In persuasive speaking, the CAST Call system directs us to state the problem and then agitate.

 

What will happen to your business if you don’t address this issue?

What advantage are your competitors gaining while you wait?

Have you calculated the costs of stress to your bottom line?

 

This agitation helps our prospects gauge the seriousness of whatever problems we are offering to solve.

Unethical speakers abuse this.

Agitate the problem but never agitate the person.

 

If you’re not ready to invest, that’s okay. Failure is free and you can have all you want. Call me when you’re ready.

I get it. Some people need to gather more leadership experience before they’re ready to make the right decision.

Just keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll be here when you’re ready to make progress.

 

Lines like these are arrogant, and they work by sewing the seeds of self-doubt.

Unethical speakers profit from these methods in the short run, but if their clients become successful, they eventually realize they’ve been had.

State the conflict and agitate, but agitate the problem, not the person.