The Law of Verbal Packaging–The Leverage of Language
Real persuasion comes from putting more of you into everything you say.
Words have an effect. Words loaded with emotion have a powerful effect.
—JIM ROHN
Over 60 percent of your day is spent in oral communication, in which you could be persuading, explaining, influencing, motivating, counseling, or instructing. You can create movement, excitement, and vision with the words you use. The right words are captivating; the wrong words are devastating. The right words make things come to life, create energy, and are more persuasive than the wrong words. As Mark Twain said, ‘‘The difference between the right word and the wrong word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.’’ The bottom line is that the words you use attract or repel your prospects.
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The Inherent Power of Words
Words communicate abstract or vague things. We can use them to explain events, to share feelings, and to help visualize the future. Words shape our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes towards a subject. They help decide if we stay neutral or take action. Just reading words can affect your thoughts, attitudes, and feelings. For example, read these six words slowly and vocally, taking notice of how they make you feel.
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The Fundamentals of Language Usage
The use and packaging of language is a powerful instrument that can be finetuned to your advantage. We all know the basics of language, but mastery of both the aspects of language usage and the verbal situation can control human behavior. The proper use of verbal packaging causes you to be adaptable and easy to understand. This type of language is never offensive, and is always concise.
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Word Choice
Understand that proper language varies from setting to setting, and from event to event. One word choice does not work in every circumstance. Word choice can also be critical to defusing situations and in getting people to accept your point of view. Even one word can make the difference in perception and acceptance. In a study by social psychologist Harold Kelley,[1] students were given a list of qualities describing a guest speaker they were about to hear. Each student read from either one of the following two lists:
Cold, industrious, critical, practical, and determined
Warm, industrious, critical, practical, and determined
Double-Speak: Tame the Sting
The term double-speak means replacing an offensive word with a less offensive word to create less sting. Here are some examples of how double-speak has made its way into our society.
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Offensive |
Repackaged |
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Fired |
Let go |
|
Downsizing |
Right-sizing |
|
Used car |
Pre-owned vehicle |
|
Sex change surgery |
Gender reassignment |
|
Kentucky Fried Chicken |
KFC (the word ‘‘fried’’ is taken out) |
|
Garbage man |
Sanitation engineer |
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Housewife |
Domestic engineer |
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Interrogate |
Interview |
|
Cancer |
Growth |
|
Fail |
Not passing |
|
Buried |
Interred |
|
Fatty (beef) |
Marbled (beef) |
|
Final exam |
Celebration of knowledge |
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Positive Word Choice
You can use positive words to help prospects feel more confident, safe, or happy. You can also use negative words to trigger depression, anxiety, or sadness. When you use positive words, you capture and keep the attention of your listeners on the points you want them to concentrate on. The words you choose to use can mentally keep them on track. For instance, if you want to plant seeds of doubt, you would use negative forms of speech. When we are in a positive mindset, we don’t ask as many questions. Positivity puts our mind in a comfortable, more persuadable area. When the negative is triggered, it requires more mental effort and our mind begins to search for incongruities or weaknesses in the argument.
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Emotion-Packed Words
The words we use can hurt others and cause tension and resentment. Words can even cause wars. Humans tend to create and use words that hurt or label. Hitler used labeling and name-calling during his rule in Germany. He called the Jews many negative things, including ‘‘vermin’’, ‘‘sludge’’, ‘‘garbage’’, ‘‘lice’’, ‘‘sewage’’, and ‘‘insects.’’ Labels also extend far beyond the names people are given, into the way we describe things in a negative light, such as ‘‘broken home,’’ ‘‘single-parent family,’’ or ‘‘blended family.’’ Whereas we think of theses terms as essentially neutral, the words can carry significant negative weight to those people to whom the terms apply.
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Word Choice in Marketing
Word choice in marketing and advertising is absolutely critical. When advertisers spend millions of dollars each year, you can bet they have tested every word they are going to use. They want their word choices to psychologically lead you to believe their product is the best, that it will change your life. Skilled advertisers can get us to absorb their message unconsciously. They might even package an identical product with different words and phrases to reach a wider segment of the public.
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The Use of Silence
Sometimes the right word is no word. On occasion we need to remain silent and let the other person talk. We have heard in sales that the first one to talk after the close loses. After the persuasion process and the final decision is ready to be made, make your proposal and shut up. The silence is nerve-wracking, but it’s a critical time to let the prospect make the decision without you rambling on and on about the product or service.
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Using Vivid Language to Paint Pictures
Complete this imagination exercise with me: Pretend you are standing in a beautiful, sunny kitchen. You reach across the counter and grab a bright, juicy orange. You can feel it is heavy with sweet, ripe juice. You can smell the delicious orange scent as you rub the oil of the skin on your hand. Reaching for a knife, you slice the orange and begin to peel back the skin. The aroma only becomes stronger as you tear the sections apart. One of the sections drips bright, sticky orange juice over your finger. You raise this juicy section to your lips and take a bite. As your teeth sink into the orange, you feel the juice burst out and swish around your teeth and tongue. The juice is incredibly sweet! You savor it a moment, cradling a puddle on your tongue before swallowing.
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