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Hidden Influence: What Salespeople and Marketers Don't See that Causes Their Failure

Kevin Hogan (Reprinted with permission)

Seriously:

Ever wonder why most advertising fails when the people writing the ads, doing the commercials, etc. are "professionals" with mouth watering budgets?

The fact is that the majority of advertising, marketing and professional salespeople should be successful but they are not even close.

They are in the red for the company they work for.

Why?

How is it that people who want to show you how to market or excel in sales, for the purpose of YOUR prosperity.... why is it that they can't make a dime themselves?

There a few core factors involved in their failure.

Most advertisers know their market....the demographics of their customer. Age, height, weight, sleep patterns, spending habits, and so on.

Unfortunately marketers, salespeople, advertisers, teachers and parents don't know what influences the people they need to influence.

I think the first time I recognized this why most people were failures in sales and marketing and in fact all areas of influence...it was when a guy I was working with used "AIDA" as a way of describing sales and marketing.

He said it was an old formula in selling, and it's how you sell anything.... Attention, Interest, (Desire, I think), and (Action, I think).

I don't recall the last two because the first two weren't correct to begin with. The formula will not yield the hoped for results. It will fail.

Essentially, it is axiomatic that it will fail far more often than it will work.

Yet sales managers train their people that this is the answer, the formula.

Don't get me wrong.

Capturing attention, building someone's interest, finding out what they want and getting them to take out their wallet isn't terrible.

But the concept is doomed to fail for most people in most situations even though gurus will teach you stuff like this.

It's also more evidence for the fact that salespeople fail in large part because they are given inaccurate information from the git go.

There is nothing wrong with getting someone's attention and their interest. Nothing at all. In fact, I'll argue another day they can be very, very important. The point is that it's a kindergarten notion.

"Is the wooden block blue, Johnny?"

"Yes teacher."

"Good job."

Yes, Johnny was able to confirm to the teacher the block was blue.

He didn't know why it was blue, how it got that way, what the process of making the block was, or what he could do with the block once it was in his hands.

He knew...it was blue.

Only a very small percentage of actual sales CLOSED "begin" with "attention."

The vast majority of all sales that get CLOSED started with something very, very different...something far more important!

The Spirit of Persuasion Past

Long before you even MET your prospect.... Long before your consumer saw your ad...two things happened. (More, actually, but two for the moment.)

Imagine you were my customer or future customer.

You had all kinds of feelings, thoughts, emotions and expectations earlier today about everything from eggs and bacon to the news to the clothes your daughter wore to school to who won the game last night to what traffic would be like if you were late getting going.

and...

Secondly, you are a normal human. You have preconceptions (stereotypes and prejudices) about every type of person you are going to meet today, tonight, tomorrow.

Preconception Based Filters

All of these notions are based on what you've experienced, been told by Mom and Dad and media, and watched experiences of those close to you with others.

Example: Some women might hate men because of something bad that happened to them decades ago. Then you, nice, kind charming person that you are.... you are going to meet this person and attempt to persuade them or sell them something. And the door will strike your nose before you can say "hello."

You did get her attention, however....

Of course, this is a dramatic example to make the point that EVERYONE has stereotypes and prejudices, like it or not. Period.

They are *normal.*

"Stereotype" and "prejudice" are not "bad words", by the way. They simply mean that your brain categorizes people based on differing characteristics and BY what you have learned, experienced and, of course, felt through genetic biases.

It's simple science.

Such categorizing could easily save your life and those preconceptions can also lead to problems. But preconceptions of all kinds are as natural as eating lunch or thinking about sex...

Being AWARE of this singular fact will increase your persuasiveness GEOMETRICALLY.

People have a bias for formulas and systems because in the past they are often useful in solving problems. Experiential learning....

The things that are the most persuasive and change the most minds are not formulaic. They are Preconception Based Filters.

Example: Research shows that if you want to influence someone else, you are more likely to persuade them if you look like them, like a friend of theirs, or a family member of theirs.

Example: You are more likely to make the sale, get the person to marry you, have sex with the person, go to the same University....if you have the same name or the same first letter of the name or similar letters in your name as theirs....especially the more unusual letters like Q, X or Z.

Preconception Based Filters often "make up their mind" before they even see you, hear you, read your ad or letter.

The persuasion process will be 2/3 completed by the time you reach attention.

The research is abundantly clear.

And that's just how we look. Our voice... What we hear... how we carry ourselves all play into the context of an initial meeting and each contact thereafter.

These preconceptions all filter out non-verbally and create an environment and "chemistry" between two people that is either constructive or destructive.

Example: The letter your name starts with will influence people you do business with!

If it's the same, or sounds the same, you are MORE likely to persuade the other person.

So you have the experiences, both categorized and recent (this morning) as well as our emotional state of mind going into our sales or influential communication.

$10,000 Key: Those two factors in two people's heads BEFORE they meet in real life or cyber life or in a magazine ad, have much more impact on whether a sale will be made than, "do I have your attention."

And we haven't even come to a more important factor in the persuasion process.

Next week, I'll open more doors for you that you've never seen opened before....and I'll show you applications you probably wouldn't have dreamed of...

Covert Influence: The Hidden Persuaders… Strategies No One Has Ever Even Thought Of

The research unveils what works and what doesn't, and I'm ready to share it with you…

Are you ready for it? Study after study shows that tapping into human emotions is tantamount to success!

What are the details?

On 7 CD's you can listen again and again to burn these new concepts, skills and tools into your mind.

Never before released on audio or in book form, this information is freshly tested and scientifically validated.

Changing Minds with New Mental Technology is now required. This is the Genesis of that Mental Technology.

If you remotely wonder if that statement is correct, think about all of the money major corporations spent on advertising, marketing, promotion, sales and they are now bankrupt.

...It takes specialized knowledge and "digging deeper" to get where you need to go these days...

Getting people to "yes," has never been more difficult in your lifetime than it is in 2009. It's going to be more difficult as people's innate defense mechanisms create a shell around their decision making faculty.

...What Does This Mean for You?

"Delay", "wait", "not yet", "being careful", "I'll think about it", and all of the other "tomorrow" messages are emanating from all directions.

I tried to fit this on 6 CD's so it would fit the containers we invested in.

No luck! (Fortunately for you.)

This is a lot of information and it just got a little bigger than I guessed.

How "good" is this program?

It's on par with my best work.

No one else has this information except, now... you.

I want to show you one of the most surprising and perhaps one of the uncomfortable....powerful phenomenon in Covert Influence.

In fact, I want to share with you all the latest research available (well, almost all…!)

Influence Without Resistance. What’s the Key Factor? You’ll have most amazing, truly stunning tactics in predicting what and how your client (spouse, child, customer, read: anyone) will choose. Thus, you are a step ahead of anyone else in implementing the most powerful phenomena in consumer research today. Find out with this program!

Creating Irresistible Impulse. The button is there (for everyone); it just needs to be pushed. What are some of the irresistible impulses marketers are using on you? How can you take advantage of these tactics yourself? It’s all here in this section. Kevin details the marketing phenomenon that pushes the buttons...all the way to irresistible.

Tapping into Human Desires & Emotions. With just ONE change in strategy, a non-profit organization can get 5 times the donations. What can this strategy do for you? You can’t afford NOT to implement this tactic now.

Desires and Emotions… That Influence. You’ve heard some rumors, I’m sure about negative emotions and positive emotions in the influence process. But do you know what actually works, and what to emphasize in the process, and when? Find out once and for all!

Tribes. You’ve heard the term. What does it describe? How does it come into play in the influence process? Most important, how do you utilize the concept of the Tribe in order to make more sales? It’s all here… Kevin explains about subgroups and how to make appeals based on whether a group is “in” or “out”. This is cutting edge research that benefits you.

Covert Influence...to Control Behavior. You’ve seen the signs. Above the candy jar, tacked to the break room wall. Even posted on a fence, or highway. How do signs really influence? What elements should be used in signs to covertly control behavior? Fascinating new research uncovered for you!

Order Today : Learn More about Covert Influence

Why She is Saying "No!" Then Change Her Mind When Pressured in the ONLY Way Possible

Kevin Hogan

Doesn't she think clearly?

Did she even THINK about it for just ONE second?

Is your client really some brainless client in disguise?

You meet with your client and they say.... "no," even BEFORE they have all the facts about how much you could help them.

They might say, "I've got to think about it."

But invariably that means, "No, but I don't want to have to say 'no'."

And it doesn't make sense.

Their current person, product or service they are using is clearly inferior.

It makes no sense.

WHY would they say "no?"

KEY POINT: When people feel pressured to change...they won't. There is one exception and it's about the TYPE of pressure.

The Anti-Authority Message Reaction

Your customer could have a $50 bill in her hand and you could offer a $100 in exchange and your customer can easily say "no!"

WHAT?

Read it again. It's the teen reaction that never went away...the anti-authority message reaction.

Remember from our previous work, that people have a gut level "no" (reactance) to anything that is not familiar...and they have a reasoned thought resistance that says "no" until they've had a chance to step back and evaluate anything that they don't regularly experience.

And THEN you have additional reactions to authority.

There can be a lot to overcome between "no" and "yes."

KEYPOINT: A growing body of research about "reactance" shows that when people are told to do the opposite of what they believe they have a tendency to over-react in the direction of their current behavior.

For example: If someone is a cigarette smoker or abuses alcohol, and that person sees authoritarian messages to not do those things....you got it....the person smokes/drinks MORE.

And that is not just speculation on my part. The research is abundant. The more intense the warning on the cigarette package, the more quickly people go through the cigarettes and the more they smoke.

I travel out of the country quite regularly. When I was in Australia...Sydney...I went grocery shopping (that was an experience that taught me why Americans are fat...I'll save that for another day).

I went to a part of the store where they were selling cigarettes. I was drawn to the area because there was a big sign that said, "Cigarettes cause death." There was a skull and cross bones on the sign... and a line of people waiting to buy cigarettes.

There is no logic involved here. Cigarettes simply erase years from your life. But the smoker is not smoking for logical reasons.

By telling the person to quit smoking, you are pushing their anti-authority button. You are telling them they are stupid...or worse...that you are smarter than they are!

If the pressure you use is directly from you and it is perceived as a win/lose, the other person says, "no," AND they hit the brakes and dig in for a fight, defending their position more vigorously every second of the way. That's just how it is.

But there is one kind of pressure that does work with women and not men....

DO THIS: Think of yourself as a magnetic field with a field pushing out away from you. And the other person has the same magnetic field coming out of them. In other words, North faces North.

What happens?

Polarity....the magnets literally repel each other.

It's a fascinating metaphor because it is amazing to watch it happen on your coffee table with two magnets....just like it is in real life with people...

• So, you can't pressure in the commononly understood definition of pressure.
• You can't "push."
• You can't have an authoritarian message and expect the customer to say, "yes."

It won't happen.

But your pressure could easily cause them to sign a long term contract...with your competitor.

Men typically won't cave to any type of pressure. Women will yield to ONE kind of prsesure. You will be surprised....

Does Everyone Have the Same Response?

What's interesting is that not everyone responds with the polarity reaction. Generally there are two groups of people who predictably WILL react North to North.

A) People who participate in the behavior you are trying to get them to change.

People who are normally contrarian in general or to you or your message specifically.

FACT: Reactance is TRIGGERED by OVERT influence attempts that are particularly dogmatic or authoritarian in *content* or *delivery.*

Reactance Triggers

Anything else trigger reactance?

Yes.

Keypoint: A growing body of research shows that "low credibility messengers" (spokesmen/salespeople/etc.) are regularly met with reactance that ties the person being "persuaded" more closely to the status quo.

More?

Yep.

Keypoint: If some part of a person's freedom is threatened (or perceived to be threatened, which is all that really matters!) in any way, you can know that "North" will be out in full force.

What About That Teenager?

And what ENHANCES REACTANCE?

The reactant personality of course!

What's that?

The reactant person is one who has a STRONG desire to MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES.

Generally teens have a much stronger tendency to intense reactance than older people.

But of course, reactance is found in all ages.

In one study, the sign, "Danger - Shallow Water: No Diving!" increased kids diving significantly...but only in kids who had dived into the shallow water before. It had no effect on those who had not.

In another study, smokers who saw packs of cigarettes with NO health warnings on the packaging caused no change in smoking behavior. Those with strong warning labels caused the individuals to smoke MORE.

The volume of data here is overwhelming.

In the case of using "fear" in messages specifically, that would need a separate article...or book...but in general it works like this:

Fear and Reactance

Fear is only useful and effective when used "mildly." Messages that contain "strong" or "intense" levels of fear cause reactance and CAUSE the opposite behavior.

KEYPOINT: There are exceptions but in general, a little fear goes a long way...and a lot of fear kills the message...and causes that which you want to change...to become more grounded.

Soften Your Message

Obviously we all experience reactance, and often, but depending on personality and circumstances, a lot of people will react much more intensely than others.

If you had to adopt only one idea to increase success in persuasion and influence it would be to SOFTEN YOUR MESSAGE.

Softening the message will influence men.

That isn't going to work with women.

Women require knowledge that authority figures they respect have concluded that what you are proposing is what the authority figures have approved of. When women know that authority figures they respect, both men and women, have overwhelming concluded that the idea on the table you are presenting is the best "way," THAT is the ONE and only kind of pressure that will predictably turn "no" into "yes."

Most types of pressure simply can't work with 90% of people and that is why salespeople talk about "numbers" and "percentages." With Covert Influence you can reduce that 90% by half because it wires into the predetermined decision making rules of thumb each unique person is driven by.

That's for next time. For now, recognize that women change their minds in dramatic fashion when they know the respected authorities overwhlemingly agree with a proposal....and...for men...they do not care what the respected authorities overwhelmingly think...and only message softening is effective on the pressure/no pressure continuum.

Most people believe the opposite to be true, but that's why most people can't get a "yes" from someone....they don't know how people think and don't spend the time to learn.