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Phil Jones noticed that in large groups of people, particularly in commercial scenarios, with all things being equal (skill, capabilities, resources), some people are just way more successful. He realized that the key differentiator was that top performers knew exactly what to say, how to say it, and how to make it count. These “magic words” of influence are the basis of his new book, Exactly What to Say—where he unpacks some of the verbal cues that we can all directly apply to our conversations, to move people from “maybe” to a definitive yes or no. Phil joined us for a funny and insightful conversation about the power of words to help you become more persuasive.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Speaking to the subconscious brain in order to help people take the path of least resistance.
• Why you should stop trying to move people from no to yes, and instead help them move past maybe to make up their mind more effectively.
• Understanding motivation—people make decisions based on what feels right first, and then justifies that decision with logic.
• Why sales success doesn’t happen the day the contract gets signed—it happens when the client achieves (and exceeds) the result that they consulted you to create in the first place.
• The power of confidence. “The way I see it, you have 3 options… you could stay in your current situation, you could scan the market endlessly, or you can buy from me knowing that if it doesn’t work out we could tear up the contract and go back to where you are now.” You’ll want to try this trick out right away!

For anyone who would benefit from becoming more persuasive (aka everyone!), this is a conversation you’ll want to come back to again and again.

Actionable Quote 
“We don’t care about things making sense, until we’ve taken the time for it to feel right first.”

Links
Exactly What To Say Summary
PhilMJones.com
Buy Exactly What To Say
Pre-Order Exactly How To Sell