4. How can I relate?
This again is the process of relating to your customer. In the last question, you learned about how instead of guessing what they’d like to buy something for, you asked! Now that you know, it’s important you relate to their problem. And you do it by using the following two tools:
• Tell a story
• Use Quotes
Tell A Story:
If I had to dub what the most powerful skill of covert hypnosis is, I would say “Storytelling.”
Here’s why:
When you tell a story, the person has to relate to it by putting themselves into the shoes of the characters in the story. Once they are in those shoes, you can plant any idea, thought, thought of action or behavior you desire.
That’s an awesome power. So simply put, if you want to jump inside someone’s mind, grab hold of the steering wheel, and turn their thoughts into any direction you want, tell a story. For ease of understanding and so that you get the entire process of the six questions down, let’s go back to that same guy who was looking for a car because he wanted to be admired and treated with respect.
Look at an idea of how you could go about telling a story that relates:
“Oh, man. I don’t blame you for coming to look to get a new car. There’s a certain amount of pride and sense of joy and well being when you don’t have people nagging you all the time and making you feel like you don’t belong, and even worse, staying away from you just because of what you drive.
That reminds me of a guy I had met who was in college. His parents gave him this jalopy car. I mean, when he brought it in here his bumper was falling off, his windshield was cracked – we could give him barely anything for a trade in because of those reasons and some other small reasons that depreciated the cars value. But that didn’t matter to this guy because he simply tired of being heckled and embarrassed of the car he drove. He said he was willing to do anything to come up with the money for a down payment. He was ready for a change of circumstances and he knew that once he had a new car, his life would be dramatically different. So we talked a while, and we became pretty good friends fast. I knew what he wanted and he knew that I was the only guy who could give it to him. So we developed a trust. We got along well and we still talk today.
So few weeks later after he bought a car – a car he wasn’t even planning on getting that cost a few more bucks because he figured “Hey, what the heck, if I’m going to buy a car, I mine as well get the best I can get!” he came back here with a hot blonde smiling. After talking for a bit, he started telling me about how he noticed immediate advantages to owning his new car. So, every year or so he comes back in here to buy a new one. Car shopping with us is one of his favorite things to do.
But hey, it sure is interesting what a thing like a car can do for you, right? Now, just think about what would’ve happened to this guy if he would’ve walked out without one. He’d probably be alone in an apartment without friends still thinking about buying a new car. Or, he’d buy something used that was the same as his previous car, or even worse. So I guess this guy got the best of both worlds. He’s got the girl, and the prestige and pride of owning a new car.” Now, need I say more? Just look at all the things that this story unconsciously communicates! Can you spot them all?
Here they are:
• We aren’t going to give you a big trade in
• Come up with the down payment no matter what
• Your life will be dramatically different
• Like and trust me and get along with me fast, and come back every year or so to buy a car from us
• Buy a car more expensive than the one you originally thought of getting – just go all out and get the best you can afford
• You could get a girl – a hot blonde, too!
• If you don’t buy one, your problem won’t be solved and it might just get worse
• So buy a car and get the best of both worlds
Now, notice how the story also relates – which is the question you’re trying to answer. It would be plumb stupid to start telling a story about some guy who bought a car because he wanted his kids to be safe in case of an accident. In this case, it’s probably last on this customers mind!
Again, this is where most salesmen go wrong. They try to lay on every benefit they can think of – but if the person doesn’t want that benefit or if they didn’t ask about it, don’t make it complicated sale. Make it an easy one. Stop guessing and start asking! In any case, do you see how powerful stories are? Just think about how you can apply a story to your current situation. The power truly is in your hands.
Using Quotes:
Repeating what another person says is a great approach to not only covertly influence a person, but to also emphasize further credibility. You already learned about how to accomplish establishing credibility using quotes by means of testimonials with question #1.
However, using what other people say has the same effect as a story. Think about it. When you repeat what another person said, in the same moment you’re saying it, the person unconsciously will associate you as the person who is saying it, and they are the listener or vise verse depending on the story.
So in essence, even though you are saying it as if another person is saying it, unconsciously, you’re directly saying to that person OR they are directly imagining themselves saying it to you. Simultaneously, you’re being removed from the picture *consciously* and so therefore you can say anything you want without them being offended.
A great example I like to give people is if you’re a man trying to seduce a woman, and you say something like “I was in the store the other day and I watched this guy walk right up to a woman and say Can you just imagine me and you making out, getting naked and you’re getting so hot just thinking about it, you can’t help but to just want to act on it now and think oh, let’s go do that?”
Then you’ll get the idea how it works. It’s pretty sneaky, isn’t it? And notice how the woman won’t get offended because it’s not like you’re saying it to her directly – even though you are saying it directly to her unconscious. What a gem of a technique!
It’s probably the easiest technique you can use of covert hypnosis. Just think about what you want to say to the person directly, and put it into context of what you “overheard” another person say, and voila!