Sterling Terrell

smart ideas from books

Seth Godin On Changing Minds

Seth Godin On Changing Minds

I love this post by Seth Godin on changing peoples minds.

It fits in nicely with the two lists I have done (so far) on persuasion techniques:

Godin points out that specific people, in specific industries, have an focal point of concern.

And centering your persuasion around that point is often what changes people’s minds.

The banker one made me laugh because my wife is a banker. And sure enough, if you want to increase your odds of her saying yes to a deal you are cooking up, you need to show her how you have eliminated the risk involved.

He says:

If you want to change the mind of a scientist, do more science. Do better science. Get your hands on the data set and prove your assertions.

If you want to change the mind of a bureaucrat, bring more power.

If you want to change the minds of the nerds, build something that’s new.

If you want to change the mind of a teenager, amplify the other teenagers.

If you want to change the mind of the audience, put more emotion into your story.

If you want to change the mind of a believer, bring in the perceived authorities.

If you want to change the mind of a banker, eliminate risk.

If you want to change the mind of an engineer, build a prototype.

If you want to change the mind of a hustler, show the money.

If you want to change the mind of a sports fan, win the game.

Other people don’t believe what you believe, and they don’t see what you see.

Blaise Pascal On Persuasion

Blaise Pascal On Persuasion

Here is Blaise Pascal on persuasion, as pointed out by BrainPickings.

The short of it is that: People have to discover what they have missed on their own.

When confronted with someone I disagree with, I have found that saying:

Oh, I completely agree. I also think it’s true that…

This simple phrase immediately puts us both on the same team, and diffuses any possible conflict.

Pascal says it like this:

When we wish to correct with advantage, and to show another that he errs, we must notice from what side he views the matter, for on that side it is usually true, and admit that truth to him, but reveal to him the side on which it is false. He is satisfied with that, for he sees that he was not mistaken, and that he only failed to see all sides. Now, no one is offended at not seeing everything; but one does not like to be mistaken, and that perhaps arises from the fact that man naturally cannot see everything, and that naturally he cannot err in the side he looks at, since the perceptions of our senses are always true.

And:

People are generally better persuaded by the reasons which they have themselves discovered than by those which have come into the mind of others.

Here are 31 more persuasion tips if you want more.

And 20 more from Robert Cialdini.