Mass Persuasion; how to Influence the Crowd while Public Speaking
If you want to become a leader in network marketing, it is imperative that you learn the techniques and tips of mass persuasion.
Have you ever been enthralled by a masterful presenter or trainer? Think of all the live events and conventions that you’ve attended and the speakers who stood out the most. Most likely he or she used the art of persuasion to grab your attention.
To become the top leader in your network marketing company and earn the most money, you will need to learn the art of mass persuasion on a stage.
What is persuasion? It’s the way you communicate to change the minds and attitudes of the receiver from a negative to a positive.
Persuasion in mass communication is simply changing the attitudes of the crowd before you from a negative “no” to a positive “yes” while being a trainer or speaker on a stage.
For the best work out there on mass persuasion while on-stage, read Tad James’ book Presenting Magically. Another great work is Ray Higdon’s Top Earner Recruiting Secrets. I’ve used both of these books to help me with this article.
The Modes of Mass Persuasion
There are two modes of mass persuasion while having an on-stage presence:
- Auditory, touch and visual modes
- Direct Commands
Auditory, Touch and Visual Modes –
When you are on a stage before a crowd of two or a crowd of thousands or sending out an email en masse, use all means of communication. Communication and persuasion work best and with the least resistance when you communicate using auditory, sensory and visuals modes.
For example,
“If this looks good, resonates, or just feels right, go ahead and join.” Mass selling requires all three.
Another example,
“If what I said feels, sounds or looks right to you, join today.”
When we learn anything, we learn through hearing, tasting, feeling, smelling and seeing. New information and experiences come to us visually, auditorily and through our senses. One mode will eventually dominate over the other two depending on the experiences which help shape how we learn.
When speaking to individuals, you will want to figure out which mode stands out the most and use that in your presentation.
For example,
If I am speaking to John about my network marketing company, and he uses auditory modes of communication (hear, resonate, sounds like), you’ll want to mimic back to John using those modes. “John, it sounds to me like…”“Is this resonating with you?”“I hear you say….”
Before a mass audience, it would be rather hard and ridiculous to use only one mode when your audience responds to different mass persuasion modes of communication.
Notice that great speakers use visual aids (PowerPoint, slides, videos), auditory sounds (music and voice) and sensory techniques (happy and sad moods) to persuade the masses.
Direct Commands –
One of the methods of persuasion is direct commands. Direct commands use language like “do,” “don’t”, “join” “go,” “decide.” “Do this but don’t do that.”“Join now.”“Go to this website.” “Decide to join.”
Hidden direct commands in mass persuasion are effective persuasion tactics to influence a positive response in your favor.
For example,
If I’m talking to someone about joining my network marketing business, I will say things like this: “Well if you decide to join me today, then I would be happy to work with you.”Decide to join me today is a hidden direct command. It’s embedded within the statement. When I’m speaking before a crowd, I might say something like this: “Whenever you decide to join, if you do, then we can rock and roll. Or, you can try continuing whatever your trying and doing.”Decide to join is an embedded command. So is you do. The last statement casts doubt if they continue their current path It embeds a negative attitude about their future.
Will hidden commands work with all kinds of people? No! If someone is not interested, then no mass persuasion will move them. You can’t convince people against their will. The dynamics of persuasion only increase the chance that they will decide. It is meant to move fence sitters.
Let’s take another embedded command…consider. Consider is a powerful word to use on those who are extremely resistant to me.
For instance, if I am speaking to a crowd that is resistant to anything I’m telling them, I will throw this out there: “You may want to consider the benefits of doing this…” It makes the person feel he or she is missing out on a benefit by not doing this.
Instead of telling people “I think you should sign up now,” say, “You may want to consider the benefits of working with an uplifting and motivating team which rocks.” They will think of the benefits which they’re missing out on by not working with your team.
Remember this, resistance is usually the lack of rapport. When someone resists what you are telling them, you’ve not built enough rapport for them to trust you. Once you build enough rapport with a group or an individual, resistance will melt.
Let’s say you are speaking to masses of people and you’re feeling there is resistance. You need to change directions, because you’ve not built that rapport with them to use the method you’re using. Great speakers know this.
What have we learned about mass persuasion? We learn through hearing, tasting, smelling, seeing and feeling. They are the filters of learning. We find our audience’s auditory, sensory or visual responses and use them in our statements to them. Use direct commands. Build rapport. And the stage is yours.
