Public Speaking Notes

by Kenrick Cleveland

“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” -Henry Miller

I love words. I love language patterns and word meanings and the tremendous world of linguistics. For over thirty years I’ve been studying persuasion. I have been studying the language of persuasion. Of course there are some physical components to persuasion, but ultimately, persuasion is a world of words. I’m thrilled to bring you this information.

Aldous Huxley said, “Every individual is at once the beneficiary and the victim of the linguistic tradition into which he has been born - the beneficiary inasmuch as language gives access to the accumulated records of other people’s experience, the victim in so far as it confirms him in the belief that reduced awareness is the only awareness and as it bedevils his sense of reality, so that he is all too apt to take his concepts for data, his words for actual things.”

This is an amazing description of how language can either expand our universes or reduce our awareness. And by studying persuasion, we can maximize our benefit of our linguistic traditions.

One of my favorite aspects of linguistics is the language pattern. And one of my favorite language patterns is ‘the awareness pattern’.

The three words that I use a lot in this category are aware, realize and experience. By simply saying one of these words you’re making the person start the mental process that you mention. You’re inciting them to become aware, to realize or to experience. These words are important in your persuasion arsenal because everything that follows them is presupposed to be true.

As you gain skill in being able to use these words powerfully, you might think that someone may respond to the question, ‘Are you aware of?’ by saying, ‘No.’ I assure you when done properly this doesn’t really ever happen but if it ever did, all you need to say is, ‘Not yet, huh?’

Example: “The more you begin to construct in your mind the ways you’ll be using these patterns, the more you will begin to realize the outrageously profitable techniques you are learning. Are you starting to experience the growing awareness of what being involved in my program will bringyou as I tell you about it and as you go through it?”

Is the awareness of the power of these patterns starting to sink in? Let’s go through this. I’m not asking you if these patterns have power; that would not be a presupposition and would not be helpful. I’m asking you ‘are you aware of the power?’. If you’re not aware, it presupposes you need to be. And if you are aware, you’ll state such that you are. By saying, ‘Yes, I’m aware,’ then you know the power of the patterns and you agree they’re starting to sink in and if you’re not aware, then by hearing the question asked, you begin to become aware.

If you’re feeling a little excited by this information, you’re ready to learn more about how language can expand your universe.

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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