Motivation is a call to action. Motivation inspires change, movement and focus; It’s what makes the world go round. The Art of Motivation is essential for Master Persuaders. How do you motivate in a way that pushes people to take the actions you want them to take? How can you plant the seeds to encourage motivation? As a persuader, one of the keys to success is motivating yourself and others. We’ve all had days when we didn’t feel like doing the things we knew we had to do. There is no point in persuading and getting others to agree with your point of view if you can’t get them to take action.
Martin Luther King said, “If a man has not discovered something for which he will die, he is not fit to live.” To successfully motivate someone, or get them to internalize motivation, they must create a deep hunger or thirst. It has been said that you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot force it to drink. That’s true. But let it be known that you can give that horse salt and create such a thirst that the horse must have water. As a primary motivator, you’re giving his prospects salt. You are endeavoring to create such a thirst in other people that they cannot wait to act.
You’ll find that people tend to get short-term motivated, run out of steam, and then fall back into the rut they were trying to get out of in the first place. As a persuader and motivator, you need to understand what moves people from action to inaction. What causes us to lose enthusiasm, vision and energy? When you notice that your prospects are losing motivation, here are the reasons why:
- the desire to win
- The desire to avoid loss.
- to make money
- To avoid criticism
- To save time
- To prevent loss of possessions.
- To avoid the effort
- To avoid physical pain
- To achieve comfort
- To avoid loss of reputation.
- be healthy
- To avoid losing money
- Be popular
- To avoid problems
- The Desire to Win (continued)
- to experience pleasure
- Be clean
- to be praised
- be fashionable
- to satisfy curiosity
- to whet an appetite
- have beautiful possessions
- be an individual
- To emulate others
- To take advantage of opportunities
You can’t change a habit unless you replace it with another. The same is true for motivation. You can’t change the way someone is motivated unless you replace the undesirable motivation with a desirable one. You have to understand if your prospect’s motivation is a positive motivation or a destructive motivation.
Once you identify inspiration, build on that inspiration until you create intense hunger. This means that you get your prospects to take responsibility for their own lives. Ask them to set new goals or review their existing goals and the reasons for setting them. Another way to fuel the fire is to find someone who shares that same passion.
Since Maslow introduced the concept of needs, countless motivational theories have come to light. Avid McClelland proposed that we learn three things that motivate us throughout life: achievement, affiliation, and power. John C. Mowen used the three “R’s” of motivation: reward, recognition, and reinforcement. Bob Stone suggests that people respond to “gain something they don’t have or to avoid losing something they now have.” He created this basic human wish list to explain his theory. In his book The Hidden Persuaders, Vance Packard identifies eight hidden needs that motivate people to act:
1. Need for emotional security: We live in uncertain times. Terrorism lurks, events on Wall Street are unstable, we are surrounded by sickness and disease, etc. We need security, comfort and stability in our lives.
2. Need to feel self-esteem: Much of today’s society is cold, competitive and indifferent. We want to experience a place in the world where we know we’ve made a difference.
3. Need for ego gratification: We want recognition and praise. We all want to feel important.
4. Need for creativity: We feel more satisfaction and fulfillment when we can work creatively through hobbies, sports, and other forms of recreation.
5. Need for pockets of love: Life is richer when we have someone to share our love with, for example, friends, children, grandchildren, spouse or pets.
6. Need for control: We need to feel that we have some control or power over our environment, our environment or our conditions.
7. Need to belong: We want to feel that we are an integral part of the world and that we are important to the people we love, respect or admire.
8. Need for immortality: We fear dying or being forgotten. We buy life insurance because we want to leave something behind.
Motivation begins with vision. People need to believe that they will succeed at what you are motivating them to do. No one likes to lose. Nobody wants to lose. Nobody wants to be associated with losers. So instill in your listener or audience a vision of winning. Thinking that we can win and seeing victory in our mind’s eye awakens our inner motivation. When we help others think about past victories or instill in them the vision of victory, we can motivate them to act. Olympic coach Charles Garfield says that the best players are motivated by a sense of mission.
Learning to persuade and influence will make the difference between expecting better income and having better income. Beware of common mistakes presenters and persuaders make that cause them to lose the deal.
Master persuaders present a winning package. When people feel victory or achievement, they will make sacrifices and become energized. They will find a way to succeed and win. If they feel defeated, they will make little personal effort, make many excuses, and exhibit a lack of energy for the cause.
Motivation is the true art. When you understand the Laws of Persuasion you will not only be able to motivate, but you will also have earned the right to motivate.
conclusion
Persuasion is the missing piece of the puzzle that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost due to your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure you’ve seen some success, but think of the times you couldn’t. Has there ever been a time when you didn’t understand their point of view? Are you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and achieve your goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, knowing what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feeling more confident in your persuasiveness. Professional success, personal happiness, leadership potential, and income depend on the ability to persuade, influence, and motivate others.