CHAPTER 17:

HOW IT WORKS FOR INFLUENCE: CRITICAL SCENARIOS

The Behavior Compass is a tool for tracking the profile of an individual or group. Once you’ve collected the information to fill out a Behavior Compass, you’re ready to get into serious scenarios.

The great thing about the 6MX system is that you aren’t required by any means to fill the entire thing out. If you’ve only got a few things on the Compass, then you’re still light years ahead of anyone else who has no idea how to read people. In this chapter, let’s walk through a few scenarios and learn how this all comes together not just on paper, but in real life.

SCENARIO 1: CLINICIAN (EMILY)

You’ve got a patient who has come into the office for help with an eating disorder. As you introduce yourself and spend a short time getting to know them, you’re able to assemble the following Behavior Compass:

Needs: Acceptance and Pity

Potential Fears Based on Needs Assessment:

• social criticism, gossip, peer mismatch
• being disregarded, ignored, misunderstood, being disbelieved

Decision Map: Social / Conformity

GHT: Left positive

Pronouns: Team-Focused

Adjectives:

Locus of Control: Internal

Sensory Preference: Visual

Handedness: Right-handed

Showed digital extension (a positive sign) when discussing volunteer work

Showed digital flexion when talking about a past relationship (a negative behavior)

Showed lip-compression when you mentioned medication (a negative behavior)

Showed increased blink rate when talking about self-discipline (a negative behavior)

Showed decreased blink rate when discussing journaling and drawing (a positive behavior)

You weren’t able to ascertain any more data, and this is all you have to go on. For a moment, think about how you would approach the conversation and how you would structure your language differently for Emily. Here are a few questions to help you:

1. How would you discuss health issues with Emily?
2. Would you reference her being in charge of her life, or that she’s going to have to trust that things will work out based on her locus of control?
3. You know she responds negatively to discussions about medication based on the Compass. How would you preface this discussion to overcome her potential objection before bringing up medication?
4. Would you speak about how significant and successful she will be as a result, or would you frame the discussion around how her friends and peer group will see her growth?
5. With Pity being her secondary need, would you be more likely to remind her to be grateful or let her know she’s been through a lot and she’s overcome so much already?
6. Would you convince her to seek help by framing the benefits as something that is necessary for her survival or something her friends will all appreciate her for?
7. Looking at her negative adjectives on the Compass, how would you construct a few short sentences discussing the consequences of inaction?
8. Looking at her positive adjectives, how would you describe the benefits of long-term therapy with her so that she will decide that you are the clinician that can help her?
9. What sensory words would you be more likely to use in all her therapy sessions in the future?
10. What sensory words would be good to describe the benefits of therapy?
11. Would you describe therapy as a ‘quiet’ place to work on herself, a ‘safe’ place, or a ‘crystal clear’ experience that can change everything?
12. With her decrease in blink rate when discussing journaling and drawing, how could you use this information not only to get her to continue to seek help but to compare what therapy does for her to these things? If you did that, which pronouns would you focus on, and sensory words would you use?

SCENARIO 2: SALES (DAVID)

You have a new customer who’d like to arrange a recurring contract with your company. Over the phone and social media, you were able to fill out most of the Compass. When you met with David only minutes ago, you confirmed many of your assumptions and now have even more data to use to relate to him on a more human level.

Needs: Significance / Intelligence

Fears based on Needs Map:

• abandonment, social ridicule, being ignored, feeling small
• being seen as dumb, being questioned, being ‘called out’

Decision Map: Novelty

GHT: Right positive

Pronouns: Self-Focused

Adjectives:

Locus of Control: Internal

Sensory Preference: Audio

Handedness: Right-handed

Showed digital extension (a positive sign) when discussing his new phone

Showed digital flexion when talking about paperwork (a negative behavior)

Showed lip-compression when you mentioned taxes (a negative behavior)

Showed increased blink rate when talking about product safety (a negative behavior)

Showed decreased blink rate when discussing networking (a positive behavior)

You witnessed a single shrug when he told you his company is ready to move forward (a potentially bad signal)

As you collected the information and moved through the initial conversation with David, he revealed enough to almost fully complete a single Compass.

1. How would you discuss his role in the company based on his needs in a single sentence?
2. With his Decision Map set to Novelty, how would you frame the service you will be providing his company to David?

1. The service is essential for any business to succeed.
2. Dozens of other businesses in the area are using this technology.
3. Lots of people have told us we saved the company when they brought us on board to assist.
4. This is the most groundbreaking approach I’ve ever seen to xyz?

3. Which direction would you lean when you begin to close the sale?
4. David has Self-focused speech (pronouns). What would you want to discuss most before closing him?

1. His co-workers, and what they will think / how they will benefit.
2. How he will benefit initially from the service.
3. How the companies they deal with will notice the difference.

5. Given David’s positive adjectives, how would you structure your close to implement them into your language?
6. Using David’s negative Adjectives, how would you benefit most?

1. Use the negative adjectives while describing the cost of business.
2. Use the negative adjectives while discussing the local traffic.
3. Use a few negative adjectives while describing taxes.
4. Use his negative adjectives while describing some of the previous companies he has had issues with.

7. Which phrase is David more likely to respond positively to?

1. Sometimes bad things happen to good people.
2. Some people like to blame the world for their problems.

8. Which phrase would you use to discuss your deal with David during the close?

1. Everything sounds good here. I’ll talk to Sara, and she’ll get it all taken care of. Sara has a good ear for details.
2. We’ve got all the details firmed up. I’ll touch base with Sara to get it all taken care of. Sara has a good grasp of everything.
3. It all looks good to me. I’ll see Sara, and she’ll get it all taken care of. She’s got an eye for that stuff.

9. David mentioned he had issues with a previous company. What would you respond with when discussing things, you’ve heard about that other company as well?

1. I heard a lot about them. Most people told me it was like paying taxes when you work with them. All their stuff is overused and a little out of date.
2. I see what you mean. I get customers in here a lot saying that. There seems to be a traffic jam with all the hoops they make people jump through.
3. Well, I’m not sure it’s their fault. They’re a great company; their software is just so brand new…

10. Based on your Compass data, what two subjects would you casually bring up as you built up to closing this customer? (based on positive behaviors that you observed)

1. Taxes and safety
2. Restaurants
3. His new phone and networking opportunities
4. His disdain for taxes and people who are ‘victims’

It’s not just a part of a conversation that changes. Every conversation changes forever. Using the compass to profile individual behavior traits is what makes the difference between the guy with a lock pick and the guy holding the key. You bought this book because results count, and you don’t have room in your life for hit or miss conversations. The more you begin to incorporate this into your life, the more powerful it will become. This is only the beginning, however. I’ve got more in store for you…

In the next chapter, I’m going to walk you through your 6MX training step by step. I’m going to hold your hand through the process to make sure you can apply these skills in real time and in real life.