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The strategy of binding is fascinating as it relates to persuasion and is something that should be used sparingly.

Binds are language patterns that figuratively bind your prospect or client to do as you wish them to do. (Can you see why this should be used sparingly and with the utmost integrity?) Like all language patterns, there’s a formula to it.

Single binds have two formulas. Formula one is ‘if X, Y’. Formula two is ‘the more you X, the more you Y.’

As a general rule, the X will be a pace (something that is verifiably true) but it can also include a suggestion or a challenge, and the Y will be a lead, how you want them to think or respond but they’re not currently doing, necessarily. (For more on pacing and leading, stay tuned.)

So you can, for example, think of X as the set up and Y as the punch line.

Here’s a self-serving example (lol): ‘If you develop a deep understanding of the power of binds, you’ll feel compelled to sign up for The Persuasion Factor.’

Okay. . .that’s a pretty obvious example. Very transparent, I know, but you see that the first part of the sentence ‘if you develop a deep understanding of the power of binds’ is a suggestion or challenge, and ‘you’ll feel compelled to sign up for The Persuasion Factor’ is the lead, what I want you to do which you may not currently be doing.

Here’s another example: ‘The more you read what I’m explaining, the more you’ll understand the power of using it.’

I’ll break this one down a little. The more you read about something, for example, the more you read about using binds, the more you will understand how powerful they are in persuasion. Is this true? I think it is. But it’s more of a presupposition than it is solid, hard, cold fact.

Binds do not have to in any way make sense or be logical.

Here’s one for real estate agents: ‘The more you hear about this piece of property, the more you will be compelled to buy it.’ Now, is this logical? Not necessarily. Hearing about something doesn’t really compel people to buy something. It might. The suggestion is that there’s a logical link between hearing about the property being sold and a compulsion to buy it. The bind creates the link, creating a ‘truth’ which makes it so in the minds of the people you are binding.

Here’s where we start to get into some really interesting ways of using this. ‘The more you try and object, the more you will find yourself going along with these ideas.’

What are we really doing here? We’re issuing a challenge. The more you try and do something we don’t want you to do, the more you’ll find yourself doing what we want you to do.

Here’s another one: ‘The more you want to feel good about yourself, the more you’ll need to act now on this proposal.’

You might say, ‘Kenrick, you can’t just say that to people.’ Well, yes I can. And I do. And it works great. My advice: write some samples out before you try using this technique. It is something that needs to be delivered smoothly or you will get an odd reaction.

Tags: NLP

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