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Photo Credit: Eli Meier Kaplan

f you’re a regular reader of ESM, you’ve have many choices, not much informaton One intriguing consequence of this line of
no doubt heard of Dan Pink and you’ve and no way to talk back. But we don’t live research is that you increase your power by
Iprobably read at least one or two of his in that world anymore. We live in a world reducing it. What I mean by that is that when
books. Afer all, Pink’s blockbuster bestsellers, where buyers have as much informaton as people feel powerful, they’re less likely to
A Whole New Mind and Drive, fall right in sellers, where buyers have all kinds of choices take others’ perspectves. The research shows
the sweet spot for those of us interested in and where buyers have all kind of ways to prety clearly that feelings of power have the
talk back. In that world the social science
efect of degrading your perspectve-taking
human motvaton and what inspires people. suggests a new set of ABCs—the foundatonal power, that there is essentally an inverse
Pink’s latest book, To Sell is Human, may sound qualites necessary to sell your product, your correlaton between feelings of power and
a litle less related to engagement, but it service, your idea, or yourself on this remade perspectve-taking. The reason for that is
actually ofers a number of useful insights into landscape. The new ABCs are: A – Atunement; prety clear. If I’m powerful and I’m dealing
human nature and what compels us to make B – Buoyancy; and C – Clarity. with people who aren’t powerful, why should
the decisions we do. I take their point of view? If they were as
ESM: Ok, so take us through them, startng
I recently interviewed Dan Pink in with Atunement. What does that mean? awesome as me, they’d be the ones in power.
front of a part live/part virtual audience of But the problem with that is that when people
more than 400 people for TMGovU, a new Pink: Atunement is perspectve-taking. Can feel powerful and they lose their perspectve-
taking ability, they’re actually less efectve.
online academy for leaders in the public you get out of your own head and see things One big reason that people quit jobs is that
sector. I wanted to know what’s new about from someone else’s point of view? This is they have a boss who never takes their
motivation and persuasion today and why. really important because, again, whether
we’re persuading prospects and customers or perspectve. And one thing that you can do to
ESM: Let’s get right to the heart of it. whether we’re persuading people on the job, get beter at this is to increase your power by
What has changed about persuading and we don’t have much coercive power today. reducing it. Let me make this a litle bit more
motvatng people today? It's hard to command people to do things. So concrete, so let’s say that I was your boss.
you’ll be far more efectve when you’re able Let’s say that I’m your boss and I want you to
Pink: In the old days, the typical sales advice to take the other person’s perspectve and fnd do something diferent or I want you to do
was ABC. Always Be Closing. That’s actually common ground. something in a diferent way. Do you think you
not bad advice in a world where buyers don’t
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engagement strategies Vol.17 Issue 4 17