Why we use quotes to persuade
I remember, after having described how and why we use the quotes pattern to a delegate at a Proactive Persuasion Seminar, he turned and said to me, ‘The quotes pattern is the perfect way to place direct and indirect suggestions or embedded commands about your products or services into the minds of others and increase their responsiveness to the messages you want to deliver.’ Of course, I agreed.
Structure of the quotes pattern
The quotes pattern is one of the easiest to learn and deliver and, if you are involved in sales marketing and/or business development of any kind, should be high up, if not on the top of, your list of ‘must use’ persuasive techniques. I recall the person who initially introduced this technique to me, saying, ‘The beauty of this technique is that you can quote anyone; create your quotes to fit particular circumstances and even quote non-existent people.’ Of course, that is not for me to say, but it was good advice.
Can you start to imagine how you will use this technique in your next presentation? While the quotes pattern is easy to learn and assimilate into conversation, when you begin to use it, there are some subtleties to take into account. The basic structure is straightforward.
Basic structure of the quotes pattern
The person you are quoting + what they have said
We mentioned how it is all right to make up quotes from non-existent people because the issue is not whether or not these people exist; the issue is that you successfully deliver your message in a manner your prospect believes and accepts, isn’t it? This means that, to build your confidence using quotes, you should prepare them for your presentation and practise saying them out loud. When you invent quotes, it is not necessary to name your source. Let us look at an example.
Techniques to strengthen quotes
Whenever you want someone to listen, actively mention something apparently said in confidence. In the above example, no one will question who these people are. With quotes, you can say exactly what you want your prospect to think without incrimination because you are not saying it.
| Persuader | An ex-colleague of mine, now working for the competition, mentioned to me that his manager said to him, in confidence, he thought our products were superior to theirs and he was so fearful of losing market share that they were considering reducing their prices even further. |
| Obviously, I could not confirm or deny this, but we both know you get what you pay for in this sector, don’t you? |
Powerful words to use in quotes
- Most people: a term that represents the majority, or everybody else other than the person with whom you are talking.
- Immediately: have you ever considered when is immediate? It is right away, isn’t it? It is now!
For example:
A regular client of mine in your business once said that most people who buy this now, immediately see the benefits.
Analysing the above quote, you will notice that we are suggesting the prospect should ‘buy this now’ and to ‘immediately see the benefits’. Embedded commands like these bypass the conscious awareness of others, as we are relaying a story about someone else.
The pronoun shift
The pronoun shift is considered by most people to be grammatically incorrect, but is often used in everyday conversation without thought. When intentionally used, you will easily plant suggestions into your prospect’s mind even though initially appearing to be talking about someone else.
When we use a pronoun shift, you start the conversation with words like this:
| I | We | The last person |
| My | Our | Most people |
| He | She | Some people |
| They | It |
Then, half-way through the discussion you sneakily direct the emphasis of the conversation towards your subject by using words like you, your and yours.
Examples of pronoun shift:
- The last person that bought this said, ‘it was the best investment you’ll make because he’s made so much money.’
- The last person who bought our product was using the same as you, said, ‘The quality of XYZ’s product was so poor you’ll have to replace them every six months.’
- Most people who’ve already purchased this insurance policy say, ‘It gives you the greatest feeling of security and peace of mind.’
- The last advertiser who took a regular front page advert said, ‘You’ll be amazed at the level of new business it brought in. Because regular advertising works.’
The pronoun shift is considered by most people to be grammatically incorrect but is often used in everyday conversation without thought. When intentionally used, you will easily plant suggestions into your prospect’s mind even though initially appearing to be talking about someone else.
- The last person that bought this said, ‘It was the best investment you’ll make because he’s made so much money.’
- The last person who bought our product and was using the same as you said, ‘The quality of XYZ’s product was so poor you’ll have to replace them every six months.’
- Most people who have already purchased this insurance policy say, ‘It gives you the greatest feeling of security and peace of mind.’
- The last advertiser who took a regular front page advert said, ‘You’ll be amazed at the level of new business it brought in. Because regular advertising works.’
Quoting a real person
Occasionally, a well-known person in your industry might say something quotable. Vigilantly follow the press, trade journals, events and conferences for speakers and compile a list of helpful quotes from influential people. You never know, even a politician might say something to promote your cause!
Quotes have the effect of quietening our conscious minds, enabling us to communicate directly with the subconscious minds of others. This pattern allows you to say almost anything you wish because you are quoting someone else. You should keep your quote within the context of your conversation and, because you are saying something apparently said by another person, your prospect will not express resistance towards you.
- Use a pronoun shift to redirect the crucial part of any statement towards your prospect.
- Embed commands into your quotes.
- Use the quotes pattern to say what you want your prospects to think.
- Quote anyone and create quotes to fit particular circumstances.
- As a guide, follow this pattern: the name of the person you’re quoting + what they said + (optional) I/you shift.
- The quotes pattern enables you to place direct and indirect suggestions about your products/services into your prospect’s mind.
- Whenever you want someone to listen actively, mention something said in confidence.
- When making up quotes and, indeed, in general conversation, use the phrases ‘most people’ and ‘immediately’ as often as you can.
- Follow influential people in your industry; read the trade press for quotes that help your cause.
- If you decide to quote others, remember you do not have to be word perfect and the quotes do not have to be attributed to anyone, as long as your message is relayed, and the suggestion received.