Chapter 3 The second technique: create a pleasant atmosphere at the beginning

Many talkers take great care to captivate the audience in the first few minutes and get off to a good start.They know that creating a pleasant atmosphere at the beginning is the key to deepening the conversation, and a good start is half the battle. During a speech, Carnegie took out a few hairs and showed them to the listeners, asking the audience what is it?The audience didn't know what it meant, and they all answered truthfully that it was hair.Carnegie shook the hair in his hand, changed the subject, and asked the audience: The hair grows on the head, why did these few hairs fall off?One sentence attracted the audience's attention like a magnet, and they began to wait intently for what Carnegie wanted to express.Carnegie went on to say: This is the side effect of worry.How beautiful is such black hair on the head, but it has no choice but to leave the land that raised it, why should we bother?

Carnegie used such an ingenious opening to create a pleasant atmosphere, and clearly conveyed the side effects of troubles to the listener, leaving a deep impression on the audience. "Historical Records" also records an interesting story about Su Qin envoy Qi: Su Qin of Yan State was sent to Qi State to do spy work. The task was to try to transfer the attack target of Qi State to a country other than Yan State. Unexpectedly, as soon as Su Qin returned to Yan State, Qi State launched a large army to attack Yan State and took away ten cities. King Yan was shocked, and immediately summoned Su Qin, asking him to go to Qi State to communicate again, and try to persuade King Qi to take back the stolen city.Su Qin also felt that his job was not done well, and he had the responsibility to go to Qi State to negotiate.Of course, now that the city has been taken away, it is not an easy task to negotiate it back for free.

When Su Qin arrived in Qi State, he met King Qi.He bowed down to worship, and said: This time the king expanded his territory, it is very congratulatory! A word of compliment made King Qi's heart bursting with joy, so he was interested to hear what Su Qin had to say.However, at this time, Su Qin slowly raised his head, made a 180-degree turn, and said: However, the lifeblood of the Qi country is over! King Qi was taken aback suddenly, and asked in puzzlement: The husband is celebrating first and then worrying. What is the meaning of such a rapid change? Su Qin saw that his first few words had attracted the attention of King Qi, and he didn't dare to miss the opportunity, so he immediately explained:

Majesty, I heard that people who are about to die of starvation dare not eat poisonous bird beaks, because the more they eat it, the faster they will die.And I think that although Yan State is a small country, King Yan is the son-in-law of King Qin. Now that Qi State has taken the city of Yan State, it means that it is an enemy of Qiang Qin. Qiang Qin will definitely not stand idly by.Like the king, who only took advantage of a few cities, but it is likely to incur the consequences of revenge from the strong Qin army. Isn't this the same as eating a poisonous beak? When King Qi heard this, his face changed suddenly in fright, and he asked Su Qin:

so what should I do now? Su Qin saw that his goal was about to be achieved, so he spoke eloquently: Most of the successful people in ancient times knew how to turn misfortunes into blessings and turn misfortunes into blessings. I think the current plan is for the king to return the captured city to the Yan Kingdom immediately.In that way, the State of Yan will definitely appreciate the kindness of the king, and the State of Qin will also appreciate the generosity of the king, so that old grievances can be resolved and new friendships can be made.If this is the case, the princes of the world will inevitably be friendly to your country.

King Qi felt that what Su Qin said made sense.So he ordered to return the captured city to Yan State. When Su Qin met King Qi, he took great pains to grasp the joyful mood of King Qi, and started a happy beginning with a compliment.Then, while shocking the other party by surprise, he talked about the interdependence of good and bad, gains and losses, played with the other party in his hands, and successfully completed the task of claiming the city back at no cost. Conversation needs an atmosphere. To create a pleasant atmosphere at the beginning, it is necessary to fully understand the target of the conversation before speaking, so that it will naturally obey.Psychological research shows that when people talk, if the atmosphere at the beginning is pleasant and harmonious, that is, the mood is easier to relax, the receptivity is enhanced, the repulsive force is weakened, and it is easy to have the psychology of seeking common ground and tolerance, and can better achieve the intended purpose.