Feel, Felt Found

The simple "Feel, Felt, Found" technique can ethically influence people to take action that's in their own best interests. When dealing with objections (money, time, spousal approval, necessity, etc.), use “Feel, Felt, Found” to lead them to accept your recommendations. First empathize with them, telling them that you understand how they feel. Then tell them about others who felt the same way. Then tell them how those others discovered a beneficial course of action. 

 Example: 

1. FEEL: Build empathy and let them know you appreciate their plight: "I understand how you feel about this investment. These days you have to be careful with every dollar." 

2. FELT: Make them part of a group: "I work with so many people who have felt the exact same way." 

3. FOUND: Move the group to success: "What these people have found is that moving forward actually saved them money and hassle in the long run—and none of them ever regretted their decision to invest in themselves. Let me give you a printout with some of their feedback. How does that sound?"

The Brain Science Behind How it Works:

By empathizing with how they feel, you are walking alongside them and building rapport. When you talk about how others felt, you move the focus to a more objective place that they are more likely to trust. This also makes them feel like a part of a group so they don't feel like their concerns are without merit.

Once they are attached to the group, you move the whole group by sharing how they came to a decision to act. Because they feel attached to the group, they will be more likely to come to the same conclusion.