Customer Reviews

Covert Persuasion: Psychological Tactics and Tricks to Win the Game

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This book, although well written and well laid out, is simply a rehash of Hogan's earlier book, "The Psychology of Persuasion". This book introduces literally nothing new, simply reorganizing the material.

If you own the Psychology of Persuasion, do not purchase this book. Otherwise, definitely buy one or the other.

(As an aside, I find it amusing that Hogan and his publisher believe the key to sales to be re-introducing the same material in different works, rather than creating "new editions". They may be right, but as someone who almost bought two "identical" books, it's a little annoying!)

I was thinking that this book was going to be a little more about getting compliance out of individuals, along the lines of verbal judo. However, I found the book to be mostly about sales, and most concepts related to salesmen. Some of the concepts could be applied to getting compliance out of non-compliant individuals, but it seemed like the main focus was how to sell a product.

I like this book because it focuses on practical tools that work. You'll recognize some strategies and tactics, others will be new to you, and a number will surprise you. Hogan goes beyond the worn platitudes and shows what research has shown to work in persuasion. "Covert Persuasion" is packed with examples to show how you can put these tools into practice.

I love chapters 8 and 9. We've all heard about the importance of using stories to persuade. And that's correct. But they need to be the right stories with the necessary ingredients. And they need to be told the right way. How can we avoid the mistakes that so many of us make in storytelling?

Chapter 8 gives you 20 keys to using covert persuasion in story. You'll then read stories that grab you...because they illustrate those 20 keys. You'll be able to tell stories that move others in the direction you want.

Chapter 9 shows how to use questions most effectively in persuasion. It's much more than making a list of questions and plowing through them. Which questions should we use in what parts of the persuasion process? This chapter gives excellent information and examples.

The last chapter gives you four worksheets to quickly choose ways to deliver your next message most effectively.

Anyone I can think of...whether or not they formally consider themselves as "salespeople"...will earn a high return by using these tools in daily interactions with others.

I bought this book partly on the strengths of previous reviews, and as such I expected a much more in depth and meticulously researched book than it was.

The book is squarely aimed at a sales audience, so the writing style is more that of a motivational book than an introduction to or tutorial on covert persuasion. So many of the techniques are prefaced with superlatives about their effectiveness that it begins to sound a bit silly. Many of the book's tip lists are embellished by duplicating previous entries with somewhat altered wording.

The word "covert" was irrelevant to the majority of the book's examples; many are simply restatements of classic personality skills. The conversation examples are awkward at times, and it's hard to imagine them unfolding in a real-world setting. My own biggest disappointment, though, was the shortage (or lack, in many cases) of references or hard data to support the effectiveness claims that you'll find peppered throughout the material.

I won't call the book useless; it has its merits, and there are a good ten or eleven pages worth taking notes on. In fairness, books I consider very good contain maybe 10% noteworthy pages, while the rest consists mainly of explanation and examples, which is as it should be. However, there is little to be learned here that you wouldn't find in a day or two's worth of reading on Wikipedia, and having done that before buying the book, reading it felt like an episode of déjà vu, even as a newcomer to the subject of NLP.

If you're in sales, relatively green at it, and you want a motivational book with mostly good advice on how better to communicate with prospects and clients, this book does fit that bill. If you're a skeptical sort like me looking for data, statistics, concrete examples and copious authoritative and neutral references, this is not that book.

I just sat down and got through 4 chapters of this thing and I literally had to put it down and come vent a bit.
When I ordered this book (based on so many positive reviews) I was excited and eager to read it.
But I'm pretty disappointed in and more than moderately annoyed by it.

1. The editing is weak. From a reader's vantage point I am continually distracted by awkward phrasing, minor typos, debatable punctuation and Laissez-faire writing. "There she is." "Sharp as a tack."
"Funny thing is that before you paint those pictures you want to address the resistance." What kind of sentences are these? They're irritating and begging for rephrasing.
Was the author trying to be "folksy?" Ugh. Even worse... was he just trying to fill up the pages?

2. The content seems to be nothing but rehashed pop-psychology. Sure there's a bibliography at the end, but I don't need a bibliography to summarize the author's points: Make people want what you're selling. Help customers see your product in a positive light and dismiss the competitors. Get the customer to imagine himself using your product. Make people think they're coming up with the ideas you are feeding them and they will be happy to embrace the ideas. Don't get in a shouting match with anyone, rather be subtle and cunning.
How is this even a book? No one needs to be told this stuff. People want to understand HOW to use the ideas.

3. Even if you think these "insights" are important enough to justify a book, does the author NEED to write what he's written about again and again?
If you look at page 30 you will see three successive short paragraphs that begin as such:
"If you will recall, I shared with you that when people..."
"And remember, you've discovered that people's beliefs..."
"And, I've shared with you how people..."

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I read the previous chapters. Why is he regurgitating it? If there is an important concept connected to the content he's trying to remind me of, then why didn't he make it crystal clear when he brought it up the first time?
And I didn't "discover that people's beliefs" anything. The author made this deduction. This is only one of the endless examples where the author INFORMS you about what he's already written about. But then again, I suppose that is consistent with the complaint I've read in others' reviews: that this entire book is just a rehash of some other book and it should only have been released as a second edition to the first book, not given its own title. So maybe consistency counts for something?

4. The book has a right-wing bias. It is pro "church" and "Republicans" and anti "Democrats." While everyone is entitled to their own place along the political spectrum and the bias is sure to be reassuring to some of the book's audience it's not actually germane and if you're not on that particular bandwagon, then it is just another annoying facet to an already annoying book.

5. The author is quite free with his use of the imperative tense. What's that all about? Some kind of NLP tactic? And what's with the author's self proclaimed "$10,000 ideas"? Now there's a bit of arrogance. He claims the ideas warrant the dollar value since you can either improve your business that much or enjoy intangible benefits worth that much. So you'll make a bunch of money off each of these tips, or even if you don't you'll be satisfied as if you had... Right.

6. While anyone might defend the book against all my complaints by saying that my complaints are perhaps too nit-picky, please remember that I bought this book because I WANTED to learn from it. I bought it believing it was good and well written. I didn't start out saying to myself "Let's see what I can find wrong with this." The book's faults have jumped out at me. They annoy me. They are hard for me to ignore, even though I believe there must be some good ideas in here and I'd LIKE to get my money's worth out of it. And if that's not enough to convince you how about this: This whole book is supposed to be about how to get people on board with you and your ideas! If the author turns off an excited, motivated reader (who has PAID for the book!) then shouldn't he have a clue as to the subtleties that affect the "relationship" between himself and the reader? Shouldn't he know how to say what he needs to say without annoying people?
I have to wonder about all the high praise others have given this book. Are they all people who have previously "drank the kool-aid"? Maybe people who have been to live seminars? Maybe the author is irresistibly charismatic in person?
7. My final complaint is that maybe some of the book's schizophrenia comes from the fact that there are two authors, yet the entire book is written in the first person using the pronoun "I" without ever clarifying whether it's Kevin or James writing. "I shared...." "I once gave a seminar where..." "I'm going to show you that..." "My mother regularly told me that..."
Did they switch off writing each chapter and insecurely feel they had to make sure to rehash what the other guy already wrote just in case he didn't say it right? Did one guy do all the writing while the other guy did all the Xeroxing at the library? Did they write each chapter collaboratively, thus creating some kind of conglomerate persona? They never say "we felt compelled to write this book" or "we couldn't afford a decent editor" or "we read some of the stuff we referenced in the bibliography."
Bottom line: I'm disappointed and irritated and those very facts seem to be in such discord with the subject matter that I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this thing now. The book actually addresses the topic of "rapport" which seems like some sick ironic joke.
Ugh. I really wish I hadn't wasted my money.

Hogan's Covert Persuasion certainly contains some useful tips. But Hogan writes in a juvenile and sloppy style that robs him of credibility. To make matters worse, the book seems not to have been edited at all. Entire paragraphs are duplicated by redundant writing or, in a few cases, apparently as a result of cut-paste errors. Spelling mistakes add holes to an already sinking ship.

The book's 208 content pages could easily and usefully be condensed to 100. Chapter 8, for example, claims to offer "20 keys to using covert persuasion in a story." But most tips merely repeat each other. Tips 1-3 and 10 are "know your purpose in telling the story." Tips 12, 16, 17, and 20 are "Directly quote your characters, especially when complimenting yourself."

Hogan offends the reader with poorly constructed sentences and rambling chapters. It is a struggle to understand this book -- not because it is complex, but because the writer (and editor) couldn't be bothered to polish and condense the content. On page 130, a section header tells us "Lazy Is the Natural State of Mind." No kidding.

I got this book and consumed it in one sitting and the moment you crack the cover you'll understand why. I was floored by the level of detail and insight contained in the text. This book gives you detail after minute detail on exactly how to persuade anyone . . . even those who don't want to be persuaded.

Hogan and Speakman have unmasked and detailed some of the most effective persuasion techniques ever tested today. What I really like is the way that they tell you about the technique, show you exactly how to apply it step by step and then walk you through exercises that make the new knowledge yours.

This is a guidebook, a treatise on persuasion and an eye opening exploration into what is possible when persuasion is systematically and ethically applied.

One of the most interesting sections in the book is the Persuasive Language patterns and the $10,000 persuasion trick.

I also enjoyed this book as a guidebook to predicting human behavior and the tactics and strategies for predicting outcomes will bring you back time and again as you practice them and experience their effectiveness.

An amazing book and a must read for every serious persuader.

Dave Lakhani
Author - Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want and The Power of an Hour: Business and Life Mastery in One Hour a Week.

As a student of marketing and sales techniques, Covert Persuasion sits at the top of my stack of my books on the subject. Having purchased and read Hogan's Psychology of Persuasion, The Science of Influence, Talk Your Way to the Top, and Irresistible Attraction, I trusted Hogan's skills enough to buy Covert Persuasion new and without reading any excerpts.

I was not disappointed.

Since the book is the intellectual child of his Psychology of Persuasion and Science of Influence, I urge you to get those books as well. All three books are overflowing with the latest research on persuasion.

My favorite chapter was chapter number 6, entitled The Focused Outcome Mindset, which explains that to be successful, one must imagine a desired outcome, design active steps toward that desired outcome, and continue to take those steps. I got a sense as I read Chapter 6 that Hogan was not merely restating what has been put down in many a self-help book, but showing us the drive and determination it takes him to stay at the top of the marketing research and speaking games. The man is determined. (Did you know it took him five years to get The Psychology of Persuasion in print?)

In Chapter 4, Hogan introduces us to what he calls hypnotic language patterns. I wouldn't tell you to read this chapter first, but you might want to know what it says and apply it to your career or business. If I could show you a way to learn hypnotic language patterns, would you listen to me? (I just used several of Hogan's hypnotic language patterns; read the book and find them!)

In Chapter 10, Hogan recounts 27 Observations About People (And How to Covertly Persuade Them). Therein, you'll find such critical principles as People Do More to Avoid Pain Than They Will Do to Gain Pleasure, Negative People Infect Others. Avoid Them, Peer Pressure Doesn't End with High School and many others. These will not only help you get inside potential customers' minds, but if applied, will help you in life.

This is the kind of book that you will leave highlighted , sticky noted, and dog-eared. When you get it you will feel as if you've got a weapon no one else has!

Lastly, make sure you apply the techniques in the book. As he writes in Chapter 6, no book can change your life. Only you can.

William Powell Jr.
Author - Valkyrie ISBN: 1-59080-529-1and dietersdictionary.com

Do you really want to learn the art of persuasion? This is a trick question - you will understand it after reading the book. I have to say that even after reading it, I do not believe real persuasion is to play a trick on someone. You can fool someone, but in the long run you will get caught and this type of "persuasion" will catch up with you. I am simply not interested in that subject, so I was quite ready to throw the book, if it proved to trumpet the value of tricking someone. The use of the word "trick" in the title is unfortunate, because the book, with a few exceptions, is not a repository of tricks, but a pretty good analysis of successful communication.

The writing is clean and clear. There are no complex theories, statements of advice are explained in a straightforward manner. The reader could appreciate the purposeful style. Although the tactics are listed using a dry numbering system ("Covert Persuasion Tactic #32), they are grouped in chapters following well defined concepts. I thought the authors handled quite well the delicate issues of emotion and belief. One of the positive aspects of the book is that the reader can follow a system to educate new, better communication habits. Some readers could find observations that provoke thinking beyond the simple idea of persuasion.

The authors make an effort to simplify the message of persuasion (they have to persuade you, right?), but they also emphasize the fact that one has to put in more effort in order to get better results. It is about being motivated, knowing what you want and hard work. Some of the more interesting concepts in the book are:

- People don't believe in something because of a specific reason, they just do
- Always be outcome focused, imaging final product
- Avoid mind drifting, which is caused by tiredness
- Focus requires energy
- Anticipate, always anticipate
- Beware when someone else's agenda is on your to-do list
- Communicate with intention

The title and the introduction style do not do justice to the book. It has more depth than it lets you believe. It is better if you take your time and read it slowly - and think about it, rather than skip through it.

Overall, the book is useful, even if you are already familiar with some of the concepts. Occasionally, the book drops the quality by dipping into sales demagogic rhetoric (just ignore that), but considering the size of the covered territory, it has remarkable tempo and interestedness. I am writing this review a month after I read the book and I can say that a few ideas in the book are sticky: they stay with you for a while. That means the book is onto something.

Loaded with information and tactics on persuasion, this book is a must have for anyone who wants to learn the art of persuasion from the master. Kevin Hogan never ceases to amaze me each time he comes out with a new program or book. They all have the best and newest cutting edge information on the market; and "Covert Persuasion" is no different. Hogan and Speakman reveal secrets you won't find anywhere else on how to persuade anyone using mind tricks and psychological tactics. If you have the need to persuade anyone in your business or in your personal life, I suggest you get this book Now!