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Practical Persuasion: Ways We Learn
A student recently asked me, "Kenrick, how the heck do you keep track of all of the persuasion strategies you know? Each time we have a coaching call, it seems like you pull out some new strategy. I can't even remember the basics like using the unconscious hello. How can I remember to remember?'
A student recently asked me, “Kenrick, how the heck do you keep track of all of the persuasion strategies you know? Each time we have a coaching call, it seems like you pull out some new strategy. I can’t even remember the basics like using the unconscious hello. How can I remember to remember?’
When you learn a new language, are you fluent in a week?
And I asked him, “And have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?” He said, “In fact, I have. I play the piano.” I asked, “Well, were you playing Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos after a few lessons?”
I suggest to you that persuasion is as rich a subject to learn as taking on a new instrument or language, with one big difference: persuasion is ever evolving and expanding, as human nature evolves and expands.
And when I think of what it is that makes a good student, a good learner, my most worthwhile advice is this: Practice. In order to do something well, in order to do something thoroughly, you have to master the basics and practice the hell out of it.
’Learning’ has been traditionally broken down into five different categories: imprinting, habituation, associative learning, observational learning and play.
Imprinting happens as a phase—usually we see this with young babies and animals learning from their parents. For our purposes in learning persuasion, we have no use for this method. . .we’re way past imprinting. However, the brain state that we achieve with the use of the light and sound machines closely resembles the brain state babies are in.
Habitual learning is when an animal responds to a stimulus. If the stimulus is not rewarding or harmful then their response to the stimulus diminishes over time. This is mainly an other than conscious/sub conscious learning.
The two types of learning that we most utilize in our quest for persuasion mastery are observational learning and play. The first, we’re all quite familiar with: observing and repeating. ‘Unconscious hello’? Observe. Repeat. We need to pay attention and then emulate.
And we all know what play is. At the end of each of my coaching calls I give out homework which I call ‘home play’. I do this because I love the idea that what we are doing is enjoyable, exciting and creative. The concept of playfulness is a way to enhance our experience of learning persuasion and of enjoying life in general.
I responded to my frustrated student by saying that, “Learning persuasion is about observing, creating a habit, repeating, emulating, committing, having intention and patience and persistence, being playful and above all else, practicing.”