persuasion It didn't matter that none of the following words were negative. Just reading the word "cold" tainted how the students read the rest ot the list. The airline industry has mastered the power of words. They know word choice is critical to getting their point across and to reducing panic. In one situation, a flight attendant had run out of steak as an option for dinner entree. Instead of telling the customers their only option was chicken, the flight attendant said, "You can have a piece of marinated chicken breast, sauteed in mushrooms in a light cream sauce, or a piece of beef." Conse quently, people chose the chicken because it sounded better. Once, as a plane I was on was about to take off, one of the engines caught on fire. Smoke billowed and the runway was suddenly filled with fire trucks. The pilot came on and called it "slight engine difficulties." I don't know about vou, but the situation seemed like a little more than "slight" to me. When you listen to the flight attendants' instructions before takeoff, you also hear careful word choice. They tell you that in the event of a water landing, your seat cushion can be used as a "flotation device." Hello! What they're really saying is, "If we crash into water, grab your seat cushion so you don't drown." Notice they don't say "life preserver," but rather they call it a "flotation device." Also note that there is no "barf bag" on board-it's a motion discomfort bag. Or "we are experiencing a mechanical difficulty" instead of "the plane is broken." They don't clean the plane; they refresh it. Planes aren't late; they're merely delayed. And, my personal favorite, they never lose my luggage; they misplace it. Yes, airlines know the power of word choice in affecting their customers' point of view. Sales professionals also use words carefully. They know that one wrong word can send their prospect's mind somewhere else and lose them the sale. Some examples of language that salespeople use to help diffuse a potentially tense situation include the following: Words That Repel Superior Words Contract Agreement Sign here OK the paperwork Sell Get involved Cancellation Right of rescission Salesperson Business consultant Commission Fee for my services Cost Investment Credit card Form of payment Problem Challenge Objections Areas of concern Words also have a strong bearing on how we remember certain details. For example, in a 1979 study conducted by Elizabeth Loftus and colleagues, when defendants were asked how fast they were driving when thev "smashed" into the other car-as opposed to "hit" the other car-much higher speeds were reported. In another study, subjects were asked if they had headaches "frequently" or "occasionally" and how many per week. Those who were interviewed with the word "frequently" reported 2.2 headaches per week, while those interviewed with the word "occasionally" reported only 0.7 per week. persuasion