Cheat with Science: Persuade Someone

Another interesting tip from Wired December magazine.

“There’s a science and an art to persuasion.
Researchers at the U of Michigan analyzed
the speech of 100 interviewers as they tried
to persuade people to participate in a survey.
Here’s what they learned…

1. Talk fast
…optimal persuasive speed is a little
faster than normal – about 3.5 words
per second. Hyperspeed can sound
shady, and slow-talkers come across
as dull or didactic.

2. Take a breath
Interviewers who spoke perfectly
were the least likely to hook a
listener. It’s best to pause about
every 20 seconds.

3. Mind your pitch
Get enthused but be wary of
being too boisterous. Men who varied
their pitch a lot were less persuasive
that those who didn’t. But women
who varied their pitch were more successful
that those (women) who didn’t.
As with men, a lower pitch also helped slightly,
which was a surprise, because research
has shown that higher female voices
are viewed as more attractive.”

I believe in this study, everyone used the same script, so they could test the variables above.
If you test these options, report back, ok?