Fundamental Truth About Persuasion

February 28, 2011

Interview with Kevin Dutton, author of the book Split-Second Persuasion: The Ancient Art and New Science of Changing Minds

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Mike Carruthers:
How can you be more persuasive?

Kevin Dutton:
If you can make someone feel good when you’re trying to persuade them you’re going to have a darn sight better chance of pulling it off than if you make them feel lousy.
 

Kevin Dutton, author of the book Split-Second Persuasion, says to do that effectively you need to follow a few simple guidelines.

Keep things simple, appeal to another person’s self-interest, make them laugh or make them look at whatever it is you want them to do in a new or novel way, be confident but not too cocky.

Sounds simple enough, but Kevin says that’s not how most of us try to persuade.

99% of people think that the fundamental secret of persuasion is to get someone to do something for you, when it isn’t. The fundamental secret of persuasion, Mike, is to get someone to do something for themselves.

And Kevin recalls the perfect example from a New Year’s Eve party he attended.

And the 7 year old son of a friend of mine wanted to stay up till midnight and see the New Year in with the rest of us adults but mom wasn’t having any of it. And without missing a beat this little fellow turned around to his mom and said, “Well you don’t want me up at the crack of dawn when you’re lying in bed with a headache tomorrow morning do you?” Now that little guy was sitting up seeing in the New Year with the rest of us.

To hear the complete unedited interview, click here