How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Page 178

understand the art of persuasion and they know how to recognize and use
persuasive strategies.
[7]Wall Street Journal, December 29, 1998.

The Foundational Principles of Persuasion
The Rules of Persuasion Are Neutral
Central to understanding persuasion is the concept of neutrality. The
Rules of Persuasion are neither good nor evil. They simply exist. Just as
nuclear energy can be used to create electricity or an atomic bomb,
persuasion can be used to create unity or to force compliance. Whether
the outcome is good or bad depends on the person using the laws and how
that person applies the techniques of persuasion. Some people desire to
win at any cost, using any available tactics including misusing the Rules
of Persuasion. These individuals are willing to use guilt, violence,
intimidation, temptation, bribery, and blackmail to get the desired result.
However, when used properly, persuasion is our best friend. Through
persuasion we create peace agreements, promote fund-raising efforts, and
convince motorists to buckle up. Persuasion is the means by which the
coach of an underdog team inspires players to win. It is also the method
employed by the Surgeon General to convince people to have regular
mammograms and prostate examinations, by managers to increase
employee performance and morale, and by hostage negotiators to
convince criminals to free their captives.
This guide focuses on using Maximum Influence in positive ways. Misuse
of the laws will only come back to haunt you in the long run. You might
get short-term instant results, but your long-term future will be bleak. The
tools outlined in this resource are powerful and are not to be used
selfishly. They should not be considered a means of gaining a desired
result at any cost. Rather, you should use these tools to get your desired
outcome only when it is a win-win situation for all involved.
The fable of the sun and the wind provides an excellent example of
properly implemented persuasion. The sun and the wind were always
arguing about which of them was the strongest. The wind believed he was
stronger because of his destructive power in tornados and hurricanes. He
wanted the sun to admit he was stronger, but the sun held fast to his own
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