Dear subscriber,
Every once in a while,
I like to watch old Johnny Carson clips on YouTube.
It’s like taking a time machine back to the golden age of late-night television.
A time when the focus was on entertaining and connecting with the audience, rather than pushing a political agenda. You know, I find today’s late-night talk show hosts about as funny as an orphanage on fire.
When it comes to inane drivel, today’s talk show hosts are giving The View’s panel a run for their money.
Look, I could bitch all day about how lame today’s late-night tv is, but that’s not gonna help you in any way, now is it?
So, let’s see if I can put my illuminating perspectives and exquisite discernments to good use, huh?
How about I share with you a powerful leadership/persuasion secret?
Geez, Kelvin, that’d be swell.
Alright, Chuckie, but first, I need to set the table, so to speak.
You ever seen the movie Catch Me If You Can starring Leonardo DiCaprio?
It’s a biographical movie about a con man named Frank Abagnale.
Now get this: This guy impersonated a co-pilot from a major airline, faked it as a lawyer on the State of Attorney General’s staff, passed as a pediatrician at a Georgia hospital, and was a phony college professor, and…
…. He Got Away With It!
He finally got caught, but that wasn’t for being an impersonator. It was for cashing ten fake Pan Am payroll checks.
Oh, he also escaped prison three times. One time he impersonated a prison inspector and waltzed right out the front door.
Seriously, the balls on him!
Well anyhow, Frank Abagnale was a guest on the Johnny Carson show in 1978.
And, Abagnale (unwittingly) dropped one of the most powerful (and very subtle) leadership and persuasion gems you’ll ever hear.
If you’re in a leadership position, or if you just want to become a more persuasive and likable person, then sit up, pay attention, and start implementing this gem you’re about to read.
Here’s the dialogue:
Carson: Didn’t you pass yourself off as a pediatrician? That’s kinda tricky because, I mean, it’s very technical.
Abagnale: As the pediatrician, it should have been the most difficult to pull off, but it turned out to be the easiest. I supervised seven interns on the midnight to eight shift…
Carson: Have you had any medical training?
Abagnale: No medical training. And I can’t stand the sight of blood. And when I would be called to the emergency room, there’d be two or three interns there, and I’d walk in and say, ‘What’s the problem? And they’d say, ‘Doctor, we have severing cardio. I didn’t know if the guy had a broken leg, a heart attack, or whatever. So I would say, ‘Well, Dr. Carter, what do you think?’
Well, doctor, I would like to administer 30 ccs of this. I’d point to Dr, John, he’d say I concur. I’d point to Robert, he’d concur. Then I’d say, ‘Gentlemen, have at it’, and out I’d go. (audience laughter)
I become one of the most respected and liked residents because I was the only one that listened to them or let them do anything.
***
Well, did you pick up the gem or walk right past it?
The clue is in Abagnale’s last sentence.
Look, the simple but powerful (and very underrated) persuasion secret is this:
Ask People For Their Opinion!
Abagnale inadvertently tapped into one of the Homo sapiens’ strongest desires:
The Need For Validation and Recognition!
It ain’t just interns and underlings who feel overlooked and unheard. Every single person under God’s blue sky wants to be heard.
Hell, most people have trouble getting people to listen to them talk about what they did on the weekend, let alone their thoughts and opinions on an issue.
Everybody’s got thoughts and opinions bubbling inside them, but most people roam this planet without ever being asked their opinions.
Next time you ask someone for their opinion on something, watch their eyes closely. Their eyes will dilate and their body will perk up. It’s like their very soul is screaming, “Finally, someone wants to hear what I think!”
Start using the following phrases and watch your influence and likeability skyrocket.
Magical-like phrases:
What do you think about this?
What’s your take on this?
What’s your opinion on this?
Got any thoughts on this?
The bottom line:
Listening to people makes them feel important.
Asking their opinions is taking it to a whole new level! It’s the key to unlocking minds and winning hearts.
Kelvin, that was a good message but maybe you could have said it more succinctly.
Hey, Freckles, when I want your opinion… I’ll give it to you!
Your friend,
Kelvin
Email Marketing Maverick
P.S. Want to get my best sales, copywriting, and persuasion content shipped to your front door? Then you might want to see this: https://kelvindorsey.com/mavericks-inner-circle/
Peace.
