This posts keeps on coming back, usually around elections. This time around the trigger is the debate among “younger” Israelis (below 60) whether they should take the COVID vaccine or not (widely available here in Tel Aviv).
Normally speaking, the risk of serious COVID complications should be relatively low for individuals in this group. With the immediate threat out of the way, people can start arguing. Messaging groups are now a favorite channel for heated debates about the pros and cons of vaccination.
Some points to remember when persuading people:
- Focus on the center, the people who are in doubt. It is 100% certain that you can convince a die-hard anti-vaxxer, or genetics professor to change her mind in a few message exchanges
- “Screaming”, aggression, calling people on the other side of your argument stupid and incompetent is not going to score you sympathy points (and help you become more convincing).
- People in the center are likely to be reasonable people, so wild conspiracy theories or unusual scientific “evidence” might not stick very well
All the above applies to investor and sales presentation as well. Pick your battles and focus on the people who could change their minds
Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash