You are ready to learn the charisma tricks that will give you an edge, make you more memorable, and build trust with someone immediately. The dark arts of charisma must be used ethically as the power of influence can have catastrophic effects in the wrong hands. If you are ready to take the next steps to begin charisma coaching then schedule your discovery call below:
1. The Benjamin Franklin Effect
This is a charisma trick that has been used for over a century; it’s a psychological phenomenon first discovered by Benjamin Franklin. Its concept is so simple; this charisma trick will make it seem too easy!
The psychological effect taking place is called: Cognitive Dissonance.
The essence of the Benjamin Franklin Effect is when we ask someone to do us a favor, it causes that person to feel more fond towards us. It plays on the cognitive basis that one person cannot have two contradictory beliefs about someone. For example, someone couldn’t believe that you are both untrustworthy and helpful. With this effect, the person thinks that they are helping you for a reason; they wouldn’t help a ‘bad’ person, so you must be good, and in turn, it removes the negative belief towards you.
2. Mirroring
Mirroring is an effective charisma trick as it helps to build rapport and develop fondness between two people. Mirroring can be both verbal, through confirming statements someone is saying, or non-verbal, by copying their body language and gestures. The effect taking place is when we mirror someone; it builds a level of familiarity, comfort, and trust. When someone says to you, “Traffic has been a nightmare today,” and you mirror their words by saying, “I can’t believe the traffic is a nightmare,” it makes the other person feel heard, comfortable, and creates a sense of fondness, as people who share common thoughts and feelings tend to have more nurturing relationships.
3. Hand Gestures
One of the quickest charisma tricks you can implement straight away is to incorporate hand gestures into your communication. We are not talking jazz hands here, but specific and calculated hand gestures can dramatically increase your charisma. Hand gestures emphasize the words you are saying and give more impact and meaning; they can also build more trust with your audience. One thing that is overlooked with hand gestures is how powerful they are when it comes to building trust.
Back in the caveman days, we would see a tribe approaching our village, and we would look at their hands to decide if this tribe was a friend or foe. If their hands had spears or were hidden, we would be suspicious and assume that they were here to attack; however, if they were empty or had gifts, that would signal to us that they come in peace.
4. Use Rhetoric
A charisma trick that may not be familiar to you is the use of ‘Rhetoric,’ which is all about using emotional, logical, and credible language to persuade the other person. You will have definitely seen examples of rhetoric in advertisements; it is very popular as marketing companies are forever trying to sell their products to customers using emotion, logic, and credibility.
Imagine this, a mother is sending her son off to college, packing up all their things in the car, and sending them off on their way. While the mother is sad her son is leaving, she is happy that he will be traveling safely in a brand-new car.
You can use Rhetoric to persuade someone to buy into your idea, company, or investments. A great TED talk I would recommend you listen to is below, which outlines exactly how to use rhetoric to your advantage:
5. Get Them Talking About Themselves
To increase your influence over others, you have to be able to get them to open up and talk about themselves. This can be difficult if the other person is naturally reserved. People generally LOVE talking about themselves; you will find people will connect with you deeply if you can get them to open up and begin to share their thoughts, opinions, passions, fears, interests, etc. One of the best techniques you can use to get people to open up is by using the phrase:
“Can I get your opinion/advice on something…”
Getting them to share their opinion or advice is a great method to get them to share a view that they wouldn’t necessarily have shared through just small talk. The technique is particularly effective when you do it on a topic they are genuinely interested in; for example:
If someone is interested in football, then you can say: “Can I get your opinion, who is better Pele or Maradona?”
If they are a hardcore foodie, then “Can I get your opinion, where can I get the most authentic Thai food?”
If they work in finance, then “Can I get your advice on how to go about getting involved in the industry?”
6. Active Listening
One of the most overlooked qualities of charismatic people is their ability to actively listen to what the other person is saying. Do not be mistaken; active listening is not just nodding along to whatever the person is saying. This comes across as authentic which kills your charisma; you need to show genuine interest in what the person is saying. When someone is speaking, don’t just listen to the words someone is saying; look at their body language, read their non-verbal cues, and feel the emotion behind the words to what they are saying.
For example, let’s say you are at an investors meeting, and you are looking to secure a large sum of money to grow your business. You ask the potential investor if they would like to contribute; however, they say that they want to think about it and while your pitch was compelling, he needs some time to consider all the options.
This is an opportunity to ask questions and then actively listen to the challenges that the investor is facing. He could respond in a few different ways such as:
- “It’s an interesting idea but just not sure about the market.”
- “It’s a large investment, bigger than what I am used to.”
- “There is too much competition in the sector, and I want to consider all options.”
We can understand the words that they are saying but listening to the emotion will tell you how best to respond. In all responses what they are saying is that they are uncertain and do not have confidence; what can you do to give them confidence?
7. Use Storytelling
One of the biggest challenges we see people have is getting their ideas heard and their message received. An effective method you can use to give your ideas more substance is to incorporate storytelling into your pitch or conversation. Storytelling is a powerful charisma trick to have in the back pocket; it can convey the emotion, logic, reason, and goal of your idea while at the same time showing your audience why your idea matters. Here are some examples where you can use stories to influence others:
- Elevator Pitch
- How you started the business
- How you started your career
- A time when you dealt with a difficult customer
- A client success story
- A time when you delivered incredible value
- The reason why you do what you do
All these can be powerful tools when trying to influence someone to buy from you, invest in your big idea, or take your feedback on board.
In Conclusion
In summary, mastering charisma tricks is a game-changer, making you more likable and significantly boosting your influence. From the classic Benjamin Franklin Effect to the subtle art of mirroring, calculated hand gestures, and leveraging rhetoric, each trick serves to build connections and trust ethically.
Encouraging others to share through phrases like “Can I get your opinion/advice on something,” active listening, and strategic storytelling are powerful tools. Whether delivering an elevator pitch, sharing a client success story, or expressing your passion, incorporating charisma tricks enriches your message.
Remember, the keyword here is “Charisma tricks.” Use these techniques thoughtfully, adapting them to diverse situations, and witness the positive impact on your ability to influence and leave a lasting impression. Ethical charisma tricks are not manipulations but instruments for genuine connections and collaborative success in both your personal and professional life.
