From: alexhormozi
A powerful tactic in persuasion involves using integrity to increase trust with prospects by openly acknowledging deficiencies with a single statement [00:00:07]. This approach helps sales professionals stand out in a world where many make exaggerated claims [00:01:30].
The Importance of Trust in Sales
The degree to which a prospect will buy is directly correlated with how much they trust the salesperson [00:00:20]. In a B2B scenario, if a prospect truly believed they would make 10 times their investment, everyone would buy because there’s no logical reason not to [00:00:25].
Ultimately, if a prospect’s beliefs in themselves, the system, and the world are aligned, and they truly believe at their core, they will buy [00:00:46]. This is why referrals are often easy to close: the referrer has already instilled trust in the salesperson, allowing the prospect to come in with sky-high trust [00:00:50].
The “Damaging Admission” Tactic
This persuasion technique, inspired by Eminem in “8 Mile,” uses the word “but” to create a “damaging admission” [00:01:07]. It allows for greater honesty, making the salesperson appear more authentic [00:01:27].
How the “But” Statement Works
The concept is to reverse the typical positive-then-negative statement order [00:02:22].
- Original (Less Persuasive): Positive statement but negative statement [00:02:22].
- Example: “You’re going to make a ton of money if you work with me, but it’s going to be a ton of work.” [00:01:54]
- Reversed (More Persuasive): Negative statement but positive statement [00:02:26].
- The word “but” acts as an amplifier for the second half of the statement [00:02:30].
- Everything after “but” is amplified [00:03:41].
- Everything before “but” is diminished [00:03:52].
- This allows control over where the prospect’s attention is directed [00:03:57].
The more negatives admitted at the beginning, especially if they are true and damaging, the more believable the subsequent positive statement becomes [00:03:18]. This is why the tactic is deeply rooted in integrity [00:04:45].
Examples of Application
Sales Pitches
- Original phrasing: “You’re going to make a ton of money if you work with me, but it’s going to be a ton of work; hundreds of hours of videos, five hours a day for execution.” [00:01:54] (This directs attention to the negatives [00:02:13].)
- Damaging admission phrasing: “Listen, if you sign up for Gym Launch, you’re going to have to go through hundreds of hours of videos, you’re going to have to take five hours a day to work and do these things, but you’re going to make more money than ever in your life.” [00:02:34] (This amplifies the positive outcome.)
Real-World Scenarios
- Product Reviews: A business like Gym Launch might have many one-star reviews, but also thousands of five-star reviews [00:04:52]. The negative reviews, or “damaging admissions,” lend credence to the positive ones, similar to choosing a restaurant with 4.7 stars from 3,000 ratings over one with 5 stars from 19 ratings [00:05:00]. This highlights the importance of proof.
- Viagra Commercials: The famous warning, “If an erection lasts longer than four hours, contact a medical professional,” acted as a “damaging admission” [00:05:22]. By highlighting a genuine risk, it amplified the perceived power of the product, making men want it more [00:05:44].
- Business Success: Warning prospects, “When you sign up and start working with Gym Launch, you’re going to massively increase your tax burden. We are not liable for the amount of taxes you’re going to have to pay as a result of the amount of money we’re going to make,” amplifies the believability of the promised financial success by stating a negative consequence of an extreme positive [00:05:57].
Benefits of Using Damaging Admissions
When this tactic is woven into sales copy, especially near calls to action, people are more likely to believe you, making the copy more persuasive [00:04:40]. It allows you to use things someone will eventually discover anyway to your advantage, increasing the persuasiveness of your argument [00:06:49]. By employing these sales tactics to build trust, prospects will believe you more and be more likely to buy [00:07:06].