The Science Of Influence …
Have you ever wanted to hear ‘Yes’ rather than ‘No’ to a question you have asked ? I’m guessing you just said ‘Yes’, which shows me that reading the book “The Science Of Influence, How to Get Anyone to Say “YES” in 8 Minutes or Less“, by Kevin Hogan was worth reading, and it probably is for you too.
The book helps you to communicate more effectively by helping you understand the many complexities of communicating. Complexities like verbal, non-verbal, time, place, tone, pace and peoples behavioral patterns are all taken into account and explained. The book also covers what to do when someone has said ‘No’ before or the equally disappointing ‘Ill think about it’.
I read this book because I want to be a more effective communicator in my role as a change agent, introducing Agile development practices in new organizations, but I could use these techniques everyday, wherever I want to get a ‘Yes’. However, I believe the techniques not assist me in winning and argument with my wife, not even after reading Chapter 10.
he book was an easy read for me, with an appealing size type and what felt like a logical sequence of chapters. Here is the Table Of Contents:
- Influencing Others to change
- The First Four Seconds
- The Delta Model of Influence
- Credibility: The Pivot Point of Persuasion
- The New Principles Of Influence
- Introduction to Omega Strategies
- Framing Principles, Persuasion Techniques, and Influential Strategies
- Applying the Laws of Influence
- The Influential Secret of Oscillation
- Mind Reading: How to Know What They Are Thinking
- I’ll Think About It
- How Their Brain Buys …You!
The book has key questions and call outs to throughout the book which serve to drive home a point and I found myself making a list for quick reference later. Here are a few as an example:
Nothing persuades like credibility in people’s decision-making process.
When faced with too many choices, most people can become paralyzed and do nothing at all.
The brain makes stuff up out of thin air to fill in the blank spots.
What people say and think they will do bears little relationship to their actual actions.
How we dress in large part determines how much people will trust and like us.