Ch. 10 - Interviewing Flashcards

Question

Planning the Interview: | Develop Main Points continued

Answer 1

- arguing from facts reaches a point that explains best a body of facts. this his how investigators argue when attempting to explain a phenomenon - while investigating the storm damage caused in a two county area on 6/5, we noted that the storm had moved in a nearly straight line. in open areas, there was no evidence of a twisting motion in grass and weeds. tree s and small buildings were knocked down but not twisted. no one hear the tell-tale freight train sound of a tornado - point: it's obvious that the storm damage was the result of straight line winds and not a tornado. - unlike argument from example, this interviewer in this case is arguing from a variety of facts, not a sample of a class of things. - arguing from analogy occurs when you point out two things (people, places. objects, proposals, ideas) have important characteristics in common and draw a conclusion based on these similarities. for example, a coach might argue like this: - points of comparison: like north side, west lake high has a veteran quarter back who is an excellent runner as well as a passer. their line is anchored by four seniors who are both large and fast. their pass defenders have made six interceptions this year. and they have a junior kicker who has made fields goals from as far as 46 yards - point: West Lake High will be hard to beat, just like north side. - the number of significant similarities are critical in developing and selling this argument.

Answer 2

- once you have chosen main points and persuasive patterns, select psychological strategies to make them persuasive. a number of theories explain how you might bring about changes in thinking, feeling, and acting. - these theories explain complex human activities through careful observation of what happens in the real world and may serve as persuasive strategies.

Answer 3

- Kenneth Burke, arguably the leading rhetorical theorist of the 21st century claims that you persuade by identifying with the interviewee. - strive to establish consubstantiality (a substantial similarity) with the interviewee. - the overlapping circles representing the interview parties in our model in ch. 2 are based on Burke's notion that to communicate or persuade, you must talk the other party's language "with speech, gesture, tonality, order, image, attitude, and ultimately identifying" your ways with theirs. - their are several ways to identify with a person and establish common ground: - Associating with groups to which you both belong, shared cultural heritage or regional identification, programs you both support, etc. - Disassociating from groups, cultures, regions or programs the interviewee opposed or is distant from. - Develop appearance and visual symbols that establish identification such as dress, hairstyle, makeup, jewelry, political buttons, religious symbols, etc. appearances are important in perceiving common ground. - Sharing language such as jargon, slang, colloquialisms, and in-group words and phrases. - Employing content and values important to the interviewee. - strive for real identification, not fabrication to initiate the change you desire.

Answer 4

- according this this theory, human beings strive for a harmonious existence with self (values, beliefs, and attitudes) and experience psychological discomfort (dissonance) when aspects of existence seem inconsistent or unbalanced. - you may experience this source-proposition conflict when you like persons but detest their positions or issues or dislike persons but favor their products or services. - you experience attitude-attitude conflict when you oppose government involvement in your life but want the government to outlaw hate speech and require prayer in public schools. - you experience perception-perception conflict when you see Mexico as beautiful but dangerous place to vacation. - you experience behavior-attitude conflict when you believe strongly in law and order but use a fake ID to get into bars. - not all interviewees are happy with harmony - an interviewer may create or resolve dissonance. - you may create psychological discomfort (dissonance) by attacking a source or pointing out attitude, perception or behavioral conflicts. then you show how the interviewee can bring these inconsistencies into balance by providing changes in sources, attitudes, perceptions and behaviors. - if you detect that an interviewee is experiencing psychological discomfort, you may bring about balance or consistency by helping the interviewee see no inconsistency, perceive the inconsistency as insignificant, or tolerate inconsistency.

Answer 5

- according to this theory, it is more effective to prevent undesired persuasive effects from occurring than using damage control afterwards. - for ex., a few years ago one of the authors receive a phone call from the state police warning him of solicitors who were claiming to be representatives of state police sponsored charity for children and relating what solicitors were telling contributors - the called hoped the preemptive call would prevent the author from being victimized and maintain the credibility of legitimate police charities - in this strategy, you forewarn the interviewee, perhaps by exposing the interviewee to small doses of a potential persuader's language, arguments and evidence so the interviewee can resist the effort. - or you might provide arguments and evidence the interviewee may use to mount and effective counter-effort if confronted by an interviewer against whom he or she is being immunized. - an inoculation strategy immunizes an interviewee from future persuasions

Answer 6

- according to this theory, you may change an interviewer's way of thinking, feelings or acting by inducing her or hum to engage in activities counter to values, beliefs or attitudes. - participation in counter-activities may bring about self-persuasion - apply enough pressure so an interviewee will comply without feeling there is no choice. feeling coerced may prevent change. - variety of ways to induce compliance. you might induce an interviewee to espouse a belief or counter-attitude to understand or appreciate the other side of an issue, such as a liberal position of sex education or a conservative position on health care reform. - you might induce an interviewee to take part in an unaccustomed or unattractive activity, such as going to a religious service or helping at a homeless shelter - you might induce an interviewee to play an opposite role, such as a superior instead of subordinate, teacher instead of student, parent instead of child - you might induce a party to act to receive a reward or avoid a punishment, such as tickets to a concert or speeding ticket. - there are many ways to trigger self-persuasion

Answer 7

- according to this theory, ppl react negatively when someone threatens to restrict a behavior they want to engage in. they may value the restricted behavior more and want to engage in it more frequently - people may devalue alternatives bc they feel they are truck with them and may resent the restricting agent. - organizations produce limited editions of books, stamps, coins and cars to enhance demand for them. - tickets to NCAA basketball final four are of great value bc they are scarce. - interviewees may be less in favor of giving to the college development fund or joining their athletic booster clubs if they feel they are being forced. - whenever possible, avoid real or perceived pressure on the other party to think, feel or act differently - make your proposal attractive, make scarcity or a deadline known without appearing to threaten, develop a serious need without excessive appeals to fear and offer choices - restricting behavior may lead to persuasion or resentment

Answer 8

- be flexible, adaptable and cautious about assumptions. you are conducting an interview, not giving a speech. plan how you will involve the interviewee throughout the interview. - your opening must gain attention and interest, establish rapport and motivate interviewee to take part. the major advantage of the interview over public or mass persuasion is the chance to tailor your message to a single party. - adapt the opening to each interviewee and setting. don't rely on a standard/traditional formula - when insufficient info is unavailable or you don't have the chance to study interviewee ahead of time, use the first few mins of the interview to discover how you can best adapt to this person. - take note of dress, appearance, manner. ask a few q's designed to discover background, interests, and attitudes critical to this interview. listen to what the interviewee "says" verbally and nonverbally. if the party consists of more than one person, detect who is the leader or spokesperson - the majority of persuasive interactions fail in the first few seconds, during the attention step in the opening, so choose your language and NV actions carefully. think of openings in sales calls made to your home and how you reacted. persuaders trying to convince you to give to a charity are often trained to recite a prescribed opening regardless of your age, gender, income, background or level of interest. you may dislike the charity; it makes no difference to the persuader. little wonder that few of these "cold" calls succeed. - begin with a warm greeting and use the interviewee's name if you have it. if the person is a stranger, do not make your greeting sound like a question but trying to guess their name. this suggests that you are unsure of the persons name or identity, unsure of yourself and not prepared.

Answer 9

- if you know the interviewee well and both the situation and your relationship warrant it, use the person's first name. as a general rule, don't greet a stranger, superior or person in a formal setting by first name or nickname unless you are asked to do so - it may be necessary to introduce yourself (name position title background, etc), your organization (name location nature history products or services) and the purpose of the interview. - you may begin with a sincere inquiry about family or mutual friends or small talk about weather, sports, construction or campus facilities. don't prolong the rapport stage. be conscious of the interviewee's situation and preferences. - if the person replied immediately after the greeting "what can I do for you?" then you know this person wants to get down to business. - cultures differ in the amount of acceptable small talk and socializing. most Americans want to get to the point and get the job done. Japanese and other cultures desire to get acquainted, to follow interaction rituals and to go slower in making commitments and decisions. do not prolong the rapport stage - involve all members of the other party from the start so each person will play an active role throughout the interaction. American persuaders and persuadees, particularly male, tend to take turns unevenly during interactions and to speak at length during each turn. Japanese and others take turns evenly and make shorter statements. - use the opening to create mutual interest in the interview and establish trust and degree of affection or liking between the parties. each party should understand the purpose of the interview and how they will share control. - neither rush or prolong the opening - reduce reticence by involving the interviewee immediately and often. the opening should be a good fit with the whole interview. - if the opening fails, there may be no body and closing. do not use routine openings even for routine interviews.

Answer 10

- create a need or desire by developing in detail three or four points you selected in the preparation stage. - introduce them in the order you have determined will be most effective, strongest point first or last with weaker points in the middle.

Answer 11

- explain a point thoroughly. provide sufficient evidence that is factually based, authoritative, recent, and well documented. - use a variety of evidence (examples, stories, authority, stats, comparisons, definitions) so the interviewee isn't buried under an avalanche of figures not bored with one story after another. - incorporate the values, beliefs and attitudes important to this interviewee.

Answer 12

- this is an interview, not a speech. you are more like to persuade someone if they are actively invovled. stress how each point affects this interviewee's needs and desires. - do not go to your next point until there has been some sort of agreement. with one point developed and agreed upon, move to point two, three, and so on. do not rush through a point or jump to the next one if the interviewee raises objections or poses questions. move on when the interviewee seems ready to do so. be patient and persistent

Answer 13

- although you rarely come to a persuasive interview with a schedule of questions, questions serve a variety of functions in persuasive interview. - never tell when you can ask because this invovles the interviewee as an active participant rather than a passive participant - ask and then listen. - you cannot plan on a series of questions to get the job done, particularly of an interviewee sees no need, has no desire or is unaware of options - questions play unique roles in persuasive interviews - use questions to analyze the interviewee.

Answer 14

- ask questions to determine knowledge level and to draw out concerns and objections. listen carefully to responses and probe for accuracy and details. for example: - tell me what concerns you about your liability insurance coverage? - what do you know about the compensation programs for installing windmills on your property? - how frequently do you travel between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia - uses these types of questions to analyze the interviewee

Answer 15

- questions can clarify and verify interactions - use reflective, mirror and clearinghouse questions to check the accuracy of assumptions, impressions, and information obtained before and during the interview. - you may assume you have answered an objection satisfactory or gotten an agreement when you have not. - be certain an interviewee understands what you are saying and grasps the significance of your evidence and points. - silence on an interviewee's part can indicate confusion or disagreement as well as understanding and agreement. - ask things like: - Does that answer your concerns about the length of our MBA program in strategic management? - You seem to be most concerned about scholarship money available for your daughter. - Are we in agreement that a laptop computer would serve your needs and financial situation best?

Answer 16

- questions can stimulate interactions - questions early in interviews warm up both parties and set the tone for the interview. - encourage the interviewee to play and active role in the interview. - an interviewee feels freer to ask questions and provide meaningful feedback once he or she plays an active part in the process and understands what you expect. - use questions to discover how a quiet or noncommittal interviewee is reacting: - how was your tour of the production facility? - what do you think of the new ad campaign? - what are your thoughts about the year-around school calendar?

Answer 17

- use questions to keep interviewees turn in and alter tow hat you are saying. they may be busy or preoccupied with other concerns and their minds may wander. interesting, challenging and though-provoking questions maintain interest and attention. - how would you feel if your insurance company would refuse to cover your new child born with a physical problem? - do you remember the winter of 2020 when your power went out for 6 days? - what would you do if your company suddenly went out of business? - questions can sustain interest and attention

Answer 18

- use questions to obtain small agreements that lead to bigger agreements. getting agreement after each point leads to agreement at the end of the need so you can move effectively to establishing criteria for solutions. - don't ask for agreement or commitment before you have developed or supported a point thoroughly - a barrage of generalizations and claims will not prove a point or establish as need. - use a yes-response question (often in the form of a statement) to control the interview and lead to agreement after throughly developing one or more points of small agreements. - With the market rebounding, this is a great time to invest, don't you agree? - I know you understand that limiting bonuses this year is the best way to meet the recession - I'm sure you don't want to risk your child's future

Answer 19

- don't try to substitute questions or substance - use questions to respond tactfully to objections and draw out unstated questions and objections - get these on the table at the proper time. questions can also discover what an interviewee knows about an issue and reveal the importance or reasons behind the objections - You can cost is a major concern in purchasing a hybrid SUV, but what would you pay over the next five years for gasoline in a standard SUV? - You seem hesitant about your trip to China, what is your major concern? - what info do you need to remove doubts about this proposal? - don't ask q's prematurely that call for agreements when you have established nothing upon which to agree. - use leading and loaded qs sparingly bc high-pressure tactics turn off interviewees. - a series of qs are unlikely to persuade; you must present good reasons supported by info and evidence.

Answer 20

- tailor the persuasive interview to the values, beliefs and attitudes of the interviewee. determine the probably disposition of the interviewee and select appropriate tactics and strategies.

Answer 21

- the interviewee may see no personal need or relevance. if an interviewee is indecisive, uninterested or uncertain, help the person see the reality and urgency of the problem, issue or need. use opening techniques to get the interviewee's attention and generate interest in the problem. - lead off with your strongest point and provide a variety of evidence that informs and persuades. use questions to draw out feelings and perceptions and involve the interviewee. - emphasize the urgency of the issue and the necessity of acting NOW. use moderate fear appeals to awake the interviewee to dangers to self, family or friends. appeal to values such as preservation of health, safety, security, freedom from restraint, ownership, and value of the individual. show HOW the interviewee can make a difference.

Answer 22

- don't assume there will be hostility. if an interviewee may be hostile, be sure your impression is accurate. don't mistake legitimate concerns or objections or a gruff demeanor as hostility. if a person is truly hostile, determine why and then consider a common ground approach. - a yes-but approach: begins with areas of agreement and similarity and gradually leads into points of disagreement. it lessens hostility and disagreement later by establishing common ground early on. - a yes-yes approach: gets an interviewee in the habit of agreeing when you reach apparent disagreements, the interviewee may be less likely to disagree. - an implicative approach: withholds and explicit statement of purpose or intent to avoid a knee-jerk negative reaction from the interviewee. you hope the interviewee will see the implications of what you are saying, perhaps feeling they came up with the concerns and solution. - regardless of the common ground approach, be polite, listen and avoid being defensive or angry when working with hostile interviewees. - hostility often results from lack of info, misinformation or rumors. respond with facts, expert testimony, examples, stories and comparisons that prove, clarify and resolve issues between parties. - be willing to accept minor points of disagreement and to admit your proposal is not perfect; no proposal is. - employ shock-absorber phrases that reduce the stink of critical questions: "many residents I talk to feel that way, however..." "thats an excellent question but when you consider...." "I'm glad you thought of that because...." - you must get to the point in a reasonable amount of time.

Answer 23

- this type of interviewee relies on trusted authorities and is more concerned about who supports a proposal than a proposal itself. - facts alone, particularly statistics, will not do the job. show that the interviewee's accepted authorities support your persuasive efforts. the close-minded and authoritarian person has strong, unchangeable central values and beliefs and you must be able to identify yourself and your proposal with these values and beliefs. - don't bypass hierarchical channels or alter prescribed methods. authoritarians react negatively to interviewers who don't belong or appear to be out of line, and may demand censure or punishment for appearing to violate accepted and valued norms.

Answer 24

- if the person is skeptical, begin the interview by expressing some views the interviewees holds - a yes-yes or yes-but approach. maintain positive nonverbal cues such as a firm handshake, eye contact, a warm and friendly manner, and appropriate appearance and dress. - if the interviewee feels you are young and experienced, allude tactfully to your qualifications, experience, and training and provide evidence that is substantial and authoritative. - be well prepared and experienced without bragging - avoid undue informality and a cocky attitude. if they see you as argumentative, avoid confrontations, attacks on the person's position and demands - if the interviewee thinks you are a know it all, be carefully when talking about your qualifications, experience and achievements. - if they have concerns about your org, withhold its name until you have created personal credibility - if the name must come out early in the interview, try to improve its image by countering common misperceptions, relating how it's changed, or identifying its strengths. you may have to distance yourself from some elements or past practices of your organization. - image or credibility may be the major cause of failure.

Answer 25

- they may shop around before making a major purchase or decision and will face counter-persuasion from other interviewers. when meeting with a shopper or an undecided person, forewarn and prepare the interviewee. - provide them with supportive arguments, evidence and responses to qs or points others are likely to raise. give small doses of the oppositions case's (inoculation theory) to show the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. - develop a positive, factual, nonemotional approach that addresses the competition when necessary but dwells primarily on the strengths of your position and proposal.

Answer 26

- these tend to be less persuasible bc of knowledge level, critical ability and faculty for seeing the implications behind arguments and proposals. research shows that such interviewees are more likely to attend to and comprehend the message position but are less likely to yield to it. for example, they are likely to see through the good guy-bad guy approach used in many sales situations. - when working with these interviewees, support your ideas thoroughly, develop arguments logically, and present a two-sided approach that weighs both sides of the issues. minimize emotional appeals, particularly if the person is neutral or initially disagrees with your position or proposal. - encourage the interviewee to ask questions, raise objections and be an active participant. - if an interviewee is of low intelligence or education, develop a simple, one sided approach to minimize confusions and maximize comprehension. a complex, two sided appraoch and intricate arguments supported by a variety of evidence may confuse them - use examples, stories and comparisons rather than expert testimony and stats

Answer 27

- when you have presented the need, summarized your main points, and gotten important agreements, you are ready for solutions. - begin the solution phase by establishing criteria (requirements, standards, rules, norms, principles) that any solution should meet. if the interviewee is obviously ready to move into this phase of the interview before you have presented all of your points, move on. - establish a set of criteria with the interviewee for evaluating possible solutions. this process is natural to us. for ex., when selecting a college major, you may have considered courses, core requirements, specialties, careers, faculty, availability of internships, and marketability when you graduate. in simple decisions such as selecting a place to eat, you may have criteria in mind such as type of food and drink, cost, distance, location atmosphere music etc. - use this natural process in persuasive interviews - as you think of criteria prior to the interview and develop them with the interviewee during the interview, realize that not all criteria are of equal importance. for ex., admissions directors at universities have found that quality of school is the most important criterion for out of state applicants while cost is number 2 or number 2 for in state students. the situation can influence the criteria - for ex., cost may override all other criteria during an economic recession - establishing a set of criteria with the interviewee invovles the interviewee in the process; shows that you are attempting to tailor your proposal to his or her needs, desires and capabilities, provides a smooth transition from the need to the solution; and reduces the impression that you are overly eager to sell your point. agreed-upon criteria enable you to build a foundation of agreements, provide an effective means of comparing and assessing solutions, and deals with objections. - establishing criteria is natural but often unconscious - all criteria are not created equally - criteria are designed to evaluate and do persuade

Answer 28

- present your solution in detail. don't assume the interviewee will understand the details and nature of the solution you have in mind unless this becomes clear during the interview. it's best to err on the side of too much info rather than too little. - if you consider more than one solution, deal with one at a time. explain a solution in detail and use whatever visual aids might be available and appropriate: booklets, and brochures, drawings and diagrams, materials objets and models - interviewees may remember only about 10 percent of what they hear but about 50 percent of what they do and 90 percent of what they both see and do - approach the solution positively, constructively and enthusiastically. believe in what you are presenting and show it. emphasize the strengths and benefits of your proposal rather than the weakness of the competition - avoid negative selling unless the competition forces you to do so as a matter of self-defense. the interviewee is likely to be ore interested in the advantages of your proposal than the disadvantages of another. - help interviewees make decisions that are best for them. encourage questions and active involvement. - use repetition, which one writer calls the heart of selling, to enhance understanding, aid memory, gain and maintain attention, and make the interviewee aware of what is most important - educate the interviewee about options, requirements, time constraints and new features

Answer 29

- perhaps nothing seems more threatening than the though of an interviewee raising unexpected or difficult objections - it's best to encourage the interviewee to voice objections to reveal the interviewee's concerns, fears, misunderstandings and misinformation. do not assume agreement bc the interviewee raises no questions or objections. watch for NV cues such as restlessness, fidgeting, poor eye contact, raised eyebrows, confused looks, signs of boredoms or silences. - find out what is happening within. objections are numerous and often issues, goal, situation or interviewee specific - PROCRASTINATION: never do today what you can put off until tomorrow - Examples: Let me think about it. I've still got three weeks before that paper is due. My old truck is doing fine so I'll wait for a while. - COST: that's a lot of money - Examples: that iPhone is too expensive for me, I didn't expect remodeling to cost that much, That's pretty expensive for a two-day conference. - TRADITION: we've always done it this way - Examples: that's how we have always done business, we've always had our reunions there, my father chose that line of shoes when he opened business in 1924 - UNCERTAIN FUTURE: who knows what tomorrow will bring - Examples: my job is rather iffy right now, the economy is struggling, so I'm reluctant to hire new staff, at my age, I don't buy green bananas - NEED: what is the problem? - Examples: we have good investments, so we don't need life insurance, the current system is working fine right now, we don't have much crime around here so we don't need an alarm system

Answer 30

- anticipate objections and eliminate surprise. think about handling each objection as a series of steps 1. plan how to respond to reduce surprises 2. listen carefully, completely and objectively never assuming you understand the other person's point or concern until you have heard it 3. clarify the objection making sure you understand exactly what it is and its importance before you reply 4. respond appropriately, tactfully and seriously. if an objection is serious to the interviewee, it is serious. - there are four common strategies for handling objections 1. minimize the objection 2. capitalize on the objection 3. deny an objection 4. confirm an objection

Answer 31

- minimize an objection by restating it to make it less important or by comparing it to another weightier matter. provide evidence to reduce its importance - Interviewee: we've always thought it would be great to live downtown in a loft like this, but we are afraid of the crime rate in downtown areas - Interviewer: that was true a few years ago but crime is declining in the centers of the city and spreading to outlying areas where there are fewer police forces. robberies have declined by 23% in this areas during the past three years and increased by 27% in outlying areas - reduce the importance of that objection

Answer 32

- capitalize on an objection to clarify your point, review the proposal's advantages, offer more evidence, or isolate the motive behind the objection. convert a perceived disadvantage into an advantage - we'd like to purchase a house instead of continuing to pay rent on an apartment, but the housing market seems really bad with all the foreclosures and banks being reluctant to make home loans right now - actually, this is a good time to buy a home. mortgage rates at 3 percent are the lowest in almost 50 years; the market is flooded with good homes in all price ranges. all of this will change in a few months as the recession lessens and more buyers enter the market - take advantage of the objection

Answer 33

- deny an objection directly or indirectly by offering new or more accurate info or by introducing new features of a proposal. you cannot deny an objection by merely denying it; you must PROVE IT - i have heard that your group wants to raise our property taxes by 25% and are against the school voucher program that allows many of us to send our children to faith based schools - actually it's a 2.5% increase on property taxes to prevent the loss of quality teachers in our schools, busing for students, and advance course essentials. we are not against the voucher program

Answer 34

- confirm an objection by agreeing with the interviewee. it is better to be honest and admit problems than to offer weak defenses. - don't try to deny the undeniable. - admit that something is expensive if it is, but point out other high priced comparable items and the perks to why the price is high in the product you are selling

Answer 35

- approach the closing confidently and positively. don't pressure the person or appear to eager. interviewers may hesitate to close, fearing they my fail to persuade while interviewees fear they will make a wrong choice. - sales professionals, cite hesitation to ask for a sale as the major cause of failure to sell - the closing consists of three stages 1. trial closing 2. contract or agreement 3. leave-taking

Answer 36

- close as soon as possible and don't keep talking if the interviewee is sold on your proposal. you make talk yourself out of an agreement. - as you approach the end of the solution phase, watch and listen for NV and V cues that lets you know the person is moving towards a decision. verbal cues may be questions that let you know they are truly interested. NV cues include enthusiastic expressions, head nods, smiles, etc. - yes-response and leading questions verify that the interviewee is ready to close. I'm sure you can see this is the way to to go. you want this condo, don't you? do you want to face a lawsuit? - after you have asked a trial closing question, be quite. give them time to think and self persuade. silence communicates confidence and gives the interviewee a chance to raise unanswered questions and objections - if you get a no to your trial closing question, ask why. you may need to review the criteria, compare advantages and disadvantages of acting now, or provide more information - a interviewee may not be ready to act. fear of possible consequences and how others may react may overcome a need or desire. - if you get a yes to your trial closing question, lead into the contract or agreement stage "we can sign off on this today." "we can have this equipment installed within two weeks" "it would be a relief to have this decision made" - always know when to stop talking and probe insightfully and cautiously into negative responses

Answer 37

- after a successful trial closing, move onto the contract or agreement stage. this is a critical time because the interviewee knows the closing and a commitment are coming. - be natural and pleasant. maintain good communication. consider closing techniques appropriate for this stage - an assumptive close addresses part of the agreement with a phrase such as "I assume you prefer..." - a summary close summarizes agreements made as a basis for decisions - an elimination of a single objection close response to the single objection that stands in the way of an agreement - and either-or close limits the interviewee's choices, then shows that the solution you advocate has the most advantages and fewest disadvantages - an I'll think it over close acknowledges the interviewee's desire to think about a decision. try to discover the level of interest and why they are hesitating - a sense of urgency close stresses why they should act now - a price close shows the saving possible or the bottom line of the offer

Answer 38

- when the contract or agreement is finished, no agreement or contract can be reached, or another interview is necessary, conclude pleasantly and positively. don't let the leave-taking phrase be abrupt or curt. you may undo the rapport and trust you have worked to establish - adapt the verbal and nonverbal leave-taking techniques discussed in chapter 4 or combine them to suite each interviewee. - be sincere and honest in this final closing phase, and make no promises you cannot or will not keep bc of personal or authority limitations, organizational policies, laws or time constraints. - leave-taking should reinforce all that you have accomplished.

Answer 39

1. Opening section of the interview: - select the most appropriate techniques from chapter 4. - establish rapport according to relationship and situation - provide appropriate orientation 2. Creating a need or desire - provide an appropriate statement of purpose - develop a need point-by-point with maximum involvement of and careful adaption to the other party. - use appropriate argument patterns - provide a variety of evidence - employ effective strategies - appeal to important values and emotions - obtain overt agreements as you proceed, being sure to point out how the interviewee party in invovled or must be concerned. - summarize the need or problem and attain overt agreements from the interviewee. 3. Establishing criteria - present the criteria you have in mind, explaining briefly the rationale and importance of each criterion - encourage interviewee to add criteria - involve the interviewee in the discussion of criteria - summarize and get agreement to all criteria 4. Presenting the solution - present one solution at a time. - explain the solution in detail using visual aids when possible evaluate the solution using agreed-upon criteria - response to anticipated and vocalized objections - get agreements on the appropriateness, quality and feasibility of the preferred solutions 5. Closing the interview - begin with a trial closing as soon as it seems appropriate to do so - when the trial closing is successful, move to a contract or agreement with the interviewee - use approaching leave-taking techniques - you will not develop all parts of this outline in every interview. if an interviewee agrees with the need or problem prior to the interview, merely summarize the need in the opening and move directly to criteria - an interviewee may see the need but not agree with your proposed solution. or an interviewee may feel constraints making any move now impossible. - feasibility is the central concern in this in this interview, not need or specific proposal. the interviewee may like your proposal but see no need. - there is no set pattern for all persuasive interviews

Answer 40

- two key principles in this chapter are (1) that persuasion is done WITH and not TO another and (2) that both parties are responsible for making the interview a success. with these principles in mind, we now turn our focus onto the interviewee

Answer 41

- unlike interviewers who are often trained and experienced in the ways of altering how people think, act and feel, interviewees often have little or no training in persuasion and may have scars from failed persuasive encounters. the remainder of this chapter introduces you to the tricks of the trade to level the persuasive playing field.

Answer 42

- we may act automatically during a persuasive interview - interviewers use strategies designed to create psychological discomfort - dissonance - to alter your ways of thinking, feeling and/or acting. - for instance, standard/learned principles may automatically guide an action or decision, for example you may believe that: - you get what you pay for - if it's expensive, it's got to be good - sales save money - if an expert says it's good or says so, it must be true - if it meets industry standards, it's safe - upscale retailers depend on these standard/learned principles to move expensive, high quality items ranging from jewelry to automobiles - in the contrast principle, interviewers know that if a second item is fairly different from the first in attractiveness, cost, or size, it seems more different that it actually is. if I want to rent you an apartment, I may show you a rundown one first and then a somewhat better apartment next. you may see the second apartment as substantially rather than moderately better. if a sales person can sell you an expensive suit first, then expensive ties shirts and belts seem inexpensive in comparison - the rule of reciprocation instills in you a sense of obligation to repay in kind what another provides. for instance, if a person gives you a free soft drink and then asks you to buy a raffle ticket, you feel obligated to buy the ticket even though it m ay cost more than the soft drink. this process is at work every time you open your mail and discover yet another packet of personalized address labels. you are likely to send in a donation or not use the labels even though you did not request them. research reveals that if you use the labels and do not send in a donation you may experience psychological discomfort and fear shame if someone discovers your action - we feel obligated to return favors.

Answer 43

- in a reciprocal concessions strategy, you feel a sense of obligation to make a concession in response to a concession. parties employ this psychological strategy in labor-management negotiations when one party, for example, concedes on health care and the other then feels obligated to concede on retirement benefits. you encounter this strategy every day in interactions such as when a roommate agrees to provide the car for an outing and you feel obligated to pay for the gas. - one concession deserves another, or not. - a rejection than retreat strategy begins with a proposal that may make a second more acceptable. the idea is that after you reject the first you will feel both obligated and someone relieved to agree to the second. one study discovered that if Boy Scouts asked ppl to purchase $5 circus tickets and were turned down, the same person were likely to say yes to the second proposal of a dollar chocolate bar. the boy scouts gained either way and the persuadees feel good about helping out for a lesser amount. salespersons often start with the top of the line and then retreat to a fallback position if necessary. - in undercover or stealth marketing, an interviewer party or two or more ppl pretends to be a friendly, disinterested party and not a sales representative. for example, two people appearing to be tourists or visitors ask a person passing by if she will take their picture. the cooperative passerby agrees and just happens to notice that the couple has a very interesting and attractive digital camera. she asks about it and the party, who just happens to be undercover sales reps for this camera company, gladly comply. the persuadee as no idea that the sales interview has even taken place.

Answer 44

- language is far more than a collection of words and rules for proper uses. language is the instrument and vehicle of human action and expression. - skilled interviewers are keenly aware of the power and manipulation of verbal symbols, but too many of us see the symbols are merely words and rules. - researchers warn that as receivers, we need to get to the bottom of persuasive meanings; carefully analyzing the symbols used or misused by persuaders can help us get there. - an important first step in this analysis is to identify common language strategies

Answer 45

- persuaders use language to frame or construct the way you see people, places, things and objects. - for instance, use of jargon substitutes peculiar words for common words. while some jargon seems harmless enough (schedule irregularity for flight delay) others can hide the truth (terminological inexactitude for lie), make something sound more technical than it is, more valuable than it is, or less severe that it is. - jargon may require special interpretations and make us dependent on attorneys for help, advice and action - strategic ambiguities are words with multiple or vague meanings. persuaders assume you will interpret the words according to their specific needs or perceptions without asking embarrassing, negative or insightful questions - if a politician claims to be a conservative or moderate, what exactly is this person? studies show that we will pay a premium price for light, diet natural and low carb products without knowing how these differ from ones that are not. - imagery - word pictures - contains multi-sensory words to color what you have experiences, will experience, may experience or experience indirectly. a rep for a travel agency with the aid of posters pictures and websites will help you visualize yourself on the trip. on the other hand, an interviewer might employ the same tactics to paint a negative picture with apocalyptic images and dire predictions if you vote for a specific person, purchase a certain product, join a certain group, etc. - euphemisms substitute better sounding words for common words. cadillac was the first to substitute preowned for used cars, emphasizing ownership rather than use. you might find an inexpensive interview suit but not a cheap one and purchase from a sales associate rather than a clerk. lifelike christmas tree sounds better than a fake one. we are all attracted by pleasant sounding words, names and labels - differentiation is not an attempt to find a better sounding word but to alter how you see reality. for ex., when an animal rights advocate wants you to become and animal guardian instead of an animal owner, this person wants to change how you see your relationship with your pet. calling female members of an org. women is not political correctness-a euphemism-but an effort to change perceptions of the abilities, capabilities, and maturity of women compared to girls. the purpose of euphemisms and differentiation are very different; the first wants to make something SOUND BETTER while the second wants to change your VISIONS OF REALITY

Answer 46

- interviewers may appeal to your historic faith in the rule and wisdom of "the people", following Lincoln's adage that you can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. - the ad populum tactic claims to speak on behalf of the people, the alleged majority, such as voters, students, employees, college athletes, consumers, small business owners, etc. it is the common folk of course, not the elite, the government, the administration or the execs. - the bandwagon tactic urges you to follow the crowd, to do what everyone else is doing, buying, wearing, attending, voting, etc. it appeals to your desire to belong and conform, often accompanies by a note of urgency "this course if filling up quickly" "these tickets are almost sold out" - listen for important qualifiers such as nearly, probably. almost, majority. ask for numbers or names of those who have signed a petition, agreed to a change, or joined and organization. be cautious of phrases such as experienced investors, people in the know, and those who are on the move that are designed to pressure and flatter. - for many of us, the majority rules. - always have an inquiring mind

Answer 47

- interviewers attempt to reduce complex issues, controversies, and situations to their simplest elements. the thin entering wedge, also known as the domino effect or the slippery slope, claims that one decision, action or law after another is leading toward disastrous consequences. - talk to a person who is against censorship, gun control, or same sex marriages and you are likely to hear how censorship of books in schools is one more step towards censoring all reading materials, how same sex marriage is a slippery slow toward the destruction of home and the family. - look for evidence of a related, intentional string of actions that are tipping dominos, producing wedges or sliding down a dangerous slope. - slogans are clever words or phrases that encapsulate positions, standards or goals. they are vague but powerful means to alter the way you think feel or act because they are catchy and entice you to fill in the meaning- to self persuade. interviewers rely on slogans to attract customers, recruiters, contributors, and loyalty and may change them to communicate different messages. ask what slogans mean and if they truly represent the person, org, campaign or solution - an interviewer may polarize people, organizations, positions, or courses of actions by claiming that you only have a choice of two: conservative or liberal, friend or foe, chevy or ford, wind power or nuclear power, for gun control or against gun control, etc. polarizing limits our choices and our thinking.

Answer 48

- attacking a source does not address the issue. sharing guilt does not remove the guild. blaming others is an attempt to dodge responsibility. - interviewers may attempt to dodge critical issues, questions or objections, ad hominem (getting personal) dodges undesired challenges by discrediting a source because of age, culture, gender, race, affiliations or past positions, statements or claims. - a parent may tell a child to just consider the source when the child is called a name or has a belief challenged. someone may urge you to ignore research conducted by a known conservative or liberal. insist that the interviewer address the issue, point or substance of the research. - you have used the tu quoque tactic since childhood to dodge an issue or objection by revolving it upon the challenger or questioner "you're one too" "it takes one to know one" "so do you". these are classic tu quoque responses. if you question a political candidate about taking money from special interests, the person may reply "all politicians take money from special interests" - interviewers may dodge issues by transferring guilt to others, making the accuser, victim or questioner the guilty party. cheating on an exam is the professors fault, parking illegally is the colleges fault, etc. don't allow attribution of guilt to others without addressing questions, concerns and objections

Answer 49

- the logical and psychological are inseparable. - persuaders develop arguments into what appear to be valid and acceptable patterns. it is important to recognize and challenge these common logical patterns. - argument from example is a statement about the distribution of some characteristics among the members of a whole class of people, places or things. it's based on a sample of this class. if you recognize this patter, ask what is the total amount of this sample, what is the nature of this sample, when was it taken, what is the interviewer asserting from this sample? always check the sample from which generalizations come from. be aware of hasty generalizations in which the persuader generalizes to a whole group of people, places or things from one or few examples. for ex. a friend may tell you not to dine a particular place bc they had a bad meal there once. - argument from cause-to-effect addresses what caused an effect. ask was this cause able to generate this effect, was this the only possible cause, was this the major cause, what evidence is offered to establish this causal link, etc. be aware of the post hoe or scrambling cause-effect fallacy that argues simply because B followed A, A must have caused B. for instance, I got the flu the day after I got that flu short, so that must have given me the flu. just because B followed A, does not mean that A caused B - arguing from fact or hypothesis offers the best accounting or explanation for a body of facts and is the type of reasoning investigators use in murder mysteries. a football coach may argue that bc he has a senior QB who has started for 3 yrs, and has a bunch of other good members on the team, that this will be the team's breakout year. ask these questions when hearing an argument from fact: how frequently is this hypothesis accurate with these facts? is the body of facts sufficient? what facts would make this claim more or less convincing, how simple or complex is the hypothesis, etc

Answer 50

- arguing from sign is a claim that two or more variables are related in such a way that the presence or absence of one may be taken as an indication of the presence or absence of the other. for ex., you may note that the flag on the post office is at half-mast and reason that someone important has died. ask what is the relationship between these variables, is the presence or absence verifiable, what is the believability or reliability of the sign, etc. a sign may have many meanings or no meaning - arguing from analogy or comparison is based on the assumption that if two people, places, or things have a number of similarities they also share significant others. a sales rep might argue that since a moderately priced SUV has many of the same features as a luxury SUV, you should lease the less expensive SUV bc it is of the same quality. ask how similar are these similarities, are enough similarities provided, are these similarities critical enough to claim, etc. look for important differences as well as similarities - arguing from accepted belief, assumption or proposition is based on a statement that is thought to be accepted or proven.the remainder of the argument follows from the assertion such as smoking causes cancer, you are a smoker, therefore you may get cancer. ask do you accept the foundational assertion, does the other assertions follow logically from the chain of assertions, does the claim necessary follow from these assertions, etc. beware that arguments based on alleged self-evident truths that cannot be questioned or disputed bc they are "fact" - in argument from condition an interviewer asserts that if something does or does not happen, something else will or will not happen. the central focus in the word IF. ask is the condition acceptable, is this the only condition, is the he major condition, etc - if arguments may ignore obvious or unpredictable conditions

Answer 51

- look closely at the evidence an interviewer offers or does not offer to gain attention and interest, establish credibility and legitimacy, support arguments, develop a need or present a solution. evidence may include examples, stories, authorities or witnesses, comparisons and contrasts, stats and key definitions. use these questions to assess the acceptability of an interviewer's evidence - is the evidence given trustworthy? are the persuaders and ppl being cited reliable or unbiased? - is the evidence authoritative? what are the training, experience and reputation of those being cited and what position were they in to observe the facts events or data? - is the evidence recent? is the most recent evidence available or is newer evidence of available? have ppl changed their mind? - is the evidence documented sufficiently? do you know where and how the stats or results were determined, who determined them, and when they were reported? - is the evidence relayed accurately? can you see alterations or deletions in quotes, stats, or documentations? is the evidence cited in context? - is the evidence sufficient in quantity? are enough authorities cited? enough examples given? - is the evidence sufficient in quality? are opinions stated as facts, how satisfactory is the sample, does proof evidence outweigh clarifying evidence, etc? - insist on both quality and quantity of evidence. assess reliability and expertise of sources. - be active in the interview. each interview has the potential of altering or reinforcing the way you think, feel, act, including the money you spend, the votes you cast, relationships you establish, possessions you protect, the work you do and life you lead. as a variety of questions during each interview. informational questions, for example, enable you to obtain info and explanations, probe into vague and ambiguous terms and comments, reveal feelings and attitudes that may lie hidden or merely suggested. - there are NO foolish questions, only questions you foolishly fail to ask.

Answer 52

- be alert and active in the first moments of every interview. if it is a cold call in which you have no time to prepare, use carefully phrased qs to discover the identity, position and qualifications of interviewer. discover the real purpose and intent of the interview. use the opening to play an active, critical and informed role in the interview. it all starts with the opening. - too many persuadees play passive roles during openings. most often the interviewee does not exhibit personality or attitudes and learns little about the purpose of the interview, how long it will take or the nature of the issue.

Answer 53

- if an interviewer attempts to conduct an interview without a clear purpose and in which the need is a collection of generalizations and ambiguous claims, insist on a point by point development with each point crafted carefully and logically supported with evidence and adapted to your values, beliefs and attitudes. - beware of fallacies and tactics that dodge your qs and objections. an interviewer may attempt to introduce another point rather than address your concerns about a point. insist on answers to your qs and objections and get agreements before delving into another point - weight evidence carefully and be on guard against psychological strategies designed to manipulate reactions and make you feel obligated to reply in kind. do not tolerate negative selling or mudslinging. insist on getting agreements on the need before going into criteria or solutions - ask qs, challenge arguments and demand solid evidence

Answer 54

- establishing criteria with the interviewer that any solution should meet is a critical part of the persuasion process. an interviewer may come with a list of criteria and this helps the process and shows planning. take an active part in establishing criteria. are the criteria clear? do you wish to modify the criteria? which are the most important criteria? are there criteria you wish to add? - criteria enable you to weigh solutions

Answer 55

- an interviewer may say there is only ONE obvious solution to the need or desire agreed upon. there is rarely only one solution to any issue. insist upon a detailed presentation of each possible solution. ask qs and raise objections. be sure the criteria are applied equally to each solution to determine which is best for you in this situation. if possible, insist on seeing, feeling hearing or experiencing the product or proposal. - when you have agreed upon a solution or course of action, beware of qualifiers or "add ons" such as guarantees, rebates, accessories, processing fees or commitments. be sure the solution meets your needs and is the best option available

Answer 56

- don't be rushed into make a decision or commitment. you have little to gain and much to lose through haste. a common tactic is to create psychological reaction by claiming the possibility of censorship or scarcity of a product. an org may produce a limited number of books, coins, cars, or positions to make them more in demand to urge you to act quickly before it's too late or an agency steps in to prevent you from acting - take time to think about a decision, sleep on it. be sure all of your qs are objections are answered satisfactorily. - be aware of the possible ramifications of you decision. consider getting a second or third option. talk to ppl who have relevant info expertise or experiences. check out competing products, candidates, offers and programs. - when coming to a new community, check out many neighborhoods before buying a home visit several schools and tryout several computers before buying one.

Answer 57

- good persuasive interviews are ones in which both parties are actively involved, not speeches given to an audience of one but interpersonal interactions in which both parties must speak and listen effectively - the guiding principle is that persuasion is DONE WITH not DONE TO another party - good persuasive interviews are honest endeavors conducted according to fundamental ethical guidelines. - they are not games in which the end justifies means or buyer beware is a guiding principle. the appeal should be to the head and the heart rather than relying on emotional hot buttons that will override critical thought and decision making - good persuasive interviews are carefully researched, planned, and structured, yet they remain flexible enough to meet unforeseen reactions, objections and arguments. - the interviewer adapts the persuasive effort to this persuadee; develops, supports and documents important reasons for a change in thinking, feeling or acting; and presents a detailed solution that meets criteria agreed upon by both parties. persuasion often entails several contacts in which the persuader and persuadee reach incremental agreements. - good persuasive interviews involve the interviewee as a responsible, informed critical and active participant who plays a central not passive role in the interview. the interviewee acts ethically, listens carefully, asks insightful and challenging questions, raises important objections, challenges evidence and arguments, recognizes common persuasive tacts for what they are and weighs solutions according to agreed upon criteria.