If you ever saw The Music Man motion picture with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones, surely you remember the ‘Marian the Librarian’ scene where Professor Harold Hill (Preston) enters the library to try to get Miss Marian (Jones) to go out with him.
In the scene (at about the four minute mark after Hill enters the library behind four schoolboys), the young men in the scene with Hill end up “patterning”/mimicking Hill’s movements on the bench. It’s all choreographed in time with the music, but it’s a great example of patterning: following the movements of the person you want to influence or emulate to achieve a particular outcome.
Dressing similarly, crossing your legs in the same direction they do, folding your arms, leaning toward each other… all of these are ways to “pattern” your behaviors after your prospect to be sure they sense that you’re “with them”. They should feel positive and friendly toward you. Inside, they should be thinking, “I feel safe and understood by this person.” (Be careful with this. You don’t want to come across like you’re playing “mirror mirror” with them. Don’t be obvious or artificial.) Most of this should come pretty naturally. We’ve all been patterning ourselves after loved ones and role models since infancy.
Next, you want the prospect to begin thinking, “Yes,” agreeing with every statement you make. So only make statements he or she can agree with.
Examples:
On a beautiful day…
Less good: “Beautiful day.”
Better: “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
When selling a car…
Less good: “The car you drive has one of worst records for passenger safety.”
Better: “The car you have now has one of worst records for passenger safety. Wouldn’t you feel a lot better driving your loved ones around in something safer?”
If you offer a cup of tea, have one yourself. If you offer a chair, sit down in another one. You get the idea.
Be honest, have integrity, foster agreement, and you have the patterning trigger well in hand.
