Policy makers, economists, and marketers have long used behavioral science to improve the effectiveness of their work. From increasing organ donation rates to boosting charitable contributions and driving brand sales, behavioral science has consistently proven its worth. Yet, for some reason, behavioral science has not been widely embraced in corporate communications, particularly in internal and change communication.
In a time where change has never been so frequent, fast, or as big, we should be doing everything we can as professional communicators to help drive behavior change in our audiences. While there’s plenty to explore, here are five ways you can start experimenting with behavioral science techniques in your corporate communications.
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Social Proof
Social proof means we’re more likely to act if we see others doing it. This effect is even stronger when the people observed are similar to the intended audience, such as when the messenger is a team leader “like me.”
Whether we realize it or not, we’re likely influenced by social proof all the time. E-commerce sites that show how many others have bought the item you’re viewing or suggest related products based on past purchases are prime examples of using social proof to impact purchasing decisions.
From an internal and change communication perspective, you can tap into social proof in many ways, such as:
- Sharing testimonials from team members
- Example: “I took this training course, and it’s excellent!”
- Highlighting actions of other team members
- Example: “Twenty of your fellow team members have already completed this survey.”
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Co-creation
People are more likely to value something they have co-created than something handed to them. It’s called the IKEA Effect, named after an experiment where participants were asked to assemble an IKEA flatpack. They were then given the same item, but this time expertly assembled. Despite the expert’s version being much higher quality, most participants chose to keep their own creation.
Essentially, when we feel like we’ve contributed or have personal investment, we’re more likely to stick with it. Again, this has some wonderful implications for change communication. Instead of telling people what the change is and what it means, work in teams to unpack how the change will impact your work and create your own path forward.
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Choose Your Timing
Why do we wait until New Years Day to set a new goal? Science tells us we’re more likely to stick to a goal if it aligns with significant timing. Known as the Fresh Start Effect — coined by Katy Milkman — we tend to use a specific, special time to start something, like the beginning of the month, a new financial year, or even a birthday.
For internal and change communications, there are a few ways you could harness this effect:
- Align the launch of a new change (such as a new system) with an important date, like the start of a quarter or financial year.
- Align your communication to coincide with an existing special day (like International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, or IDAHOBIT, Day), or create your own special day, like many brands have done (e.g. International Coffee Day).
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Chunk it Down
Our brains can only process and retain so much information at one time. This is even more difficult in a noisy world, where we’re bombarded with communication from countless channels every second of every day.
Research shows that our capacity limits max out at about four chunks of information — and it gets worse as we age. Similarly, we know that we will forget 70% of new information within 24 hours of learning it.
In times of change, if we want people to not only understand our message, but remember it, we need to make it easier for them to grasp it. That’s where chunking it down comes in. Instead of providing a list of things that are changing, try and group the changes into three logical buckets. Our brains love threes because we’re wired to detect patterns, and patterns begin to emerge at three. It’s one of the things that sets us apart from most other species.
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The Curiosity Gap
It’s the final episode of the season of your favorite crime show. The lead detective looks up in shock from the piece of paper he’s reading — he’s figured out who the murderer is! He grabs his coat, runs out the front door of the police station, and … the screen goes black. Now, you’ll have to wait until next season to find out who did it.
Because you’re left on that cliffhanger, there’s a strong chance you’ll tune in for the first episode next season. That’s how cliffhangers work — they set up a curiosity gap that’s impossible to ignore. The great part is that studies show curiosity can change behavior and motivate people to act.
To use curiosity in your communication, you can try techniques like:
- Creating a cliffhanger at the end of an email or newsletter, which will drive people to want to read the next edition.
- When communicating about something new, don’t give too much away. Instead, activate curiosity through a phrase like, “There’s an exciting new addition to the app we know you’ve been waiting for …”
- When announcing a new product or service, leave small clues to start attracting attention and pique curiosity. For example, use a message like, “You’re going to wonder how you ever lived without this.”
Next time you need to change people’s minds or motivate them to act, think about how you could bring some behavioral science into your work. You could be pleasantly surprised!
Want to learn more about how understanding human behavior can elevate your communication? Don’t miss Melanie Loy’s World Conference session on 10 June, Connecting the Dots: Understand How Humans Think to Make an Impact in Your Communication. Register now to secure your spot!