do you “wake people up” to something they don’t want to hear? Here are ten tips from psychology for persuading people on tricky topics… 🧵 
🌱 Plant Seeds. Gently drop ideas, and let them grow – like the movie Inception. Nourish them with repetition over time. Don’t feel the need to persuade someone in one sitting; go softly.
😎 Lean Back. Don’t push people too hard as it may put them off. Avoid any thought-stoppers like being seen as an “extremist”. Walk away and let them come to you on their own.
❤️ Make it Personal. Talking about facts and statistics will only get you so far. Use emotional stories about real people. Turn your conceptual ‘enemy’ into a real, visual scapegoat rather than an abstract.
👍 Be Positive. Try to be upbeat and offer a positive alternative to fear and uncertainty. Be humorous, ridicule the opposing side, and make good use of memes.
💪 Be Strong. Be authoritative and calm. Don’t get emotional or defensive. Use proof points (e.g., scientific credentials) to reassure people. Offer them a sense of certainty in this chaotic world.
🤔 Ask Questions. It’s a lot more effective for people to reach their own conclusions than to bark something at them. Ask them questions and point out the things that don’t make sense.
👣 Put a Foot in the Door. Don’t overwhelm people with information; bring them into the lobby before trying to show them the penthouse. Try to find middle ground and work from there.
👀 Visualise. Try to avoid talking about abstract, intellectual ideas. Instead, put things into terms people can easily visualise (like Trump talking about a “wall” rather than a complex immigration policy).
🎁 WIIFM? Always ask "what’s in it for me?”, from their perspective. What are the emotional motivations? Remember, learning the truth is scary and it’s embarrassing to have been fooled
🎬 Have a Call-to-Action. Have a clear direction for people’s energies. What is one small next step they can take after talking to you? What is the practical alternative to the ‘opposition’?
If you want learn more about this kind of thing, pre-order Free Your Mind now. #FreeYourMind
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