"When a lie coming from a source believed to be reputable is repeated enough times it is eventually believed"
Remember in past USA elections all the talk about Obama being born in Kenya? That was called the 'birther' movement. The news media was all over it and sent teams of reporters to Hawaii to confirm that he actually was born there. They all came to the same conclusion....yep, he was born there. And yet the birther movement continued.
Donald Trump even sent his own special team of investigators to drag the truth into the sunlight for all to see. So what happened? Nothing, nada, zilch. (and we all know that the 'Donald' was only driven his pure desire to help Americans find the truth and not just just an ambitious desire to get publicity like some lesser people, right?)
Any rational person with an open mind would have to conclude it was all nonsense, right? And yet 60% of Republicans still believed he was born in Kenya. Why?
The answer is in the first line of this article!
No this is not a course on how to become a politician or a criminal...haha. I am just trying to be provocative in order to make a major point. Repetition used properly can and is often used to persuade us. Here's how it works...
Repetition creates familiarity.
Familiarity leads to liking
Liking lowers resistance to us
And....(drum roll please)....When people have no resistance to us they are open to be persuaded!
Of course advertisers and marketers have known this for years. That is why they bombard us with advertising messages mercilessly. They know that the moment will come when you are making a buying decision, you will often choose the one that feels familiar (ie. brand name). Especially when the other choice, even though it might be cheaper is unfamiliar. We tend to fear what we are not familiar with. Why take a chance?
Now let me pause for a moment to read your mind.......oh yes....you are thinking....damn you Guru, what has this got to do with me being persuasive?
Thank you for asking grasshopper!
Your job should you decide to accept it, is to find a way to repeat a message in your clients head without annoying the heck out of him or her.
Allow me to give you some examples:
1. If the glove doesn't fit you must acquit. OJ's defence used that line repeatedly in his defence. And we know it worked because it stuck in the jurors heads. Extra points for noticing the rhyme. And now even years later you still remember it, right?
2. When it's just got to get there. FedEx built a billion dollar business around that motto (and a hub system for aircraft delivery).
3. It's Miller time. Enough said.....I feel like a beer right now!
So what have we learned?
1. Repeat a message enough times and it becomes familiar
2. When it becomes familiar we might start liking it.
3. When we like it we might buy it. (lowers resistance)
4. I like beer!
Your takeaway.....
* spend a lot of time finding a repeatable message.
* put it everywhere possible where your client might see it (signs, letterhead, proposals, invoices, business cards, car signs, website, banners, posters, advertisements etc.)
* drop it (casually) into your conversation every chance you get
* buy me a beer next time we meet.
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