Stealth Persuasion Techniques for Job Hunters

November 7, 2020 Stan

Before your interview, you will have completed the basic research. You will have visited your potential future employee’s website, understood their culture read their mission statement and plans for the future. You may have matched their corporate vocabulary on your CV, prepared some questions and have a list of bullet points of the crucial information you wish to impart about yourself

Subliminal Tactic No: 1

You are invited into the interview room, and you are on stage, as with all performances it is imperative to make an impactful entrance, the last thing you want, is to leave the meeting thinking will I ever get a second chance to make a better first impression? This means that from the outset, you need to be thinking about developing rapport.

A different method of establishing rapport is to create within yourself a mindset that you already have it. Think of your interviewer as a good friend and visualise how you greet those with whom you are familiar; please hold off on hugs and kisses, we do not mean your very close friends.

As you imagine yourself greeting people you know, notice how you are more confident, and your body language is more inclusive. You are subliminally radiating messages of acceptance and liking to those around you; who cannot fail to respond positively on a basic instinctive level. By initiating rapport in this manner, you are proactively taking the first steps to take control of the meeting.

Smiling is important too, as you enter the interview room present a neutral face and progress to a smile as you walk forward and acknowledge your interviewer. We suggest this because people notice “difference” more than “sameness,” If you enter the room smiling, presumably you were smiling outside of it too. When you smile gradually at someone, they sense they are being greeted warmly.

Subliminal Tactic No: 2

Next, while maintaining good eye contact allow the interviewer to take your lead again as you raise your hand first for the handshake. In an entirely natural way; you have from the outset subliminally assumed control of the meeting.

Subliminal Tactic No 3

Controlled experiments conducted on the word because proved it to be one of the most influential words in the English language, because as youngsters, we are programmed to believe whatever is said after the word “Because.” as the truth.

Do you recall asking “why must I go to bed now? Invariably the response was “because it is your bed time or because I say so” or you questioned “why must I eat “X,” only to be told “because it is good for you. Thankfully, for those who wish to further their influence and be more persuasive, most people are unaware of the power of “because.”

Let’s review how to covertly enhance your powers of influence and say what you want to say by strategic placement of the word “Because.” Many candidates proffer a single response when answering interview questions, and often interviewees can detect the competency of their interviewer and concern mounts if the right questions are not posed.

Presuming you want the job, your sole aim for attending an interview is to progress to the next stage; you are there to help the interviewer to make the correct decision by channeling them to ask the right questions.

Below are examples of interview questions, both candidates are equally qualified:

Interviewer What experience do you have handling a major crisis?

Candidate 1 In my first job a decision made by an experienced college turned out to be wrong and resulted in a significant interruption to the business. I took control and resolved the situation saving the company a lawsuit and many thousands of pounds.

Candidate 2 Because I have studied and qualified in Crisis and business continuity management, I am up to speed on all issues that can affect organisations such as this. There was an example at XYZ Ltd when, and so on.

Candidate one’s response answers the requirement of the question, but what makes candidate two’s answer more compelling?

Interviewer What is your biggest weakness?

Candidate 1 I occasionally find the pressure a little stressful, but it is not a problem as I can manage in most demanding situations.

Candidate 2 Stress used to be an issue but, Because I completed a Time Management Course at X, I now work well in most pressurised environments.

This is a tricky interview question as it is not in anyone’s interest to draw attention to their weaknesses. Candidate two has not only placed the weakness in the past but also verbally reinforced relevant information.

Interviewer Where do you see yourself in five years time?

Candidate 1 I want to be in a more senior management role as based on my experience I see managing a team is the next logical step

Candidate 2 Because I am highly career focussed, I have a five-year plan, my promotion was steady in XYZ Ltd. The next five years are crucial as I see myself moving towards a more people management role.

The second candidate has reinforced that they are career centred, one of the reasons for asking this question, they have highlighted the existence of a five-year plan and that previously their career progression was steady.

Having heard candidate two’s answers, an astute interviewer is likely to ask:

What evidence in your background indicates you are highly career focussed
Tell me about your five-year plan
What do you mean “moving towards” a more people management role, what timeframe do you have in mind?
Talk me through your progressive roles in your previous company.

Candidate two is expecting the questions he/she wants, following their “because” lead response, because they have planted the seed and have controlled the interview.

Tactically use of the word “Because” enables the interviewee to reinforce information verbally, offer fuller answers and crucially, direct the interviewer forwards towards asking the right question.

Recap

Meet new people as if you already know them because you radiate subliminal messages of liking and acceptance that they cannot fail to respond to favourably
Gradually break into a smile when you acknowledge others
Everything said after the word “because” is presupposed to be true because it is
By adding “because” to a request, you are guaranteed to increase your compliance rate because it happens naturally
Using the word “because” heightens your level of influence because you will appear more influential.
Use “because” more often to answer questions
Practice by preparing a list of questions and remember your answers

Enjoy these techniques they will unquestionably give you considerable advantage over those unfamiliar with their use and remember its always a good idea to practice them in a stress-free environment because the more you practice, the more proficient, you will become.

Thank you for reading this article.