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Harry Houdini and Persuasion:
Influence Starts With Perception

by Guest Columnist John Paul Micek

The ability to influence and persuade is what all business owners, sales pros and politicians want. Let’s face it – everyone wants that power.

Everyone knows that being persuasive will bring us friends and allies. And you’re intelligent enough to realize that when you combine persuasion with proven marketing and sales strategies, your actions will lead to more customers, more profits, or more votes.

But what about online persuasion?

It's easy to see influence and persuasion at work in the off-line world. You meet people and immediately begin either building or breaking rapport with your first face-to-face meeting.

Off-line you can pick up visual cues, like body language along with the tone and speed of speech. You have all five senses working for you, which would seem to make things easier.

Online persuasion of that same level appears at first glance to be a near impossible goal. At best, most people see online persuasion as a process of mechanical manipulation. Tricks and black-hat tactics used to lure people into handing over their cash or contact info.

And yes, if we were still living in the online world of Web 1.0, true online persuasion would be an oppressive task. That was an online world where conversations were limited, and behaving like a Marketplace Molester became the bastardized meaning of “persuasive.”

But have you noticed yet that going online is a different type of experience now?

With the New Media marketplace powered by people and participation, a more natural form of persuasion can be employed. Audio and video along with instant interaction and ongoing conversations make online persuasion a mirrored reflection of the face-to-face world.

Yet there is a catch. Online or offline -- you can’t just jump to persuading and gaining influence with others. Far too many people fail to establish the very foundation that will support their success in today’s marketplace.

Persuasion starts with Self-Influence™

99 out of 100 will say "on other people." After all, isn't the idea to win friends and influence people? Isn't that what we should be focused on?

Yeah, sure - that’s the ultimate goal. But unless you master Self-Influence™ your persuasion skills will always come across as mechanical, un-natural.

Think about it. If you can't influence and motivate yourself to take action -- how can you ever effectively motivate anyone else?

The fact is you won't. People’s perception will immediately be one of suspicion. Not a good place to start a relationship, I’m sure you agree.

Have you ever heard of Harry Houdini? Well he wasn't like today's magicians, only interested in television ratings. He was an artist. He could make an elephant disappear in the middle of a theatre filled with people, and do you know how he did that?

By controlling people’s perceptions.

…What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes. Perception is reality.

Turn the page...

Continue: Page | 1 | 2 |

Kevin Hogan
Network 3000 Publishing
3432 Denmark #108
Eagan, MN 55123
(612) 616-0732

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