This is the final article in the series on linguistic presuppositions, those powerful language patterns that you can use to conversationally persuade others.

There won’t be any new patterns here, just a couple of tips on how to practice them so you can quickly become proficient and start using them in your daily conversations without even thinking about them.

The best way to think of learning these, or any other language pattern, is to treat them like a sport, or a foreign language. The only real way to become proficient is to drill them like you would any new martial arts move.

The best way to drill linguistic presuppositions is to write them out, longhand. The best way to do that is to take an idea that you would like to focus on, and for each of the twenty eight presuppositions, write at least ten or twenty sentences involving that particular presupposition, and your chosen idea.

This will take some time, so give yourself a few weeks to really practice these so you can become proficient. It may seem like a lot of work, but the opportunities that will present themselves once you master these patterns will more than make up for it.

What I usually do is to get an empty notebook, head on over to Starbucks, and sit and write for an hour or so on the weekends, or thirty minutes here or there whenever I have time.

You’ll find a couple of interesting things happening. Firstly, you’ll start using these in your conversations and writings without really thinking about them.

Second, you’ll notice other people’s communication takes on a whole new depth of meaning. You’ll be able to listen to a couple having a conversation and know exactly what is going on below the surface.

You’ll develop a kind of X-ray communication, where you’ll be able to see below the surface structure of the communication of others and read their intentions like never before.

Even if you never plan on using these for persuasion, by writing them out and training your ears to hear them in the words and communications of others is well worth the effort. You’ll literally be able to read others like a book, and will find yourself with a whole new level of social communication skills.

A great way to have some fun with these patterns is to go online into any of the millions of forums out there and use these patterns to argue your point, whatever that may be.

If you really want to develop some mental flexibility, argue both sides of an issue, either on different forums, or with different user names. By arguing both sides of an issue you’ll really develop the intellectual elasticity that will be unbeatable when it comes to persuasion.

Of course, if you have any questions or comments, please drop me a comment and I’ll respond accordingly.

Here we are with another article on linguistic presuppositions, those powerfully useful language patterns that you can use to conversationally persuade others to your way of thinking.

Today’s pattern is called “Change of Place Verbs” and these are words that are normally used to describe physical movement to and from a location. They include words like come, go, leave, depart, arrive, enter, etc.

When you speak of ideas in these terms, it is a lot easier for your listener or reader to accept them as true. When you speak of “entering into an idea,” or “arriving at a conclusion” it presupposes that these ideas are metaphorical places. By describing them in such terms, your listener or reader will have a much easier time “trying the on,” so to speak.

Some examples.

Idea = exercise is the best way to lose weight

When you arrive at the conclusion that simple daily exercise is the best way to lose weight, you can leave behind any notions of having to pay any monthly fees for expensive mail or meal plans or diet pills.

In this example, you are “arriving” at the idea I want you accept, and you are “leaving behind” the opposite idea.

When you come to the conclusion that exercise is the best way to lose weight, you’ll enter into a whole new world of possibility, where your ideal weight will be much more achievable than you may have thought previously.

Idea = dollar cost averaging is the best way to make money in the stock market.

When you come to the conclusion that dollar cost averaging is the best way to build long-term wealth, you’ll leave behind any fears you may used to have about the stock market, and will enter into a real possibility of finally starting to build the retirement that you deserve.

When you arrive at the concept of dollar cost averaging, you’ll realize that building long term wealth in the stock market is a simple consequence of putting away only a few dollars a month, and you’ll enter into the idea being able to really look forward to a comfortable retirement.

When you arrive at the conclusion that presuppositions are the best way to easily persuade others through simple conversation, you’ll enter into a whole new world of possibilities that you may not have realized even existed before. Not only that, but you will leave behind any fears you may have had about being manipulated by others, as you will consistently understand the underlying messages beneath the communications of others.

Here we are with another article on powerful linguistic suppositions, those simple patterns that you can effectively use within normal, everyday conversations to persuade and influence others.

The pattern for today is rather simple, and can be used very well along with other presuppositions, or by itself if phrased correctly, and with enough rapport.

The pattern is “Questions.” In English, we almost always begin an interrogative sentence with a “question word,” like “who, how, do, did, will, won’t, where, which, etc.” Whenever we hear these as listeners, we unconsciously switch into “listen and answer mode” where we make ourselves open for information, in order to respond with an intelligent answer.

By sliding your idea within the question, no matter how they answer, they have to accept the idea as true.

Idea = exercise is the best way to lose weight.

Do you know how incredibly easy it is to lose weight with only exercise?
Do you know how many people have lost weight simply by adding ten minutes of moderate cardio every morning?
Are you aware of how many people are losing weight with simple exercise?
Can you think of anything more powerful than simple exercise to lose weight?

Whether you answer “yes,” or “no,” you will accept the underlying idea, often even without knowing that you are being persuaded.

Idea = dollar cost averaging is the best way to make money in the stock market.

Do you know how quickly you can build up your retirement through simple dollar cost averaging?
Do you know how many people have become wealthy through simple dollar cost averaging?
Have you heard about dollar cost averaging, and how you can use it to make a lot of money almost on autopilot?

Do you realize how powerful these patterns are, not only for conversationally persuading others, but to detect unhelpful persuasion from those that would otherwise manipulate you?

Are you aware how much money salespeople have made using these patterns alone? Are you beginning to see how you can easily use these patterns in all aspects of your life?

Here we are with another lesson in linguistic presuppositions, those powerful language patterns you can use to covertly and conversationally persuade and influence others to your way of thinking.

Today’s pattern is the Selection Restriction pattern. This particular pattern has a wide variety of applications, both good and bad. Anytime you take a group of things (ideas, time periods, people, etc) and categorize them into sub groups, and assign one “sub group” a characteristic, you are implying that the other subgroups do not have this characteristic.

Lawyers make excellent politicians.

Although according to the rules of logic, this statement says nothing about people who aren’t lawyers and their ability to be politicians, the listener will assume that is the meaning of the statement, that lawyers are the best politicians.

Women have excellent communication skills and can talk about many subjects at once.

While not stated explicitly, this implies that men don’t have excellent communication skills, and can’t talk about more than one subject. (I’ll leave the actual truth of that for you to decide.)

He’s the guy I see walking every morning.

While “that guy” you see walking every morning may do a variety of things during the day, he is only “the walking guy” in your mind, as described in that statement above.

Anytime you give somebody, something, some event any sort of “label” you are effectively defining it only in those terms, and are using this pattern, for better or for worse.

So how to use this persuasively, in a positive way?

Simple

Separate out groups of “pretend” people into two groups. Attribute some genuinely desirable characteristic to one group, and phrase it so they achieved that “desirable” trait by doing whatever it is you are persuading your listener to do. Be careful not to put the “other” group into any sort of “bad” light, as that will diminish your persuasive power, according to the laws of Karma.

Some examples:

Idea = exercise is the best way to lose weight.

Plenty of people have tried plenty different weight loss techniques, and those that have had the most success have discovered that the best way to lose weight is through simple daily exercise.

So here you have a group within a group. The first group is people in general. The second, sub group, is people who have tried to lose weight. The group within that group are the ones that have successfully lost weight. And they lost weight because they exercised.

Idea = dollar cost averaging is a great way to make money.

Many people have tried many different investment strategies over time, but the people that are now happily retired will tell you that the easiest way to get there is through simple, dollar cost averaging.

The selected group is happily retired people (which presumes a group of unhappily retired people), and they got there through dollar cost averaging.

Now, I don’t know exactly where you are in your sales career, or your particular skill level when it comes to persuasion. Some people like to study persuasion and persuasion techniques as a hobby, while others use it on daily basis to make a significant amount of income.

Those that do are either naturals, meaning they were born to sell, and have been persuading people as long as they could walk, or those that learned the techniques consciously, and perfected the art of persuasion over a period of time.

Those that have learned to become masters of persuasion through the study of specific techniques and language patterns will tell you, hands down, that presuppositions are likely the most powerful, most effective, and most useful set of language patterns to use conversationally that exist.

No other set of patterns will allow you to carefully lead the mind and emotions of your listener to better and more empowering places, so that everybody benefits.

This is another article in a series on linguistic presuppositions, powerful language patterns that you can use to easily and conversationally influence others to your way of thinking.

Today’s pattern is quite simple, and if it were a magic trick, it would rely heavily on mental misdirection. The pattern is called “Contrary To Expectation” and basically involves use the word “should.”

They kind of put the listener or reader into a mental bind, and force them to implicitly agree with your message or idea, as they will be focusing on the logic of the statement. By themselves, these aren’t all the powerful, but can be peppered throughout your message here and there to drop your idea, or variations of it several times throughout the conversation.

For example, with the idea of “exercise is the best way to lose weight,” there are several ways to use this.

Should you not understand why exercise is the best way to lose weight, I’d be happy to explain it to you.

If you say the above, and they don’t respond, they’ve tacitly agreed with the idea. If they actually ask for an explanation, the implication is that once you explain why, they will accept the idea.

If you should decide you’d like to lose weight in the easiest way possible, then I’ll show you a simple exercise program.

This one mentally binds them up so they have no real choice but to accept the idea.

Idea = dollar cost averaging is the best way to make money in the stock market.

If you should not understand why dollar cost averaging is so incredibly lucrative, then I can explain it to you if you’d like to make an appointment.

If you should decide you’d like to find the easiest, safest, and simplest way to make money in the stock market, I can explain dollar cost averaging to you.

If you should wonder why so many people have found it so easy to grow wealth consistently, and with no real effort, I’d be happy to explain the concept of dollar cost averaging to you.

Idea = presuppositions are the easiest way to conversationally influence others

If you should wonder how useful these patterns can be, just imagine a future where you could easily persuade others with only a few minutes of conversation.

If you should think that linguistic presuppositions are only for easy and effective conversational persuasion, just think of how well you’ll be able to deflect manipulation once you learn these powerful strategies.

If you should think that these presuppositions are only useful one at a time, wait until you read further blog posts where I’ll show you how to combine them in ways that will make virtually any message or idea you have irresistibly attractive to your listeners.

Here is another article in the series on linguistic presuppositions, those powerful language patterns that you can use to powerfully and covertly persuade and influence others to your way of thinking.

Today’s pattern is “Repetitive Verbs and Adjectives,” and can be very similar in structure to “Repetitive Cue Words.” Repetitive verbs and adverbs are words that start with the prefix “re-”: return, restore, repeatedly, renew, replace, etc.

One way to use them is to refer back to an idea, or give the allusion that you are referring back to an idea that is superior to all other considerations.

For example, for the idea that exercise is the best way to lose weight, the following sentences follow this pattern:

Many people have repeatedly discovered that the best way to lose weight is through simple exercise.

Here you are presupposing that many people have independently determined that your “idea” true, not only once, but over and over again.

It’s nice when you finally replace those old ideas about having to suffer through horrible diets and return to the notion of effective weight loss through exercise.

Idea = dollar cost averaging is the best way to make money in the stock market.

Many seasoned investors are repeatedly rediscovering the simple idea of dollar cost averaging, and are restoring their faith in being able to retire at an early age.

When you fully understand how through only a few hours a week you can easily build wealth through dollar cost averaging, you can restore your hope to the future.

And about the power of presuppositions:

You can replace any notion you have about strong-armed sales tactics when you realize how easily you can persuade others with just a few simple language patterns. And when you start to combine a few of these patterns together, you will repeatedly be amazed at how easily it can be to renew your faith in your own conversational power.

This article is in a series of articles on linguistic presuppositions. These are simple yet powerful language patterns that when used effectively, can be very useful to covertly and conversationally persuade and influence others.

The pattern for today is “Repetitive Cue Words.” These are words like “too,” “again,” “back,” “also,” and “either.” As they are single words, and not a grammatical pattern like many of the other presuppositions, they are highly flexible and can be used a number of ways.

In general, when you use these words, you are “revisiting” an idea in a sentence, either an idea you’ve explicitly stated, or one that has been implicitly thought of by either you or another person, and you are simply referring to it again.

For example, for the idea of “exercise is the best way to lose weight”:

I heard that exercise is the best way to lose weight, and no matter how many diets and methods I’ve tried, I keep coming back to that simple truth.

In this case, the idea has been expressed once, and then come “back” to by the speaker, effectively repeating it as a “rediscovered truth,” something that would be difficult to disagree with.

Another example, using the same idea:

Most leading dieticians, while agreeing that what you eat is important, always come back to the basic principle that daily exercise is the best way to lose weight.

In this case the first instance of the idea is only implied, and is only actually mentioned when it is “come back” to. This implies that these dieticians (whoever they are) knew this at the beginning, and keep coming “back” to it.

For the idea of “dollar cost averaging is the best way to make money in the stock market,” consider the word “again.”

Again and again, people consistently realize that dollar cost averaging is the best way to make money in the stock market.

In this case, combining “again and again” with “people” implies that many people, over the course of some vague period of time, are independently realizing the power of dollar cost averaging. As stated above, it is hard to argue with.

How about this one:

Investment bankers also realize the wealth building of power of dollar cost averaging.

Here a group of people is implied. Investment bankers realize the power of dollar cost averaging, in addition to some other unnamed group. The reader or listener will generally assume this “group” to be of the same expertise, from a financial perspective, as investment bankers. This is very powerful, as it implies social proof from whatever group of people the listener or reader cares to imagine.

How about the power of presuppositions?

Sales people that consistently outperform their peers again and again understand the power of simple linguistic presuppositions to give them an incredible edge.

Top closers in any company also understand the subtle power of presuppositions to give them incredibly lucrative skills in sales.

Despite the many years of training and seminars, top sales people come back again and again to the simple power of presuppositions, which can be learned in their entirety by reading this blog on a daily basis.

You can either continue to try method after method, or you too, like many others, can come back to the simple strategy of combining subtly powerful presuppositions which will lead you again and again to increasing sales and personal income.

This is another article in a series on linguistic presuppositions, those powerful language patterns that can easily give you the persuasive power of a Jedi Knight.

Today’s pattern is stressed sentences, or stressed words within a sentence. Although they can be used in written form, with boldface type, they are much more powerful in person.

Here’s how they work. You take your idea that you’d like to persuade the other person, and place a commentary adjective in front of it, and simply say the sentence. When you combine a commentary adjective, (amazing, wonderful, fantastic) with some voice stress, and some obviously happy facial expressions, the rest of the sentence has a much better chance of being wholly accepted as true.

Idea = exercise is the best way to lose weight.

Sentence:

I think it’s AMAZING that exercise is the best way to lose weight because all you really need is a few minutes every morning.

The results you get from just a little bit of exercise are truly AMAZING.

You can get some really AMAZING weight loss results form just a few minutes of exercise every day.

Idea = dollar cost averaging is a simple way to consistently grow wealth in the stock market.

Sentence:

I just read this AMAZING article that showed how much money you can make by this AWESOME technique called dollar cost averaging.

My friend showed me ASTOUNDING proof of how he made tons of money through dollar cost averaging.

Idea = presuppositions will skyrocket your persuasion skills

Sentence:

The AMAZING thing about presuppositions is not how powerful they are, but how simple they are to learn.

I’ve gotten such FANTASTIC sales results once I started using these simple things called linguistic presuppositions.

Now, I don’t know how many AMAZING discoveries you’ll find regarding these POWERFUL patterns, perhaps you’ll drop in a comment to let us know of the FANTASTIC things you can imagine doing with them in the future.

This is an article in the series on linguistic presuppositions. Linguistic presuppositions are powerful language patterns that can dramatically increase your ability to persuade others.

Today’s lesson is on the subordinate clause of time pattern.

A subordinate clause is when one idea in a sentence is linked to, or dependent on another idea in the same sentence. A subordinate clause of time links when temporally, or according to time. When one thing happens, another thing will automatically happen. Commonly used time words are, when, after, as soon as, once, before, prior, while, yet, etc.

Consider the difference between the following two sentences:

If I go to the store tonight, I’ll buy some apples.

And

When I go to the store tonight, I’ll buy some apples

In the first sentence, the “buying apples” part is dependent upon “going to the store,” but the “going to the store” part is not a done deal. Maybe I’ll go, maybe I won’t. Maybe it’s dependent upon something else that I haven’t mentioned.

On the other hand, the second sentence, going to the store is assumed to happen, no mater what. It has already been decided. And buying apples, which is dependent on going to the store, is already decided as well.

The best way to use this pattern is to use the thing, or idea, you are intending to persuade your audience to think or do, in the place of “going to the store,” in the above example, and then put something that most people would generally desire, in the place of “buying apples” in the above example.

Let’s look at a couple of examples:

Persuasive idea = dollar cost averaging is a good investment strategy

Generally desired outcome = make money

Linking words = (as soon as, after, once, since)

As soon as you realize that dollar cost averaging is really the best investment strategy out there, you’ll understand how easy it is to consistently make money.

Persuasive Idea = presuppositions are powerful

Desired outcome = able to easily persuade others conversationally

Linking words = after, as soon as, once

After you really appreciate how powerful presuppositions are, you’ll find that persuading people through regular conversation can become second nature.

Persuasive Idea = exercise is the best way to lose weight

Desired outcome = increased attention from the opposite sex

Linking words = as soon as, once, after

Once you understand that the easiest way to consistently lose weight is with a few minutes of exercise everyday, you’ll be surprised to notice all the additional attention you’ll be getting from (men/women/boys/girls).

You can also flip it around, and use before, prior and other words, and simply reverse the sentence.

(Before/Prior) + (desired outcome) + (intended persuasive message)

Before he started getting all kinds of massive attention from girls at school, he understood that exercise is the best way to lose weight.

Prior to making so much money in the stock market on a regular basis, he read a book explaining why dollar cost averaging is the best investment method there is.

Before he became the best salesperson at his company, he really took the time to master linguistic presuppositions, so that he could easily skyrocket his sales.

Now, I don’t know what it is you’d like persuade others to do, maybe you’re in sales, maybe you’d like to increase your social skills, or maybe you’d just like to feel more powerful and in control of the conversations you find yourself in. Whatever the reasons are, once you really take the time to learn and practice these presuppositions on a regular basis, you’ll really see an improvement not only in that particular area of your life you’d like to improve, but in many other areas as well.

This article is fourth in a series on linguistic presuppositions. Linguistic presuppositions are language patterns that cause your listener or reader to presuppose certain things are true in order to make sense of the sentence.

They can be of great help to persuaders, salespeople, and anybody else who wants to speak or write more persuasively.

Today’s lesson is on Quantifiers. These are words that separate out, in the listeners mind, some elements out of a larger group. Each, every, some, none, few, many are quantifier words. When used in conjunction with groups of people, they can help you create a powerful reference to support your persuasive message.

For example, consider the following sentences:

Doctors say you should exercise to lose weight.

Many doctors say you should exercise to lose weight.

The first one, while more convincing than just saying “You should exercise to lose weight,” still sounds a bit vague. How many doctors? Which doctors?

When you say “Many doctors,” it almost sounds as if you have a consensus among the medical profession, which gives your message, “exercise to lose weight, ” more persuasive effect.

Or how about this one:

Few doctors disagree that exercise is the best way to lose weight.

If you had any doubts as to the authority of the quoted group, they will be quickly lose while your mind is busy turning over that repeated negative (few…disagree) which leaves you with “exercise is the best way to lose weight.”

Or lets say you are a customer, who is visiting a widget salesman. You have been thinking about buying a widget for some time, and you’ve narrowed it down to a couple brands. Which sounds more persuasive?

I think you should buy Widget X, it is the most beneficial.

Not so good, right? How about this one:

People agree that Widget X is the best widget money can buy.

Better, since you’ve got some vague socially proofed claim.

But how about this:

Each person that has bought Widget X has been completely satisfied with its performance.

Or how about this one:

None of the people who bought Widget X have been unhappy with their decision.

And for really powerful results, you can combine the two:

Each person that has bought Widget X has been pleased with their decision, in fact, none of the people that have bought Widget X have been disappointed by both it’s quality and it’s performance.

Now, I’m sure that each of you reading this blog post has realized that every one of these articles on linguistic presuppositions can be valuable in many situations that you encounter in daily life.

In fact, I’d venture to guess that few successful persuaders, be they salespeople or otherwise, have reached their level of success without using some of these powerful patterns, in many situations, at least on a subconscious level.

Next we’ll start talking about more “complex” presuppositions, to become even more powerfully persuasive.