Add some “spice” to your persuasive skills by trying this very easy technique; Tag Questions.
Tag questions are questions that are placed at the end of statements. These questions give the listener an implication that whatever you’re telling them is CORRECT.
This method can be used for basic conversations, arguments, and most definitely, SALES!
Here are some EXAMPLES;
“It would have been smart to fold the clothes, don’t you think?”
“If you spent more time at home, we could figure out all of these smaller issues. Isn’t that right?”
“I think it’s safe to say that she has a thing for you, doesn’t she?”
“The children rarely take you seriously. You see that, right?”
By adding this implication to the end of your statements, the receiver is more likely to accept your statement as “factual”. It’s as if, by adding the Tag Question, you’re leading the way for VALIDATION from the listener. You’re transforming your belief into a question form, and prompted to the listener to quickly accept it as TRUTH.
Like Leading Questions, this narrows the pathway for the type of answer to be received. This is exactly why it’s unethical to use this method in the Investigative/Legal field.
In order to be successful at applying this method, you first need to direct the listener to a calmed state. If the other person is currently being erratic or loud, the likelihood of this technique working is close to ZERO.
You can easily direct your listener to a calmed state by lowering your voice below the average threshold. Not all the way down to a whisper, but somewhere between a whisper and your average speaking tone.
By doing this, others naturally begin to tune in to what is being said. They’ll perk up their ears, lower their voice, and give you the attention you have been seeking. This easy method is commanded by the subconscious mind. The simple tactic of lowering your voice reaches the listener’s subconscious mind before their conscious mind. Thus, forcing them to lower their volume to hear you before they even realize it.
The more you practice adding Tag Questions to your daily lingo, the quicker it will become part of your Muscle Memory. After you have added this method to your Muscle Memory, these phrases and others will begin to come out naturally.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.