Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter

by Scott Adams

Trump engineers his nicknames for future confirmation bias. By that I mean he primed our brains to see the future through his filter.

It would be one thing if Trump used some persuasion tricks now and then. It is a different matter when you see persuasion applied consistently and with the strongest known tools. That can be interpreted as accidental only for so long. When you see the consistency of Trump’s visual persuasion—one of his many techniques—it is hard to write it off as coincidence.

The only way to top identity persuasion is with the number one best persuasion form: fear.

Trump was being consistent with his practice of never giving away anything until he can trade it for value. He needed every vote he could get, including votes from people who think and do things you and I don’t like. If that sounds terrible to you, keep in mind that Trump’s background is the construction business in New York. He has dealt with unsavory characters. And sometimes those unsavory characters are a small part of a larger plan for a greater good, whether you hate them or not. You can make up your own mind about the ethics of using bad people to get good outcomes.

I have long had a name for Jobs’s clever move. I call it the “High-Ground Maneuver.” I first noticed an executive using it years ago, and I’ve since used it a number of times when the situation called for it. The move involves taking an argument up to a level where you can say something that is absolutely true while changing the context at the same time. Once the move has been executed, the other participants will fear appearing small-minded if they drag the argument back to the detail level. It’s an instant game changer.

Trump likes to punctuate the ends of his statements with “believe me.” That’s a direct command disguised as throwaway words. One of the rules of selling is that at some point in the pitch you have to directly ask for what you want. Trump wants you to believe him. So he asks directly.

Trump’s simple speaking style made him relatable to the average undereducated voter. This is another example of Trump using pacing and leading. First you match your audience to gain their trust. Then you can lead them. This is powerful persuasion.

One of the special features of Trump’s speaking style is that it is naturally viral. The way he words things—especially the simplicity of it—makes his points easy to remember and easy to repeat. He’s a human quote machine.