How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Page 84

6. Framework Theories for Applying
Persuasion and Influence Techniques
6.1 Introduction
You’ve learned a great deal at this point about building rapport and have
gotten some insight into how the words you choose can help to persuade
someone. But how do you know how to apply those tools? To answer this
question, we’ll look at some theories posed on how persuasion works.
Yes, you have some tools now to help you influence and persuade others,
but this information will give you a framework for how you can apply
them.

6.2 Rank’s Intensify and Downplay Model
In this model, Henry Rank describes a model of persuasion using two
opposite strategies: intensification and downplay. This means that when
you are in a situation where you are attempting to persuade someone else,
you use the two strategies to highlight certain aspects of the conversation
and to downplay other aspects of the conversation.

6.2.1 Intensify
When you intensify something, you draw attention to it by making it more
significant. You use three tools to intensify something: repetition,
association and composition. You will recognize these concepts from
commercials and other marketing campaigns because they are effective at
getting you to hear a message and purchase their product. If you think
about it, you are doing the same thing when you are attempting to
persuade someone, only your product is an idea or a decision.
o Repetition
When you repeat something multiple times, it is more likely that the other
person will remember it, which can help them to be influenced by it. Plus,
when you repeat something enough, the listener is more likely to accept
that thought or statement as true. You see this in commercials when an
advertisement repeats a word over and over again. New, improved,
bargain, or other descriptors are commonly repeated in hopes that you will
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