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

Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don’t Matter by Scott Adams            Audiobook: 9 hours, 1 minute      Hardback Book:  304 pages           

Scott Adams noted cartoonist of “Dilbert,” fame is quite proficient at the art of influencing people and reading that behavior in others.    This is a very interesting read.    It is amazing in many ways.   He is so skilled at interpreting how best to influence others to follow whatever you want them to with simple little psychological tricks and tag words that most often we miss entirely but our psyches pick up quick.   He often cites the presidential campaigns of Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump as prime examples.    He notes many of the press worthy comments Donald Trump has made before and after winning the election that seem to be career killing, yet, the Donald continues to flourish.     Hillary trying her best to bring his bad traits to light only brought her opponent more praise and good will from those on the fence and his faithful followers.   He points out how people tend to be lazy and when they hear the detrimental intended slogan from the Clinton camp of “Love Trumps Hate”, all people take away from that is the first two words, “Love Trump”.    Psychologically it sticks and put a positive not a negative spin on him.    He said he wished Hillary had consulted him, he would have explained all that to her.   Even with all the flubs and public relations nightmares Trump brought to the table, Scott Adams predicted he would win the election regardless because Trump, being a business man and having the skill to sell anything and/or persuade anyone to buy whatever he was pushing – Trump was immensely talented in the art of persuasion and in the end that is what an election is all about, not whether your policies, beliefs or intentions are good or bad only whether you are aware of how to persuade people to be on your side.    There is positivity in visual energy.   People remember how you make them feel.   Adams watched with interest how no matter when you saw Trump on t.v. or in photos or videos, he always looked the same – well rested, tanned and capable.    He gave the appearance of strength and did not back down nor apologize.   He always looked large and in charge.    Hillary’s appearance often changed.    Sometimes she looked tired or stressed, sometimes she looked as though she wasn’t feeling well.   Adams tracked this and declared,  ”I  think it won’t be long before it will come out that Hillary has some kind of illness.   I bet she won’t make it to the end of the campaign before she is hospitalized.”  True to that prophetic prediction, Hillary collapsed and was carried to a waiting limosine.   It first came out that she was dehydrated then later she spent time in the hospital diagnosed with pneumonia.  Is this guy good or what?     He talks about persuasion being something anyone can learn.   If you want to be taken seriously watch who you associate with, stay away from bathroom humor, stick to topics that are positive and interesting.   Remember visual memory overwhelms all else.    He cites the feud between Trump and Elizabeth Dole.   She often said she was of Native American descent but when it came out that was just heresay in her family and could not be proven, Trump started calling her Pocahontas, which would make many people laugh but that also put the image of a Native American woman coming to mind whenever the mention of Elizabeth Dole came up and the voters remembered that and did not take her remarks about Trump seriously after that.   Hillary Clinton helped Trump’s image when she started calling him Donald Duck.   She was thinking of the bad tempered, over reacting cartoon character he would be associated with however it backfired voters associated Trump with a beloved Disney character in their minds, instead.    In speeches Trump took advantage of free image instilling words added to his speeches, often, when talking about the Wall, he would say the phrase “the Wall,” fifteen times within his speech to drive that image home.   He came across as strong and tough and loving America to the point of defending her borders against incoming invaders.    He smartly chose a running mate who could possibly be the next candidate to run for the office, but also someone not as capable as him by contrast not as savvy someone who did not look the part thereby making Trump look better and totally able to run the country.    He turned the comments about support from the white supremist groups into a bad connection and he didn’t hear it and he knew nothing about it.    The skits on Saturday Night Live even helped Trump’s run though they were geared at making fun of him, they actually worked in his favor.   Humans don’t like uncertainty and need contrasts to make decisions.     I remember one skit SNL did showing Hillary as making fun of Trump like she didn’t even have to work at campaigning because Trump was such a mess  she could coast back into the White House, but, in each scene the Donald was pictured in the background looking over her shoulder as was on one of the debates – always lurking in the scene and generally upstaging her even though he was in the background he drew the attention like he was the watchdog.   I thought they are hurting her chances making her look the weaker candidate.    Adams cites SNL got permission from Hillary to do a skit about her where she is drunk in a bar and eventually passes out.    Adams said in the public’s mind (remember we tend to be lazy in our thinking) Hillary was just portrayed as a lush and people associated her with having a drinking problem even though it was just a skit and not to be taken as true.    Visual images stick whether true or false they leave a lasting impression.   In all of his public appearances Trump is seen as dressed in a suit and wearing a tie with one of the colors of the flag in it.       It made him seem gung-ho for America.    Hillary, Adams said, sometimes looked rumpled which gave the impression she was not attentive to small details so how could she be trusted with large ones like national or international issues?    Adams talks about persuasion tactics if you really want to broadcast your potential don’t do it in a bragging way, that turns people off.    If you want people to be generous to you tell an unrelated story about someone showing kindness or show an animal video, then ask for what you want.  Like moths people are drawn to the brightest light so keep negativity out of your tactics arsenal.    Make the rooms in your home so filled with positivity that you feel better walking in.   It will help you stay focused and will relax you without having to go extreme measures.    Always go for the free helps when you can he recommends.   Remember names are important.    People can hear you call their name even in noisy room when they can’t make out what the person next to them is saying.     Adams says Trump is a master of persuasion and the visual image.    While Hillary was seen flying around the country in her expensive private jet, Trump was flying around in his private jet revamped to look like Air Force One – thereby putting the image of him as President flying in Air Force One in the public’s perception.   While physical images are more effective than non-visual, if you can get your audience to imagine – to picture a thing in their mind’s eye that is effective, too.   He notes that is a hypnotist’s trick.   (The way he talks I think hypnotism must be one of the author’s talents, too.)   He also notes that Trump gets away with a lot of the controversial things he says because people tend to filter his comments through a New York way of thinking and communicating.    He can be brash and in your face with some of his remarks, but, people think he is being honest and saying what he thinks not like the Califonia  way of thinking where people say what they think will make you feel better.   They write off his words with a that is just his New York style, or in other words, what you say isn’t as important as what I think you meant, like, yes, Trump can be arrogant, rude, etc. but I believe what he is saying is the truth.   That is the art of persuasion.     He cites Trumps “Make America Great Again” slogan which was a direct rip-off of Reagan’s slogan back in the 80s.   People knew it was but they still Associated Trump with America because of it.    Hillary’s slogan, “I’m With Her,” seemed to say in the public’s mind,  it is all about Hillary no connection with America, no what will she do for us as a nation she is just trying to get back in the White House.    Adams said he can’t figure out how her staff were not getting that her slogans weren’t catchy.   There was no way to tie her slogans to America.    He particularly liked Bernie Sanders feel good ads always showing people and his connection to them.   Hilary’s ads always sounded like they were all about her and her staff and they came off as weak.   He says Hilary failed because the unity she strove for didn’t connect with the negativity she was demonstrating.    Also she assumed her speeches were presenting the image of America but Adams said if she was talking about America, she should have said America so people could hold that image in connection to her but she didn’t do that.    He said another persuasion savant – Robert Chaldini was finally consulted toward the end of her campaign but by then it was pretty much too late to save her.    he points out that color plays a big part in persuasion situations.   There was always a lot of red around Trump.   Red being the color of the Republican party, the signs and banners were red, his ties were often red.   “Red is a color of Action, of Domination, of Sex,” Adams says.   Hilary wore a lot of pink.   Pink, Adams says is an off-putting color especially to men.  “Pink is the worst persuasive color,” he said.  Hilary also shot her campaign down by saying, “Imagine President Trump doing one thing badly…” Her intent was to portray Trump as dictatorial and potentially another Hitler, but remember the mind is lazy and people took away from those remarks, “Imagine President Trump.”  So they did and voted for him.    Excellent book on the art of persuasion and an in depth look at how to use persuasion to get what you want and simple mistakes that with more thought can be rectified.    GOOD STUFF HERE.    This guy is a phenomenal thinker.  I will never look at a political campaign the same again.   I sure hope Hillary reads this book.   It is an educational reference in what to do and what not to do.   And oh yeah, the most powerful letters in the English language are: M, J, T and P.   You never know when that might come in handy and be persuasive in an argument, debate or any situation you want to influence/persuade someone to your way of thinking.   THIS GUY IS GOOD.