The Secret to Getting People to Listen to Your Idea

We are neck-deep in political season here in the US, and that means there are a LOT of political arguments happening on social media right now. I honestly haven’t checked Facebook in over a week and have no desire to do so. These arguments often follow a pattern, they focus almost exclusively on both sides talking about what they dislike about the other party or candidate. When an exchange centers on areas of disagreement, it should be no surprise that…a disagreement breaks out.

If you want someone to listen to and consider your idea, then you focus on what that person is passionate about, and then explain how your idea relates to their passions. Notice whenever I talk about the Buyer’s Journey, it always starts at the initial stage where the buyer is Unaware and I Don’t Care when it comes to your company. This is the stage at which you are building awareness.

As I always say, the key to building awareness with an audience that has no idea who you are, is to focus exclusively on that audience. If you are wanting to sell to customers, then you talk about the customers.  You talk about what’s important to the customers, what their passions are. That gets their attention, when they start to listen to what you have to say, then you talk to them about how your idea links to their passions. If someone can see how their passions are rooted in your idea, then transference happens. They will then become passionate about YOUR IDEA.

Let’s go back to political debates for a second. Most exchanges on social media don’t focus on finding a common passion, they focus on hate.  Here’s what I hate about your guy, here’s what you hate about my guy. If the exchange is focused on what both parties dislike about the other candidate, then that dislike will also transfer to the person they are talking to. I don’t like what you are talking about so as a result I don’t like you.

So in simple terms; If you focus on the things I like and am passionate about, I will like talking to you.  If instead you focus on the things I dislike, then in turn I will dislike talking to you.

If you want someone to listen to you, first listen to that person and learn what’s important to them, what their passions are, then tie your idea to those passions.