18 CityLight.org
march 2012
newton's laws of influence
c h a k i s s e n e w t o n ' s
Tools and Tips to Improve Professional and Personal Success
H
ere are five ways to use language as
a tool to get better results and influ-
ence those with whom you interact:
1. R
emind
the
listeneR
of
the
benefits
of
following
youR
suggestion
.
If you've ever used a consumer product for
your skin or hair, you've read directions
on how to best use the product. Carol's
Daughter, a line of natural skin and hair
care products, takes their instructions to
the next level: "Dab onto a cotton ball,
smooth over face and smile radiant skin!"
Stating benefits reinforces the user's desire
to follow instructions.
2. m
ake
instRuctions
fun
(
esp
.
if
you
have
to
give
obvious
instRuctions
).
Remember when a McDonald's pa-
tron won a sizable lawsuit when she
was seriously injured after spilling
scalding hot coffee on herself? Star-
buck's warns without insulting us with the
simple reminder, "Careful, the beverage
you are about to enjoy is hot." It sounds so
much better than, "You know the beverage
Chakisse Newton
Cardinal Consulting
803.753.1311 | CardinalConsulting.net
O
ne of the easiest ways to dramatically increase your ability to influence others is to
improve your language skills. Quite apart from learning lofty language, improving
your use of language is a simple matter of utilizing the subtle effect that word choice can
have on creating positive emotions.
Influence Strategies:
Increase Your Influence by Improving Your Language