New York Times bestselling author Jonah Berger’s cutting-edge research reveals how six types of words can increase your impact in every area of life: from persuading others and building stronger relationships, to boosting creativity and motivating teams. He labels them SPEACC (“speak,” phonetically), and they are crucial to understanding if one wants to be a more effective and charismatic speaker. Meanwhile, Jonah explains–using words like seems, think, should–-lessens the effectiveness of speech overall. More specifically, though, there are certain hedging phrases which yield more results than do others, and he discusses them here. He also describes “the copier experiment,” wherein one simple word will persuade people to accommodate a request, even if inconvenient.
A simple two-letter word modification will convince everyone from children in the classroom to community members during election time to take the desired action. Delegating action versus assigning someone an identity based on that action is a very powerful shift, as Jonah explains. There are six categories under which persuasive language falls, a framework.
There is a surprising difference between the effectiveness of abstract language and concrete language when it comes to raising money. Brendan shares an example of using hedging language versus direct language, and the difference it made to his clients.
Quotes:
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“While we pay a lot of attention to what we want to communicate…we think a lot less about how we say those things, the particular words we use. And that’s a mistake because the words we use can have a big impact on our effectiveness.” ([3:52]-[4:15] | Jonah)
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“I know that some people hate Donald Trump, and I know that some people love Donald Trump. Whether you love him or hate him, you can’t deny that he’s been a great salesperson for his ideas. Even if you hate him and hate everything he stands for, he’s had an amazing ability to get a whole bunch of people to do what he wants and follow his suggestions. So, one question is: why?” ([6:57]-[7:18] | Jonah)
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“Think about it this way: If you understand the science of hitting, you get on base more in baseball. If you understand the science of shooting a basketball, more of your three free throws go in. Same is true of language. Language is something we do all the time, just like you can become a better basketball shooter, a baseball hitter, a better swimmer, whatever you do in your life. By understanding how language works, you can use it more effectively.” ([17:55]-[18:19] | Jonah)
Connect with Brendan Dell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendandell/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendanDell
Instagram: @thebrendandell
TikTok: @brendandell39
Buy a copy of Brendan’s Book, The 12 Immutable Laws of High-Impact Messaging: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780578210926
Pre-Order Jonah’s Book: Magic Words
Hardcover & Kindled: https://amzn.to/3IwX21l
Audio: https://amzn.to/3ZbRe4c
Check out Jonah’s recommended books:
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316346627
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781400064281
Diffusion of Innovations by Everett M Rodgers
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780743222099
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About the Author
Brendan Dell
Brendan Dell is an author and the founder of The Daily Creative. As a freelancer he's worked with clients like Expedia, Cvent, Panasonic, Brother, Windstream and 100+ more to build unignorable tech brands. At The Daily Creative, he shares advice and lessons to help freelancers level up.
