“Enchant” with a spell.

Karin Muller volunteered with the Peace Corps in the Philippines from 1987 to 1989. One day, villagers warned her that soldiers from the armed branch of the Philippine Communist Party were coming to her hut to question her. When they arrived, Muller showed no hostility or fear. Instead, she warmly welcomed them, saying, “Thank God you’re here. I’ve been waiting all day. Please have some coffee. Leave your guns at the door.” The soldiers were so captivated by her hospitality that they didn’t interrogate her. She changed their “hearts, minds, and actions” through her enchanting behavior.

Enchantment can happen anywhere, whether at home, in a store, at work, or online. It means captivating people with “delight.” While mass media, social media, and advertising can create superficial connections, they often fail to maintain positive relationships. If you’re promoting a “cause”—like a product, service, business, or idea—try to create a deeper connection through enchantment.

Enchantment is about influencing people, but it’s not the same as manipulation, and it shouldn’t be immoral. It’s not just about getting your way; others should benefit too. Avoid exploiting people by asking them to do things you wouldn’t do yourself. Always be honest about your intentions, and don’t deceive or try to enchant those who are “gullible.”

"Likeable" and "Trustworthy"

Establishing likability and trustworthiness is crucial for making a great first impression. Start with a genuine smile, appropriate attire, a firm handshake, and thoughtful words. But remember, a good start isn't enough for a lasting relationship. Here's how to keep that likability going:

• Understand and appreciate that everyone is different.
• Respect others' perspectives and avoid pushing your own too hard.
• Look for common interests to connect over.
• Aim for solutions that benefit everyone involved.
• Sometimes, using swear words can help build solidarity in certain situations.
• Instead of saying no right away, try to find ways to say yes whenever possible.

These steps will help you build stronger, more meaningful connections with others.

Without trust, someone might like you but not be captivated by you. Zappos, a shoe company, earns customers' trust with a money-back guarantee and free return shipping. They trust customers not to return used shoes. Follow these tips to build trust and enchantment:

• Be a mensch: honest, friendly, and fair. "Do no harm."
• Fully disclose your interests upfront, even if they conflict with others.
• Repay kindness with generosity, not just to get something back.
• Become an expert in your field through knowledge and competence.
• Create a short, clear, unique, and humble statement describing your purpose.
• Adopt a hero's mindset and stand up for your beliefs.

Get ready to fly.

Once people like you and trust you, you're on your way to making a big impact. But what about your idea? To impress people, what you offer needs to be packed with features, smartly solve problems, come with good support, give customers control, and be easy to use. Take Apple's products,

 for example—they tick all these boxes.

Before you launch your idea, think ahead and imagine what could go wrong. This way, you can fix any problems early. Keep your message short, simple, and easy to understand. Look at Etsy, a site where people sell handmade things. They're clear about their goal: "To help people earn a living by making things and connect them with buyers."

Don't make it hard for people to do business with you. There's a hotel in Paris that charges a fee just to make a booking, even if there are no rooms available. That puts people off. If the hotel had thought about this before, they might have decided against it. Keep everyone involved motivated by giving them checklists so they can track their progress as they get ready to share your idea.

Launch captivatingly to engage.

To make your launch stand out, don't just use boring press releases and sales pitches. Instead, tell a compelling story that makes people believe in your product and connects them to your cause. Offer them a taste of your product, like how Amazon lets you read a preview of a book before buying.

In the past, marketing focused on impressing "influentials," hoping their approval would influence others. But now, in the internet age, people trust their friends' opinions as much as experts'. So, it's important to engage with everyday people, who are more likely to support and promote your cause. Before you launch, ask people if they'll support your product. This helps them commit, and their answers will show if you need to change your message. Ask your clients for a "big favor." If they say no, ask for a smaller favor first to start building a relationship. Show a clear point, like explaining how a small amount of money can help a child in need if your cause is charity. These strategies will help you build a strong following for your cause.

Beat resistance.

Prepare to overcome resistance by understanding why your cause may not appeal to everyone. Use these tactics to win over challengers:

• Use "social proof" to show that others support your cause, making it seem safe, acceptable, or cool.
• Highlight the abundance of your cause, like Apple's ubiquitous white headphones with iPods.
• Create a sense of scarcity, as Google did with Gmail invitations, making people act quickly to avoid missing out.
• Avoid overwhelming with large numbers or statistics. Instead, use images, stories, and examples to make an emotional connection and gain support.

Craft enduring charm.

To make people stay enchanted with your cause, aim for lasting charm. Keep them interested, buy upgrades, and spread the word. You've charmed them when they truly enjoy and believe in what you offer. Follow these steps to achieve this:

• Focus on the middle and lower levels of society and organizations, as leaders at the top may not always reflect everyone's desires or the greater good.
• Use reciprocity. When you do something for others, they tend to do something for you in return. 
• Build a community with user groups, blogs, consultants, developers, resellers, and conferences. Connect with people who believe in your cause and want to help. Interact with them, ask for feedback, and reward those who support you.
• Have a diverse team with people from different backgrounds and personalities. This will bring unique ideas and perspectives to your organization.
• Spread your cause. For example, the band The Grateful Dead lets fans record their concerts and share them, as long as they don't make money from it. This has given the band more exposure and gained them more followers.

Using “Push-Pull Tech"

Learn how to use technology to reach a large audience quickly and consistently. Tools like presentations, email, and Twitter fall under push technology because they share your stories and valuable information with others. Choose the right technology to promote your cause effectively and engage as many people as possible:

• Presentations: Tailor your presentations to charm your audience. Use location-specific openings or show audience photos. Create drama with images, videos, and captivating demos to sell your ideas effectively.
• Email: Increase your chances of enchanting the recipient by requesting an introduction, writing a personal subject line, keeping your email brief, genuinely flattering the recipient, and asking for something in a clear, straightforward manner.
• Twitter: This push technology allows you to share your story with short, 140-character messages. Upload a good photo and a detailed profile.

Grow your following by sharing valuable resources like links to stories, videos, and blog posts, and by connecting with other users.

Pull technology has endless potential. Share your information on your website, blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. To make pull technology work for you, create compelling content that is easy to access and update, viewable on all devices, and compatible with RSS feeds or email subscriptions. Use "Japanese wisdom" to optimize your approach: Remove unnecessary clutter, convey a simple message, use the power of suggestion, and aim for harmony and balance.

Gain Trust, Be Memorable

To keep customers happy, start by keeping your employees happy. They're your frontline ambassadors. Money isn't the only thing that motivates them. Instead, focus on providing opportunities for mastery, autonomy, and purpose (MAP). Let them make decisions and recognize their achievements. Surprise them during performance reviews by admitting your own mistakes and praising their successes. Make them feel valued and appreciated.

When it comes to your boss, remember they hold the keys to your job satisfaction and advancement. Make them look good by prioritizing their requests and delivering ahead of schedule. Seek their mentorship and handle bad news responsibly by offering solutions early on. Avoid blaming anyone, especially not your boss. This strategy will pave the way for your success.

Resist Enchantment

Some enchanters may not have your best interests in mind. You can resist their enchantments by avoiding tempting situations, like going to stores during sales, where you might buy things just because they seem like a good deal. It's important to be aware of your limitations. Before making a decision, think about how it will affect you in the long run. Many people tend to follow the crowd or the latest trends. But sometimes, it's necessary to resist the allure of the crowd.