Tactic 06 of 99
The Spotlight Compliment
Praise the choice, not the person, and it lands like truth.
What it is
Generic praise (“You’re amazing”) is easy to dismiss. Specific praise for a choice someone made (“Adding lime to that was genius”) is hard to argue with, because it shows you actually paid attention. It also tells them exactly what to do again.
Spot it
Very precise praise for something minor, right before a request. “I love how organized you are... could you do the schedule?”
Counter it
Say thanks and take the compliment. Then treat the request as a separate question. “Thanks. On the schedule, let me think about it.”