From: alexhormozi
One of the most powerful tactics in persuasion involves using integrity to increase trust in prospects by owning your deficiencies with a single statement [00:00:07].
The Role of Trust in Sales
The degree to which a prospect will buy is directly correlated with how much they trust you [00:00:20]. In a B2B scenario, if someone truly believed they would make ten dollars back for every dollar spent, everyone would buy [00:00:25]. This belief hinges on whether they trust the seller [00:00:37].
Referrals are a prime example: it’s easy to close deals with referred prospects because the referrer has already imbued you with trust [00:00:50]. These individuals come in with sky-high trust, and the seller primarily needs to get out of their way [00:01:01].
The “Damaging Admission” Tactic
This tactic, learned from Eminem in “8 Mile,” uses the word “but” in a specific way [00:01:07]. It’s known as “damaging admission,” which is a highly effective persuasion technique [00:01:19]. It allows for greater honesty in a world where many charlatans make huge promises without being authentic [00:01:27]. By using this method, you stand out positively [00:01:39].
How the Word “But” Works
The principle involves reversing a common statement structure.
- Ineffective Structure: 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; hundreds of hours of videos, five hours a day to execute” [00:01:54]. In this scenario, attention is directed to the negative aspects [00:02:11].
- Effective Structure: Negative statement BUT positive statement [00:02:24].
- The word “but” acts as an amplifier for the second half of the statement [00:02:30].
- Everything after “but” is amplified [00:03:40].
- Everything before “but” is diminished [00:03:52].
This technique allows you to control where your prospect’s attention is directed – after the word “but” [00:03:57]. The more true and damaging the initial negative statements are, the more believable the subsequent positive statement becomes [00:03:31].
Practical Examples
Gym Launch Program
“If you sign up for Gym Launcher, 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]. The initial negatives make the promise of more money highly believable.
Dating Analogy
“Listen, sometimes I have a temper, I can be short at times, I don’t have a ton of time to get dedicated to a relationship right now because my business is taking up the majority of my time, but I’m absolutely fantastic in bed” [00:02:59]. The negative admissions increase the believability of the positive claim [00:03:17].
Reviews and Credibility
Companies like Gym Launch, while having one-star reviews, also have thousands of five-star reviews [00:04:52]. Consumers often prefer a product with a 4.7-star rating from 3,000 reviews over a 5-star rating from 19 [00:05:00]. The “damaging admissions” (negative reviews) give credence to the positive ones [00:05:14].
Viagra Commercial
A famous Viagra commercial included a warning label: “If an erection lasts longer than four hours, you must contact a medical professional” [00:05:22]. This genuine risk amplified the perceived power of the product, making every man interested [00:05:41].
Tax Burden Analogy
“Warning, 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 that you’re going to have to pay as a result of the amount of money we’re going to make you” [00:05:57]. By warning people about the extreme adverse effects of the promised result, it makes the underlying believability of achieving that result seem assumed [00:06:15].
Benefits and Application
This is a powerful persuasion tactic that is based on integrity [00:06:41]. You are simply stating things that someone would eventually find out anyway, using those things to increase the persuasiveness of your argument [00:06:47].
Incorporating this into your copy, especially as you get closer to your call to actions, makes your message much more persuasive [00:04:39]. When used in sales presentations, it leads to prospects trusting you more and being more likely to buy [00:07:03].