How to always win at paper, scissors, stone – and what that can teach you about persuasive writing

July 21, 2011 - PRLog -- Hold your fist out in front of you and challenge someone to a game of paper, scissors, stone.  Then put your hand behind your back, count one, two, three... and you both bring your hands forward.  They’ve done a pair of scissors. You’ve done the stone. You win.   Why? Because when you challenged them, your hand was closed into a fist. The person playing the game will start to mimic that same action as the game begins – but then, when their hand is behind their back, ready to come out, their natural instinct is to change their hand shape as much as possible. It’s how you play: by taking an action. So they change their hand to scissors – it feels the most different from a fist, because the fingers are separated.   You, however, fight this urge to change. You just keep your fist the same.  And, when you bring it in front of you, stone blunts scissors.  Ok, here’s another very simple one. Ask someone, ‘Say silk three times. What does S I L K spell? What do cows drink?’  People will answer ‘milk’ much more often than if you’d just asked them ‘What do cows drink?’ without all the silk stuff first.  Why? Because, just like with the fist, you influenced the other person with the context you presented. You framed the event in such a way, it changed their response to the one you wanted.  This ability to influence someone’s actions by framing their thinking is a fascinating area of psychology and one you can use just as effectively in persuasive writing, argues creative director Ian Atkinson, author of a new book on copywriting.  His book, Copy. Righter. published by LID Publishing, contains a chapter of 12 powerful psychological triggers that show you how to influence an audience with just the power of the written word.  ‘Effective copywriting shouldn’t be simply about informing or entertaining,’ says Atkinson. ‘It should be about persuading. Persuading your reader to do something that otherwise, they simply wouldn’t have done.’  Atkinson has a degree in psychology and uses his knowledge to explain how to write compellingly and persuasively to get your audience to buy / act / change their mind. Very convincing stuff it is too... but then, if psychology was used to write the chapter, it would be, wouldn’t it?  Copy. Righter. by Ian Atkinson is available now from Amazon. For more information about the author or the book, go to copy-righter.co.uk

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