TONALITY

The single component that will set you apart from every other sales person on the planet is
Tonality. Human communication goes far beyond the actual words that we say. Studies have
shown that people make judgements on what they see and hear within seconds. Every time you
say something in an excited, certain, forceful, secretive, sincere or uncertain way, you’re using the
art of tonality.

Introduction to Tonality

Tonality

Introduction

In this module, Jordan reveals the single component that will set you apart from every other sales
person on the planet.

The bottom line is that all things being equal (similar offer, similar convenience, etc) prospects
will buy from people they like. What very few sales people really notice however, is how instantly
this happens.

This goes beyond anything you’ve ever learned about building rapport or establishing trust. This
is about first identifying these intangible elements of communication – i.e. tonality – and then
lining up and using them to move emotionally and logically, so your prospect has that connection
with you, and because of that they want to do business with you.
Rapport

Creating rapport is a very powerful skill that is essential to the sales process. We’ve all at one time
or another experienced that feeling of being “in sync” with, or being “on the same wavelength” as
the person you are talking to.

This commonality of perspective, along with fostering likeability and trust, is what is at the root
of real rapport. Creating this level of connection requires capturing and keeping your prospect’s
attention by getting them to genuinely connect with you on both a conscious and unconscious
level.

Two key elements to rapport.

The Prospect needs to think that:

This person cares – “I care”

I am – “just like them”

The average sales person will often not pick up on the fact that they have broken rapport and they
move on and try and close a sale while they are not in tight rapport with their client.

Access the rest of this module to learn about:

 The three critical parts to effective communication

 The three things you must do in the first four seconds of an encounter

 How to build rapport and demonstrate charisma

 Mastering Tonality and the 8 crucial Tonal Patterns

 Physiological anchoring to support appropriate tonality

 The importance of body language in creating a strong impression

 How to effectively use techniques such as matching and mirroring and pacing and leading
to influence people

 How to come across as authoritative, sharp and enthusiastic

 How to make a strong initial impact and come across as engaging to your prospects
Three Parts to Communication

3 Parts to Communication

We have been conditioned to spend so much time thinking about the words we use that we often
forget that there is even more valuable information being communicated through our tonality and
body language at the same time.

It’s not just what you say that matters; it’s HOW you say it!

Albert Mehrabian, PhD, pioneered this deeper understanding of human communication by

identifying three primary modes of communication, often referred to as the 3 V’s:

1. Verbal

2. Vocal

3. Visual

Breaking the communication research down into percentages, you might be shocked to hear that,
on average, our words only account for 9% of our communication. That leaves the other 91% of
our communication to tonality and body language.

Although words can be 100% impactful in many situations, it’s important to realize that tonality
and body language can often have an equal, if not more impactful effect on someone than your
actual words. The key here is to increase your awareness of when all three forms of
communication—words, tonality, and body language—are most effective, and utilize them
accordingly.

SO….It’s not just WHAT you say that matters. It’s HOW you say it.

This is not a license to start saying stupid things. It’s about increasing your awareness so you can
maximise all three forms of communication and understand that they are weighted differently at
different points in the conversation.
Words Matter

You can’t say things that don’t make sense. Although words are only 9% of communication, when
you are speaking words matter 100%. The words are crucial while you are saying them. You break
rapport if you say things that don’t make sense.

3 Things in 4 Seconds

3 Things in 4 Seconds
It’s human nature to process a new person the instant you first meet. We are all visual creatures
and are influenced by what we see, whether it’s first-hand or in our “mind’s eye.”

In fact, studies have shown that people make judgments on what they see and hear within seconds.
In person, you have one quarter of a second before the person you are communicating with forms
their first impression.

Communicating in an auditory manner—i.e. by phone or computer—buys you a bit more time.

Without direct visual cues, you now have 4 Seconds before an individual forms a mental picture
of you and you make that lasting first impression.

The THREE things that you must establish within 4 seconds:

• You’re sharp as a tack – you must come across as being on-the ball, a person worth listening
to; otherwise you’re wasting their time

• You’re enthusiastic as hell – this tells the prospect you have something great to offer

• You’re an expert in your field – this tells people you are an authority figure and a force to
be reckoned with. People are taught to respect and listen to authority figures from a young
age.

You are a person worth listening to!

And you’re worth listening to because you are a person who can help your prospects get what they
want and achieve their goals.

It is crucial that your prospects feel that you can help them alleviate their pain—otherwise they
won’t open themselves up to being influenced.
Rapport

Rapport

Creating rapport is a very powerful skill that is essential to the sales process. We’ve all at one time
or another experienced that feeling of being “in sync” with, or being “on the same wavelength” as
the person you are talking to.

This commonality of perspective, along with fostering likeability and trust, is what is at the root
of real rapport. Creating this level of connection requires capturing and keeping your prospect’s
attention by getting them to genuinely connect with you on both a conscious and unconscious
level.

There are 2 key elements to rapport. The Prospect needs to think that:

1. This person cares – “I care”

2. I am – “just like them”

The average sales person will often not pick up on the fact that they have broken rapport and they
move on and try and close a sale while they are not in tight rapport with their client.

Is Rapport a Constant?

Rapport is Not Constant

A key fact about creating rapport and one of the biggest misconceptions people have is that, once
established, rapport is not a constant—it takes continual effort.

Just because you establish initial rapport with someone, it doesn’t mean that your work is done
and you can just sit back and relax. Instead it’s important to be aware that you are constantly falling
into and out of rapport throughout the sales process. One minute can find you in super tight rapport
with someone and the next minute you are completely out. However the great news is with the
right strategies and tactics you can get yourself right back into rapport in an instant.

Charisma

Learning Tonality and Charisma

Much like Tonality, Charisma is also a skill that is able to be learned. It is defined as a personal
quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people.

However, it is not a gift reserved for a select few.

Jordan positions the quality of ‘Charisma’ as being achievable through the following 3 things:

1) The effective use of tonality

2) Appropriate body language

3) Not saying stupid things!

Most sales people can speak intelligently for 3-6 minutes and the good ones for 7 or 8 minutes
before they start running out of intelligent things to say. They then lose charisma and fall out of
rapport.
8 Crucial Tonal Patterns

Mastering Tonality & The 8 Crucial Patterns

Intro to 8 Crucial Tonalities

Tonality isn’t a magic bullet that you’re born with; it’s a learned skill that you can master with
practice. The truth is you are already using tonality, just not consciously.

Through tonal patterns you can make more powerful connections than what you convey with
words alone. For example, when you’re talking, the listener is running an unconscious dialogue
against your words—hearing what you say, narrating your words and either agreeing or
disagreeing with them.

At least 29 different tonal patterns have been identified. Although this may sound overwhelming,
keep in mind that you are already unconsciously using most of them. Every time you say something
in an excited, certain, forceful, secretive, sincere or uncertain way, you’re using the art of tonality.
However, you can turn these tonalities into your secret weapon of influence by understanding their
impact and using them to consciously create the outcome you desire.

Logic vs Emotion

Some people think people buy because of logic, others think people buy because of emotion.
The truth is people buy because of both logic and emotion. People ultimately buy on emotion and
justify their decisions with logic. If either one is missing it is very tough to close at the highest
level.

What we do with the Straight Line is move people logically and emotionally to certainty about our
product.
Move prospects with logic through explaining the facts and figures and using the words that you
say. You move prospects emotionally with tonality – how you say it!

Eight Crucial Tonalities

Every time you say something in an excited, certain, forceful, secretive, sincere or uncertain way,
you’re using the art of tonality. However, you can turn these tonalities into your secret weapon of
influence by understanding their impact and using them to consciously create the outcome you
desire.

In the following videos, Jordan illustrates the 8 crucial tonal patterns that will, when mastered,
give you the secret weapon to influencing your prospects.

The 8 tonal patterns are:

1. Scarcity/Urgency

2. Reasonable Man

3. Absolute Certainty

4. I care

5. Using a question when it should be declarative

6. Series of 3 uptones

7. The presupposing tone

8. I really want to know

Tonal Pattern 1: Scarcity

Tonal Pattern 1: Scarcity/Urgency

Scarcity/Urgency is used to indicate that something is in short supply, or that they should act
quickly so as not to miss out.

Tonal Pattern 2: Reasonable Man

Tonal Pattern 2: Reasonable Man

Tonal Pattern 2: Reasonable Man Question

Use the “Reasonable Man” tone when you want someone to do something and you’re implying
it’s no big deal.

Some key phrases that Jordan uses in a “reasonable Man” Tone include: “Got a minute?” “Does
that sound fair enough?” “Believe me you will not be sorry.”
Tonal Pattern 3: Absolute Certainty

Tonal Pattern 3: Absolute Certainty

Use a sharper, more forceful and definitive tone when you want to convey that you are absolutely
certain of your idea or a product. This tonality will serve to convince your prospect and help to
move them further along the straight line.

Tonal Pattern 4: I Care

Tonal Pattern 4: I Care

This applies when you’re responding to someone else’s statement with empathy and sympathy.
For example, if someone said to you, “I’m kind of a little bit tight for money now”, you would say
something like “I totally understand that.” Saying this phrase with the “I care” tonality gives
greater meaning to your words and will assist you to come across with sincerity. The same tonality
is used to convey the sentiment that “I really want to know”, which is the 8th tonal pattern.
Tonal Pattern 5: Using A Question Instead Of A Declarative

Phrasing a Declarative as a Question

By using a question, rather than declaring a factual statement, you actually infer agreement with
the other person. For example, if you say to a stranger, “Hi, this is Jordan Belfort.” They don’t
really know who you are.

But if you phrase it as a question by raising your voice up at the end of the sentence, as in “Hi, this
is Jordan Belfort?”, you are phrasing a declarative statement as a question and it infers agreement.
It causes them to do an internal memory search around whether they know you because they don’t
want to feel out of the loop. This often allows you some extra time to build rapport with and discuss
your product or service offering with the client.

Tonal Pattern 6: Series of 3 Uptones

Series of 3 Uptones

Tonal Pattern 6: Series of 3 Uptones Question

When you string a number of phrases or sentences together with uptones at the end of each one,
you actually gain what is called ‘micro-agreements’. This is building on the ‘declarative as a
question’ pattern and taking it up a notch.
For example, saying “This is Jordan Belfort? Calling from Sales Acuity, Australia? We met over
at the Park Hyatt, in Melbourne? It’s a simple method, but by inferring micro agreements through
your uptones you will find that people start agreeing with you.

Watch Jordan discuss the ‘Uptones’ tonality on the video on the opposite page. Think of how you
greet your prospects/clients on the phone. In the space below, write down the opening few lines
that you typically say as a greeting and to introduce yourself.

Tonal Pattern 7: Presupposing Tone

Presupposing Tone

Tonal Pattern 7: Presupposing Tone Question

Use the pre-supposing tone when you want to future pace someone and move it past the point of
sheer obviousness. Example: “You’ll make money with it.” Use it to transition to future pacing so
it’s not even a question.

The pre-supposing tone suggests that “it’s so good it’s beyond question’.

Tonal Pattern 8: I Really Want to Know

I Really Want to Know

Tonal Pattern 8: I Really Want To Know Question

The “really want to know” tone is like the “I care” tonality. This is a tone of full engagement and
interest. It goes a long way toward establishing instant rapport with somebody.

For example, if you say “How’s it going today?” using an enthusiastic and upbeat tone of voice
rather than in a flat, unenthusiastic way, you will establish yourself as a person who really wants
to know about your prospect, and it will stand out and create an unconscious connection.

Putting It All Together

The tonalities – when used at the right time, done in the right fashion, using the right pitch – are
going to allow you to move your client emotionally to absolute certainty, and they won’t even
know why.

It’s the words that will give your client the logic rational for buying.

Summary of All 8 Tonal Patterns

Summary of 8 Tonal Patterns

Remember that mastering the different tonalities takes practice. It may feel strange when you first
start using different tonalities, but it will make ALL the difference in how your prospects respond
to you and your ability to influence them.

In summary, the 8 tonal patterns are:

1. Scarcity/Urgency

2. Reasonable Man
 3. Absolute Certainty

4. I care

5. Using a question when it should be declarative

6. Series of 3 uptones

7. The presupposing tone

8. I really want to know

Anchoring

Anchoring and Close

You can link gestures with the different tonalities. In this way the gestures become anchors.
When you link together the appropriate physiology, tonality and the right words – that’s pure
Straight Line communication.

Understanding what your natural gestures are and explicitly linking these to the different tonalities
will help you elicit the tonalities on demand.