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Social Positioning To Persuade The Affluent
"Do not worry about holding high position; worry rather about playing your proper role." ~Confucius
“Do not worry about holding high position; worry rather about playing your proper role.” ~Confucius
Here’s a great exercise for explore your affluent prospect’s values and beliefs, thereby really getting into their mindsets.
The idea of social position has a lot to do with how you view yourself in a particular context. Are you ‘one up’ at work, ‘equal’ at home, and maybe ‘one down’ when dealing with police officers? These are broad generalizations which I’m using just to give you the idea.
As a nineteen year old, I was working in a health club, and I decided I wanted to be the manager. So I went to see the VP of the company I was working for, and he said to me, ‘What can I do for you today, Kenrick?’
To which I responded, “It’s not what you can do for me, it’s what I’m going to do for you. As your top salesman, I hold every company record in sales and you’re going to make me the manager of this club.”
He looked at me and said, “Yeah right.”
And I said, “I don’t think you’re hearing me. Now you’re going to make me the manager and if you don’t, I’m going to take the European Health Spa right next to one of your strongest clubs and I’m going to run yours to the ground.”
He looked at me and asked, “Are you serious?”
I said, “I’m dead serious.”
“You can’t do that.”
“There’s nothing stopping me.”
Then he got an attitude, “You’re not good enough.”
I said, “Okay. Goodbye.”
I got up and walked out and did just that. And then I recruited all the sales staff I had hired and trained and brought them with me. And then the company had a fit and tried to get me back.
This is an example of social positioning. What does that mean?
Remove any idea of ‘judgment’ and think about it this way: who has the most power in the situation?
This has to do with logical levels of thought as well. If I elicit criteria from you about selling your house and I get to the higher level value of, let’s say, freedom. Freedom is not equal to “I want to sell my house”. It’s what you want to accomplish by having your house sold.
In order to move someone from one position to another, elicit their highest value and use that value to move them. In order to do this, you’ll have to learn how to move up and down efficiently and effectively.
Are you approaching everyone because you’re a “sales person”?
Are you approaching them as if you are one down, like “Please, I hope you could possibly find the time to listen to a few minutes of what I say and if you’re not interested I’ll leave you alone.”
If you are, stop.
The goal is that you want your affluent prospects to immediately understand your value. To do this, you’ve got to come in as equals and quickly, flawlessly, move to a higher level.
This isn’t about being an arrogant jerk. It’s about learning to maneuver these levels as the situation dictates. Realize that these positions are completely in your head and they are entirely about your intention in the interaction.
Maneuvering between the levels of social positioning will help you remain fluid and flexible, and in turn, help you become a better persuader.