As a communications professional, you’re in the business of motivating change. Maybe you’re running a training to improve your employee’s work practices. Or, maybe you’re managing a campaign to get donations or to recruit volunteers. You could be selling a product or service you really want people to buy. No matter your end goal, your job is to persuade a group of people to act, somehow changing their normal behavior.
It’s no secret that people love routines. It can be really hard to persuade someone to do something new and unfamiliar. Fortunately, we have a not-so-secret secret that is guaranteed to help you in your goal of motivating change: get your audience to care.
Now, that’s a lot easier said than done. But we have some tips that can help you truly motivate change in your audience by getting them to care about the topic at hand.
5 Tips for Motivating Change
1. Share Stories
Humans love stories. They connect to stories. If you tell a story that shows why your cause is important, or why your product is useful, or how changing behavior really has results, your audience will respond. Think testimonials, examples, before & afters.
2. Use Emotions
Before creating your communications materials, think about the emotions you are trying to sell. Do you want your audience to feel relief that they have finally found the product that will solve their problems? Do you want them to feel hopeful for a brighter future? No matter the emotion, let it guide your content.
3. Use the Facts
A well placed statistic can really drive an idea home. Numbers are powerful, and people trust them. If you can say that your widget increases productivity by 100%, or that your donation of $20 can provide x, y, and z for people in need, then you should. Facts and figures help solidify ideas and make them real in people’s minds.
4. Show What’s In It For Them
Put yourself in your audience’s shoes for a minute. What do they really want that you can give them? Think both tangible things (a new car, the perfect app, a great tax break) and emotional (to feel good about themselves, to impress the neighbors/coworkers). Figure out how these desires can align with what you want them to do, then make it clear in your communication just what they can get out of it.
5. Make it Visual, Audio
Video is a great way to engage people to take action. Rather than just passively reading, video is a more interactive and sensory experience. The sound of a real human voice allows the audience to connect to the content, while the moving images are totally eye-catching. Once they’re hooked, they’ll be ready to listen and take your message to heart.
