Invisible Influence: The Power to Persuade Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere

9

The First Shall Be Last and the Last Shall Be First

Sequencing matters, as you learned earlier. But there is more to consider than just the sequence itself.

When presenting an idea, lead with a statement of the benefit and the results that can be expected from what you propose, then progress, using discovery questions so that the other person is answering questions and telling you stories about why they want what you are offering.

In the majority of circumstances, the option(s) noted last is not only remembered first, but chosen or decided in the end. The next most common choice is what is offered first.

It turns out that when people are in a good mood, they tend to accept what is offered to them first.

When people aren’t in a good mood, they tend to ruminate and all things being equal they are more likely to select what is last.

If you have the option of being one presenter of many today, you’ll want to go first or last and use the above criteria for deciding when you want to speak.

When is typically far more important than what or how.