Page 228 - ConvinceThemFlip

convince them in 90 seconds or less
staff meeting, in the last chapter, she could have chosen
a more formal appproach to get a good look at her com-
pany, but she chose a less formal approach to get what
she wanted. The trick is to know how to read the situation
so that you choose the right tack.
Part of choosing the right tack is knowing the state of
mind of the person or group you’re with. We’ve referred
many times throughout this book to the power of adjust-
ing your attitude. But when connecting with others, the
difference between success and failure can rest in your
ability to adjust their attitude or, to be more precise, to
adjust their emotional state of mind.
Structure the Emotional Context
of Your Encounter
Let’s say you have an idea about how to streamline and
improve the way your office shares production infor-
mation, and you want to persuade your boss to adopt the
system. The question is how to get your overworked, har-
ried boss excited about it. Sometimes getting people to
move from one emotional state to an entirely different one
can be difficult. For example, if you intend to move someone
from indifference (“I’m busy; I’ve got a lot of other things on
my mind; can’t this wait?”) to excitement (“Great idea—let’s
do it!”) in one fell swoop, you may be in for a challenge.
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