In a word: Intent. . .according to Dave Lakhani.
Dave Lakhani has made persuasion his life's study. Why?
Dave and his brothers grew up in a religious cult. No real education - unless it was cult education. Living in shacks. Eating from the dumpsters outside supermarkets. Total cult domination of thoughts, media, and activities.
Somehow, he knew that there was a different world than the one he knew.
At the tender age of 16 Dave broke away from the cult. He was forced to go on stage where the entire cult congregation, including his mother, prayed for his death. Dave was cut off from all communications with his brothers, mother, and the few friends he had. He was alone. Everything he knew was gone from his life in an instant.
At that moment Dave made it his life's work to determine how people were persuaded...both in the good and bad sense. Why people did do what they did? What persuaded them to join groups? Live in cults? Buy things?
From Dave's perspective, persuasion is helping people to come to their most logical conclusion that you share. It is the ability to get an individual or the masses to see your message as the one message that will change their life for the better right now.
Dave's mantra:
- People buy what they believe.
- Believers are buyers.
- With no persuasion there is no profit.
- Only polarized people buy things. People in the middle don't do things.
The Persuasion funnel - An upside down triangle:
- Visibility
- Credibility
- Relationship
- Profit
Relationships are the most critical element of the funnel. Where there is trust, you can positively persuade.
By the way, I keep Dave's book, Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want, nearby. I review it when I need ideas. His new book, Subliminal Persuasion: Influence & Marketing Secrets they Don't Want You to Know, is out. Go to www.subliminalpersuasionbook.com for more information.
Click here to see Dave’s program on ProfitabilityChannel.com.