Sharing My Notes on the Influencer Book - Chapter Three: Change the Way You Change Minds

Chapter Three:  Change the Way You Change Minds Summary (page 71 - 72)

People will attempt to change their behavior if (1) they believe it will be worth it, and (2) they can do what is required.  Instill these two views, and individuals will at least try to enact a new behavior or perhaps stop an old one.  To change one or both of these views, most people rely on verbal persuasion.  Talk is easy, and it works a great deal of the time.  However, with persistent and resistant problems, talk has very likely failed in the past, and it's time to help individuals experience for themselves the benefits of the proposed behavior.  It's time for a field trip.

When it's impossible to create an actual experience, it's best to create vicarious experiences.  For most of us, that means we'll make use of a well-told story.

Stories provide every person, no matter how limited his or her resources, with an influence tool that is both immediately accessible and enormously powerful.  Poignant narratives help listeners transport themselves away from the content of what is being spoken and into the experience itself.  Because they focus on the simple reality of an actual event, stories are often more credible than simple statements of fact.  Finally, as listeners dive into the narrative and suspend disbelief, stories create an empathetic reaction that feels just as real as enacting the behavior themselves.

Tell the whole story.  Make sure that the narrative you're employing contains a clear link between the current behaviors and existing (or possibly future) negative results.  Also make sure that the story includes positive replacement behaviors that yield new and better results.  Remember, stories need to deal with both "Will it be worth it?" and "Can I do it?"  When it comes to changing behavior, nothing else matters.