Influence and Persuasion tip: Straight-Talk

The convention hall was jam packed with members of an MLM company who had gathered in Bangkok to listen to their hero and speak. This dynamic leader, Mr. S, had started his MLM career as a Jobless broke and had reached a multi-millionaire status in the company. I too had managed to get some space in the front row to see who this guy is. I had recently joined the company was finding my way through the company and it's people. It was an electrifying atmosphere that night.

When Mr. S appeared on stage the whole crowd stood up in respect and giving him a rousing welcome. Needless to say it was an amazing seminar. I could understand now why Mr. S was such an adored person. He had such an influence on his people that no one dared question him. It was awesome!

After the seminar I rushed to meet him backstage to draw out some pearls of wisdom. I asked him a very silly question (considering that I was totally new to the world of entrepreneurship), "Mr. S, I am very excited and aim to be like you. What do you think my chances are?" He looked straight into my eyes, put on a slight smile across his lips, and blurted, "About 4%. And if you want to be a millionaire, less than 1%." And he walked off with a pat on my shoulder. I stood there in stunned silence. My excitement subsided and I started thinking, "What? No one told me that the ratio was that low!"

But the strangest part was that it did not back me down, nor cause me to lose my drive. On the contrary, I went on to achieve a certain degree of success in that company. That got me thinking on the lines of how did Mr.S influence and persuade me to keep going even when he didn't paint a very rosy picture in front of me. I later realized that he was using one of the oldest techniques in the art of influence and persuasion: Straight-Talk.

Somebody once quoted, "Say it as it is because the people who mind don't matter, and the people who matter don't mind." That one sentence says it all. I personally know a few people who after listening to Mr. S quit their MLM Company, because they could not handle the fear of failure. But did Mr. S mind? Not at all! Because he knows that the people who mind don't matter. Most people in their MLM business try to avoid straight talk thinking that it will get the prospect to not sign up. The result? Most of them don't. The reason being that the prospect was not persuaded nor influenced to take the decision.

Of course, that doesn't mean that you have to be rude and crude when straight-talking. You have to use tact and succinctness to get your point across. Jim Rohn said it best when he advised, "Better to be understated than overstated, so that one later finds out that it was more than you promised and easier than you said."

The next time you find yourself in a situation wherein you want to influence and persuade somebody to take action, remember to use straight-talk tactfully. I am sure you will perfect the art if you use it regularly.

God bless.

John Bino
ParentsINCorporated
"Empowering people to increase their value to society"