Political Debates – A Case of Style Over Substance

 The governor’s debate is tonight…the first presidential debate is tomorrow and despite hours and hours of preparation developing a command of the facts, preparing for the zingers and one liners, searching for just the right words and as you watch, see if you come to agreement with the old adage- It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.Negotiation expert Robert Mayer says a person’s decision to go along with your proposal is based 95% on who you project yourself to be – not what you say. The personality “fit” is more important than anything.

Another important technique to watch for is the candidate’s ability to personalize their relationship with you. Case in point--Ever notice police officers never have their first names on their name tags? The thinking behind that is because if you call them by their first name, it “personalizes” the relationship which might make the police officer more inclined to let you off.  I like that idea!

Source: Robert Mayer author of “Power Plays”