Selling Social Change

I was reading about research on how innovations spread through societies. Most work seems to be on technological innovations. But, I think the lessons from diffusion of innovations research could apply just as well to social innovations. Policies, laws, regulations, lifestyle changes, new attitudes, and "green" technologies all need to be sold. Knowing what helps an innovation to succeed can only help us out. So, I've got three points to make here.

First, take deep breath and ask a few questions about your idea: Why should your idea be implemented? Why is your answer going to be persuasive to to anyone? Why will your idea helpo solve the problem or exploit the opportunity? Why do you belief *this* answer is a good one? After a period of questioning your idea, alone or with others, you may need to refine your idea.

Six factor shape the chances for an innovation to succeed. Here they are:

1. Relative advanteage - it has to be obvious that the idea is better than what people are currently doing. The bigger the change, the bigger the advantage as judged by your audience, will need to be before your idea has any hope of selling.

2. Compatibility -The idea has to be seen to fit existing beliefs, norms, work patterns, organizations, and relationships. This feature of an innovation is probably even more important than relative advantage.

3. Observability - People need to see people realizing benefits from using the idea.

4. Trialability - People need to try out an idea and have a way to go back to the old way of doing things.

5. Complexity - Keep your idea simple to understand and to implement. People are lazy, very busy, poorly educated, or overstressed by their current lifestyles. They won't knowck themselves out to try and understand a complicated and esoteric concept.

6. Change agent - Successful innovation pretty much demands the presence of people who have the respect of people who you want to adopt your idea. These change agents give the idea credibility.

With those features in mind, one can easily come up with many ways to modify an idea or its marketing. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Structure the idea so that people will have an easier time obtaining benefits.

2. Modify the idea so it can be adopted in stages. I think this is what some vegans and vegetarians do to sell their ideas about diet: Go vegan one or two days a week. Identify vegan dishes you like. Eat more vegan dishes. Swear off meat entirely. Then give up other animal products.

3. Simplify it!

4. Deliberately shape your idea to fit the culture as it actually exists, not as you think it should be.

5. Design a trial, demonstration project or experiment that people can do, so they become more comfortable with the idea.

6. Related to #5, write about the idea. Specifically, invite readers to participate in a thought experiment wherein they imagine the consequences of implementing your idea in their personal lives.

7. Make sure you know what your audience will really see as an advantage, rather than what seems like an obvious advantage to you.

I'll offer some concrete examples of these suggestions in action next time.

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