I am fascinated by the use of words. If you think about it, almost everything we do in life involves the use of words. It’s how we persuade. It’s how we communicate. It’s how we connect. Even our private thoughts involve words.
Why are some words more impactful than others? Better at changing minds. Engaging audiences. Driving action. In the New Your Times bestselling author Jonah Berger’s latest book, he answers this question: What are Magic Words?
In the book, the author provides an inside look at the new science of language and how to use it. I believe this book is for anyone who wants to increase their communicative impact. It contains a powerful toolkit and actionable techniques the reader can leverage effectively.
Interesting takeaways from the book include:
- The average person uses approximately 16,000 words a day.
- Adding the word “because” can lead to a 50% increase in persuasion.
- Using the word “recommend” rather than “like” makes people 32% more likely to take your suggestion.
- Asking a child to be a “helper” versus asking them to “help” increased helping by almost a third.
- Saying “I don’t” rather than “I can’t” more than doubled people’s ability to stick to goals.
I enjoyed reading this book and believe it will positively impact my communication “Magically”.