The other day we go into a car accident.
(Specifically, we got rear-ended by the guy plowing into us at a dead stop -- Thankfully no one's hurt)
And as of now, I'm dealing with the insurance companies.
And because of my agitation...
... I'm about to pull out of the bag, a strategy from one of the world's greatest negotiators to convince anyone of anything.
His name was Jim Camp (you might have heard me talk about him). He was supposedly Chris Voss's mentor. And he was a serious badass in negotiations.
What Jim Camp teaches is "vision".
Rather than spitting out facts and arguing like most do, you create a vision of the pain or the outcome.
Here's an example taken out of the "textbook":
If you're trying to convince someone to wear their seat belt you ask instead:
"How far will your body go after your car smashes into another car going 50mph?"
"Huh?" Asks the 'opponent'.
"Yeah... what will your body look like going 50mph hurdling through the windshield and into the street?"
It's pretty dreary but effective.
So here's my attempt (at least how it plays in my head)...
Currently, my car is not safe to drive according to the mechanic. The rear impact bar is smashed and so the passenger will feel all the force if we get hit again.
And so, the insurance companies are lagging in getting me a rental and are argumentive about paying me a reimbursement for getting a rental on my own.
So -- as it plays out in my head -- I'm pulling this dreary question from the ole' Jim Camp bag:
"Who should I send the Summons too?" - Me
"Huh, what do you mean?" - Claim Adjuster
"Yeah... after we get hit again from behind, and one of my children is in the hospital with a neck brace, broken back, and breathing tube... I'd like to know ahead of time, where to send the lawsuit too." - Me
Ok, ok...
So that's a little graphic, and the claim adjuster has no power really. And I wouldn't be driving the car if it's unsafe so we won't get to that point.
But you get the idea of vision.
Contrary to what people think, spitting out lots of facts and figures depresses the argument. Yeah, you need some figures. But what's more powerful in tapping into the emotion (which is where all the decision-making comes from) is creating some sort of vision like the above (though you don't need something so dreary).
- Paul
P.S. Speaking of emotion, a marketing medium to elevate someone's emotion and trust towards you is direct mail AFTER they've spoken to you.... and soon enough, I'll be launching an extremely expensive way for you to follow up with mail.
