Paint Mental Pictures

Persuasion is the art of getting people to convince themselves. No one is convinced solely by external influence. Information from the outside world comes into our mind and is then interpreted both consciously and unconsciously. This interpretation creates a series of mental pictures or movies, and it is this that “persuades” us to do something with that information.

Therefore, to have greater positive influence on others, we need to have some control over the mental images our words impress upon people’s minds. All forms of communication create these images, but most people give no thought to how their words influence the minds of those whom they communicate with.

So how do we create these mental images in people’s minds?

By using specific and visual language.

Less specific language leaves interpretation up to the listener, while more specific language leaves less to be interpreted and therefore creates a more predictable response.

Example of vague, unspecific language: “The person left the place to go somewhere else.” There’s a lot to be interpreted here. Who left? Which place? Where else? How?

Example of slightly more specific language: “The man left home and headed to work.” We have a better idea now, but there are still a lot of blanks to be filled in by the mind.

Example of more specific language with less left up to interpretation: “David hurried out the door of his 4-bedroom suburban home at 8:23 AM and hopped into his black SUV. The sky was a pale grey, the temperature a frigid 13 degrees. He was late for work. As he rushed through traffic, he felt the all-too-familiar existential dread and thought to himself, ‘Is this really what I’m supposed to be doing with my life.’” The greater detail in this paragraph paints much clearer mental pictures in your mind. Your mind has less blanks to fill in. Instead of allowing you to form your own mental pictures, I can dictate them for you by using specific and descriptive language.

How to Use This in Your Marketing:

Help the listener see themselves using and benefitting from your product or service by describing life from the future point of view where they have already received the benefit or outcome they desire. You can do this in an indirect way by simply telling stories about yourself or others who have already experienced these changes, or by using hypothetical examples of what could happen if they follow the path you’re inviting them on.

Quick Tip: To increase the intensity and clarity of the mental images you implant in people’s minds, use words that evoke the five senses. Describe the sights, sounds, inner sensations, etc.