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The Silent Side Of Persuasion
I realize this isn't a new news story, but in terms of persuasion, and knowing when to talk and when not to talk, it's a perfect illustration.
I realize this isn’t a new news story, but in terms of persuasion, and knowing when to talk and when not to talk, it’s a perfect illustration.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WALIARHHLII
It’s a clip of Laura Caitlin Upton, the Miss Teen America contestant from South Carolina, giving her answer to a question about education and geography: “Recent polls have shown that a fifth of Americans can’t locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is?”
This is even scarier. . . seeing it written out word for word:
“I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps. And I believe that our education, like, such as in South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere, like such as, and I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for our children.”
Maybe she got left behind, if you know what I mean.
I thought the clip with the subtitles was hilarious and when I saw it, it made me (of course) want to relate it back to persuasion and sales. This comes under the title of “Why talking too much loses the sale”.
Of course, for the most part, we aren’t persuading thousands or even hundreds of people, and to be fair, we have no idea how hard it would be to endure that sort of pressure. However, out of the fifty girls, only one clip is circulating the internet. The other forty nine didn’t blather on insanely.
When we persuade, (as Ms. Upton was trying to do with the judges - persuade them to choose her above the others), it is not about filling the air with words. It is about aiming our messages straight at what the client or prospect needs.
Regardless of whether or not her physicality was pleasing enough to win is really the issue in this case and the fact that she came in third is truly an indication that this was not a brains contest, but a beauty contest. She appeared poised, at least. I’ll say that for her. Also, she’s not hard to look at, just hard to listen to.
Ms. Upton’s “answer” to the question can be a lesson for us:
Unless you’re truly blessed with the gift of gab and can talk your way out of anything, then it’s just possible that less is better. Say what you need and be open to the possibility that listening is the fastest way to persuasion.