I saw this brilliantly-named book recently in an art gallery gift shop.

(Don’t you love a gallery gift shop? So many wonderfully random things like a Rothko-inspired spatula or a Dali doormat.)

Isn’t the title genius?

The author clearly understands the art of persuasion.

Because we don’t really care about his book, do we?

We care about what happens after we read it.

The impact on us. What happens next.

What we can do differently or better as a result.

The author is giving us a tangible output that we can visualise instantly.

Perfect for a rubbish artist like me (even my stick figures suck.)

So, the next time you’re trying to persuade someone, tell them what happens afterwards.

i.e. not:

‘Please can you confirm your attendance at Tuesday’s meeting.’

but instead…

‘Our meeting on Tuesday will help you move forward with Project X, faster. Please let me know if you’re able to come.’

And not:

‘Here are our client loyalty recommendations based on our 20 years’ of experience.’

but instead…

‘Here’s how we’re going to help you keep hold of your best clients for longer.’

In fact, I should have opened this email with:

After this email, you’ll be able to persuade more people to do what you want, faster.

Good, right?