If your audience checks out, this might be why. It’s not the features. It’s not the UI. It’s the language. Your words frame the whole experience. Vague words push people away. Clear words keep them engaged. What they need is: → orientation (“where am I?”) → evidence (“how do I know this works?”) → direction (“what happens next?”) Here are demo lines I’ve heard, and what to say instead: ❌ “It’s super easy.” Try: “You’ll do this in three steps: A → B → C. You’ll be able to finish the full flow in under two minutes.” ❌ “This feature solves it” Try: “Notice the status badge changing from ‘Draft’ to ‘Approved’ in the top-right, that triggers the audit trail automatically.” ❌ “We’ll fix that later.” Try: “That’s a known issue tracked for the next release window. For today, this is the reliable path and it covers 90% of use cases.” ❌ “It’s on the roadmap.” Try: “Today the supported method is X.” ❌ “Ignore the UI; it’s just a placeholder.” Try: “What matters here is the flow: capture → validate → export. The aesthetic you’ll see at launch will match your design system.” ❌ “You can do anything with it.” Try: “You’ll be able to do A and B which helps you to accomplish [goal].” ❌ “It’s a quick workaround.” Try: “This alternate path exists for edge cases. It’s supported, but the recommended daily path is what I showed first.” See the pattern? → Vague becomes clear. → Promises become proof. → Adjectives become action. To level up your language: 1. Time-box tasks (“this takes ~30 sec”) 2. Name trade-offs before they do 3. Define “done” in their terms (“Done = approved report, in inbox”) Most importantly, describe the benefits and what success looks like in the customer’s terms: less “look what we built,” more “here’s how you’ll finish Friday earlier.” Clean language = clear value. Clean language keeps them present. Present = engaged. Engaged = moving forward. Which phrases would you retire? Let’s make a list. What phrases are you guilty of? Let’s call them out.
Persuasive Language Patterns
Explore top LinkedIn content from expert professionals.
Summary
Persuasive language patterns are strategic ways of using words and phrasing to guide, convince, and motivate others by shaping how messages are received and understood. These patterns use clear structure, emotional cues, and subtle assumptions to make communication more engaging and memorable for audiences.
- Choose clear language: Use specific, direct words instead of vague statements so your audience knows exactly what to expect and how to act.
- Focus on audience needs: Frame your message in terms that address the listener’s challenges and goals, making your solution relevant to their situation.
- Highlight proof and outcomes: Offer concrete examples, evidence, and results to build trust and help people visualize success in their own terms.
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Rhetorical Engineering: How Trump Algorithmized Political Persuasion 🗣 Trump's use of algorithmic rhetoric represents a fascinating evolution in political communication, where classical persuasive techniques merge with computational pattern optimization. This approach demonstrates how modern communication can be systematized and optimized like a computer algorithm while maintaining powerful emotional impact. The first striking element is the mathematical precision in Trump's language construction, with a measurable 78% single-syllable word usage. This isn't random simplification but rather a carefully optimized token reduction, similar to how machine learning models minimize computational complexity. The systematic placement of impact words at sentence endings creates a predictable pattern that maximizes message retention and emotional response. Second, Trump's speech patterns implement a sophisticated feedback loop system. Like machine learning algorithms that optimize based on response data, his rhetoric adapts to audience reactions, reinforcing successful patterns and discarding ineffective ones. This is evidenced by his frequent references to how "people are saying" and adjusting his message based on public response. Third, the emotional loading of key terms follows a pattern similar to sentiment analysis in natural language processing. Words like "tremendous," "problem," and "harm" are strategically deployed with specific frequency patterns, creating an emotional architecture that's both predictable and effective. The effectiveness of this algorithmic approach stems from its ability to bridge the gap between computational optimization and human psychology. By reducing language complexity while maximizing emotional impact, it creates a highly efficient communication system. The approach mirrors how machine learning models find optimal solutions through iterative improvement, but applies this to human communication. What makes this particularly powerful is its scalability and reproducibility. Like a well-designed algorithm, these communication patterns can be deployed consistently across different contexts while maintaining their effectiveness. The systematic use of repetition, simple vocabulary, and emotional triggers creates a predictable yet powerful effect on audiences. This algorithmic rhetoric connects directly to broader trends in modern communication, particularly in social media and digital platforms. The optimization of message delivery for maximum impact parallels how algorithms optimize content for engagement. It also relates to changes in public discourse, where traditional eloquence has given way to optimized persuasion techniques.
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I’ve rebuilt 50+ B2B homepages. This is the exact messaging pyramid I use—plus examples to guide you through each step. Messaging isn’t just about what you want to say. It’s about what your buyers need to hear. This 4-step model shows you how: 1️⃣ Buyer context (Who they are and what they’re dealing with) You can’t craft persuasive messaging if you don’t know who’s reading and what they’re going through. Example: → You’re a B2B founder or marketing leader. Your homepage gets a decent amount of traffic, but it isn’t saying what people expected it to say when they get there. It speaks in your words, not theirs. Wrong language. Wrong priorities. So it doesn’t land. This isn’t just about ICP’s characteristics. It’s about the situation they’re living in. ___ 2️⃣ Core friction (What keeps breaking, and why they should act) Why does their current situation suck? Break down what’s at stake, and what the cost of inaction is. This is what makes your message feel relevant—like you're reading their mind. Example: → Your homepage tries to speak to everyone, but ends up resonating with no one. Your messaging is stuck between being too literal and too broad, and you’re wasting paid traffic and qualified pipeline because of it. Isolate the real source of tension—not just “a pain,” but a pattern that resists easy fixes. (Side note: If your homepage doesn’t make ideal buyers say “OMG, this is for me”, we should talk. Book a call with me and I’ll show you how to fix it.) ___ 3️⃣ Strategic unlock (The transformation your product enables) This is the bridge between their pain and your solution, from what you fix to what they gain. Example: → I turn your spaghetti messaging into a homepage that instantly communicates who you're for, what you fix for them, how, why you should be trusted, and what makes you different from alternative options. This piece isn’t just about the solution. It’s about what should replace the broken way. ___ 4️⃣ Why you (Why are you the best option to make that shift happen?) The goal isn’t to say you’re the best. It’s to prove you’re the obvious choice for them. Example: → I’ve rewritten 50+ B2B homepages and developed a process that focuses on making big messaging decisions upfront. No endless back-and-forth. No vague fluff. We’ll surface what sets you apart and turn it into a homepage that’s impossible to ignore—built on in-depth insights, structured workshops, and precision copy. And if it doesn’t deliver, you get your money back. No hard feelings. No risk. When it comes to messaging, a lot of companies jump straight to benefits and differentiators while leaving their audience’s real struggles untouched. Flip the script: 1. Identify your audience's context 2. Drill in their specific & urgent problems 3. Introduce the “shift” that fixes them 4. Show what makes you the obvious choice That’s how you create messaging that resonates.
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𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩? Before I learnt about presuppositions (linguistic assumptions), I was talking myself in a way that made me 🔸feel small 🔸feel bad 🔸feel unworthy. The first time they were used on me in a deliberate, directed way: 🔹I could focus attention clearly on what I wanted 🔹I felt more empowered 🔹It felt good! Assumptions cut both ways. They can be negative (Why am I so terrible) Or positive (How good did feel when I succeeded) But we shouldn't be unconscious about it. Unconscious self-talk, is filled with assumptions. "I can't handle it" "I'm struggling to stay afloat" show how we sink our boat without even leaving the shore. Attend to the assumptions in our language. Swap out the negatives. Here's a short list of 8 of them. 1️⃣Existence. These assume the existence of something or someone. e.g., "John realized that he could relax," it presupposes that John 'exists' and that he can 'relax'. 2️⃣Subordinate Clauses of Time These imply that one event will happen in relation to another (before, after, during, etc.). e.g. "Before you begin to relax, take a deep breath" presupposes that you will relax at some point. 3️⃣Ordinal Numbers These use words like "first," "second," or "another" to presuppose an order of events. e.g, "First, you’ll notice how relaxed you feel, and then you’ll begin to enjoy it even more" presupposes that both events will happen in sequence. 4️⃣Awareness Predicates These involve verbs like "know," "realize," or "aware," which presuppose a certain level of awareness or understanding. e.g., "You may not realize how quickly you're relaxing" assumes that relaxation is already happening. 5️⃣Change of State Verbs Verbs like "start," "stop," or "continue" are used to imply a change in condition. e.g., "As you start to relax..." presupposes that relaxation will occur. 6️⃣Adverbs and Adjectives Words like "easily," "deeply," or "quickly" presuppose qualities about an action. e.g., "You can easily enter a state of calm" implies entering calmness is not difficult. 7️⃣Exclusive/Inclusive Or The use of “or” creates a choice but presupposes that one of the options will occur. e.g., "Would you prefer to relax now or later?" assumes that relaxation will happen at some point. 8️⃣Cause and Effect This links two events with a cause-effect relationship using phrases like “because” or “so.” e.g., "Because you're listening carefully, you'll soon feel more relaxed" presupposes that listening causes relaxation. We all are using assumptions. But shouldn't we use them to create better Mental health? Culture? Life? What do you realize about your own inner programming? --- 𝘐'𝘮 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘛𝘢𝘯. 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦? 𝘋𝘔 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧!
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Writing to Win: Persuasive Copy for E-Learning! ✍️🎓 1: Know Your Audience Understand audience needs, goals, and pain points. Speak directly to personal and professional growth desires. Example: "Unlock your potential as a marketing professional. Tailored to ambitious marketers looking to skyrocket their careers." 2: Highlight Benefits Showcase course benefits and outcomes. Explain positive impact on skills, career, and development. Example: "Master the art of photography. Capture breathtaking moments, develop your creative eye, and turn your passion into a lucrative skill. 3: Emphasize Value Clearly communicate course value. Real-world applications, insights, and resources. Example: "Unleash the power of coding. Gain in-demand skills, create cutting-edge software, and join the tech revolution." 4: Use Compelling Headlines Craft attention-grabbing headlines. Pique curiosity and promise solutions. Use power words for emotion and action. Example: "Transform Your Body, Transform Your Life: Our Comprehensive Fitness Program." 5: Tell Stories Weave relatable stories for emotional engagement. Share success stories and your journey for credibility. Example: "From Home Cook to Culinary Artist: How Our Course Changed Sarah's Cooking Journey." 6: Address Objections Anticipate and overcome objections. Persuasive language to reassure value. Example: "Not Enough Time? Our Bite-Sized Lessons Fit into Your Busy Schedule." 7: Showcase Expertise Highlight qualifications and expertise. Establish authority and credibility. Example: "Learn from the Best: Insights from Our Experienced Financial Experts." 8: Use Social Proof Incorporate testimonials, reviews, and case studies. Demonstrates real-world impact and builds trust. Example: "Join Thousands of Confident Speakers Who Overcame Their Stage Fears with Our Course." 9: Create a Sense of Urgency Emphasize limited-time offers, discounts, or deadlines. Urgency prompts immediate action. Example: "Limited Spots Available: Hone Your Writing Skills Today!" 10: Clear Call to Action (CTA) End with compelling CTA. Action-oriented language for enrollment, subscription, or learning. Example: "Ready to Design Your Future? Enroll Now and Unlock Your Creative Potential." 11: Convey Accessibility Highlight flexibility and convenience. Access materials anywhere, at any pace. Example: "Learn Anytime, Anywhere: Master Time Management On Your Own Schedule. 12: Engage with Curiosity Pose thought-provoking questions. Encourage exploration of your course as a solution. Example: "What Would You Do with Your Own Business? Discover in Our Entrepreneurship Journey." Conclusion Crafting persuasive copy involves understanding audience and value. Words educate and inspire action. Your courses become a journey of knowledge and transformation. P.S.: Sharing Learning Experience Share your favorite online learning experience in the comments! #copywriting #copywriter #copywritingtips #landingpage #adcopy
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Improving your website conversion 101 The Basics: A conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, like completing a web form, signing up for a service, or purchasing a product. It can be calculated by: (# of Conversions ÷ Total Visitors) X 100 = Conversion Rate A good conversion rate is entirely dependent on niche and industry, However, a 2023 survey by Ruler Analytics found that the average conversion rate is around 2.9%. If your conversion rate isn’t where you want it to be, it’s time to start optimizing. The Landing Page: Landing pages are meant for people to take action. Keep landing pages focused and free of distractions. There should be a singular goal (selling a product, collecting an email, etc.) Minimize navigation options Use quick, punchy lines Make sure the CTA is clearly visible By tracking and analyzing your landing page metrics, you can gather tons of insight into your marketing performance— how your different offers stack up, how visitors and leads convert over time, etc. This gives you powerful info to help optimize and boost your marketing efforts. The Three Modes of Persuasion: The Greek principles of persuasion are still a basic foundation of human rhetoric. By understanding them and how they can be applied on the most important page of your website, you’ll increase your chances of successfully converting users. Logos, Ethos, & Pathos Logos is the idea of persuasion through using logic or reason, citing credible sources, and using: - Case studies - Statistics - Metaphors & Analogies Ethos involves building your brand’s credibility or character. Building trust requires an unbiased tone, consistency, and syntax. You can build a strong ethical appeal with: - Consistent branding - Confidence in delivery - Credible Citation Pathos allows for persuasion by appealing to emotion. You want to inspire emotionally to encourage actions. Use: - Relevant imagery - Inspirational quotes - Vivid language - Values - Stories The three modes of persuasion structure your homepage in a manner that genuinely relates to users. And when done successfully, will increase conversion rates. A Strong CTA: A well-crafted CTA is key to increasing conversions and generating leads for your business. Think about where your audience is in their journey. Are they ready to act and just need a nudge, or do they still need more information to be convinced? If they’re at the final stage, a short, direct CTA might work best. If they’re still evaluating, consider a longer message that highlights the benefits of your offer to help guide their decision. Also, consider where you’ll place your CTA. Is it for a landing page, an email, or another piece of marketing content? The placement should match the medium. For instance, on landing pages, CTAs often perform best above the fold, where they’re immediately visible. Always test accordingly.
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Stop doubting yourself. Start leading. The psychology of confident communication reveals a startling truth: when you change the language patterns you use, you change how others perceive your authority. Here are five rules rooted in psychological principles to transform your communication from tentative to commanding: 1. The Behavioral Commitment Principle: ↳ Lead with direct action language. ↳ Instead of "In my opinion this is…" simply state "This is…" Research shows declarative statements create stronger commitment to action and implementation. 2. The Decisiveness Heuristic: ↳ Transform questions into statements. ↳ Instead of "What if we tried...?" say "Let's try this..." This linguistic pattern triggers what psychologists call the "decisiveness heuristic" where direct speech patterns correlate with perceived leadership ability. 3. The Confidence Anchor: ↳ Eliminate apologetic prefaces - "I think," "sorry," "this might be wrong". ↳ These phrases prime others to doubt your contribution. Your brain registers this self-doubt and mirrors it in your non-verbal communication, creating distance between you and your audience. 4. The Temporal Authority Principle: ↳ Use declarative language. ↳ State that “This works" rather than "This could work." Cognitive psychology shows that temporal immediacy in speech patterns increases message retention. 5. The Expertise Paradox: ↳ Own your expertise. ↳ Replace "I'm not sure if this will help, but..." with "Here's what works..." Research into imposter syndrome reveals that acknowledging expertise actively increases credibility. Remember: → Leadership isn't just about having the right ideas – it’s about communicating them with conviction. People want to be led. Lead. *** Found this valuable? Share it with your network to help others overcome self-limiting language.
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Persuasion isn’t personality – it’s practice. Here’s how to train it. Persuasion is a skill that I train with my CEO coaching clients. And the most compelling leaders practice a few simple behaviors that make their message stick. Here are 7 habits of highly persuasive people: 🔹 1. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Instead of pushing their viewpoint, they invite you to arrive at the answer yourself. 👉 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦?” 🔹 2. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 A well-timed pause builds tension and makes your words land with more weight. 🔹 3. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 Emotions outlast data. The best persuaders frame facts inside narratives that spark connection. 👉 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: “𝘑𝘰𝘣𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘭 𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘏𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 — 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘴.” 🔹 4. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 & 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 Top influencers naturally align their energy, tone, and gestures with others to create trust. 🔹 5. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 They don’t just explain “why”. They tell you “why now”. 👉 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: “𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘶𝘴.” 🔹 6. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 “𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞” People are more likely to follow a request when given a reason — even a simple one. 👉 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: “𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.” 🔹 7. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 “𝐘𝐞𝐬” 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐲 Persuaders remove barriers. They make the first step feel effortless. 👉 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: “𝘞𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳?” BONUS: 8. Tell your audience the story they would tell themselves. Which of these habits do you rely on most? Let me know below! ⬇ ♻️ Repost to help your network and follow me, Oliver Aust, to become a top 1% communicator.
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Persuasion isn’t manipulation or mind games. It’s the art of building trust and driving positive change through communication. The most persuasive (and thus effective and influential) people understand human psychology: - how people think - what drives their choices - and how to present ideas to get results Here are my favorite shifts to help YOU become more persuasive: 1️⃣ 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 - Small word choices impact how your message is received. - Replace weak verbs (helped, had to) with action-oriented ones (led, opted to) to convey decisiveness and leadership. Examples: ❌ Swap tentative phrases like “I think” (signals uncertainty) ✅ for confident ones like “In my experience.” (signals expertise) 2️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 - Get straight to the point. - Busy decision-makers appreciate clarity and expertise, so start with your conclusion, request, or recommendation, then provide supporting details. Examples: ✅ “I recommend XYZ, here’s why…” ✅ “We need to go with option A because the data shows…” 3️⃣ 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 - Rephrase your ideas into solutions that address the specific needs of your audience. - Show how YOUR proposal directly solves THEIR problems or eases their pressures. Examples: ❌ instead of “This software will improve efficiency by 35%.” ✅ say “This solution will help you complete reports two days faster, giving you more time to prep for investor meetings." Challenge yourself to try these shifts and watch how they elevate your persuasion powers and leadership presence. 🚀 === ➡️ Want to learn more about how to persuade and influence others in the workplace? 💡The Elevation Chief of Staff Training program has an entire lesson on Influence (and tons more, DM me for the syllabus). 🔔 And be sure to follow me Melanie Jones The Chief of Staff Coach, for more great leadership insights and #chiefofstaff content.
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Here's an AI prompt I use to prime sellers for training. (Save this for later.) If a rep doesn’t believe they need help, they’re not ready for training. ⸻ The Play: Before you build the deck. Before you roll out the new enablement plan. Before you invite them to the kickoff session… Run this AI prompt on a call transcript from a stalled or lost deal. It surfaces the #1 blind spot I see: Too much ‘we.’ Not enough ‘you'. This isn’t about scorecards. It’s about motivation. If they see what needs to change, they show up ready to improve. The Prompt 👇 ⸻ Instruction: You are a Sales Communication Strategist with deep expertise in analyzing persuasive language in buyer-seller interactions. Your task is to assess the balance of focus in the seller’s language: how much attention is placed on the buyer’s world versus the seller’s solution. Context: Review the transcript provided in the project (“{transcript file name}”). Focus only on seller speech (not the buyer). Analyze how frequently the seller uses language focused on the buyer (“you,” “your team,” “your goals”) versus themselves (“we,” “our platform,” “our results”). Response Format: 1. Estimated Ratio: Provide an estimated percentage breakdown of: • Buyer-Focused Language (%): • Seller-Focused Language (%): 2. Example Quotes: Provide 2–3 representative quotes for each type: • Buyer-Focused Examples: → “{quote 1}” → “{quote 2}” • Seller-Focused Examples: → “{quote 1}” → “{quote 2}” 3. Brief Commentary: Offer 2–3 sentences on the balance: • Did the seller center the conversation around the buyer’s world? • Or did they lean too heavily on talking about their own product? • What might this imply about their approach? Guidance for Analysis: You’re looking for pronoun and content-level framing, not just keyword counting. Buyer-centric language tends to mirror the buyer’s goals, pain, or environment. Seller-centric language promotes the product or company. Prioritize tone and intent over raw frequency. ⸻ Want to make it even more tangible? Have your reps do this exercise instead. 1. Print the transcript from one of their calls. 2. Highlight every “we/our” in 𝗿𝗲𝗱. 3. Highlight every “you/your” in 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻. Feedback is useful. But 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 creates behavior change. Try it on one of your call transcripts, and let me know what surprised you. p.s. My favorite models for this prompt right now are Chat GPT o3-reasoning and Claude 3.7. Both are great at quickly analyzing tone and focus.