Customer Reviews

The Elements of Persuasion: Use Storytelling to Pitch Better, Sell Faster & Win More Business

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In The Tycoon, a recent New Yorker Magazine article about Mort Zuckerman, the billionaire communications mogul and back-channel ambassador, the author pointed to Zuckerman's skill in telling stories, some true and some anecdotal, as one of the strongest arrows in his Zuckerman's quiver as a consumate persuader and power broker.

Shortly after I read the article, I came across Maxwell and Dickman's excelent handbook, The Elements of Persuasion, a brilliant analysis of the components of every compelling story-whether it's talking a cop out of a parking ticket, getting that last stand-by seat to get to a wedding, or making a memorable presentation that doesn't end up in the PowerPoint land fill.

Maxwell and Dickman offer a five-element matrix, rooted in greek philosophy and confimed by the most recent discoveries of cognitive science, that can be used to create compelling narratives, whether simple or complex. I found this book imminently readable, entertaining and immediately applicable.

This short book covers some interesting territory: how the Ritz hotels interview people to get the ones they want(ask the applicant if she likes to help people, get the standard answer, "oh yes" and then spring on her, "give me an example"?); the way the Marine Corps builds their internal brand, creating a sense of one for all and all for one with their shared physical challanges and drilling; the study of mirror neurons and how they create the mental sense of empathy; the role of the antagonist in storytelling(a business can have several but make sure it is an authentic antagonist, not a straw one.) Real world apps? Do physical stuff with your employees, because like the Marines, it imparts a sense of shared struggle and feeling of one unit. Uncomfortable with your story telling skills? Go out in the forest and yell out loud your main points( some good advice---from Asian culture--- on getting to the core of your message but yelling in the woods?) Their main point though is that "stories are facts wrapped in emotion "and it must have emotion, a hero, a protagonist and transformation.' A lesson that bears repeating. While they try to impose some order on the book's contents with these key elements, it falls short. Feel free to flip though the chapters and not constrained to read through from front to back.

The authors' passion comes through loud and clear and they wrote the entire book in humorous examples of their story telling model. They walk the talk and your world will look quite different after walking with them.
Technology opened the floodgates of information but how one presents new ideas to a society drowning in data is an enormous challenge. As a college educator and Organizational Development consultant I need to be the heroic role model of communicating creative ideas and managing change. Inspiring others is my passion; digital distraction and information overload are my adversaries.
The Elements of Persuasion is truly a book about magic. It is about the magic of relating, the magic of communicating and the magic of keeping others on the edge of their seats. At my earliest opportunities I used this story telling construct and the outcome was pure magic; my entire audience actually got it. The Elements of Persuasion is now required reading for all of my students and clients.

A fool could quickly gloss through the Elements of Persuasion and not take much away from the book. But if you are at all curious about life, social interaction, and how the world really works, this book by Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman takes it to a whole new level. As the authors wisely point out, "the human voice is by far the most powerful communication tool there is." The book basically recognizes the universal themes of stories, and how they effect our lives. You could take the newest released books from the marketing sector, non-profit sector, sales, throw them away, and just read the Elements of Persuasion. And specifically, from my point of view as a screenwriter/director, this book is extremely more forward thinking than most of the other screenplay, writing, and story concept books that I've read.

Maxwell and Dickman tell fascinating stories throughout, and explain in great detail how these stories relate to real world situations in many different areas. From studies of children being able to form stories before they can talk, to why we all love the TV show House, even though the lead character is "obsessive, narcissistic, and abusive." Quickly, you realize as you read that the most successful CEO's, philanthropists, and movie stars all have one thing in common; great stories. And this book brilliantly guides you down the path to discover your own story.

The Elements lets you glimpse into a world where every interaction you have, business decision you make, family member you visit, is a complex and revealing story. It is both fascinating to think in those terms, and wonderful to know that there are real-world applications for all kinds of stories. And just on a personal level, I would honestly love some friends and co-workers of mine to read this book cover to cover so they wouldn't bore me quite as much.

Since ancient times, story- telling has been used to add vividness and emotional force to ones' message, but Maxwell and Dickman have shown us in the clearest possible way how this powerful technique can be used to persuade in our contemporary world. As a physician, I was particularly impressed (and appalled) with the chapter describing the resounding success with which big pharma has used story- telling to convince us that we have ills to which they hold the exclusive and highly profitable key. I don't see how anyone who has a communication that must be heard can afford to miss what this book has to say.

David Singer M.D.
Harvard Medical School

Most of us would probably not identify storytelling as a business critical skill, and it is not likely to be found in the curriculum of business schools. But the authors are serious business consultants and have worked with some top-notch companies. Moreover, they don't just talk about storytelling, they practice what they preach. The book is filled with engaging, powerful stories about the impact leaders can have when they understand the power of a compelling story. They recount examples of leaders who have done this successfully, as well as some who did not - to the detriment of their shareholders.

Although this is a quick, entertaining read, it merits careful study. This is not simply a book of stories, it is a practical how-to for those struggling for a way to capture the importance of their mission, their vision, the potential of a new technology, or any other idea crucial to success. When you have finished, you will consider you critical messages in a new way, looking for the Passion, Hero, Antagonist, Awareness and Transformation that will embed your story in the listener's mind, and if successful, stir them to action. If you are a business leader, and especially if you are someone who sells products, ideas or concepts, this book belongs on your reading list.

Not all great business books are about strategy, execution, innovation, customer-focus or operational efficiency. This one is about a soft skill with hard impact. Highly recommended.

Living in Washington, DC, I've been entertained for 35 years by our local brand of storytellers, aka "spin doctors." The choice of heroes and antagonists seems almost arbitrary, depending on whose asses need covering or whose coffers need filling on any given day. In this political setting, the 5-element story model espoused by Maxwell and Dickman presents sharp new tools for evaluating stories and honing the power of my own.

Like many business books, "The Elements of Persuasion" contains pages and pages pages of case studies, many of which appeared to me to be rather weakly linked to the concept of storytelling. By the end, I was skipping over entire sections because the case studies just did not feel relevant. I was left wishing for more original content.

The authors also try to relate many concepts in the book to the elements of fire, earth, water, air, and space. These analogies seemed awkward and unnecessary at times.

Finally...I understand the "passion, hero, antagonist, awareness, transformation" concepts, but I would have liked more concrete, hands-on information on how these concepts can be integrated into corporate sales scenarios (not an unfair comment, as this is really how they are pitching the book).

Like the others who have submitted a review, I too, love this book. I have other books on the topic from well known authors like Roger Shank, but this book is different. Filled with stories about how the Elements have been used in a variety of settings, this book is the 'how to' on telling a story. I'm a business guy - we tell dozens of stories each day to keep food on the table. Recently, after reading the book, I applied the five Elements, in just a simple hallway chat in our corporate office, and I could tell a real difference in 'how' my story was received by the listener - and I too felt differently. Using Dickman's and Maxwells' Essential Elements helped me frame the story versus relying upon my good old friend, the tried and true method of 'winging it'...
Whether you are a natural at story telling or not, I highly recommend this book, and I highly recommend a second read - it is chalk full of stories and lessons behind the story.

As read by a cynic:

The good: this book offers a useful, simple methodology to sell using the power of stories; if you know what you sell well, and if you have any sort of passion for what you do, you'll probably already have some of the elements, but it's always good to read someone else's view and have a more complete methodology. It's also a light read.

The not so good: an endless, almost unbearable litany of sappy US centric examples; I don't mean just the people (Warren Buffet! The Marines! Senator so and so!), but also the world view, as revealed by the worshipping of shysters, CEO's and other assorted car sales people: be a winner! Because we all want to be winners! Sell that cereal! Anyone with a more wordly or even just european view will either cringe or laugh... Outside the US few people dream of selling more cereal, and some find the void of such a life unbearable.

Still, not all is lost, because you might have figured out a way to actually like what you do or are looking for something worthy of doing, and in that case you still need a way of selling it, even if selling is not in your blood or the mere fact of thinking about it repulses you: By telling your story in a way your client cares about, the selling becomes more natural. And just as importantly, developing that story might make everyone in your organisation more involved, happier with their work and more productive.

It would be great if someone came out with this same methodology from the perspective of all those who have a sense of professionalism but are looking to apply it to something more interesting than selling that darned cereal / CDO / deodorant.