Mastering Presupposition | Negotiation

By KenrickCleveland
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Word Count: 427

At the core of presupposition is the idea that we can assume a mental position or thought which our prospects or clients must take for granted in order for everything else that we say to make sense without us actually having to name the core concept.

Presuppositions must be accepted as true. In a way, that's a bind (and a bind is something I'll explore more fully in an upcoming article). If it is that which "must" be accepted, and must be accepted despite the fact that you didn't say it and it is assumed.

Presuppositions get us to the point where we don't have to say the things we're thinking, instead they are "magically" implanted in the minds of our prospects and clients (because of the assumption).

Start to wrap your mind around the idea that you're going to learn to start to talk in ways that presuppose what you want someone to think. They have to assume the core of what you want them to think just in order to make sense of what you're saying.

This gets us closer to getting people to think what it is that we want them to think without us having to say it.

'We need to fight the terrorists over there so we don't have to fight them over here.'

There are actually a few presuppositions here, the first being that we have to "fight" at all. This is the main one. Who says we have to fight? Why is this a given? And yet, how often does this get questioned? Of course there's a fight. They started it. (Or did we?) The second presupposition, which is one that is more surface and only exists if we accept the first presupposition, is that if we don't go serve it up over there, they're going to come get us over here.

'The great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.' -Sir Isaac Newton

What's the presupposition here? Well, that there's a 'truth' that we are capable of knowing and discovering.

"How will you be paying for this today?"

If the potential purchaser hasn't agreed to the sale yet, this presupposition puts them in the bind that something is most assuredly being bought and paid for by cash, credit card, or check. It doesn't give the option of it not being paid for (bought).

This might be a little existential, but it's a cool thing nonetheless. Nouns presuppose existence. What does that mean? Well, it means that a noun, or anything similar, presuppose a level of existence.

What are some examples of how you can you use presupposition in your business?

About the Author

Kenrick Cleveland teaches techniques to earn the business of affluent prospects using persuasion. He runs public and private seminars and offers home study courses and coaching programs in persuasion techniques.

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