Linguistical Pitfalls Part Two

Well. . .it seems like some of my readers have been paying careful attention. I like that. A while back I wrote an article about the eight most common avoidable pitfalls in language--but, if, try and might. Hey, that's not eight! What are the other four? Several people commented on my blog that I was utilizing the open loop method of persuasion by saying there were eight, and only revealing four. Was this intentional? Maybe.

Now whether or not I was being sneaky and slipping in an open loop on purpose . . well, I'm not going to admit or deny that at this time.

Well. . . if you've been awaiting in eager anticipation part two, thanks.

Would have, could have, should have or, if you prefer, woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Why are these problematic? First, they're all in the past tense and on the surface, this may not seem like a problem, but they can have an adverse impact on your ability to persuade.

As persuaders, we want to be in the present, staying with now, so that they can see themselves acting immediately. It's never a good idea to put people in their heads, into the past because we want them with us. As the spiritual teacher from the sixties and seventies coined it, 'be here now'. We want our clients and prospects to be here now with us. We're selling them in the present, and they're buying in the present.

In addition to their nostalgic taint, these words create a whining atmosphere and reek of regret. Whaa! 'I should have done that. If I had been in a better mindset, I would have taken advantage of the situation. If I would have known. . .things would be so much better.'

And last but not least. . .

Can't. I had a high school teach who forbid us from using this word. It's in a class of words called 'negations'. Negations, used the way most people use them, can pose a serious threat to your persuasion message, and in fact, can nullify your message entirely.

Take for example the sentence: "You can't use negations". This, in essence, forces your mind to first picture yourself using negations which then negates your ability to use them.

When you tell yourself you can't sleep, what happens? You can't sleep.

When you use a negation, it forces the mind to think about exactly what you do not want it to think about. Having your prospects creating a mental imagine of what you want them to do is the goal here--not having them negate the imagines.

Words like "can't" create the very image you don't want the person to make.

There are some very powerful and creative ways to use negation -- just be careful that you use it properly or not at all until you're comfortable with it.

Okay. Happy now?

Article Source: http://www.rightbiz.com

Kenrick Cleveland teaches strategies to earn the business of wealthy clients using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion strategies.

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