Page 83 - The Power to Change Anything

72 INFLUENCER

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 a vicarious experience. 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
create vivid images and provide concrete detail, stories are
more understandable than terse lectures. 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
empathic reaction that feels just as real as enacting the behav-
ior 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.