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Learning Persuasion

I had a student ask me recently, "Kenrick, how do you keep track of all of these persuasion strategies? Every time we have a conference call or seminar, you pull out another technique adding to the dozens and dozens of techniques we've already learned. I can't even remember to use the 'unconscious hello'."

I responded to my student by saying, 'When you learn a new language, are you fluent in a week?'

When you learn a new instrument, can you play Rachmaninoff after a couple of lessons?

The subject of persuasion is just as rich as either of these examples. The difference is, once you've learned a new language, you know the language (provided you practice it). But the field fo persuasion is ever expanding with amazing breakthroughs happening all the time.

World class persuasion requires you to master the basics. And how do you master the basics when you are trying to learn something? Simple. Practice. Practice. And more practice.

Learning has been traditionally broken down into five different categories: imprinting, habituation, associative learning, observational learning and play.

Imprinting is a phase-based learning usually associated with young animals and humans and is the process by which babies learn from their parents. This, obviously, has no use for us in learning persuasion, but for the fact that the brain state which is achieved by use of the light and sound machines closely resembles the brain state of the very young.

Habitual learning is exemplified by a response to stimulus. If the response to stimulus is neither rewarding nor harmful then the response eventually diminishes. This learning is based on the other than conscious mind.

For our persuasion purposes, the two types of learning we most often utilize are observational and play. Observational requires us to simply observe and then repeat. Observe, repeat. Observe, repeat. When my student wants to know how to remember to use the unconscious hello, I say, observe and repeat.

The last type of learning is play. I think play is a beautiful concept. I assign home play at the each of my conference calls because I believe play enhances, greatly, the learning process.

We're all successful in our fields. Many of us have high pressure work environments. And yet, I can't help thinking that part of what we do when we meet for our quarterly meetings is quite playful. Role playing, camaraderie, even the occasional game. Some play is unrestrained and has no outcome, but our play has a clearly defined goal, as does our work.

Back to my frustrated student's question. Persuasion is play. Persuasion is observation. Persuasion is habitual. Persuasion is repetition and emulation and commitment and intention. And it all comes in time with persistence.

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Kenrick Cleveland teaches techniques to earn the business of affluent prospects using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion techniques. Don't reprint the same version as everyone else. Get your own unique content persuasion article here.

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