If you’re looking to improve your presentation and persuasion skills beyond what is discussed in Thank You For Arguing, I highly recommend buying The Perfect Pitch by advertising genius Jon Steel.
A reading requirement for my final Public Relations class, I am astounded by how much I have enjoyed reading each chapter that has been assigned thus far. Speaking in a language similar to Heinrichs, Steel draws upon dozens of personal examples and real life experiences to demonstrate to readers “The Art of Selling Ideas and Winning New Business.”
Furthermore, you will find that many of the tactics Steel deems essential in getting an audience to listen cross over with what Heinrichs advises in Thank You For Arguing. One particular step that each author mentions is the importance of getting your audience to like you in order to persuade him or her. Steel attributes JFK’s win over Nixon in the 1960 presidential election to this ability.
He states that “The truth is that what people value in attorneys, politicians and even advertising agency presenters is what they also value in other areas of their life… in general, we vote, hire employees and engage agencies, house painters or car mechanics, in the same way we choose our friends. We do so on the basis of warmth, humor, ease of conversation, shared interests and a feeling that they like us, or would like is if they got the opportunity.”
This is such a simple idea but makes complete sense. If we are to get our audience to be receptive and attentive as Heinrichs discusses in TYFA, they MUST like and trust you. Doesn’t sound so difficult, right?
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