How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Page 213

that the jury really isn't supposed to evaluate. When this happens, the
judge can either declare a mistrial or tell the jury to ignore the
information. In most cases, the jury is told to ignore the information, but
the perpetual dilemma is that doing so heightens the information's validity
in the minds of the jury members. In an exhaustive study on this issue by
the University of Chicago Law School, a jury was to decide the amount of
damages in an injury lawsuit. When the professor made it known that the
defendant had been insured against the loss, the damages went up 13
percent. When the judge told the jury they had to ignore the new
information, the amount went up 40 percent.[11]
Be extra careful not to plead and beg for your prospects to open up. Let
them know you truly care and have a desire to know out of genuine
concern, not curiosity. Pleading quickly becomes a red flag that shows
your prospects you just want to know the juicy details rather than having
any real desire to help them. As with the other Rules of Persuasion, be
sincere by showing you really care and truly have their best interest at
heart.
[11] D. Broeder, "The University of Chicago Jury Project," Nebraska Law
Review (1959): 744–760.

Caution
The Rule of Obligation can backfire on you or become a matter of ethics
if it's used for the wrong reasons. Manipulation is the flip side of
obligation. If you use obligation to manipulate, I guarantee that you will
lose your ability to persuade. People will catch on to your tactics, quickly
declining any gifts you might offer or even refusing to be around you.
Your gifts will be perceived as set-ups. People will instinctively know that
it's only a matter of time before you come back around asking for that
favor to be reciprocated.
Understand that there is a great difference between obligation and
coercion. To become an excellent Persuader you must first master
yourself. It is essential that you have a foundation on which to build.

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