Amplify Your Influence

6Frames in Action

“A well-thought-out and well-constructed frame is a strategic advantage.”

—René Rodriguez

For centuries, stories have proven to be a powerful way to convey a message. We focus on origin stories as a strong basis for framing. But there are many other frames and types of framing devices.

Props, jokes, quotes, statistics, memes, third-person stories, and even the music you choose to play in a video or as background all influence the experience. The background music in a pricey, upscale restaurant generally is more mellow and soothing than in a casino or bar where it's loud and energetic.

Let's assume that your product is top-of-the-line quality and as a result, more expensive than the competition's. Using the three Ps—predict, preempt, prevent—we can predict that price will come up as a question or objection at some point unless the seller “claims the frame” and preempts or prevents that response. The influence objective is to shift the frame and conversation away from price and over to quality.

The Alan Shepard Story

A great historical frame involves an interview with astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American to launch into space on May 15, 1961. Imagine the excitement and attention of the moment as the world watched. Also imagine Shepard's fear as he was literally sitting atop a giant hunk of metal to be launched into space with a massive explosion.

Price versus Quality

With the world watching, a reporter had the chance to ask Shepard what was going through ...