In this article, we will concentrate on cause and effect language. The uses of Cause and effect (CE) language are many in business.
Let's define the term. Cause and Effect is where some person rightly or wrongly ascribes some effect (outcome) to a cause (stimulus).
If you think about it, all beliefs use cause and Effect to describe what the belief is. An example of this is, "I believe that persuasion skills will cause a sales person to be successful." Let's examine this. The "cause" is persuasion skills, and the effect is success, right? In other words, you could simply say, "persuasion skills cause success." Now, let's discover why this pattern is important in business and how you can use it.
Since people use the cause and effect pattern to describe what they believe is true, it can have a very powerful impact on people you deal with when you use it in your language. Think for just a moment about something that you believe in. In fact write it down. (you may have expressed your belief using only half of the equation such as, " I believe persuasion is good", or "A win - win attitude is necessary. If you did that you have deleted the other half of your belief. Therefore to recover it you might ask yourself at the end of what you wrote, because? or, so that? This will uncover the rest of your belief. Using the above example "A win - win attitude is necessary", let's uncover the rest. So I say, because? and the answer for me is, "everyone is benefited". Therefore I could state the entire belief as "A win - win attitude is good because everyone is benefited." The cause in that sentence is win - win attitude and the effect is everyone is benefited. Make sure then that you have written you belief using the above technique so that both halves of your belief is stated.)
Think about that belief for just a moment now. How do you feel when you say it to yourself. If you are like most people you have a sense that, "well of course that's true". How would you like to have people thinking that way about what you present as you're presenting it? Let me show you the pattern because simply using it will cause people to begin to believe in what you are saying far more than before you learned to use it. The pattern looks like this:
X Causes Y
What's unique about this is that any X can cause any Y. They do not have to be linked by logic. In fact this is the structure of logic (or as you have learned above, the structure of beliefs). People attempt to make you believe something is logical by stating things using this pattern. An example of this is: Reading this column causes you to realize the value that's contained in it for you. What's the X? Reading the column, right? What's the Y? Realizing the value, true? Now, I ask you, is there really any connection between reading this column and realizing value? If you believe that there is then I have been successful in my use of Cause and Effect. Really, though your mind simply connects that some X (reading the column) causes some Y (realizing value for you). Let me give you another one. Thinking about how you can use this pattern allows you to determine how much more persuasive you'll be as you adopt it into your normal language. Again, do you see how using the pattern makes what's said more persuasive?
Here is a list of words that you can use to link the X and Y together.
AND, AS, WHILE, DURING, SINCE, CAUSES, FORCES, MAKES, ALLOWS, IMPLIES, PROVOKES, LEADS, BRINGS TO PASS, EFFECTUATES, ENABLES, CONSTITUTES, NECESSITATES.
Here's a few more examples. Desiring to increase your persuasion skills enables you to start to use this pattern. Listening to what I say to you today will allow you to come to the understanding that our firm can assist you in the ways you need most, right now.
Are you beginning to understand how this pattern works? Let me give you an exercise that will help you to perfect your use of this pattern. I'll list some things that could be considered X's and some things that could be considered Y's and you put them together.
X Y
1. Sitting there Buy from us
2. Thinking about what I say Realize the value in our product
3. Listening to your secretary buzz you Go along with our proposal
4. Presenting this to your board Enjoy creating this relationship
5. Thinking about what you really need Hire me
You can mix and match the above X's and Y's to practice this exercise. Here's just one example. Thinking about what you really need right now allows you to enjoy creating this relationship with me.
Let's move on to another pattern that's similar to the one I just taught you. It's called IMPLIED CAUSE AND EFFECT. It is represented like this:
AS X, Y
This pattern simply puts the word that connects the X (cause) and the Y (effect) before the X. This simply implies a connection rather than forces one. An example: As you read each word in this article, you can become aware of the profound positive changes taking place right now in your ability to persuade others gracefully. This sentence then, implies a connection between reading and changing.
You can use this technique just as you can use the X causes Y technique. The major difference between the two is that the implied cause and effects a bit softer. Some people prefer to start off by using the implied cause and effect and then moving on to straight cause and effect.
Try going back now to the exercise above and make each one an implied cause and effect sentence.
In order to get the most from this information, it is important that you create several outcomes for yourself and then practice saying them in the cause effect format so that you can become comfortable in using them.
Let's go to the last pattern for this article. It is called Single Binds. Single binds are in the cause and effect family. They are especially powerful and fun to use. (critics and cynics, please see paragraph #2.)
The structure for Single binds is:
The more you X, the more you will Y
In this pattern X will represent the trigger for the Y or X can also represent what you don't want to have happen and Y can then represent what will happen anyway. You can learn this best by reading a couple of examples. The more you try to disagree with me, the more you will find yourself in agreement. How do you like it so far? In this sentence the X is "try to disagree" and the Y is "find yourself in agreement". Get it?
Here is another example: The more you understand this pattern, the more you will be compelled to learn even more about it. This sentence reinforced a particular behavior, where the one above stopped or changed a particular behavior.
Here's another one: The more you consider doing business with our competitors, the better doing business with us becomes. Now, let me ask you, is this a useful sentence in the business world?
The one thing I often hear in my trainings is, "can you really use this pattern just like that"? The answer is ABSOLUTELY YES! You'll get the hang of them the more you practice with them. Of course I could say, the more you wonder wither or not you can actually use this pattern the more you will find it naturally coming out of your mouth. However, you'll find that they are extremely useful and very powerful in persuading other people.
Coming up in other articles we will cover the use of double binds, covert verbal pacing and leading, presuppositions including some little known types of presuppositions and additional language patterns that will help you in business and persuasion.