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Do you want to
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A benefit exchange is the heart of persuasion. It
answers the WWIFM question, "What's in it for me?" for the person you
are seeking to influence. In other words, it's a benefit you promise in
exchange for someone taking your desired action.
Good benefit exchanges focus on what your audience wants – not what you want. Think from the perspective of those
you want to influence and speak to that world view.
What attributes of the product or
service will benefit a colleague or customer.
Don't talk about the process, talk
about how the process will benefit the customer
- A proposal addresses a problem in workflow is citing an attribute; demonstrating how it saves money or increases efficiency is showing a benefit.
- Rack and pinion steering is an attribute of a car; responsiveness that makes you feel safer on the road is a benefit.
Here are five ways to build a
strong benefit exchange and win hearts and minds in the process.
1.
Make the
Benefit Immediate: Few of us take action based on a
benefit that we expect to receive in the far future. It is human nature to seek
instant satisfaction over distant gratification. How can you make your case
that if someone does what you want, they will reap immediate rewards? Answer
the question: what will be better tomorrow.
2.
Make It
Personal: A compelling benefit needs to make
people feel their lives will be better as individuals or within their tight
circles of friends, family, community or work. At the end of the day, the
personal connection, not the grand concept, grabs our attention. Make sure
you're focused on why your agenda is specifically relevant to the person you
wish to persuade.
3.
Speak to
Your Audience's Values: We can’t
easily change what other people believe, but by plugging into their existing
mind-set, we unleash great power behind our message. Make sure the benefit you
are communicating is something others seek – not just what you want. Those two
things are rarely the same, but we often imagine they are.
4.
Know What
You're Up Against: Think competitively about your
benefit. Is it better than what people get for doing nothing – or something
else instead? Don’t forget there’s a reason people aren’t taking the action you
seek. They may be deriving benefits from those alternate behaviors. How can you
shape a benefit better than sticking to the status quo?
5.
Be Real: Last, you need to make sure your benefit exchange is
credible and honest. People need to believe in what you communicate. Ask
someone who is respected to back you up. Or show other people gaining the
promised benefit. Or tell a good story that is a true example of the benefit in
action. You want to persuade by keeping your promises.
If people aren’t doing what you
want, you may find out why by reviewing this list. Is it time to better focus
on what you deliver? It may well be, because a great benefit exchange makes it
far easier (and faster) to get to yes.