Over the past few weeks, Dave has shared several insights on the psychology of persuasion.
There’s still much to learn, but hopefully you’ve already had an opportunity to apply some of these principles with the candidates you’ve interviewed and those you’re urging to make a final commitment to your team.
Or, perhaps integrating these ideas into your day-to-day activities is more difficult than you expected.
I think many of us fall into this second category. We risk letting the theory remain just a theory. We intend to make use of the new information, but return back to doing things the way we’ve always done them.
How do you truly become a persuasive recruiter? Perhaps a quick stop in a Moroccan rug store will help.
The Importance of Personal Connection
I haven’t shared anything from Rich Millington in a while, but he provides a constant flow of great ideas on his blog at FeverBee. Check out his work if you haven’t done so already.
Last week, he shared this story:
In 2007, my wife and I were in Morocco. A friend of a family we stayed with invited us to see his carpet store.
We were young and dumb, so we agreed. You can guess what happened next.
First he showed us around the store. He explained the history of the store and the remarkable story of how some of the rugs ended up in his possession. Then he brought in tea and began asking us about our lives. He asked about the homes we lived in, the kind of rugs we bought (none), and noted what an amazing feeling it is to invite your parents to your first home…. He was even smart enough to sit next to us instead of opposite us.
Finally, he asked which of the rugs we liked the best and finally said…just for us…he could make a really good deal. If we had the money (and could squeeze a big rug into small backpacks) we probably would have bought one.
Applying the Psychology of Persuasion
Rich later points out some of the psychology of persuasion techniques the storeowner masterfully used during the store tour.
Notice the persuasive elements in action. He had referred credibility from our friend, he was personally likable (showed interest in us/complimented us), he created a narrative around his store (which we could share with friends when we bought the rug), he made tea (reciprocity), and he provided options (which rug do you like the best?).
Rich admits that if the store had better qualified the prospect (selling to someone who had the resources to buy a luxury rug and a way to transport a rug back to England) he certainly would have had a sale!
There are two things you can take away from this story.
Persuasion happens through personal connection. It is very difficult to apply any persuasion principles in the noisy world of email or other digital communication. Meet face-to-face whenever possible. If that’s not possible, have a direct conversation on the phone.
Put thought and planning into your interactions. The store owner didn’t stumble into this interaction without a plan. He masterfully integrated five proven persuasion techniques into the short meeting. You can do the same thing, but it takes a little thought and planning.
Before a meeting, jot down the list of six persuasion techniques Dave has taught you in previous blogs. Next to the technique, write down an idea of something you can likely do or say during the interaction that will integrate the technique.
Without this type of purposeful work, the psychology of persuasion will remain just a theory to you.
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