Persuasion, Not Politics
On the face of it, this might seem like a political rant. It’s not. It’s a rant about persuasion. Right now, The Fabulous Honey Parker and I are in rural New Hampshire. Each morning, we take a walk along a country road. During that walk, we pass a mailbox. On the mailbox is a bumper sticker. The bumper sticker says, “STOP VOTING DEMOCRAT!” It could easily say “STOP VOTING REPUBLICAN!” That part doesn’t matter. If advertising is entering into a conversation the customer is already having, here’s the conversation around that bumper sticker: “STOP DOING THAT!” “NO!” The End. Doggie commands are not persuasion. Sit! Speak! Roll over! Stop that! Buy this! Yelling commands at a total stranger is not making a persuasive case. It’s just repellent and self-defeating. Thinking they're being persuasive, somebody is just shutting down the conversation before it begins. A more persuasive way to make the case is to draw the prospect into a dialogue. Have respect. Start a conversation. Ask a leading question. “HEY, DEMOPUBLICAN VOTER: HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU’RE NOT MAKING A TRAGIC MISTAKE?” Granted, a lot of prospects will say, “Because…” and justify it. But because it’s a leading question, there’s a higher likelihood of drawing someone into a conversation. Then, with a conversation, there’s the opportunity to make a case by providing new information and some key facts. Whether politics or commerce, standing on a corner and yelling a command is a no-win situation. Being respectful, creating doubt about one's choice, and offering a better alternative goes much further in an effort to persuade. And it’s less likely to explode before the conversation begins. Of course, that doesn't all fit on a bumper sticker. Cheers, Blaine Parker Your Lean, Mean Creative Director in Park City LIGHTNING BRANDING ON AMAZON The Kindle edition of our new book is now available at Amazon for the bargain price of $19.95. For details about our new Lightning Branding courses, both do-it-yourself and we-do-it-with-you editions, click here. (There's even a video of us!)
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AuthorBlaine Parker is prone to ranting about any and all things related to brand. In many ways, he is a professional curmudgeon. While there is no known vaccine for this, the condition is also not contagious. Unless you choose it to be so. Archives
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