Perfect Pitch: Persuasion

Ah, the human mind! It works in fascinating and even mysterious ways. It’s not easy to make a statement about the mind that is universally true, but here’s one that comes close: "Every idea, concept, or conclusion which enters the mind will be completely believed unless hindered by some conflicting idea.” 

Do you see what this means? If you present people with an idea, it isn’t necessary to convince them of the idea’s truth as long as you prevent conflicting ideas from arising. So if you read a sentence like, “Acme hubcaps are the best hubcaps in the world,” people will believe that to be true unless there is contradictory information. If there's no contradictory information, they'll continue to believe it indefinitely.

We like to think of ourselves as logical, thinking beings – but logic does not come into play until certain conditions are met. Before we can compare one idea to another, we need to have at least two ideas. Until then, persuasion is the result of suggestion or instinct rather than logical processes.

If I say to you, "Cell phones are completely harmless," and there is no contradictory evidence on your mental landscape, you can be persuaded simply by the suggestion I've made. But if someone has shown you an internet website that raises questions about the safety of cell phones, then I will have to show you evidence to prove my assertion. I will have to convince you by logical argument rather than by suggestion alone.

This has important implications for all kinds of business interactions in which information reaches a listener very quickly and there is no opportunity to review it. Persuasive speakers rely much more on suggestion than on argument. And for the most part, listeners actually appreciate this. After all, it’s easy to believe; doubting is more difficult. Experience and knowledge and thinking are necessary before we can doubt and ask questions intelligently. Tell a child that Santa Claus comes down the chimney, and the child will accept this until further knowledge causes change.

Your strategy in persuading people should be first and foremost to put an idea firmly in their minds, and secondly to keep contradictory and opposing ideas from arising. If you become skilled in reaching that goal, the sky's the limit. Don't give it another thought!