How to Coach Yourself and Others How to Influence, Persuade and Motivate | Seite 391

they are listening and it's a sign of involvement. If the audience gives no
feedback, then they are not involved in your message.
There are three ways people make changes in their life. One is through
drastic change. This could be a heart attack, a personal tragedy, or losing a
job. These events force people to change their lives. They did not feel a
need to change until threatening, life-changing events occurred. The
second is through gradual change. This is a process that evolves from
events or personal relationships. Gradual change happens over time, so
much so that you usually don't notice that it is happening. The third way
people change their lives is through internal change. This can come from
inspiration or desperation, but either way, you have consciously decided
you are going to make changes in your life.
To get change to stick, you must make sure three things occur, whether
within yourself or your audience. First, there must be a long-term,
enthusiastic commitment to change. You have to decide there is no other
option. The second thing is that you must be willing to pay the price,
persisting even when you feel weak. Third, you have to know where the
change is taking them. How is this going to affect their lives? What are
the end results?
The biggest obstacles to change are lack of motivation, lack of
knowledge, and fear. People will not change if they don't know where that
change is taking them. We naturally watch out for our own future and
want to prevent harm from reaching us. As a persuader, you need to create
a vision for your audience, one that shows them what they will be like in
the future. If you can get people to see themselves in the future and
witness where that change will take them, they will be more willing to
embrace change. Understand that people will resist change unless
sufficient reinforcement and tools are provided to assist them. Without
having this knowledge, their attitudes won't change, and if their attitudes
won't change, then their actions won't change.

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