Success Advice

The Payoff of Paying Close Attention

Analogue marking is a powerful tool for persuasion

Published

1 year ago

Dec 1, 2022

Stephen McGarvey

Image Credit: Unsplash

When someone is telling a story, which parts of the story do you pay most attention to? Beyond your awareness, you are likely to be unconsciously directed by the speaker to pay closer attention to specific areas of the story — the spots where they place emphasis.

The storyteller may raise their voice, move their hand, or use a different tone for the most critical parts of their story, and this usually gets our subconscious attention. In fact, the same principle applies to the written word.

You probably noticed the word “parts” in the first sentence of this article since it is bolded. In the world of neuroscience, we call this emphasis analogue marking, and it’s a strategy that’s important to use in your day-to-day interactions as you become a better persuader.

Making the Subconscious Conscious

As a listener, you can benefit from bringing analogue marking into your conscious awareness. Some speakers analogue mark without realizing it, and it’s highly beneficial to pay attention to their cues. A memorable example is from a story about Milton Erickson, as a student, before he founded the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis.

Apparently, during a series of lectures, Erickson paid special attention to the moments when his professor changed his tone, placed greater emphasis on certain details, and repeated himself. Many students would simply have heard the subtle changes in delivery without thinking further of their importance.

Erickson made note of these changes in emphasis and, as part of his exam preparation, he only studied the specific material the professor had analogue marked.

After the exam, the professor confronted Erickson, accusing him of cheating. It turns out he had achieved an exceptionally high mark. That was how well Erickson was able to read his professor by understanding and paying attention to his use of analogue marking.

He essentially knew which specific material would be on the exam based on how his professor had delivered the material. Erickson turned over his notes to prove to the professor that he had simply followed the teacher’s own unconscious cues.

Essentially, Erickson was reading the professor’s “tells,” just as one would read an opponent during a poker game.

Erickson had a special talent for paying close attention to people. If you’d like to enhance your skills in this area, rest assured that active listening can be improved with practice. In time, you will consciously notice things that previously were only available to you on a subconscious level.

To begin, pay attention to:

Gestures and body language
The volume at which the person is speaking
The tone the person is using
The cadence of the person’s speech

The more that you practice paying attention to these subtle communication signals, the better you will be at identifying and making use of them. Eventually, you’ll become better at consciously leveraging your own style of analogue marking, which is a valuable persuasion tool.

Using Analogue Marking in Persuasion

Remember, you can analogue mark to place greater emphasis on some of the information you’re communicating and draw your audience’s attention to it. The same tactics apply as with learning to be an active listener.

That is, you can analogue mark by changing your tone, increasing or lowering your volume, slowing or quickening your speech, or using a gesture. As any skilled orator will tell you, using an analogue mark is best done subtly. Even small changes will greatly impact people’s interpretation of your words.

Ask Questions Intentionally!

The questions that you ask yourself and others send the imagination on a quest. It’s all about understanding the usually subconscious implications of the kind of question you ask. For example, consider the difference between these two questions:

Why are you dissatisfied?
What would make you feel satisfied?

Ultimately, these questions engage and guide the imagination in very different directions, although one may initially think they have a similar intention. The first leads the listener’s imagination on a quest to search for supporting evidence around being disappointed. The second engages and guides the imagination in the direction of searching for fulfillment.

We can also add another layer by applying analogue marking to our questions (as you see with the words that are bolded above) to further increase our influence at a subconscious level by emphasizing the desired state.

Searching for an objective answer to a question? Start by finding a neutral way to phrase the question (or ask in several different ways). Keep in mind that, unlike a scientist, as a persuader you are intentional, rather than objective. You’re always working towards moving someone from their current state to the desired state.

So, if you want someone to feel more satisfied, you’ll increase your influence by asking the question that sends their imagination on a search for satisfaction. You can also utilize analogue marking to highlight the instruction to feel satisfied.

By phrasing and delivering the question this way, you are instilling thoughts in the other person, guiding them to feel more satisfied, empowering them to reframe their experience in a more positive way. Over time, these small, subtle changes in your language will add up.

Think, Act, Do

Analogue marking is a powerful tool for persuasion because it helps shift someone’s mindset, moving them towards the desired state, even when they are unaware of what you are doing. By paying more attention to other people’s subconscious analogue marking, you will set them in motion from thinking to then acting in the desired manner.

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Stephen McGarvey

Stephen McGarvey is an international speaker, an expert on persuasion and influence, and the founder of a boutique consulting firm, Solutions In Mind. He assists corporations and audiences around the world in solving difficult communications problems by guiding them on an engaging, fast-paced, fascinating journey inside the unconscious mind. His new book is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal #1 Best Seller Ignite a Shift: Engaging Minds, Guiding Emotions and Driving Behavior (Morgan James Publishing, July 2022). Learn more at solutionsinmind.com.

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How to Choose the Best Affiliate Programs for Your Blog

If you follow these steps, you can create an affiliate marketing plan that makes money, fits well with your content, and connects with your readers

Published

2 weeks ago

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Addicted2Success Editor

how to choose the best affiliate programs for your blog

Picking the right affiliate programs for your blog is really important. It can make a big difference in how much money you can make and how much your readers get out of your blog. With so many choices out there, deciding which ones to go with can be tricky.

This guide is here to make it easier for you. It will give you clear steps and helpful tips to choose affiliate programs that fit well with what your blog is about, what your readers like, and what you stand for.

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Understanding Affiliate Marketing

Before you start picking affiliate programs, it’s important to really understand what affiliate marketing is and how it works.

Basically, affiliate marketing is when you promote a product or service on your blog, and then you get paid a little bit every time someone buys something or does something because you recommended it.

It’s great for both the person selling the product and the blogger, because the seller gets more sales with low risk, and the blogger can make money from their blog.

How to Choose the Right Affiliate Programs for Your Blog

1. Assess Your Niche and Audience

The key to doing well in affiliate marketing starts with really knowing what your blog is about and who reads it. Consider the following:

Your blog’s content: What topics do you cover? Ensure the products or services you promote are relevant.
Your audience’s interests and needs: What solutions are they seeking? Choose affiliate programs that offer products or services that solve their problems or enhance their lives.

2. Research Potential Affiliate Programs

Once you know what your blog is about and what your readers want, start looking for affiliate programs. Choose ones that are well-known for good products, great customer service, and helpful support for affiliates. Resources to find these programs include:

Affiliate networks like ShareASale, Commission Junction, and ClickBank.
Direct searches for “[Your Niche] affiliate programs” in search engines.
Recommendations from other bloggers in your niche.

3. Evaluate the Commission Structure

The commission structure is a critical factor to consider. Look for programs that offer competitive rates that make your efforts worthwhile. Consider:

The percentage of commission per sale.
Whether the program offers a flat rate per action (e.g., per sign-up).
The cookie duration, which affects how long after a click you can earn commissions on sales.

4. Consider the Program’s Reputation and Sureness

Join affiliate programs with a solid reputation for quality and sureness. This not only ensures that you’re promoting good products but also that you’ll be paid on time. You can:

Read reviews from other affiliates.
Check the program’s history and background.
Look for any complaints or issues reported online.

5. Analyze the Support and Resources Offered

A good affiliate program gives you things like ads to use, training on their products, and helpful managers. Having access to these resources can really help you do a better job at promoting their products.

6. Understand the Terms and Conditions

Before signing up, thoroughly review the program’s terms and conditions. Pay close attention to:

Payment thresholds and methods.
Any restrictions on how you can promote their products.
The program’s policy on affiliate marketing on social media platforms.

7. Test the Product or Service

If possible, test the product or service before promoting it. This firsthand experience allows you to offer genuine charge and build trust with your audience.

8. Look for Recurring Commission Opportunities

Some affiliate programs pay you again and again for subscriptions or services that charge fees regularly. These can provide a more stable income compared to one-time sales commissions.

Implementing Your Choice

After choosing the best affiliate programs, the next step is to smoothly include your affiliate marketing in your content plan. This includes:

Creating valuable content that naturally incorporates affiliate links.
Disclosing your affiliate affairs transparently to maintain trust with your audience.
Tracking your results to understand what works best for your audience and adjusting your strategy accordingly.

Picking the best affiliate programs for your blog involves careful planning, research, and making sure they match what your audience likes and needs.

If you follow these steps, you can create an affiliate marketing plan that makes money, fits well with your content, and connects with your readers.

The real key to doing well with affiliate marketing isn’t just about the products you talk about, but also how much your audience trusts and values your advice.

With enough time, patience, and hard work, your blog can grow into a successful space that earns a good amount of affiliate money and helps your readers choose the right products.