7 Secrets of Persuasion

6NEVER ASK, UNEARTH

Bill Bernbach was a gifted, intuitive persuader and the father of the creative revolution in advertising. He said, “At the heart of an effective creative philosophy is the belief that nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature, what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action….”¹

Whether we are trying to get the public to change, trying to get voters to change, trying to get shoppers to change, or trying to get a family member to change, we need an insight into the compulsions and instincts that drive their current behavior.

But what is an insight?

Though we are not sure what an insight is, we sense its absence. In any organization, the surest way to undermine a proposed persuasion attempt is to ...