ILLUSTRATION^BYSHUTTERSTOCK/YOD^67Strategies
emotions through that most
human of activities—storytelling.
More than any other form of
communication, stories have the
power to inspire loyalty, to take
us out of the present moment
and let us consider ideas from a
fresh perspective, and to make
us understand things on an
emotional level. When told well,
a great story draws people into
the narrative, absorbing them
in a world that is separate from
their own. And once they’re
immersed in a story, they’re far
more willing to let their guard
down and loosen their grip on
preconceived notions.
To do that, consider that
great storytellers are also great
truth seekers. If you can’t
state your message in a single,
uncomplicated sentence,
you might as well not have a
message. I suggest sticking to
a classic structure. Identify the
goal (who are your characters,
and what do they want?),
the obstacle (what’s in those
characters’ way?), and the
resolution (what’s the preferred
outcome?). This format works
equally well in a 30-second
commercial, an in-person sales
pitch, or just a conversation
with a customer. You know
you’ve got something special
when you (or a client or a cus-
tomer) are excited to repeat it.
Storytelling moves, connects,
and creates meaningful bonds
between brands and consumers.
It holds the greatest power of
persuasion—and not just to sell
a product. We tell stories to com-
municate our values and compel
others to adopt those same val-
ues. Once you’ve done that (and
done it well), you’ll have won the
customer—and their trust.Adapted from The Soulful
Art of Persuasion, copyright
© 2019 by Jason Harris.
Published by Currency,
an imprint of Penguin
Random House.A
BC. Always be
closing.” Everyone
in sales has heard
that line. The rest of
the world probably
knows it from the
1992 film Glengarry
Glen Ross, where
Alec Baldwin’s character treats
it as gospel. It’s taken as truth in
the sales world. But here’s the
thing: It’s completely wrong.
In fact, the “always be
closing” approach to sales is
the enemy of persuasion. It
may have worked in the past,
but today’s low-trust world
demands an entirely different
approach.
The basic presumption
behind that infamous saying is
that everything a person says or
does in the course of persuad-
ing someone should be aimed
purely at getting to yes. It’s
about aggressively pushing youraudience to make the deci-
sion you want them to make,
whether it’s in their interest or
not. It’s about finding a way to
close the deal at all costs.
This is short-term thinking
at its crudest. It’s manipula-
tive, and it doesn’t work. Sure,
persuasion is about getting
someone to say yes. But people
don’t want to be forced into a
decision; they want to make up
their minds for themselves. In
order to create the conditions
that compel people to side with
you, you must be clear that you
care about more than just your
own immediate gain.
Being an authentic human
being in all your interactions is
essential to developing a per-
suasive character. Emphasizing
your humanity and forging
human relationships is what
pays real dividends when your
goal is to win someone over.When we’re swayed to a
particular decision, we’re often
evaluating the person deliv-
ering the message as much as
anything else. We’re thinking,
Is this person trustworthy? or
Is this person someone I can see
myself doing business with?
or, more often, What’s in it for
her? or What’s his angle here?
If a person’s obvious objec-
tive is simply to get us to buy
something or sign a contract, it
will show through, making that
person far harder to trust and
much less persuasive.
Persuasion, then, isn’t about
coercing your audience to do
what you want. Rather, it’s about
attracting them to a particular
conclusion, and letting them
get there on their own. Being
pulled is always preferable to
being pushed. And one way to
draw someone to your position
is by engaging your audience’sNever Be Closing
Sales isn’t about pushing. It’s about persuasion. Jason Harris, CEO of the creative
agency Mekanism, says it’s time to start thinking differently about making a deal.
18 / ENTREPRENEUR.COM / September 2019