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Positive Affect

 

Techniques General persuasionKellerman and Cole's 64 Strategies > Positive Affect

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

 

Description

Get others to agree with you and do as you say by being really positive and friendly.

Approach them with a genuine smile and a good handshake. Be charming. Use their name. Show your charisma. Pay attention to them as if they are the only person in the world. Ask after the people and things they care about.

Avoid criticising them and their ideas. Accept all of their thoughts as valid, then  reframe these to show alternatives. You can also seed ideas with subtle suggestion so they later act as if these are their ideas. When they do, be impressed rather than pointing out that you thought of them first.

Even if they are negative, you stay positive. Respond to criticism as if they did not really mean to hurt you. Show concern for their state of discomfort. If necessary, offer to put off the conversation until they are feeling better.

Example

Oh, hello, Susan. How lovely to see you. You're looking so well. Would you care to come for a coffee? My treat. I've a few things I'd like your opinion about, if that's OK with you.

Yes I guess I was a bit stupid yesterday. But we're here now and it's such a nice day. Let's go for a walk. I want to hear about how you are doing first.

Yes, that's right. It's a really good idea. And of course it also means that we can go out later. Well done!

Discussion

By and large, being positive is likely to be more persuasive than being negative, which can put people off and lead them to rebel against your suggestions, almost as an act of defiance. It is perhaps surprising that so many people seem to prefer negative methods. This is typically due more to their negative internal state rather than their negative approach having any merit.

Being positive in the face of negativity can be really difficult, yet it can also be remarkably powerful. 'Terminal niceness' has a powerful effect in defusing aggression that seeks to tempt you into a stand-up argument.

Positive Affect is the 48th of the 64 compliance-gaining strategies described by Kellerman and Cole.

See also

Negative Affect, Open Body Language

 

Kellermann, K. & Cole, T. (1994). Classifying compliance gaining messages: Taxonomic disorder and strategic confusion. Communication Theory, 1, 3-60

 

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Site Menu

| Home | Top | Quick Links | Settings |

Main sections: | Disciplines | Techniques | Principles | Explanations | Theories |

Other sections: | Blog! | Quotes | Guest articles | Analysis | Books | Help |

More pages: | Contact | Caveat | About | Students | Webmasters | Awards | Guestbook | Feedback | Sitemap | Changes |

Settings: | Computer layout | Mobile layout | Small font | Medium font | Large font | Translate |

 

 

Please help and share:

 

Quick links

Disciplines

* Argument
* Brand management
* Change Management
* Coaching
* Communication
* Counseling
* Game Design
* Human Resources
* Job-finding
* Leadership
* Marketing
* Politics
* Propaganda
* Rhetoric
* Negotiation
* Psychoanalysis
* Sales
* Sociology
* Storytelling
* Teaching
* Warfare
* Workplace design

Techniques

* Assertiveness
* Body language
* Change techniques
* Closing techniques
* Conversation
* Confidence tricks
* Conversion
* Creative techniques
* General techniques
* Happiness
* Hypnotism
* Interrogation
* Language
* Listening
* Negotiation tactics
* Objection handling
* Propaganda
* Problem-solving
* Public speaking
* Questioning
* Using repetition
* Resisting persuasion
* Self-development
* Sequential requests
* Storytelling
* Stress Management
* Tipping
* Using humor
* Willpower

Principles

+ Principles

Explanations

* Behaviors
* Beliefs
* Brain stuff
* Conditioning
* Coping Mechanisms
* Critical Theory
* Culture
* Decisions
* Emotions
* Evolution
* Gender
* Games
* Groups
* Habit
* Identity
* Learning
* Meaning
* Memory
* Motivation
* Models
* Needs
* Personality
* Power
* Preferences
* Research
* Relationships
* SIFT Model
* Social Research
* Stress
* Trust
* Values

Theories

* Alphabetic list
* Theory types

And

About
Guest Articles
Blog!
Books
Changes
Contact
Guestbook
Quotes
Students
Webmasters

 

| Home | Top | Menu | Quick Links |

© Changing Works 2002-
Massive Content — Maximum Speed