The Importance of the Premise

Every interaction has a beginning. Something that triggers it. And we always have the power to control this "thing". I call it the premise.

 Observe the quickness at which a person gives an opinion. What is this quickness influenced by? To me the answer lies in the premise, the source of the desire to give an opinion. Desire is the keyword. The only way to make anyone do something is to make them want to do it. And the best way to produce a reaction is to demand it. So what would demand an opinion? Another opinion of course.

 A neutral statement is something that encourages thinking. This is why newspapers headlines are always injected with some form of emotion. They don't want you to think because it takes too long. They want you to feel and this feeling is what compels you to read the newspaper. An emotional action for an emotional reaction. If you haven't figured it out by now, emotional reactions are always quicker than thinking reactions. Both are good according to situations.

 This is where the power of premise-building comes in. When you understand that your first action is what influences subsequent reactions, you just need to know what kind of reaction you want to get. If you want to get someone to be interested in something you're talking about, then you have to build a premise that demands their interest. In a general sense, people are interested in themselves. So an easy tip is to always relate to people, to connect them with your topic/product/opinion/whatever.

 Whether you're approaching the girl you like or pitching a sales idea to your clients, control the premise. Create a starting point in which where every subsequent reaction serves to reach the outcome that you desire. Yes, along the way you must adapt but if you build the right tone, it'll make your job way easier.

 If you want to read more about this, I recommend Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini.

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