Anatomy of a Persuasive Device
We’re gearing up for nationals, and that means it’s time to discuss some high-level techniques you can use to pull out a win in a close round at the top of the competitive field. This is an advanced series. If you are confused or overwhelmed, don’t worry. Bookmark it and come back in a year or two – or ask your coach about it.
Your case is coherent. Your speeches are well-tagged and easy to follow. Your responses reliably create logical superiority. You allocate your time well to control the flow of the round. Now what?
Now it’s time to incorporate persuasive devices, which can bump your win rate by several percentage points and will make the difference in close rounds.
A persuasive device ties an emotional reward to an action.
You can think of this simply as a positive emotion (pride, excitement, safety) or escape from an unpleasant emotion (fear, shame, sadness) when the judge votes for you. “Vote for me, and you’ll feel safe.” If that’s as deep as you go, you’ll still get some benefit from persuasive thinking. But to rig a persuasive device correctly, we need to go a little deeper.
A persuasive device has three components: the Pressure, the Release, and the Reward.
Pressure is an energized emotional state that is less desirable than the Reward.
This could be an unpleasant emotion, like fear. Consider this ad for Brink’s Home Security:
The Pressure: you are afraid of home invasion. You don’t feel safe. You need to do something to get rid of this Pressure!
Pressure could also mean that you feel fine, but you really want the reward. Consider this ad for Applebee’s:
The Pressure: you want to eat all that delicious food. You weren’t hungry before, but you are now. You need to do something to get rid of this Pressure!
In both cases, it’s not enough to just have an undesirable emotional state. The pressure is energized. It demands action; the more immediate the better. It’s like a drawn bow, waiting to be released. It’s a building sneeze; a growing itch.
Release is a specific action that resolves the Pressure and transitions us to the Reward.
Sometimes, the reward is simply “getting rid of the Pressure.” You’re scared (Pressure). You install a Brink’s system (Release), and you aren’t afraid anymore (Reward).
You’re hungry (Pressure). You eat at Applebee’s (Release), and you enjoy the taste of delicious food (Reward). The pleasure of eating food isn’t the same as getting rid of hunger, making this a more complex device.
Reward is a satisfied emotional state that is more desirable than the Pressure.
The key to a reward is that it isn’t energized. It doesn’t require resolution.
All effective advertising is a persuasive device. Some incorporate multiple simultaneous devices, which stack onto each other to make the ad more subtle and compelling. See what you can spot in this Ford ad:
If you can assemble persuasive devices at this level, people will pay you handsomely to work for them. For now, let’s focus on achieving your goal for nationals by seamlessly blending persuasive devices into your speeches.
More to come.