You Can Lead a Horse to Water...

A lot of people hire me to help with their persuasive presentations. They usually have a lot riding on their golden opportunity to get in front of decision-makers, and want to do everything they can to set themselves up for success.

I often start our consulting by sharing the story of a friend who finally passed her state's real estate exam and obtained her license.

After many weekends of open houses, Maria still hadn’t made one sale.

She trudged into her supervisor’s office, collapsed into the chair by his desk and announced, “I quit!”

He looked at her in shock, “You can't quit! You’ve only been an agent for a few months.”

She told him, “I’ve logged countless miles on my car, worked with dozens of clients, and still don’t have anything to show for it. I’ve concluded that old adage ‘You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink’ is right.”

?Her wise boss smiled and said, “Maria, you’re not supposed to make them drink, you’re supposed to make them thirsty.”

Maria told me her boss's advice to make people "thirsty" made sense, she just didn't know how to do it.

I shared these tips, and hope they work as well for you as they did for her.

Sam Horn's Five Principles of Persuasion

1. Approach with optimism, not pessimism. You may think this is common sense. Well, as my dad used to say, "Just because something is common sense doesn’t mean it’s common practice." I asked Maria, "Have you ever looked at a prospective client and thought, "They don’t have the money to buy in this neighborhood." Or "This house is on a busy street. They won't want it because they have young kids." That’s called failure forecasting. Winston Churchill said, "Before convincing others, you yourself must be convinced." Walk in with the courage of your convictions so others can jump on your bandwagon of confidence.
2. Anticipate and voice their objections. Figure out why they might say no and say it first. If you don’t preface your points with their pushback, they won’t be listening, they'll be waiting for you to stop talking so they can tell you why this won't work. if you predict the house is too far from the kids' school, start with, "You might be thinking this is a bit farther away from the school than you wanted. The good news is, it’s still in bus range and the bus pick up is at 7:15 every morning right on that corner."
3. Number the benefits. My debate coach used to tell us, "Your expertise is judged by the organization of your thoughts." If what you're saying is disorganized, people conclude you don’t know what you’re talking about, even if you do. Make what you say easy-to-follow and hard-to-forget by using The Power of Three. "There are three reasons this house might be your best option. #1 It's only had one owner who really took good care of it so there should be no maintenance issues. #2 It has a fenced backyard which will be perfect for your dog. #3 This is on a cul-de-sac and there are three other families that live here, so your kids will be able to make instant friends."
4. Focus on their priorities. People don’t do things for your reasons, they do them for theirs. As Paul Harlan Collins said, "The best way to get your teen to shovel the driveway is to tell him he can use the car." Ask yourself, "What is this person's three top priorities? Short commute to work? Price? Close to Nature? If that's the case, then instead of talking up the modern kitchen or large master bedroom, emphasize how the property you’re selling or showing is on a greenbelt, close to their job, and $10,000 less than comp houses.
5. Avoid the word I. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "To know how to suggest is the great art of teaching." Suggesting (vs. stating) is also the great art of persuasion. If you pressure people with logic, they may turn you down simply because they don’t like someone trying to make their mind up for them. Ask questions that put people in control of the conversation so the decision is being made by them, not done to them. Instead of saying, "I love this part of town," ask, "Isn't this a lovely community?" Instead of "I'd spend a lot of time on this patio," ask, "Where would you put the bar-b-que?"

Alexander Pope said, "Men must be taught as if you taught them not."

Likewise, people must be persuaded as if they're persuaded not.

If you use these tips, people are more likely to be thirsty and say yes because they want to and because they don't feel they're being told to or sold to.

Want more ways to craft winning presentations? Join Sam's Master Class