Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear
And therein lies an essential lesson of linguistic context: Popular perception can overwhelm truth and accuracy in establishing a communication connection. Or, in plain English, it’s not what you say, it’s what people hear that matters. Moreover, words that had certain definitions when your grandparents were your age may have an entirely different
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Since I knew that many people would only read the first and last items in the document, I asked that the Contract begin and end with the two highest-priority proposals in the eyes of the voters: a balanced budget amendment and term limits.
Frank Luntz • Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear
whether they would be willing to pay higher taxes for “further law enforcement,” and 51 percent agreed. But when I asked them if they would pay higher taxes “to halt the rising crime rate,” 68 percent answered in the affirmative. The difference? Law enforcement is the process, and therefore less popular, while reducing crime is the desirable
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(The “ask” only comes at the very end, within the last ten words. Why? Because a recall is the most extreme political maneuver other than impeachment. Don’t ask voters to take an extreme measure until you have told them why. And don’t expect them to agree with you unless and until you tell them the consequences of inaction. That’s why we added that
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But woe to the public figure who violates these unwritten social rules about which terms are acceptable and which have become verboten.
Frank Luntz • Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear
Credibility is established very simply. Tell people who you are or what you do. Then be that person and do what you have said you would do. And finally, remind people that you are what in fact you say you are. In a simple sentence: Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Frank Luntz • Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear
Words that work, whether fiction or reality, not only explain but also motivate. They cause you to think as well as act. They trigger emotion as well as understanding.
Frank Luntz • Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear
“Rights,” as opposed to mere policy preferences, are thought to be inalienable. They don’t come from us, and no one is allowed to take them away—for any reason. They cannot be abridged, no matter what. And that’s what makes the language so powerful.
Frank Luntz • Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear
So when it comes to effective communication, small beats large, short beats long, and plain beats complex. And sometimes a visual beats them all.