Hypnotic writing merges art and science to gain compliance (agreement) in text.
<img src=” https://kevinhogan.comwp-content/uploads/2018/07/neuron.jpg” alt=”Hypnotic writing” width=”400″ height=”300″ align=”right” hspace=”10″ /> In hypnosis, a goal of the practitioner is to bypass the anti-suggestive barrier of the mind. It appears that belief is what flips the switch. If you believe in the person, you flip the switch off. If you fail to do this, the executive function continues to carry on.
Hundreds of studies reveal that first impressions and even nonconscious priming can change feelings and decision-making in reference to another person or group of people.
Because of this you want to be certain to control the messages you write. And you never want to write a message until you know how it will be received.
Hypnotic writing intentionally bypasses critical thinking and allows you to insert your message gently into the mind of the reader.
Most people attempt to be persuasive by bashing a hammer over the head of the reader.
Sigh…you and I can agree to simply not do that ever again.
I have often put forward the argument that all communication is persuasive by its nature.
Example: The baby cries because he wants something. He wants to be out of pain or to feel loved or at least feel better. And he wants your help, now.
For the sake of not having to make the argument yet again, we can simply go with the proposition that communication exists to share feelings, thoughts and ideas, and of course to fulfill needs and desires, because it does just that.
That means that everything you write (a subset of communication) is written for the purpose of persuading someone else to do or think something.
Pick up milk tonight.
Can you pick up Jacob after school?
Furnace is on the fritz.
I love you.
We should take a vacation.
What do you think about starting a small business?
The question YOU need to ANSWER is, will YOUR WRITTEN message BE persuasive?
To answer the question in the affirmative, you need to begin correctly.
Is your message the book you are writing?
How about copy for a product or service?
Writing a note to your spouse?
Do you want your employees to behave differently?
Do you want your client to actually DO what you tell them to do?!
These are all decent examples of situations where you must be 100% on purpose with your written communication.
$10,000 Key Point: Persuasive writing begins with understanding what your recipient (customer, client, spouse, employee) is THINKING and FEELING when they will read your message.
More specifically you need to predict their MOOD and Emotional State when they stumble upon your message!
If you write a message to what you believe to be someone who is interested in your message…a message that that simply includes a bunch of words…you really have done nothing.
Know Thy Customers Experiences of the Day & Their Thoughts
This is NOT the same as the overused and never explained, Know Thy Customer.
I want you to know what your customer is doing today.
If your message is directed to one person it is much easier to craft your message. If your message is written to a (potentially) mass audience then you have to do some cold reading and also know what the majority of customers are going to be doing when they see your message.
Imagine your client or the person you wish to persuade by email is a stay at home Mom taking care of her two year old and you are planning on messaging/email here about 2 PM. What is she experiencing right then.
The answer is stress. Or possibly STRESS.
You message has to begin with more than, I know you are busy.
Are you the ANSWER to a problem or are you PART of the problem.
Your message, your letter, your text either solves or makes problems bigger.
Before you begin writing, THINK about what this woman is experiencing and meet her on HER landscape. Meet her where she is before you bring her to a possible solution to some problem.
Example of The Landscape Effect in Use
Imagine your client is a manager in an office of 15 employees.
He is under stress as well. But your message MIGHT be a nice break from the action. He is also irritated that three of his 15 employees are grossly under performing while two are carrying the weight of the entire office. (The 80/20 Rule went out the window a long time ago in most contexts. Now we are in the 90/10 territory in 2018.)
That means 10% of the people are now responsible for even MORE of the results in many, many contexts.
When it comes to productivity of his 15, most of his employees do the minimum, two are stars, three need to be fired.
This drives managers nuts. It keeps them up at night. They wonder what to do. It is not just stress, it is frustration, irritation, often anger and even disgust. Sometimes the feelings and emotions in the office can bleed over to basic good old fashioned hostility.
Now THAT is knowing what your customer is experiencing now.
What if he is at lunch?
It probably makes little difference. Employees get lunch breaks. Managers get lunch ulcers.
Your message cannot begin with, Hey I bet you are enjoying lunch!
Instant disconnect because if you went in this direction are missing everything. You are clueless to his world. You met him on YOUR landscape, in your yard, in your world.
Here are a few ideas how to proceed.
EMAIL ONE
John,
It is the end of the month. You are overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done and you are probably being driven nuts by some of the people there.
Listen, I have been working on a cool new approach to a fitness program for your company that has been studied and shown to increase productivity even though employees are spending 20 minutes a day away from their desk. I know it sounds crazy, but this is what we are finding.
I met John in his world and I slowly and respectfully bring his world to the world of the solution.
What does it look like when someone just doesn’t get this critical concept?
EMAIL TWO
John,
We have a cool new program for you guys to increase productivity and health of your employees.
< John thinks, These idiots do not deserveâ so screw that!
The notion of gaining compliance or agreement is laughable.
