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»The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!«
Does Fear Motivate or Paralyze?
I’ve borrowed these words from F. D. Roosevelt, who used them to address the people of America during the Great Depression. This very sentence actually sounds as follows: »The only thing we have to fear is fear itself … which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance!«
My question is: »Was Roosevelt correct or not? Does fear actually block you from taking action or does it motivate people to move forward?«
Contrary to what audiences might be inclined to believe (at least this always happens in my workshops), fear of loss is a much greater motivator than the idea of growth or benefit. The research, namely, shows that people are far more scared of losing what they’ve already got than getting what they don’t have. Despite the fact that it can greatly improve their way of living or working.
We must also note, however, that the fear can and does paralyze if you don’t tell people what and how to do to reduce or avoid danger.
And again, just like suggestions from the previous blog, you can use this principle in personal and professional environment. Let me give you an example. How do you talk to your three-year old, who refuses to brush his/her teeth? Parents usually say something like: »Nina, unless you brush your teeth immediately, we won’t watch any Mickey Mouse cartoons before going to bed.« And if this doesn’t work: »Not only tonight, but for the whole week.« Then we should just add: »Now … if you want to keep on watching the cartoons, take the toothbrush and brush your teeth well.«
The fact that there will not be any cartoons works much better than » … and you’ll have beautiful, white teeth, just like a princess.« And the brain of your adult audiences works just the same.
Let’s imagine you want to persuade your client to buy something, which can greatly improve their way of working. You can say something like: »Based on how you manage your orders right now, along with the volume of monthly orders, you can face even larger problems in future by delivering wrong or faulty products, or by failing to deliver on time. This can cost you penalties and above all – orders.«
It’s imperative that you don’t stop here. You must continue by telling them how to reduce this danger: »To avoid this, I suggest you … (explain what and how)!«
Again, a much better motivator than: »Based on how you manage your orders right now, along with the volume of monthly orders, our system can help you process, deliver and track the goods far more effectively. You’ll have more satisfied clients and as a result more orders and larger sales.«
And then someone from the audience in my workshop would go: »It’s not ethical scaring people!« And my reply would be: »It is YOUR responsibility as a parent to prevent huge dental problems of your children and again YOUR responsibility of a consultant or a vendor to tell your client what can happen unless they follow your suggestions.«
Would you like me to run a workshop on persuasion for your organization? Click here for a contact sheet or simply mail me by clicking here.
