5 Communication Tricks That Make You Sound 10x More Persuasive
Say the Right Words at the Right Time to Influence Others
Most people have no idea how easy it is to sound twice as smart with half the effort.
I’m about to show you 5 communication tricks that instantly make people lean in, trust you more, and agree with you without knowing why.
Even if you’re terrible at small talk and socializing.
1. Say the Thing They've Never Heard Out Loud, but Instantly Recognize as True
This is so obvious that no one has ever said it.
No one scrolls past for genius. They scroll past for recognition. Something in their chest straightens up.
Like,
"It's strange how people will take two hours watching videos on time management rather than just beginning the thing."
People want clarity.
When something feels familiar, people tend to like that.
When you name a feeling or thought clearly, you give people something solid to hold onto. That maybe why your 1/10th blog post finally lands, because you said the thing we were all thinking but didn’t know how to say.
Have you noticed that many of my articles follow the same pattern?
2. People Listen Harder When They Feel Like You’re Saying Something They Were Already Almost Thinking
If you begin writing with "Here's something you never thought of," by the time they read the first point, you've lost half your readers already.
Most readers need a co-conspirator. Someone who leans in and says, "I was thinking about this, too…"
When readers feel like you're close to what they were already circling, they trust you more.
Nobody wants to be “taught”; they want to be affirmed.
Readers respond better to a shared journey than a lecture.
Don't try to bulldoze with hot takes. Nudge their memory.
Take this example from James Clear’s Atomic Habits, one of the most widely read nonfiction books in recent years. He doesn’t like to open with, “Here’s a revolutionary new way to change your life.”
He starts by saying:
“Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.”
That sounds familiar in some way, and it also mirrors their common wisdom, so now we trust him. Because he’s not trying to be smarter than us. He’s speaking with us.
3. Making Someone Feel Intelligent Makes Them More Likely to Consider Your Suggestions
You don't win arguments by being intelligent. You win people over when they feel smart for agreeing with you.
Most people don’t like being told what to think. But they feel good when they figure something out by themselves, or feel like they did.
People love completing thoughts.
The best way to explain something is to say just enough so the other person can figure out the rest by themselves.
Create small gaps they get to fill mentally. Psychologists call this the “IKEA Effect.”
If your reader gets up and says, "I always kind of knew that," you've done your job.
Because people feel smart, they open their minds. They begin to treat your ideas as their own.
Which is precisely what you want. You're just trying to help them remember what they already believe.
4. When your tone and words don’t match, people believe your tone more.
Let’s say your friend says, "No really, I'm fine," but their face is like they might cry.
You believe the face. Not the sentence.
It happens in writing as well. Here’s how:
Let’s look at two examples:
When someone writes something on LinkedIn like,
"Happy to share I got a new job as Senior Synergy Growth Lead at xyz. So thankful and proud to join this amazing team,"
Now compare that to this one:
"I got laid off two months ago. It sucked. But I’m back on my feet and starting a new job next week. I’m nervous but excited. Thanks to everyone who helped me through it."
This one feels real,
People remember how you made them feel. What you say + how you say it = what people remember.
If they don’t trust how you say it, they won’t care what you say.
5. People Are Drawn to Voices That Feel Like Home
People feel safe when things feel familiar. That’s why we like being around others who think or act like us.
Talk the way you talk. Write at the same speed your mind moves at.
Write the way you talk.
Use simple words.
Be honest.
Don’t try to sound fancy or super smart.
Be the same person each time you write.
So if your voice leads them to believe they've sat down in front of you at a table and not in a lecture room, they'll remain.
Wait a Sec
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