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By Joseph Plazo
Last time the used car salesman pitched a lemon at you, he
called the high price tag an "investment." Didn't sound so bad
did it? He gift wrapped his words.
When you were fired, they called it a strategic downsizing.
Now
that didn't make you any better off... but it sure sounded
nicer
than being "fired"
Euphemisms are efficient linguistic tactics to counter
objections. The key is to redefine certain words in an
antagonist's statement such that his objection no longer seems
so overwhelming.
Through redefinition we create new "frame" meanings about a
behaviour by re-labeling a key word that's part of the belief
statement. The relabeling frames the entire belief statement
with a new meaning.
Redefinition asserts that "X doesn't mean Y, it means Z" Since
X=Z and not Y, we now have a totally new belief statement.
hopefully a more empowering one.
Here are some questions you can test yourself with to increase
your flexibility at reframing: What meanings have other people
given to this objection/ belief?
What other meanings could I attribute this behavior? What
value
could this belief have in other nations or cultures?
The secret to reframing: Simply replace one of the key words
in
the argument such that it subtly changes the sentence's
meaning.
1. "It doesn't mean x, it means y"
2. "It doesn't cause x," it causes y"
3. "If you really want to see a case of x, consider."
Let's do some reframes, after all, practice makes perfect.
Objection: You were too tough on your employees; it's unkind!
How do you expect to motivate them?
Answer: I agree that they might be hurt at first. But tough
words also have its place. In this instance, I'm actually not
criticizing without just cause. I'm simply expressing my
feelings so they'll know where I stand. Would you rather I
lied? You believe in assertive conversation, don't you?
Objection: You're tardy for the umpteenth time. You don't care
about me.
Answer: My being late doesn't imply I don't care. It means I
had a lot of things to do at work today; it also means I want
to get everything out of my mind so when I get home I can
fully
relish being with you and show you how much I truly care!
About The Author: A master of manifestation to his associates,
Joseph R. Plazo offers intense executive coaching so people
can
find jobs and build careers. www.xtrememind.com
jobcentralasia.com www.powerconsultants.net
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