Whenever we try to communicate something important, we aim to make people pay attention. If they're not paying attention, we lose every chance of having an impact.
Tackling an urgent problem requires communication excellence
Climate change is a critical problem, and as environmentalists, activists, and climate communicators, we should seek to discover and implement the most effective, proven ways to persuade people.
For organizations and businesses trying to scale sustainable products or solutions, strategic communication campaigns should result in measurable changes in opinions, attitudes, or actions.
Overcoming the curse of knowledge
Sometimes, it takes hard work to simplify the messaging around climate change. Partly this is because many environmentalists suffer from “The Curse of Knowledge.”
Simply put, the curse of knowledge is the idea that when we know a lot about something, it is challenging to think about it from the perspective of someone who does not know much about it.
I see it a lot. Many environmentalists are so knowledgeable about the devastating effects of global warming that they have trouble empathizing with people who are not paying attention.
And over time, seeing the world from different perspectives is perceived as a chasm between “believers” and “non-believers.”
Respect the way the human brain works
Behavioral economics, psychology, and brain research have provided helpful knowledge for understanding how humans respond to different messages.
The human brain is wired to help us survive and thrive. That is why compelling communication resonates with our deepest needs and convinces us we are better off acting on it.
For a message to gain effect, we must believe that its content helps us overcome a problem or that acting on it will strengthen our social position. Great stories address pain points to which the receiver can relate. And they also position the sender as the guide who can help them overcome their challenges.
For example, for marketing a sustainable product or service, a good approach could be to empower the customers to become heroes in the story by highlighting how cool
the new technology and solutions are.
“Green” marketing can become tremendously powerful when it addresses customers' concerns: What are the positive benefits to their lives? How will it make them a stronger, more powerful, more capable person in their social circle?
People are primarily motivated by identity - who they are and who they might
become.
The brain is lazy
Another key insight is that the brain is lazy. Its default is to let neural signals travel the same old trails.
Since the brain doesn’t want to burn calories, it processes just a tiny bit of the information we receive.
To drive action, you need to shake things up.
Stories that people think can help them survive and thrive have the power to shake things up.
Clarity wins!
Clarity has always been important. Great leaders have, throughout history, formulated clear ideas and visions that are easy to understand and act on. Clear ideas are also easy to retell, thus increasing the potential for viral spreading.
In a world of communication overload, clarity has become an even more critical skill for effective leadership. We are encountered more than 3000 commercial messages per day.
We are fumbling with our smartphones, being bombarded with messages, and our brain has a full-time job choosing what to store and get rid of. The vast amount of information is never processed and is out of our minds as soon as we hear it.
In our time, the clearest message wins. So we better make sure that the best ideas are the clearest.
Donald Miller has an excellent example in his book Storybrand. He used to ask the audience attending his keynote speeches whether they could tell what Jeb Bush’s main message to the American voters was. The response was always complete silence.
Then he asked them if they could tell Donald Trump’s central message. One hundred percent of the audience could tell without thinking.
I don't believe the better candidate won, but the clearest message won.
The Power of great stories
If you are like me, you hear a lot of people promoting the power of storytelling and how leaders should gain followers by inviting them into a compelling story.
And honestly, stories are the most powerful tool to compel a human brain. Simply because stories are the way we understand ourselves and the world we live in.
As vision-driven communicators, making the important messages get the attention they deserve is crucial.
If we firmly believe that more people should care about the planet they depend on, we must find and practice proven ways to drive action.
Many people are confused about all the storytelling frameworks, formulas, and tips. Stories are, in their essence, simple. We are all telling stories. Some of us are using storytelling strategically.
The brilliant storytelling expert Francisco Mahfuz comes to the rescue. For most real purposes, he says, a story is a real-life example you use to make a point.
Story can resonate with how the human brain is wired. That’s why stories might be one of the most powerful tools to help communicate about the climate in a way that does not make people feel hopeless.
Let’s talk about the green future in a way that is not confusing so we’re not losing.
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Check out the free resource "5 Messaging Mistakes Climate Communicators Make That Are Delaying The Green Shift" - you find it in the menu bar at the top of the website
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