I once worked on a book about the psychology of sales. It was a “ghost write,” but as is often the case with these projects, I ended up being the editor, filling in gaps and helping a lifelong sales professional break down his ideas about persuasion into bite-sized chunks that would resonate with a business audience.
His approach surprised me. The number one thing a person needs to get someone else to buy from them or believe them is not some slick presentation or “magic words” to close the deal. It’s far simpler than that.
What is it? Openness. You have to be receptive to other people’s ideas before they’ll ever listen to yours. To change someone’s mind, you have to be willing to change your own. Only then do you have any hope of winning someone over to your cause. Persuasion, in other words, begins with being persuadable. Or to quote my client, you have to be willing to "take the trip."
Please select this link to read the complete article from Substack/The Ghost.