Seth Godin commented recently that we use too much data and too many facts when we’re trying to make our case. He wrote, “The skeptic will always find a reason, even if it's one the rest of us don't think is a good one.” That reminded me of a classic study done by Stanford University 30 years ago, which has been replicated several times since. The original project gave scientific studies to a group of 48 people - 24 proponents of the death penalty and 24 opponents. Some of the studies supported one position and some studies supported the other. What was interesting was that, instead of becoming more sympathetic to the other position, each side became more entrenched in their original opinions. They were strengthened by the studies that supported their view while finding reasons – however illogical – to refute the other studies.
It’s a good principle to remember when you’re trying to sway an opinion. Without an emotional connection it is unlikely you will do anything more than deepen the conviction of the person you’re trying to sway. Instead, make an emotional connection. Why do people make needed changes to their diet and exercise after a major health event? It wasn’t additional data or more facts, it was an event that charged their emotions. My guess is that when you donated for relief in Haiti it wasn’t because you considered the logic of a disaster in the poorest country in this hemisphere. It was because the pictures and stories of the devastation to individual human beings gripped your heart.
When you need to communicate, make it personal for them in a way that makes them feel, then they will be ready to think. As Seth Godin said:
“Relying too much on proof distracts you from the real mission--which is emotional connection.”
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