Applications of Verb Tenses with Tag Questions

Audience / Client / Prospect

• Complaints

• Objections

• Challenges

• Problems

Verb tenses can be utilised to move a present challenge into the past by using the past tense and a tag question. This will unconsciously alter the individual's experience, altering their perception of the challenge and the most likely outcome will be agreement. Using a present tense verb with a tag question that uses a past tense verb, can sound somewhat odd, but you will be amazed how few people pick it up consciously in everyday conversation. This is sleight of mouth and the result you achieve is directing the individual's attention to where you want it to be - Masterfully moving toward agreement.

• Verb tense can be used for putting a present complaint into the past by using past tense with a tag question.

"That quality has been a issue, hasn't it?"

"That was something you did, wasn't it?"

• Verb tense can be used for putting a present problem into the completed past by starting a sentence with a present tense and moving to a past tense with a tag question.

"That is a problem, wasn't it?"

"You want to solve this problem, didn't you?"

• Imagine you have a colleague who is anxious when presenting. You could say:

'You have felt anxious, haven't you?' or

'When you do that you feel shy, weren't you?'or

'You want to feel comfortable talking to people, didn't you'

This puts the problem of being anxious in the past. Without a tag question it gives the impression that your colleague may still be anxious. With the tag question it puts the feeling / experience of 'shy' into the past as a possible one-off experience.

• When you change tense, you change time!

• When you change time, you alter experience!

• When you alter experience, you pace and lead!

• When you pace and lead, you persuade!