How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | страница 360

Chapter 13
The Rule of Association
Create the Climate
Overview
It's not the situation. It's your reaction to the situation.
—BOB CONKLIN
To maintain order of the world, our brains link objects, gestures, and
symbols with our feelings, memories, and life experiences. We mentally
associate ourselves with such things as endorsements, sights, sounds,
colors, music, and symbols, just to name a few. This association allows us
to make judgment calls when we don't have the required time to do
thorough research.
Persuaders take advantage of association to evoke positive feelings and
thoughts that correspond with the message they are trying to convey. In
this sense, you, as a persuader, can actually arouse a certain feeling in
your audience by finding the right association key to unlock the door.
Associations are not the same for all people — obviously, each person has
their own set of triggers. However, once you understand the general rules,
you can find the right associations to match any prospect. And of course,
some associations are universal for an entire culture.
The Rule of Association is constantly at work. If an audience likes a
picture, a logo, or a musical jingle that appears in an advertisement for a
product, they also tend to like the product. Why is it we must dress up for
a job interview? It is because we know a slovenly appearance will bring
into bearing certain unwanted assumptions or associations about us. Have
you ever heard about past cultures where the messenger was actually
killed when he brought back bad news? Why do you think it is that
restaurants decorate a certain way, have their lighting a certain way, and
play certain types of music? All these things are defined in the Rule of
Association.

360