prolog

PART 1.
Three Misconceptions About Persuasion

Common sense of wrong persuasion
The right words touch the emotions
Humans make decisions based on emotions.
Emotions first, tactics later

PART 2.
You can't persuade without influence.

Influence and persuasiveness are proportional.
The influence of status
The power of passion
The influence of expertise
The influence of nonverbal elements
The influence of Elon Musk and Steve Jobs
Anne Hathaway eats oranges with the peel?
Why won't you listen to what I say?
Influence cultivated in everyday life
Three Mindsets to Increase Influence

PART 3.
Persuasion is determined by preparation.

Lazy preparation is preparation for failure.
Understanding the other person's benefits
Benefits from Two Perspectives
Fear affects decision making
Nine Questions to Identify Benefits
Find a breakthrough in nine questions
Let's ask people around us for answers to our questions.
Head, Heart, and Feet in the Persuasion Process
The success of a presentation is determined by the introduction.
Practice your presentation while walking your dog

PART 4.
Gain trust with the 6Cs

Who would listen to someone who is not trustworthy?
Care
Condition
Calm
Consistency
Clarity
Certainty
Let's practice the '6Cs' in our daily lives.

PART 5.
5 Steps to Persuasion

Avoid unnecessary arguments
Use the Yes Code
Step 1: Observe, Empathize
Step 2: Build rapport
Step 3: Finding Pain Points
Step 4: Identify Your Desire
Step 5: Propose, Coordinate, and Execute
The art of listening
Review

PART 6.
What should I do in this situation?

Q&A on Practical Persuasion Situations

Epilogue

"Yes Code: Transforming Your Life Beyond Your Career"
Move your opponent with emotion, not logic!

I was on a business trip to Taiwan.
The author went to discuss collaboration with a local home shopping company, but instead of a calm atmosphere, an awkward silence hung over the table.
The reason was simple.
Even basic information about the opposing company was not prepared.
At that moment, she realized.
No matter how flowery the words, without proper preparation and context, persuasion cannot even begin.
This painful experience became the first step in creating her philosophy of persuasion.

For example, let's say a customer says, "I want to live in a high-rise apartment and I'm looking for a suitable property."
At first glance, this statement may seem like a simple desire, but if you look deeper, the hidden meaning behind it is the feeling of wanting to be recognized as someone who lives in a nice house.
In the end, the house is just a symbol, and the real key is the 'need for recognition'.
The author helps us realize that although people seem to make decisions based on reason, they are actually already making up their minds based on emotions.

What about the sight of people lining up overnight in front of stores that release new iPhones every time a new model is released?
The newly added features may not be that great.
But the moment you hold the latest iPhone in your hand, the feeling of pride that you are “riding the wave of the times” brings people out into the streets.
Ultimately, persuading customers through effective new product marketing requires appealing to their emotions.
What matters is not logic and numbers, but the power to touch the heart.

The 'Febreeze' advertisement, in which the author directly participated, is a representative example.
Instead of providing a functional explanation for eliminating household odors, the ad directly appealed to the anxiety of, "What if there's an odor when guests come over?"
The results were explosive.
Instead of reaching for a remote control, the consumer's hand reached for Febreze.
Persuasion leads to real-world action when it touches emotions like fear, anxiety, desire, and hope.

She combined all these experiences into her own persuasion strategy, which she named the "Yes Code."
Just as a program is executed and the result is displayed when it is entered, it means that it is an execution procedure that elicits a 'yes' from the other party.
You don't have to memorize all five steps.
The important thing is that there is an order, and above all, that emotions come first, not logic.

While classic works on persuasion teach us about basic human psychology and related theories, this book goes beyond the classics and teaches us persuasion strategies that we can immediately apply in real life.
This is a practical and real-world strategy, born from failure and frustration, and shaped by vivid examples from the global field.
Thanks to this, you have a weapon that can be used tomorrow, whether in a conference room, at the negotiating table, or even in a conversation with your family.

In the end, you realize that the reason why your words didn't get through even when you said the right thing, why the other person didn't nod no matter how many numbers and data you poured out, was because the answer was in the other person's mind.
And the moment that heart is moved, the stage of persuasion changes completely.
Like the people waiting in long lines for an iPhone, or the consumers picking up Febreze, the other person's 'yes' is already prepared.
As long as you touch the other person's feelings.

The 5-Step Yes Code Process, Refined in Global Business Fields

Step 1: Observe, Empathize
Step 2: Build rapport
Step 3: Finding Pain Points
Step 4: Identify Your Desire
Step 5: Propose, Coordinate, and Execute

Why can't we convince others even when we say the right thing?
No matter how logically you present the evidence, the listener shakes their head and sometimes even closes their heart.
The author firmly points out the reason.
Because persuasion starts from emotion, not logic.
No matter how plausible a theory is, it is useless if it cannot move emotions.
This book begins right at that point.

First, the author shatters a common misconception people have.
The expectation that if you say the right thing, the other person will agree, the belief that if you eliminate all objections, they will eventually accept you, and the idea that strategy and tactics come first.
But the reality is different.
Persuasion always works when it touches the emotions.
Correcting these misconceptions is the starting point.

So what does it take to move emotions?
The author brings up the word 'influence'.
The weight of persuasion ultimately depends on who is speaking.
The reason Elon Musk's bold visions get people excited, and the reason Steve Jobs could captivate audiences with simple presentations, is because of his influence.
Position, passion, expertise, and nonverbal messages: these four factors determine a speaker's credibility.

Once you have established your influence, you must now look deep into the hearts of your opponents.
The desires that are revealed on the surface are merely superficial.
Even people who say they want a high-rise apartment are actually trying to satisfy their desire for recognition.
Conversely, people have 'pain points' that they want to avoid.
Fear of losing money, fear of failure, anxiety about relationships going wrong.
Persuasion becomes powerful only when it touches these two axes: desire and fear.

However, just because you know their desires and pain points, it doesn't mean they will move right away.
The author systematizes this process like a program and calls it the 'Yes Code'.
First, observe and empathize with the other person and set the stage.
Next, you build a close relationship, or rapport, and build a psychological bridge that says, “I can trust this person.”
Then, by revealing and amplifying pain points and making people aware of the problem, we show them desires and benefits to help them envision a positive future.
Finally, we turn suggestions into action through coordination and execution.
When these five steps are performed in order, the word 'yes' will naturally flow from the other person's mouth.

But for persuasion to work, it needs a foundation above all else.
It's trust.
Trust, which begins with keeping small promises, grows over time and ultimately becomes the most solid foundation for persuasion.
Clarity of message must be added here.
The more you try to say, the less you have left.
Persuasion is powerful when one key point is conveyed clearly and powerfully.

Finally, the author presents various situations we may encounter.
When you encounter jealousy and envy from your boss, when you want to push for organizational change but face resistance, when you want to sell expensive products, when you want to achieve results quickly, when your emails aren't getting replies.
It vividly shows how the 'Yes Code' can be applied in these specific scenes.
It is not an abstract theory, but a tool that can be used in a conference room tomorrow to perfect persuasiveness.
Ultimately, this book boils down to one message.
Persuasion is the act of moving the other person's heart.
Logic that fails to touch the emotions always rings hollow.
But if you move your emotions, build trust, and follow the steps of the yes code, you can get the answers you want much easier than you think.
Persuasion creates results and determines careers.
And because it's code that anyone can learn and run, this book puts a powerful weapon in our hands.