personal persuasion

In all cultures there are certain rules and norms which citizens are expected to adhere to. This is particularly true in "polite society" and business contexts. And while I appreciate the value of rules and norms as a guideline, I always felt some were meant to be bent, if not broken entirely.

In business, the rules of professional decorum tell us that we shouldn't get too personal with our prospects or clients. Of course, there are absolutely topics which should not be brought up and things which shouldn't be said, but I truly believe that our prospects and clients are looking for us to get personal.

Storytelling is an art, as much of life is. Being creative within the context of a business relationship is an amazing way to make and keep lifelong clients and customers.

One of my favorite ways to create fast and powerful rapport is to start with the following statement: "Let me share a secret with you. . ." A secret? I like secrets. They're exciting. And doesn't the word 'secret' sort of compel you to want to know more? Sharing a secret with someone makes them feel special.

When you work 'secrets' and personal anecdotes into your rapport building, you increase the amount of and the speed with which your prospects begin to trust you. Of course, keep it within reason. You want these stories to be pointed and geared toward the matter at hand (i.e. what you're selling).

When I'm teaching students on coaching calls and in seminars, I, on occasion, open up and tell a few stories about some serious and regrettable mistakes I made in the past as they relate to persuasion and sales. These stories are uncomfortable for me to recall, but are very important in putting out there as I am most interested in training people to be persuasive in the right way, with honesty and integrity being at the top of the list. These stories are not easy to recount because I did some things I'm not proud of as a young man. I consider them to be hard earned learning experiences and having overcome them is something I am very grateful for. Learning from my past and overcoming these incongruencies in the way I am inside and the way I act in the world, is valuable for people learning persuasion to understand--as in, here's what *not* to do.

Getting into the more personal aspects of storytelling is only part of persuasion. I am always certain to step outside of my first person narratives and explain how personal storytelling is an art. When you think about it, you can be an artist of almost anything. You can be an artist of business, an artist of personal relationships, an artist of persuasion, an artist in the kitchen, an artist with actual art supplies. When we start to think of all of life as a creative canvas, magical things can happen as a result. Some of the creativity we express is natural, other bits of our creativity, we've had to nurture and grow. I can tell you this: I was not born the persuader I am today. I've literally put years of practice into attaining the level of expertise I have today and each day I am grateful again for having put the time into learning such an amazing art.

So for your story, make sure it relates to what you're selling and start with the ending. Reverse engineer it so that you begin the story with, "Let me tell you a secret. . . " Stand back and watch the rapport and trust increase in magnitudes. All of us crave a good story.

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

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

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