It is late afternoon and the sun is setting. Professor Oldman is quitting his job in a University and has invited a group of fellow colleagues for a farewell gathering at a cabin in the remote woods.
They engage in polite talk and try to probe the reasons behind Oldman’s sudden departure. The truth soon emerges when Oldman makes a shocking confession: he is an immortal man that has lived on earth for the past 14,000 years.
That’s the premise behind The Man from Earth, a fantastic independent sci-fi film. The story is based on a long-running project by Star Trek and Twilight Zone writer Jerome Bixby, who finally completed the screenplay on his deathbed in 1998.
I watched this movie two weeks ago and found it quite enjoyable. The entire film is set in a living room and the plot revolves around conversation and nothing else. No special efforts, no action stunts, no physical jokes, no sexual titillation. Just talk.
The film is driven by an active, thought-provoking dialog initiated by Oldman’s absurd claim of being an undying man who has experienced 14th centuries of life on earth. Anxious to disprove his statement and remain in the realm of scientific comfort, his colleagues respond by attacking him with all sorts of historical questions.
But they are clearly disturbed, because Oldman doesn’t appear to be lying. He answers every single question immediately without any hesitation: a behavior they eventually notice as the discussion accelerates. They slowly shift from doubt into frustration: Why is he telling us this? What is he trying to achieve?
And from that frustration, Oldman’s friends slowly ease into a state of semi-belief. They toy with the possibility that Oldman is telling the truth. They probe for more answers, but this time with minds that seek confirmation. They hang on his every word, hypnotized by his presence, eager to get a glimpse of the complete truth.
Is Oldman telling the truth? Or is he really an exceptional story teller who has mastered the art of persuasion? That is something you’ll find out when you watch the movie all the way to the end. I’m not going to spoil it for you because the subtle plot twist at the end is just way cool.
The Power of Believable Personas for Persuasive Marketing
Image Credit: Ganymedes Costagravas
I haven’t seen good movies like this in a while. While I was watching it, I thought Oldman would make a terrific marketer or salesman. Why? Because he is performing persuasion on a whole new level.
It’s not about selling an idea, its about personifying the idea and making people believe in you first as a person, which secondarily validates the idea. Oldman isn’t hard selling benefits in order to get his audience to believe in him.
He opens with an outrageous statement, which naturally grabs attention and then withdraws in a reactive mode to receive the barrage of expected questions. By replying to each question with an answer that reveals a little more about himself, he provokes more queries and continued interest.
He observes each participant and monitors their comfort levels. How is she taking my message? What does she want to hear next? He criticizes himself for being unclear and acknowledges the implausibility of his assertions. He softens his arguments by throwing up caveat emptors and multiple disclaimers.
The addition of excellent listening skills and a substantial dose of empathy make Oldman an exceptional persuader. It is difficult to dismiss his claims completely.
Here are five quick takeaway points from the film:
- You can make people believe anything you want, no matter how absurd it is. Create a persona they can relate to, which they think or feel is trustworthy or authentic. This is how cults are formed and sustained. People relate to and follow individuals who embody ideas. For example, Gandhi was the physical embodiment of non-violent protest.
- The harder you try to ’sell’, the worse you’ll be. Trying too hard makes you look like you’re hungry for validation. If your idea is excellent, spread talking points and information to let others validate it. The best marketing work is invisible and pitch-free. You don’t know that they’ve succeeded in influencing you until you retro-actively examine your beliefs or actions.
- Fallible characters are attractive. It’s not about the hero or underdog. When you promote a product through a persona, the most important thing to do is to make that persona fallible. Capable of errors. Able to fail. Just like you and me. Make them too perfect and you’ll find it difficult to elicit empathy.
- You don’t need much to engage your audience. A great design, product, price and location are not necessary factors for success. Overdressing an idea can sometimes kill it. The Man from Earth worked well as a movie because of its intentional minimalism, which forces one to pay attention and hence be absorbed in the ongoing dialog. Therein lies its success in captivating minds.
Capture mindshare first by giving ideas full emphasis.
- Personalize Myths and Avoid General Truths. It is easy to debunk a general theory about everything because it leaves itself open to attack from all disciplines and angles. Persona-based claims are a little harder to dissect because their statements are tied to individual experience.
So what if scientists say that avocado consumption doesn’t correlate to better skin. People will still buy them when an individual they know, respect or trust swears that the humble avocado has made her skin beautiful.
And that’s it for this week’s installment. If the synopsis and everything else interests you, go buy/rent the DVD for The Man from Earth and check out the official website.
Weekend Media is a weekly editorial which showcases intriguing books, videos and films which are relevant to topics covered on Dosh Dosh. Published every Saturday, these articles are designed to be easily digested and maximally useful.
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