Winning Through Framing
I'm guessing this has never happened to you (or to anybody in the history of the world ever). You're driving down the freeway, maybe a little too fast, and you get pulled over by a police officer. The officer walks up to your car, you roll down the window, and he says, "I'm so sorry to bother you, but I think maybe a slight infraction of the law has occurred. . . I'm wondering if you wouldn't mind showing me your license and registration. I'm so sorry to inconvenience you here."
Yeah. . .that's never happened. Why? Well, law enforcement doesn't concern themselves with your inconvenience or worry about offending you or bothering you. They don't operate within the frame of concerning themselves with your experience of them. They operate from the perspective that they are in charge and that you will do exactly as they tell you to do. They operate with the assumption that they have all the power in any interaction of this kind and they're quite comfortable in their use of this power.
Maybe not all officers are that extreme but I'm exaggerating a little to make my point.
Frames which we set for ourselves or which other people set for us, influence each and every interaction we have--whether it be business, personal, romantic, or other.
This is not to suggest that we have to constantly pull power trips on people, but simply means that when we approach a situation, any situation, that we have our resolve set, and our intentions in place for what we desire. I've never approached a potential student by saying, "Gee, I can probably help you learn persuasion. And I guess it's possible that your sales might increase as a result of learning to persuade." No. That's not at all how I operate. How good a persuader would I be if I were shy about my persuasion teaching abilities?
Framing is what we use to control everything. If we extend that and look at what that means, in any area of our life, there are frames that are operating and those frames are dictating our behavior, our responses and the way in which the interaction takes place.
Consider the frame of a financial adviser and prospect. There are many frames to choose from. There's the frame that the prospect can set, as in, 'Prove to me why I should use you.' The adviser might adopt an 'expert' frame, as in, 'I'm the expert in this field and work with people who understand and can benefit from what I can do.'
Those are two strong frames that are utilized all the time. Here's a frame that isn't strong and will put you in a one down position: 'I guess I'm not really anybody. I lucked into getting my license and now I'm representing a few companies because a friend hooked me up. But maybe there's something I can do to help you.'
Is that the financial adviser for you? Definitely not.
Before your next meeting, think about the frames that you're using when you meet with the people around you.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
About the Author
Kenrick Cleveland teaches strategies to earn the business of affluent clients using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion strategies.
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by: KenrickCleveland
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