Covet Persuasion With Presuppositions – Comparative As
Do You Know Anything As Powerful As Presuppositions?
Here we go with another article on linguistic presuppositions, the powerful language patterns that you can use to easily, naturally, and covertly persuade others through everyday conversation.
Today’s pattern is the “comparative as” and is very powerful. The structure of a comparative as is as follows: Take two things, and find something about them that is similar. I am as tall as my brother. It is as cold in Alaska as it is in Hokkaido. It is as hot in Arizona as it is in Okinawa.
There are a couple of powerful ways to use this pattern for persuasion. The first is to turn into a question. Let’s say you want to persuade somebody that exercise is the best way to lose weight. You ask the question:
Do you know of any method that is as effective as daily exercise to lose weight?
If they answer “no,” then they admit that exercise is the best way to lose weight. If they answer “yes,” then they admit that exercise and something else are equally good for losing weight. In effect they are admitting they exercise, and something else, are tied for first place when it comes to the best way to lose weight.
Let’s look at some more examples.
Idea = dollar cost averaging is the best way to consistently make money in the stock market.
Do you know of any way that is as effective as dollar cost averaging to make money consistently in the stock market?
Again, if they answer “no,” they are tacitly agreeing to your idea. If they answer “yes,” they are admitting that whatever other method they are thinking of, it is only as good as dollar cost averaging, not better.
Another way to use this pattern, is make it a statement of a question that you asked yourself:
I don’t know of any method that is as effective as exercise to lose weight.
I can’t think of any investing strategy that is as effective as dollar cost averaging that will consistently build wealth in the stock market.
If you have any kind of credentials, or client, you can quote them.
I’ve been a personal trainer for many years, and I haven’t found any method that is as effective as simple daily exercise for weight loss.
I’ve been an investment advisor for two decades, and none of my clients have found a method that is as effective as dollar cost averaging to consistently make money in the stock market.
You can also quote a group of experts.
Leading nutritionists who have been studying various ways of weight loss over the years haven’t found anything as effective and long lasting as consistent, daily exercise.
Financial experts who have consistently outperformed the markets have never really found anything as effective as simple dollar cost averaging for generating a huge amount of wealth over time.
Leading salespeople who have consistently been at the top of their field have never found any other method that is as effective as linguistic presuppositions to easily persuade their clients to buy their products.
Now I don’t know about you, and how advanced you are in your persuasion skills, but if you ever find any other method that is as effective, as easy to learn, and as covert as linguistic presuppositions, I’d sure like to know about them!
