Omigawd, What Did I Just Say?!
- Date: 2006-12-03 - Word Count: 552
Share This!
Have you ever been surprised when you're telling about the business, and suddenly the other person asks you, "Is this one of those things?" Or "Is this a pyramid?"
Did you know it's probably something you said or showed them that triggered that image for them? Here's a way to avoid tripping yourself up with the words you use (or show) when you're talking about the business or product.
According to linguist and now political consultant George Lakoff, all words evoke certain images, or other knowledge. He refers to this as words evoking "frames" – shortcuts that help one relate what's being said to what we have in our minds already, our worldview so to speak.
"Don't think of an elephant!" he challenges his students, in a book by the same name. And what do the students unwittingly do? In fact, cannot help BUT do? Yep. Promptly envision that big beast with the long trunk and big ears.
Lakoff notes how former President Nixon did himself in with the masses of "undecideds" when he spoke to a national TV audience – with one line:
"I am not a crook."
Does anyone besides me remember that? Upon hearing that, everyone, says Lakoff, immediately thought about him as a crook.
MORAL: To "argue" or discuss something with the "other" side, says Lakoff, do NOT use their words, because that evokes THEIR images, not yours. And that's exactly what you don't want to do. Instead, you need words that evoke YOUR model of the thing you're discussing – your idea of what this busines or product is.
First list of 5 things never to say ever again.
Ahem. Don't fall over when you see these…just stop using them now that you know what they evoke in the minds of others…and that it isn't what you want, like Lakoff points out.
1. "It's not selling." OR "We don't sell." (That one is both a lie, AND it immediately evokes whatever selling means to the other person, anyway.)
2. "It's not a pyramid." Evokes yes, the thing.
3. "It's not mlm." Evokes it.
4. "It's not about throwing them up against the wall and see who sticks." Evokes it.
5. "It's not a get rich quick program." You guessed it. Evokes the very thing.
Those are the obvious ones. So do not use words or phrases that you do not want to evoke in the mind of the listener.
Second list of 5 things never to say – the more subtle ones.
1. It's easy, anyone can do it.
2. Everyone will want the product, it sells itself.
3. This is the best company out there
4. You can make big money fast.
5. All you have to do is go to your friends and family.
First, all of these are false. (The 95%+drop out rates is enough evidence of that.) But being false is enough reason not to repeat them, isn't it?
But there are two more downsides. First, those who fall for them are inexperienced in business, or are having a weak mental moment. They drop out soon enough, leave with a bad taste, and become one of the multitude of the "biased against."
Second, those with ANY real business experience, whom you DO want, will just laugh and know that yes, it's one of those things, and you're one of those people.
Evoke: To call to mind by naming, citing, or suggesting: songs that evoke old memories. Dictionary.com
Did you know it's probably something you said or showed them that triggered that image for them? Here's a way to avoid tripping yourself up with the words you use (or show) when you're talking about the business or product.
According to linguist and now political consultant George Lakoff, all words evoke certain images, or other knowledge. He refers to this as words evoking "frames" – shortcuts that help one relate what's being said to what we have in our minds already, our worldview so to speak.
"Don't think of an elephant!" he challenges his students, in a book by the same name. And what do the students unwittingly do? In fact, cannot help BUT do? Yep. Promptly envision that big beast with the long trunk and big ears.
Lakoff notes how former President Nixon did himself in with the masses of "undecideds" when he spoke to a national TV audience – with one line:
"I am not a crook."
Does anyone besides me remember that? Upon hearing that, everyone, says Lakoff, immediately thought about him as a crook.
MORAL: To "argue" or discuss something with the "other" side, says Lakoff, do NOT use their words, because that evokes THEIR images, not yours. And that's exactly what you don't want to do. Instead, you need words that evoke YOUR model of the thing you're discussing – your idea of what this busines or product is.
First list of 5 things never to say ever again.
Ahem. Don't fall over when you see these…just stop using them now that you know what they evoke in the minds of others…and that it isn't what you want, like Lakoff points out.
1. "It's not selling." OR "We don't sell." (That one is both a lie, AND it immediately evokes whatever selling means to the other person, anyway.)
2. "It's not a pyramid." Evokes yes, the thing.
3. "It's not mlm." Evokes it.
4. "It's not about throwing them up against the wall and see who sticks." Evokes it.
5. "It's not a get rich quick program." You guessed it. Evokes the very thing.
Those are the obvious ones. So do not use words or phrases that you do not want to evoke in the mind of the listener.
Second list of 5 things never to say – the more subtle ones.
1. It's easy, anyone can do it.
2. Everyone will want the product, it sells itself.
3. This is the best company out there
4. You can make big money fast.
5. All you have to do is go to your friends and family.
First, all of these are false. (The 95%+drop out rates is enough evidence of that.) But being false is enough reason not to repeat them, isn't it?
But there are two more downsides. First, those who fall for them are inexperienced in business, or are having a weak mental moment. They drop out soon enough, leave with a bad taste, and become one of the multitude of the "biased against."
Second, those with ANY real business experience, whom you DO want, will just laugh and know that yes, it's one of those things, and you're one of those people.
Evoke: To call to mind by naming, citing, or suggesting: songs that evoke old memories. Dictionary.com
Related Tags: marketing, network marketing, kim klaver, klaver, direct marketing, sales training, motivation
Kim Klaver is Harvard & Stanford educated. Her 20 years experience in network marketing have resulted in a popular blog, http://KimKlaverBlogs.com, a podcast, http://YourGreatThing.com and a giant resource site, http://BananaMarketing.com
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Bestowing Favor To Pay An Affiliate To Promote Your Product
Should you pay an affiliate to promote your product? On one's own initiative, only a number of peopl - The Empire Formula For E-commerce And Internet Affiliate Marketing To Promote Very Hot Solutions
The development with the net along with the mass manufacturing of personal computers from the late 8 - Empire Formula And No Cost World-wide-web Marketing- The Very Best Maketing
Very best items in lifestyle are no cost, as a lot of would say. This specifically holds genuine wit - How To Grow To Be A Cb Super Affiliate In Niche Markets With The Empire Formula
Generating funds as a result of the Empire Formula in internet affiliate marketing is among the many - How To Stop Your Affiliate Links From Getting Hijacked
I was looking at one of my affiliate campaigns the other day and realised it had dropped to 5% conve - Top 3 Quick Things To Try If You're Not Making A Profit Online
If you have made a website with the intension of making a profit and it is not, here is the go-to ch - Affiliate Tips Business Review - Is It The Real Deal?
How an affiliate program worksPersons who add an affiliate program to their website are called affil - Internet Marketing: What Is The Most Important Thing That A New Affiliate Marketer Needs To Know?
There are some basic knowledge that any new internet affiliate marketer needs to know, so as to make - Affiliate Internet Marketing - 5 Tips For Choosing A Profitable Affiliate Program
Affiliate internet marketing is all about promoting someone's products. The first question which com - Effective Affiliate Marketing - 5 Tips For The Affiliate Marketing Newbie
Affiliate marketing is the simplest and quickest way for any internet marketer to make money online.
Most viewed articles in this category:
- How Many Internet Marketing Secrets Can There Possibly Be?
Having the word secret in your headline has actually been proven to work but man I'm sick of seeing - Making Extra Money
When the money heaps up, men and women commonly probe for ways of creating additional currency. This - Are We Abusing Word Of Mouth?
In a piece called Ponzi, Pyramids, MLM, Ads and WOM…(WOM=Word Of Mouth), Seth Godin writes: - Where All Think Alike, No One Thinks Very Much.
Wonderful reminder from Walter Lippmann. That said, here's my question: Why don't we promote c - Which Dance Do You Do?
When someone asks a network marketer, "So, how do you make money?" or "What do you do?" the dancing - How To Use A Single Review To Skyrocket Your Affiliate Internet Marketing Traffic Conversion
If you've been trying to increase your return on investment and make some affiliate sales but can't - Benefits Of Directory Submissions
Achieving good search engine visibility has become a necessity for every website today. Hundreds and - Make Easy Money Fast By Placing Ads
You can make easy money fast by placing ads . Whether you are promoting a new business opportunity - Internet Marketing: The Five Essential Tools You Need
Since the rise of the Internet, people have been taking advantage of this technology, they have been - What Great Supervisors Do Differently
Great supervisors work directly with the people who do the frontline work of the company. They are t