The use of linguistic binds in the therapeutic context is well
documented and researched. The use of binds in the context of
persuasion and influence is not nearly in such widespread use,
yet. This obviously provides those of us who make our living in
the business world an opportunity to once again borrow from the
therapeutic.
Binds create the illusion of choice by using language that
"normally" offers a choice, where either choice you
choose, you still go along with what the speaker wants.
In as much as there are several types of binds, we will
concentrate on binds of comparable alternatives.
You can understand it better like this:
A choice is offered the listener where "A" is choice
one and "B" is choice two and has the same meaning as
"A " only worded differently.
Examples:
1. Would you like to go ahead and set an appointment now or
should we just jot down a time when we can meet?
2. I'm confident that before you leave today you will either
buy our product or make the decision to take it home with you.
3. It is important to keep our employees happy and producing
at their maximum capacity so perhaps you could manage your
section by example or you could consistently demonstrate what you
expect to be done.
Let's look at Example 1: The first part or choice
"A" is, "set an appointment now" and the
second part or choice "B" is, "jot down a time
when we can meet." What's the difference between these two
suggestions? They both mean the same thing, only worded
differently. What makes this so powerful is the use of the word,
"or."
Generally, the word "or" implies the opposite. For
example, if I were to write Example 1 the way you would expect,
it would go like this: "Would you like to go ahead and make
an appointment now or should we just wait until you have more
time?" It's for this reason that this pattern has such
impact.
Let's practice coming up with binds that will work for you in
your field of work. The way to do this is to first come up with
an outcome. Then, create two different ways of saying your
outcome whereby either way the person chooses, they do what you
want.
1. Outcome:
Alternate way to say it #1
Alternate way to say it #2
This is a very effective pattern and yet we can go one better
and double its effectiveness. The way to do it is through:
HIDDEN DOUBLE BINDS
In order to better understand why hidden double binds work,
let's examine some issues on the periphery that will help make
this more powerful.
Let's first discuss the elements of confusion. When a person
is confused, they will usually accept the first logical way out
of that confusion. Confusion is not a highly valued state for
most people or, I should say, people are highly motivated to stay
out of confusion. When you use the word
"or" in your binds, people tend to believe that you
will offer the opposite of the first choice. When you don't,
people often go into a state of confusion
The structure of a hidden bind is: While speaking, use a bind,
but don't stop after the bind-keep talking.- Here is the
procedure for using a bind:
1. Come up with a bind you want to use.
2. Put it into a sentence.
3. After the bind, keep talking.
4. Use a question to "nail down" the response.
Examples
1. I'm confident that before you leave today you will either
buy our product or make the decision to take it home with you;
either way, the most important thing is that you become
thoroughly aware of what we can do for you. Does that sound right
to you?
2. I don't know whether you will be really excited about using
this pattern in your work or whether you have already begun to
consider it to be as important as one of the events in your life
that you look back on right now, positively, as having made you
what you are today. I think we have all had experiences that have
really pointed us in the right direction and helped us to become
what we are now, don't you agree?
3. I don't know whether you will enroll in one of my programs
now or just decide to be in my next one-day training, the
important thing is to begin now to realize some of the important
benefits of using this material. Have you started yet to gain the
awareness of the power of this information?
In all of the above examples, there is no pause (for an answer
to the bind).
Remember that we discussed what people do when they become
confused? Hiding binds in this way creates just that very effect.
The bind serves to confuse the consciousness so they will accept
the first logical way out-AND the question at the end provides
the way out for the person (by re-focusing their attention).
To experience this effect, have someone read one of the above
sentences to you and pay attention to the re-focusing you
experience when the question is asked at the end. The question at
the end also causes the bind to go straight into the person's
unconscious as a suggestion. They never need answer it because
its purpose is to act as a suggestion. The question at the end
also tends to create amnesia for the bind, so the person may
never even know that you used one. In fact, it is my experience
that rarely, if ever, does someone realize that a bind was used.
Because of the power of this technique, it is especially
important to remember to use it in an ethical way that is
considerate of the needs of the person to whom you are speaking.
Whether you incorporate this into your behavior or really
enjoy using this to increase your skills while combining this
with all the other patterns you are surely, by now, using from
reading this column, pay attention to how much more confidence
you are experiencing as a result of having these additional
tools. You are reading this column faithfully, aren't you?
© 1977 Kenrick E. Cleveland
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