Cold Reading
Have you ever bought something that you didn’t really want, because the salesperson was so nice, so persuasive, so helpful? Chances are that the salesperson (whether they knew it or not) was using some of the techniques of a skilled Cold Reader.
What Is Cold Reading?
‘Cold Reading‘ is a term invented by stage magicians. It refers to psychological techniques used by certain people to influence the beliefs and behaviour of other people.
The term was coined back in the days of live variety theatre and carnival side-shows to distinguish it from ‘Hot Reading‘, where the magician or mystic used bits of specific information that they already had, but pretended that they were discovering for the very first time. A good Cold Reader needs no such prior knowledge.
You’ll find Cold Readers well represented View More Cold Reading