Tippett - Unleashing your superpower: why persuasive communication is the only force you will ever need

Unleashing Your SUPERPOWER

Copyright 2019 by Jeff Tippett All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of Wisdom House Books, Inc.

Published by Wisdom House Books, Inc.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514 USA

1.919.883.4669 | www.wisdomhousebooks.com

Wisdom House Books is committed to excellence in the publishing industry.

Book design copyright 2019 by Wisdom House Books, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cover and Interior design by Ted Ruybal

Published in the United States of America

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7335338-0-5 LCCN: 2018914984

SEL040000 SELF-HELP / Communication & Social Skills

SEL027000 SELF-HELP / Personal Growth / Success

SEL023000 SELF-HELP / Personal Growth / Self-Esteem

First Edition

14 13 12 11 10 / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

If you could have any one superpower, what would you choose?

As a kid, I wondered this all the time. Perhaps too much. The ability to fly? The ability to simply mention money, and it would appear? Control minds?

I could never settle. Just when I thought Id decided, the abilities of another superhero would catch my attention. But each of them had limitations.

What about you? What superpower would you choose?

Well, I finally found mine. My superpower is persuasive communications.

And my bold declaration is this: We all live or die based on our ability to persuade.

Think about it: Everyone needs to persuade. Whether youre a CEO of a growing firm, a manager with direct responsibility for the performance of those you lead, a salesperson whose income is directly related to your ability to close the sale, or simply an individual hoping to live life with the company of a significant other, we all have to persuade. But how effective are you? And could you do a better job of persuadingand creating better resultsfor those around you?

So how do you go about developing this power? Its not as daunting as it seems. Heres my audacious promise. If you will take in, determine how they work for you, and apply the concepts that Im going to share with you, you will:

1. Increase your effectiveness.
2. Have a powerful new tool to help you reach your goals.
3. Positively impact your organization or business.

These concepts are tested and proven. They produce results.

And they will work for you.

I want you to win.

I believe in creating and riding waves. But not just for myself. I love seeing others win, as well. I believe that many of you reading this book have great ideas. You have the calling to change circumstances for great numbers of people. Maybe you lead a nonprofit or are a fundraiser or a politician. Whatever it is you do, youll only be successful when you persuade others to join you on your journey.

Youve probably watched, with admiration, as someone persuades others and ultimately creates a win for everyone involved. I hope youve wondered what the secret sauce is thats driving this persons success.

Maybe its the politician who captures her audience. Banners are raised. People are smiling and cheering. Constituents are motivated, and they turn out to vote.

Weve all seen people like Barack Obama who can stand before an arena of people, inspiring them to feel hope, urging them onward, moving them to tears, and compelling them to join him on a journey to bring change. He was able to persuade enough people to come along that he was elected president twice.

On the other hand, youve also seen the politician who just cant quite connect with an audience. Though they seem to want to get behind him, they, instead, go home scratching their heads. He failed to connect.

Maybe youve been in a meeting with your CEO. The company is going through a major transition. And although its a positive one, you and your colleagues arent on board. You feel the CEO is only out for herself. The message is wrong.

Another CEO facing the same challenge has the entire room on its feet. Theyre motivated. Theyre excited about the change, and they roll up their sleeves, ready to make it happen.

Maybe its the entrepreneur whos looking for funders. How does he convince them to come along? Maybe its your pastor, making a convincing case for salvation.

Heres some encouragement: Winning through persuasion isnt for a select few. Its for anyone whos willing to hone the right skills and put them to work. It doesnt take a Barack Obama to stir people into action. Maybe we all cant move an entire nation, but we can hone the skills that it takes to determine and better articulate what we say, how we structure it, how we voice ithow we pull people along on a mutually advantageous journey.

Life isnt a pie with limited slices. Life is a huge buffet, with more dishes being perpetually added.

But you have to want it and be willing to thoroughly think it through.

Id now like to tell you a little about myself and why Im writing this book.

Growing up, I was always a go-get-it kind of kid. My mother was forever admonishing me to, Settle down, Jeffery. Settle down.

But it made no sense to me. It just didnt register. Why settle down when there was so much to be doneso much to discover? Why settle down when there were so many cool things I could be out there doing?

Yep, I was that kid. From as far back as I can remember, Ive wanted to be out there making something happen.

By the time Id entered elementary school, I was in hyperdrive.

The most common comments on my report card were: Jeff continues to talk too much in class. Jeff has a hard time sitting still in his seat. I was that Ritalin kid who the teachers prayedprayed each dayhad taken his meds.

I felt pressures, both internal and external. My parents expected me to earn good grades. It wasnt a wish, it was a mandate. And though I started out with the impression that good grades were dependent upon my homework, quizzes, testsquantifiable thingsI learned, in time, that there was another equally important factor: my teachers impressions of me. I worked at making a more positive impression, and I know it made a difference.

Outside the classroom, I was always looking for the next big thing. I wanted to be at the head of the pack.

One of my earliest memories of persuading other kids to follow me was when I was eight or so, leading my friends through the neighborhood woods with torches wed devised and, not surprisingly, accidentally setting a small fire. Fortunately, we were able to put it out ourselves. What a rush it was, charging forward, ablaze. I suppose theres a metaphor there.

I think my DNA is hardwired for entrepreneurship. From an early age, I was on the hunt for business opportunities. Yard work was an early opportunity. But I wasnt content with simply mowing lawns. Instead, I landed the contracts, and then hired my friends to do the work. It was called Snoopys Yard Service.