I Dare You!

You and I have something in common. We both have the need the influence and persuade people. To get them to see things from our point of view. To get them to do the things we want them to do.

This topic of persuasion is one of endless fascination to me. It’s a primary reason I became a marketing copywriter. I have the privilege and honor of helping my clients prosper and thrive by writing words that persuade their customers to buy from them.

My “persuasion fascination” is why I started this blog. I want to help you, dear reader, enjoy the benefits of being more persuasive and influential.

So how do we go about this? Consider this novel approach to getting your own way…

Throw Down A Challenge!

In How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie tells a very interesting story. Charles Schwab was the President of US Steel Company around the turn of the 20^th century. It came to his attention that one of his plants was severely underperforming. That steel output was way below where it should be.

So he paid the factory a visit. He could have scolded and threatened the workers. He could have fired them all. But this was Charles Schwab, one of the most capable persuaders in American business history. So he took a different approach…

At the end of the day shift, Schwab asked a member of the crew how many heats of steel they had produced. “Six” was the answer. He then took a piece of chalk and wrote a big number 6 on the floor. The night shift came in, saw that 6 and found out what it meant. They took the challenge to heart and produced 7 heats of steel. At the end of their shift, the day crew returned and saw the new number. They accepted the challenge and made up their minds to beat it.

Their new number? 10!

And on and on it went…

Soon this plant that had been seriously lagging in production saw their output jump exponentially. The workers had been subtly persuaded to do more.

Think about this story and how it applies to your business. Your family. And your life. How could you “throw down a challenge” to persuade someone to do what you need them to do? And since I always like to think in terms of win-win, how could it help you persuade someone to do something you want them to do where you both benefit?

I welcome your ideas in the comments.

Here’s to your success!

John