The Art and Science to Getting a "YES"

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Dear Legend,

Have you ever tried to persuade someone about an idea and it falls flat? Maybe it’s to your boss, or your team, or even just trying to convince your family about a vacation you’d love to take.

You’d have reviews, charts, forecasts… just a ton of evidence to try to convince them that this is the RIGHT thing to get behind. And it just doesn’t work.

The problem is we like to tell ourselves that we are rational creatures, but the truth is we are emotional creatures who can think, not rational creatures who feel.

We often say no to things that make logical sense.

• Stretching

• Journaling

• Mediating

(I don’t know about you, but these things I know I should do, but I don’t)

We buy brands we "feel" good about, even if the other options has better features.

We reject ideas, not because they lack data but because they just don’t feel right.

We ignore cool ideas presented to us because the messenger gives us bad vibes.

You know this. I know this.

And yet… every single day, in boardrooms and living rooms across the world, ideas and plans are rejected because people are trying to influence the wrong way.

They bury their brilliance in data. They lead with logic. They forget the messy, emotional, HUMAN side of influence.

❤️ Humans are not spreadsheets, they are walking stories.

That’s why I needed to bring this message to you today! (It’s time to get your ideas to stick)

Because you, my legend seeking friend, are missing at least half the deck if you think the best logical argument always wins.

This is where Steve Martin comes in. (No, not the actor! He is the influence maestro who works alongside Dr. Robert Cialdini, godfather of influence.)

Steve is THE expert when it comes to this topic. He is:

🎓 CEO of Influence at Work UK, co-author of The small BIG: small changes that spark big influence with Robert Cialdini and Noah Goldstein.

🧠 Behavioral science advisor to Fortune 500 companies, governments, and global institutions like NATO and the UK Cabinet Office.

📢 Speaker and consultant trusted by brands like Google, Microsoft, and Pfizer to teach the science of ethical persuasion.

And this is what he said about the lack of intention when it comes to putting a persuasive case together:

“Having a compelling case to make is not the same as making your case in a compelling way.”

Read that again.

Approach every situation where there is potential misalignment and disagreement as an opportunity to use the influence equation:

🧠 Influence = Evidence + Economics + Emotions

Evidence is only ONE part of the equation, you are missing economics and most of all, emotion.

Want to finally be able to influence with the full deck?

🧰 The Influence Equation Playbook 👇🏽

Evidence: Your proof, your data, your logic. It matters, yes but only as support, not the star. Use sparingly. One killer stat beats 15 bullet points. Think clarity, not clutter.

Economics: What’s the ROI? What’s the cost? How much do they save? This makes the logical brain feel safe. But remember, ROI alone won’t move people. Tie it to what they truly value, not just about money.

Emotion: This is the nuclear button. Humans crave stories, metaphors, analogies. Use them. They make people FEEL the pain of the problem, the joy of the solution.

How do you apply this? Think about these as the primary colors, if you mix them all in equal proportions, guess what? You get that muddy brown color. YUCK!

Here is an example for a B2B SaaS platform to streamline logistics operations:

Evidence

• Weak: "Our software has an uptime of 99.9% and integrates with most major ERPs."

• Strong: "One of our clients, a national retailer, reduced order errors by 38% in just 3 months after using our platform. That’s not a projection, that’s from their CFO’s latest operations report."

Why this works: specific data point with credibility boost and time-framed.

Economics

• Weak: "It will save you healthcare costs in the long run."

• Strong: "According to Deloitte, for every dollar invested in employee mental wellness, companies see an average $5 ROI through reduced absenteeism, higher retention, and increased productivity. Imagine your top 5 performers giving you an extra 2 hours a week, that alone is worth tens of thousands annually."

Why this works: data backed, simple mental math that makes it real, and uses CEO language.

Emotion

• Weak: "Our software will make your employees feel happier and more satisfied."

• Strong: "Your operations manager told me, 'I missed my kid’s soccer game again because we had another shipping disaster.' That’s not about processes.
  That’s about missing life moments. When your team can trust the system, they get to clock out on time—and show up for the things that matter."

Why this works: relatable human moment, emotional pain, triggers empathy and connects to deeper values.

Final case:

"Last week, your operations manager told me something that stuck with me.
‘I missed my kid’s soccer game. Again. Because we had another shipping disaster.’

This isn’t about logistics. This is about your best people missing life moments. About them wondering why they work so hard only to spend their evenings fixing preventable mistakes.

When we installed our platform for a national retailer, they reduced order errors by 38% in just 3 months, that’s from their CFO’s post-implementation report. And the economics? According to Deloitte, businesses like yours see an average $5 return for every $1 invested in smarter operations.

But the real ROI? Your team stops firefighting and starts leading again.
They get their evenings back. And you get a team that’s not burned out but fired up."

What do you think? (Pretty good right? But it can definitely be adjusted based on what you know about the audience and culture.) What’s most important when determining the mix is looking at the specific context 👇🏽

Context Calibration
Your audience and the moment determine the mix.

• In a courtroom? More Evidence

• Selling an investment opportunity? More Economics + Emotions.

• Leading a team through change? Emotions heavy and sprinkle Evidence

(Ask yourself: What is my audience most afraid of? Most hopeful for? Most resistant to?)

Who is the Right Messenger
A crucial step to think about is WHO is delivering the message. Because here’s the uncomfortable truth... You might not be the best messenger for your own message. Stephen Martin says: "Sometimes the messenger is the message."

Ask: Who does my audience already trust? Already relate to? Already admire? Sometimes you need to get out of the way and let someone else deliver the message.

Final Reminder: Start with Story, Follow with Stats
Steve says people will argue your data. But they rarely argue your story.
Want to win the room? Lead with a story that bypasses the logic filters. Then—when they lean in emotionally—you hit them with the data. “Data doesn’t persuade. Comparison does. Frame your data against something that makes it shine.” Steve Martin.

That’s the one-two punch to get a YES. And if you get into a discussion, don’t forget what you’ve learned about negotiations (Fotini Iconomopoulos and Scott Walker.)

If you want more, listen to the entire conversation on: Apple, Spotify, or on the web (Steve shares how he started working with Robert Cialdini) I also shared 10 Laws of Influence on LinkedIn last week (get the high-res PDF in the legendary cheat sheet library that only YOU have access to) and a 45 sec video clip on Instagram where Steve talks about emotional appeal.

If we’re not intentional about making our case, it might just mean it’s not important enough for us to take that extra effort. If it IS really important, apply the influence equation to get that YES!

This week, for our influence psychology lesson:

The Framing Effect

How you say something can matter more than what you’re actually saying.

That’s the Framing Effect. It’s where people make different decisions based on how information is presented, even if the facts stay the same.

💡 Classic example:
Would you rather choose a surgery with a 90% survival rate
or one with a 10% mortality rate?

Most people pick the 90% option, even though the two are mathematically identical!

The brain responds to how the story is framed, not just the data itself.

A 1981 study by Tversky and Kahneman famously showed that when a treatment program for a disease outbreak was framed as “lives that could be saved,” people made different choices than when the same outcomes were framed as “risk of death.”

Five ways to apply the Framing Effect:

1. Frame Offers as Gains, Not Discounts: “Get 2 extra months free” feels more exciting than “Save $100.” People respond better to what they’re gaining rather than what they’re avoiding.

2. Use Positive Social Proof Framing: Join 10,000 happy customers” instead of “Don’t miss out on the best product.” Framing success stories creates FOMO without negativity.

3. Frame Choices as Avoiding Loss of Progress: “You’re 80% toward your loyalty reward.” Triggers people to complete the action because they feel like they’ve already invested.

4. Reframe Urgency as Opportunity: “Unlock early access” sounds better than “Limited spots left.” Positive framing keeps people motivated rather than pressured.

5. Present Risk in Terms of Missed Gains: “Every day you wait, you’re leaving money on the table.” Reframes inaction as losing out, triggering action more effectively than just promoting benefits.

Last thing to remember, people don’t just respond to what you say, they respond to how you say it.

Master the frame and you master the decision.

📣 This week I want to make a shout out to Maria Pajuleras for her feedback she left on the poll: “Hi Howie! Thanks for everything you do. I'm working on writing a book, and I quoted you on that. “Never aim to win, instead, aim for alignment.” - Howie Chan. Learn more about how to get what you want and your counterpart still feels good about the outcome with the Legend Effect podcast by Howie Chan.”

Writing a book is no joke, let’s all support her as part of this legendary community! She is pursuing her own version of legendary and that is pretty damn cool.

See you next Sunday.

Make your mark, live your legend 🤘🏽,

Howie Chan

Creator of Legend Letters

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P.S. If you or someone you know is a marketer or strategist working in the Medtech or Healthtech industry, check out Medtech Brand Academy! The waitlist closes on May 18th, 11:59 pm CST!

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