Want to persuade a key audience about a topic you care about? – SCN Encourager
You’ve got to take this action first.
Otherwise…
You’re setting yourself up for failure.
So before you kickstart your “persuasive” tactics onto the fast track, you’ve got to LET GO of something FIRST.
And that’s the belief that it’s actually possible to come up with a pithy slogan or tagline of any kind that’ll persuade your key audience about anything.
No doubt you’ve probably experienced how everyone keeps a tight grip on their personal perspectives, and that only a few are ever willing loosen their hold their own precious notions and viewpoints.
I’ve learned this, too.
No matter how flexible and accommodating I try to be at work, for example, no one in my district has yet to adopt my opinions and general approach to life.
And sadly, even when I model a sincere willingness to be flexible and accommodating at home (as only I can), I get zero results.
It’s no wonder the whole concept of BUY-IN is so foreign to me.
I’ve never experienced it!
This doesn’t bother me, though.
Jack Trout in his excellent book “RePositioning” says it’s a rare day indeed whenever someone changes their mind about one of their own opinions or beliefs.
Changing our minds is not an activity most of us like to do.
So why fight it?
Trout says the best course for you to break down this stalemate (between perfectly reasonable folks like us and the crabby stubborn grouches on the other side) is to re-position your position.
That is, bring your topic, idea, or message forward with a fresh look or two.
This is the best way to nurture new engagement for your cause instead of just repeating standard and predictable messages in the hope that somehow they’ll “persuade” people to cast aside their long held opinions and beliefs.
This makes sense.
Tweak your message and make it new instead of just waiting for people to change their minds due to the drip-drip-drip of the same old, same old.
But… dang.
Just once I’d like to read a book that offers high praise for “standard and predictable” messages.
That’d be my kind of book!
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