Ways We Learn: Small Pieces Of Persuasion

A student recently asked me, "Kenrick, how the heck do you keep track of all of the persuasion strategies you know? Each time we have a coaching call, it seems like you pull out some new strategy. I can't even remember the basics like using the unconscious hello. How can I remember to remember?'

So I asked my student, "Have you ever learned a second language?" He said, "Yes." I asked, "Well, were you fluent within a week of starting it?"

And I asked him, "And have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?" He said, "In fact, I have. I play the piano." I asked, "Well, were you playing Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos after a few lessons?"

My feeling is that persuasion is equally as rich and intricate as learning a new language and playing a musical instrument, and maybe even more so, because once you know a language, aside from learning more difficult words, and once you play an instrument, aside from learning more challenging compositions, there is a finite amount of information you can learn. With persuasion, we are dealing with an ever expanding field with breakthroughs happening one after the other.

And when I think of what it is that makes a good student, a good learner, my most worthwhile advice is this: Practice. In order to do something well, in order to do something thoroughly, you have to master the basics and practice the hell out of it.

There have been traditionally five different methods of learning: imprinting, habituation, associative learning, observational learning and play.

Imprinting happens as a phase--usually we see this with young babies and animals learning from their parents. For our purposes in learning persuasion, we have no use for this method. . .we're way past imprinting. However, the brain state that we achieve with the use of the light and sound machines closely resembles the brain state babies are in.

Habitual learning is when an animal responds to a stimulus. If the stimulus is not rewarding or harmful then their response to the stimulus diminishes over time. This is mainly an other than conscious/sub conscious learning.

For persuasion purposes, there are two types of learning that we can use in our quest for mastery. The first is observational. We are all very familiar with observing. We do it all the time. Observe, repeat. Observe, repeat. We pay attention to what's going on around us and then we emulate it.

And we all know what play is. At the end of each of my coaching calls I give out homework which I call 'home play'. I do this because I love the idea that what we are doing is enjoyable, exciting and creative. The concept of playfulness is a way to enhance our experience of learning persuasion and of enjoying life in general.

To my frustrated student, I responded, "Persuasion is playful, persuasion is observation, persuasion is habitual, persuasion is repetition, persuasion is emulating, it's commitment, it's intention, and it comes in time with persistence and practice."