Education & Career

John F. Kennedy had it. Abe Lincoln had it.

So do Oprah, Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, and Bill Clinton, as well as products like the Cabbage Patch Kids, authors like J.K. Rowling, and movies like E.T.

It’s an “instant appeal”—a hidden factor that causes people to feel a natural eagerness to engage positively, and be ready and willing to believe an idea, feel loyalty to a particular brand, and even watch the same TV series or listen to the same song over and over again.

So, what is instant appeal, and how do you get it?

According to Vicki Kunkel, author of INSTANT APPEAL: The 8 Primal Factors That Create Blockbuster Success (AMACOM 2008), the secret to who gets heard, what gets our attention, and who and what has staying power lies in deeply ingrained biological and anthropological codes we all subconsciously share.

Those who understand these human universals that cause positive and negative chemical reactions in our brains can use them to advance their career, cause, company, or product. And the triggers lying behind these valuable reactions often lie in elements as simple as how an audience’s chairs are arranged, what a product name sounds like, and the design of a product or ad campaign.

As Kunkel puts it, “Contrary to popular belief, persuasion is not mostly psychological; it’s anthropological and biological. Most of us aren’t consciously aware that we are making choices based on thousands of years of evolutionary conditioning and our biological makeup. What makes us comfortable is embedded deep in our DNA.”

In INSTANT APPEAL, Kunkel uncovers the details behind each of these scenarios and many more, showing readers how they can:

• Make small changes in their verbal and written communications so that their messages have a near-hypnotic effect on audiences

• Align product design with “primal comfort factors” to make product more appealing

• Increase sales by utilizing the one technique shows like Dancing with the Stars and Survivor have in common

• Use primal attraction strategies to become more appealing and successful in both the professional and personal areas of their lives

 Based on extensive research and filled with fascinating examples and explanations of the phenomena associated with “stickiness,” INSTANT APPEAL reveals the often surprising techniques used by top companies, million-dollar motivational speakers, election-winning politicians and top-notch lawyers to advance their companies and careers…and how anyone can use them for their own professional and personal success.

You can learn more about this book by clicking on the image at the top of this post.

About the Author:

Vicki Kunkel is a nationally recognized expert on the subject of mass appeal and the CEO of Vicki Kunkel International.