How to Unlock Your Power of Persuasion Better Than Obi-Wan Kenobi

I'll be honest: I worship Star Wars. The methodology is timeless. Some of the quotes are even more timeless and appeal to our better sense of positive nature as human beings from a philosophical standpoint, as those fools out there are not as foolish as those who follow fools. Thank you, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope, and you've definitely nurtured my personal development in ways only a Jedi Master can, but even you don't have all the key skills, say, an FBI agent or even Jack Bauer could have when it comes to persuasion and negotiation.

For starters, though, using a Jedi mind trick or two would be mandatory in a lot of cases, even when involving credit repair! You can take Kenobi's teachings farther, though, by considering this important mantra:

You Must Change People's Minds Before They Say "NO"

What does that mean? Simply put, you can -- like any FBI agent -- read someone's minds, not through the will of the Force, but by reading body language. Simply observe a person's mouth and know that whenever lips purse or pucker, or even round out, you're looking at someone who has already formed a decision before actually speaking it out loud. Even better, that person's decision is a resounding NO. And that's something you don't want to hear when negotiating or persuading someone, such as in a job interview, or a business meeting, or even a sales conversation.

Here, though, you have a tremendous advantage, like when you say that these are not the droids you're looking for. You already know what a person thinks before they actually say something. Now the trick is this --

You Have to Change That Person's Mind Before They Actually Say Anything!

It's not as easy as it looks. But perhaps with the help of a light saber, someone might be persuaded. Let's say, though, for argument's sake, you don't have one. What do you do? Keep pushing your pitch, emphasize benefits, counterattack any objections before they're ever addressed. After all, the reason why a person says 'NO' has to involve specific concerns or objections, so it's important to know what they are and address them immediately.

It's important to know this fact, though: you have to get all this out before the person says anything. And I mean anything. Changing what a person thinks is a whole lot easier than changing what a person says. Once it's said, out in the open, you're engaged in an uphill battle. That person's 'made up his/her mind'.

A Jedi Feels the Force Around Him

Move along. Again, I repeat: these aren't the droids you're looking for. So says Kenobi. Luke Skywalker certainly learned well and became a Jedi like his father before him, and you can be the negotiation expert like your mentors before you as long as you realize that your key advantage is changing a person's mind how?

Before they open their mouths.... Impressive. Most impressive.