People have long been adding emphasis to words and phrases when they speak, in an effort to create interest and enhance understanding. However, there is an additional use of emphasis we should be aware of that comes to us from the world of hypnotism. Savvy marketers, advertsiers and politicians have used this technique for years, all in their ongoing efforts to inlfuence our choices and the direction of our thoughts.
The technique is called 'tonal marking' by hypnotists. In essence, you mark out (emphasize) segments of your spoken communications by modifying your voice pitch, volume and/or pace. This change in your voice serves to emphasize and lend more weight to those specific segments of your message. In doing so, you essentially end up with a message contained within the body of the communication.
Consider the message below, where the bolded and capitalized words represent the segments you are tonally marking.
"I don't want your to BUY THIS TOASTER until you've decided that
IT'S THE ONE FOR YOU"
On the surface, the message appears neutral and fair. However, when you look only at the passages that were marked tonally, a hidden, somewhat subliminal, message is seen. When tonal marking is used in sales and marketing pitches (as above) it is typically referred to as an embedded command. Its use may be more or less effective given other elements present throughout the rest of the 'pitch'.
However, what about when the technique is used during communications in which we are not consciously being 'sold' something? What if we were listening to someone give a talk about gender differences? They aren't trying to formally sell us, their goal is simply to inform, educate, perhaps entertain. What if they are relatively new to the professional speakers circuit though, and are trying to create a positive reputation for themself, create a bit of 'buzz' around their name? It's important to them then that you find them interesting and knowledgeable, that you... in short... like them. They might then choose to embed messages into their speech to help drive this impression. They might include sentences like the following houghout their speech...
"if you, LIKE ME, find communicating with the opposite gender confusing..."
"I'M often astounded to find how much more PASSIONATE women sound when..."
"When it comes to understanding the motivations of the oppositve sex, I, LIKE YOU find that..."
It's the tonal marking of various phrases, delivered over the course of speech, that provides the subtext. Now consider the potential for influencing your audience when these messages are delivered over the course of a 10 minute, 30 or 60 minute presentation.
What about if you delivered one such message about yourself with your 5-minute update at the weekly management meeting? Could the consistent and repetitive nature of this message influence and reinforce their perception of you? Research would have us believe YES.
TRY your own experiment, by giving IT a go. YOU just might find that you LIKE the results IT brings!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Power of Desire
At the recommendation of someone I greatly admire, I finally picked up a copy of Napoleon Hills' complete text of 'Think and Grow Rich'. Certainly, I had heard, or read, snippets of it in the past, had read numerous authors referencing it, but it had never moved from my 'to be read' list. Until now.
I have to admit that already the first chapter has given me pause to think. The topic? Desire. Not a word that we typically apply to our lives as a whole. We might stop to question what we 'want' in and from our lives, what we 'need' to get by and, perhaps, might even occasionally give voice to our dreams.
But, somehow, desire takes elements of all of these, incorporates them and elevates them. Desire is stronger than just want or need. It isn't as transient. Desire is not fleeting. It speaks to a consistency and commitment to thought and action belied by both want and need, which are more situationally based.
Additionally, our desires are more concrete than our dreams. Dreams, by their very nature, are less substantial, more corporeal, making them less tangible and therefore likely unattainable. Desire is more earthy though. It has a visceral component to it that provides an anchor for those dreams. It is more concrete, more substantial and, therefore, achievable.
It is the strength of our desire for a 'thing' that gives us the drive to achieve and succeed. However, admonitions to be 'practical', to be 'grounded', to be 'realistic and logical' in planning our lives and careers has led us to suppress our DESIRE, such that we are left doing, but not feeling.
It's hard to feel passionate about the work we do and the contributions we make when they lack any connection to our deepest desires. I am beginning to believe that it is the reconnection to our desires that is the catalyst for remarkable change to occur. Gaining clarity over our desires not only provides us with the destination, but it fuels the trip. Without it? We're likely to get caught up in doing and being and going something/somewhere less meaningful or fulfilling. We're living. We may even be 'successful' by other people's standards, but at what cost to us?
How much more excititng and energizing to be engaging in activities that feed and fulfill our desire, that move us toward our hidden, and all too often, unspoken dreams? If this stirs in you a spark of wanting, a 'desire' for more, then I invite you to begin to reconnect with your desires and passions.
Exercise: (I somehow always manage to work some kind of homework in, don't I?) You've spent years, perhaps even decades, in stifling and burying your desires. Don't expect them to reveal themselves to you overnight. Though... certainly be open to it should it happen that way for you!
I have to admit that already the first chapter has given me pause to think. The topic? Desire. Not a word that we typically apply to our lives as a whole. We might stop to question what we 'want' in and from our lives, what we 'need' to get by and, perhaps, might even occasionally give voice to our dreams.
But, somehow, desire takes elements of all of these, incorporates them and elevates them. Desire is stronger than just want or need. It isn't as transient. Desire is not fleeting. It speaks to a consistency and commitment to thought and action belied by both want and need, which are more situationally based.
Additionally, our desires are more concrete than our dreams. Dreams, by their very nature, are less substantial, more corporeal, making them less tangible and therefore likely unattainable. Desire is more earthy though. It has a visceral component to it that provides an anchor for those dreams. It is more concrete, more substantial and, therefore, achievable.
It is the strength of our desire for a 'thing' that gives us the drive to achieve and succeed. However, admonitions to be 'practical', to be 'grounded', to be 'realistic and logical' in planning our lives and careers has led us to suppress our DESIRE, such that we are left doing, but not feeling.
It's hard to feel passionate about the work we do and the contributions we make when they lack any connection to our deepest desires. I am beginning to believe that it is the reconnection to our desires that is the catalyst for remarkable change to occur. Gaining clarity over our desires not only provides us with the destination, but it fuels the trip. Without it? We're likely to get caught up in doing and being and going something/somewhere less meaningful or fulfilling. We're living. We may even be 'successful' by other people's standards, but at what cost to us?
How much more excititng and energizing to be engaging in activities that feed and fulfill our desire, that move us toward our hidden, and all too often, unspoken dreams? If this stirs in you a spark of wanting, a 'desire' for more, then I invite you to begin to reconnect with your desires and passions.
Exercise: (I somehow always manage to work some kind of homework in, don't I?) You've spent years, perhaps even decades, in stifling and burying your desires. Don't expect them to reveal themselves to you overnight. Though... certainly be open to it should it happen that way for you!
- Consider - if there was enough money in whatever you chose to be or do...
- What would you be...
- What would you do...
- ... and... most importantly...why?
- Explore - how you felt as you answered the above questions. What does it reveal to you about your desires? Is there a way to begin integrating more of it into your life right now, no matter how small? If yes... then get started and do it!
Remember, no more effort is required to aim high in life, to demand abundance and prosperity, than is required to accept misery and povertyNapoleon Hill
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