The Most Powerful Word in the English Language
..And how to use it to get whatever you want.
When you think of ‘the most powerful word in the English Language’, what do you think of?
A quick search on Google right now shows that, currently, the top four most-asked questions are:
- What is my IP address?
- What is love?
- What time is it?
- What men want?
Two out of the four questions are related to love.
Kind of shows you what is on people’s minds, doesn’t it? But that isn’t the word I’m thinking of…
Though love is, without a doubt, a powerful thing. Without it, we may not exist. Though you can argue that people can still procreate without love.
.. But that is getting a little off topic.
So what is the most powerful word in the English Language?
In the entrepreneurial sense (since this is what this blog is about), it is actually………………
The word:
FREE
In my article here, I discussed the fact that providing value is the most important factor in making money.
So how does this tie in with ‘free’?
Well, simply (or not so simply), what is free is valuable.
This may seem a little paradoxical, but hear me out.
EVERYONE loves things that are free. Yes, even people with money oozing out of their ears.
In the entrepreneurial word, the most asked questions is: how do you get people to give you their money?
The underlying intention of this question is to get take something from someone else.
But perhaps a far better question to ask would be:
What would make me want to give my money to somebody?
Clearly, it is because the other person possesses something you value more than your money.
In this equation, what you offer them is weighed in contrast with the price you’re asking.
In this situation, giving away something for free is invaluable, simply due to the fact that you are asking for nothing in return.
Think of another example: the countless number of annoying ads you see once you log into the internet.
Why are they annoying? Well, for one thing, they are constantly pushing their product / services in your face. Buy this! Give me your money! Without any regard to whether this is something of your interest at all.
Now imagine this:
An add that pops up that reads- FREE __________ (insert something you need right now)!
What would be your reaction? You would jump on it like _________ (insert appropriate expression).
Now obviously, no business can operate on solely giving away things for free. But it can be the beginning of a solid seller / customer relationship, where trust is gained, and a repeated purchase is far more likely.
Why do I say this is the most powerful word in the English Language? Well the same rule applies to all interpersonal relationships and interactions. The best way to get somebody to do something, is to make them want to do it.
Instead of thinking how can I make somebody want to do something, ask yourself how can I make them want to do it?
Push vs. pull.
An example is those pushy salespeople that follow you around the store trying to sell you something you don’t need. They are ‘pushing’ you to do something you don’t want to do. I don’t know about you, but that is probably the best way to make me not want to do it. Conversely, if somebody is coming from the angle of offering me something of value and letting choose to buy without pressure, it builds an invaluable trusting relationship that amplifies the likelihood of me buying from them.
The next time you want somebody to buy something from you or to do something you want, try this shift in angle of approach, and let me know what changes you see!
