Invisible Influence: The Power to Persuade Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere

7

The Science of When

When you ask someone to say “yes” is often much more important than how you ask that person. It’s more important than what you ask that person.

What day of the week matters more than you could guess.

What hour of the day you ask is mission-critical.

What day of the month could make all the difference in the world? In fact, there are more than a few periodic cycles that are crucial to understand.

Let’s not pretend that when to ask is easy. It’s not, or at least it hasn’t been. Let’s do this right and have you understand it clearly, so you never forget one of the big puzzle pieces that have been hidden under the couch of influence.

For a number of years I sold advertising. As time went on I would manage people who sold advertising, What was a day like for people who were selling advertising, whether that was me or someone I managed? We typically set 8 to 12 appointments a day, Monday through Thursday, and possibly a few on Friday or Saturday, all in person. A 55-hour week was pretty standard for salespeople.

For a few years after that I did fundraising for charities, also by appointment, asking business owners and managers for sponsorships and donations. I made maybe 10 appointments per day. Interwoven in these experiences were a couple of stints as a telemarketing sales manager and a fundraising manager for a large national foundation.

I always assumed my experiences were unique to me and wouldn’t be similar to other people’s experiences. Most people believe ...