You have a message. You want to get it heard. That’s all good. (I mean, people have to hear your message to act on it, right? Right.)
Except that’s not enough, is it? Nope. Because after someone hears something, they react to it, and it’s that reaction that determines what happens next. You can’t get the action you want without the reaction you need.
So what are those right reactions? First, we need to look at all the possible reactions. Here’s how I’ve started to think about it:
It’s a 2×2 matrix, naturally (once a management consultant, always a management consultant….).
On one axis, you have perceived relevance — how relevant your audience, client, or customer perceives your message to be. In other words, this is how much they care about what you’re talking about.
On the other axis is prior knowledge — how much your audience already knows (or thinks they know) about your message or story.
Put those two together and you get some typical reactions:
- “Who cares?” If you’re talking to someone who has no idea what you’re talking about, nor why you’re talking to THEM about it, you’re pretty much dead in the water. They’ll tune out; you won’t get the action you need. Listening and learning require effort, after all, so people won’t bother to learn about something they don’t know unless they know how it helps them with something they care about. Action requires desire.
- SOLUTION: Frame your message as an answer to a question they already have and they’ll be more likely to move over into “Tell me more….”
- “What’s your point?” If someone already has some prior knowledge about your message or its topic, but doesn’t immediately see how it relates to them, then two things are going to happen. One, they’re going to be inclined to fault-finding with how you’re presenting the information (since they see themselves as semi-experts). Two, they’re trying to figure out why you’re wasting their time with something they already know.
- SOLUTION: As with “Who cares?”, tie your message to something they actively care about to establish its relevance. Then, put a frame on the information they haven’t heard before (so you bump them into the “Tell me more” camp).
- “I love this stuff…” Obviously, this side of the matrix is better than the other, since people are moving from questioning your information to supporting and exploring it. When someone knows your message is relevant to them and is familiar with the topic, the best case scenario is you get an enthusiastic advocate: They say, “I love this stuff AND I like how you’re doing it.” Worst case, though, they say, “I love this stuff BUT I didn’t learn anything new.” In either case, though, that “not learning anything new” is keeping you from the action you want. No new knowledge = no new action (because you can’t change what people do until you change how they see).
- SOLUTION: The solution here is pretty simple: tell them something they don’t already know. That can be something that’s truly new information (new research, for example) or even just a new frame on the situation. Regardless of what it is, you’re trying to get them to a place where they’re asking you (even if just in their own heads) for more information.
- SOLUTION: The solution here is pretty simple: tell them something they don’t already know. That can be something that’s truly new information (new research, for example) or even just a new frame on the situation. Regardless of what it is, you’re trying to get them to a place where they’re asking you (even if just in their own heads) for more information.
- “Tell me more…” This, THIS, my friends, is the reaction you’re looking for. When someone cares about what you’re talking to them about — it solves a problem, helps them achieve a goal, or meets an unmet need — they’re already much more likely to take notice. But when you add in something they don’t know or something that creates curiosity? That’s message magic right there. Curiosity is motivation in disguise. You want a motivated audience — those are the ones that act.
- SOLUTION: This IS the solution! All your messaging should be driving people to this point. Balance relevance with prior and new knowledge and you have the recipe for messages that don’t just bring action, they bring engagement and change.
If you’re like most of my clients, your messages are unintentionally falling into one of those first three categories. But don’t despair: the fixes, as you see, are fairly simple. The work we do to get there is also fairly simple (and quick), but it does require holding your messages to a higher standard — one that goes beyond just being heard.
For your message to matter, it has to move people to ask for more. The messages that get people to ask are much more likely to get them to act, too.
You can't get the action you want without the reaction you need. Click To Tweet When putting your message together, balance its perceived relevance to the audience with the audience's prior knowledge. Click To Tweet Action requires desire. Click To Tweet No new knowledge = no new action. Click To Tweet Curiosity is motivation in disguise. Click To Tweet Messages that get people to ASK are much more likely to get them to ACT, too. Click To Tweet
Janet Kierstead, Ph.D. says
I like what you’re saying. It makes sense, but I dont know how to apply it to designing/assessing a book Im writing. I’m trying to provoke a change in thinking about the way to help a child learn to read. I have developed a more comprehensive, natural way. How can I find an editor who understands what you’re saying and will help me design my message accordingly?
Tamsen Webster says
Hello, Janet! I work with authors one-on-one to figure this out, and also occasionally offer workshops where we discuss this as well. If you’re interested in learning more about either, would you please fill out the form at https://tamsenwebster.com/contact/ and we can set up a time to talk!