One persuasive word
Nov 16, 2023
I used to be the boss of a freelancer who was a master persuader, they regularly got what they wanted from others.
I was often on the receiving end of personal requests that usually went like this:
“Please could I leave a bit early today because I have to get home to receive a delivery of some drawers”
“Yeh sure” I would reply.
“Please could I skip the post show meeting tomorrow because I have to get over to another meeting at 1030.”
“Yeh sure” I would reply.
I would let the rest of the team know and they would roll their eyes that I had said yes yet again, and I would find myself trying to convince them that going home for a delivery was important. (I can feel you rolling your eyes too).
You won’t believe the trick this freelancer was using…
I’m currently training to become an NLP Practitioner, and I’ve reached the module on the language of persuasion. One of the key ways to persuade is to communicate the cause and effect of what it is you are trying to achieve.
The most powerful word you can use then is: BECAUSE.
Read it again:
“Please could I leave a bit early today because I have to get home to receive a delivery of some drawers”
“Yeh sure” I would reply.
A study looked at people trying to push in a queue for the photocopier. If you just asked to go before someone they would say no. If you asked to go ahead of someone “because, and then gave your reason” you would inevitably end up further up the queue.
It’s worth noting that the reason often is irrelevant… hence of course I was saying “yeh sure”.
When talking to an audience, your boss, new clients, any one you are trying to persuade, using “Cause and Effect” can help you then get what you want from them.
Communicating the benefit to your audience will always help them along. So, if you are trying to get your audience to enter a competition:
“Text me now because I have a <prize> you could win…”
“Text me now so that you are in to win…”
“When you text in, then you could win….”
Side note: When my kids were little they were taught to sell “because” as their first “tricky word” with this mnemonic: Big Elephants Always Understand Small Elephants. It always makes me smile.
