Avoid Relationship Arguments
THE “ALL I CAN SAY” PHRASE
Have you ever noticed how skillful sales professionals can avoid conflict and keep almost any conversation on the positive, constructive side of things?
It’s no accident.
Here’s one of the powerful communication tools that skilled communicators use to help avoid unnecessary arguments and build stronger relationships that last. This is also a practical technique for improving results in dating and romantic love relationships as well.
My friend Earl is quite a slick salesman. Years ago, he had the difficult job of selling PennySaver Newspaper ads to small businesses by doing door-to-door. Since that time, Earl has moved up in the world to be a highly-paid salesperson in the medical supply industry. A lot of Earl’s sales success can be attributed to his skillful use of words.
One of Earl’s favorite tactics is to handle any objections or resistance from his prospects and customers by simply saying the words, “All I can say is people love our products.”
Those simple words spoken in an easy manner have a magical way to putting things to rest.
Earl does this in his personal life as well. Last night I went out to dinner with a group of friends including him to the Yucatan Mexican Grill in our hometown. When a discussion started to get a little heated about the current government’s economic stimulus bill, Earl said, “All I can say is it’s not stimulus, it’s pork.”
Earl’s “All I can say” phrases are used whenever he meets resistance to his ideas. He does this in order to end a debate and prevent the opposition from increasing their momentum or building their case against him. It could be that people are actually disagreeing with him or that they simply are not fully buying into what he’s saying.
Another way that Earl uses this tactic is to add an expert’s opinion to what he’s saying. For example, Earl might say something like this when engaging again on the topic of the government’s economic stimulus bill, “All is can say is a panel of experts on The Financial News Network all agree that there’s little or no stimulus in the stimulus bill.” If Earl were to receive any resistance to his remarks, he could simply say, “It’s not what I’m saying, it’s what the financial experts are saying.”
The Bottom Line
We could all learn bit more about managing the downside in our everyday conversations by using the “All I can say” phrase whenever we want to put an end to a potentially harmful debate and avoid unnecessary confrontation with others who don’t agree with us or want to prove us wrong. This simple & powerful idea will serve you well in dating, love relationships, and everyday conversations.
Steve Nakamoto – “The Voice Of The Other Half”
iVillage.com’s Ask Mr. Answer Man Relationship Expert
2-Time Writer’s Digest Award-Winning Author
Author of Men Are Like Fish: What Every Woman Needs To Know About Catching A Man
Talk Like A Winner! 21 Simple Rules For Everyday Communication Success
Dating Rocks! The 21 Smartest Moves Women Make For Love
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