A simple way to get buy-in

I heard a brutal story recently that made me cringe.

A big-name organisation, trying desperately to boost morale across their hybrid teams, went all out.

They booked a fancy dinner venue. Sent two separate confirmations. But when the night rolled round, only 14 out of 45 people showed up.

Awks. A half-empty room. Expensive food and wine wasted. Leaders less than thrilled.

But this ‘meh’ mentality isn’t unusual right now.  We hear non-stop from clients that getting people to engage with, frankly, anything is like pulling teeth.

‘We can’t get clients to come to events anymore.’

‘We have all these great online learning tools but no-one’s using them.’

‘Prospects are so hard to pin down these days.’

Do you feel it too?  Everyone’s just too busy or too apathetic to commit to stuff - even if it’s important.

So…if you’re finding it hard to get people to engage, here’s something that might help.

Research shows when people feel involved in a plan, they’re more likely to show up or follow through.

In one study, medical event organisers were tearing their hair out at last minute no-shows. So they tried something new. They let the doctors choose their:

- preferred restaurant

- ideal day and time

- drink, meal and dessert

The results were powerful. Cancellations dropped from 50% to just 5%.

By being involved in the process and choosing the details, the doctors felt more autonomy and less pressured.

Choice felt like ownership.  It was a joint plan, not something that had been foisted on them.  So they were more likely to turn up on the day.

So it’s over to you: how can you involve your audience in your plans? Could you…

• Let prospects pick between two coffee spots for a catch-up?

• Give your team a say in how a new project kicks off?

• Ask webinar sign-ups to vote on what content they want in advance?

Try this strategy to turn ‘meh’ into ‘yeah’ - and let me know how you get on!