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FUD in Public Speaking and Persuasion

FUD is Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.  I first heard the term when consulting at Gartner.  I was working with the analysts in preparing for a Gartner Symposium, and several of them used FUD at the start of their talks to engage the listeners on an emotional level.

For instance, they might have said, “While e-mail may be the killer-app of first generation internet programs, it could very well become the mass murderer of the second generation as it hurls armies of hackers, worms, viruses and spam against the the gates of your corporate security infrastructure.”

I made that up.  But something like that.

Fear-based arguments are common and valid, in my experience.  Our lives are built around the fear of pain and the hope of gain.  Every story we have ever enjoyed in novel, play, film, or ballad is about a person who had a problem (and had FUD) and struggled to make it go away.

In fact, FUD is what makes drama dramatic.  If we don’t have FUD when the pretty young thing all alone in the house on a dark and stormy night hears a sound downstairs and gets out of bed in her nightgown to see what’s happening, then the story doesn’t work.

We have to care about the girl, and we have to be afraid that something might jump out of the closet, hatchet raised.

What if a CIO heard a noise in the middle of the night, and it was her phone, and she heard that a hacker had broken through her security system at work, the one she touted and convinced the company to buy, and she had to get dressed and drive into headquarters and face the embarrassment of a crisis that higher-ups were likely to blame on her?

Those CIOs in the audience listening to the Gartner analysts are human beings motivated by the same things that everyone else is motivated by–the fear of loss, and the hope of gain.  I’m not a CIO, but if I were, I’d be worried about making bad decisions, not looking good when my systems aren’t successful, spending too much, spending too little, and taking too much time to get things done.

We know that humans are interested in their own problems.  We talk about our problems most of the time.  They’re  number one in the conversation hit parade.  If we talk to our listeners about their problems, they are much more likely to listen.  If we demonstrate a firm grasp of their problems, and the consequences for them if they don’t solve the problems, they are more likely to respect us and trust us.  So reminding them of their problems might not be a bad strategy.

There is evidence in social science that it is not wise to use FUD arguments on people who are already in a state of high anxiety.  But there is also evidence that we retain and value information when it is linked to our emotions–any emotions, positive or negative.

Consulting is based on problem solving (i.e., the removal of FUD.)  Philosophy is built around problem solving.   Politics likewise.  For the client, the voter, the audience, beyond the FUD is a vision of a new and better reality.  But our credibility as speakers depends largely on defining, in vivid and human terms, the problem that your content solves.

Let’s not be afraid of FUD.  Used appropriately, FUD can turn a dry information dump into a compelling story about a person, a product, a department, or a company that prevents disaster and saves the day.

 

 

9 thoughts on “FUD in Public Speaking and Persuasion”

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  8. In response to Ford’s comment on my post about FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) and his endoresement of GOG (Greed, Opportunity, and Glory), I have to say that we are both incomplete in our remarks. A good sales presentation, or any communication that seeks to be persuasive, needs to have both FUD and GOG components.

    Cicero, the great Roman statesman and orator, said, “…tickling and soothing anxieties is the test of a speaker’s impact and technique.”

    If he is right, he seems to be saying that the energy created by effective leadership derives from either making people aware of their dire predicament, and/or offering them a way to glory and success.

    He does not seem to be putting “tickling” ahead of “soothing,” but rather suggests that either way will work, depending on the circumstance.

    However, I must say that if a speaker does not point out the problematic issue, or the dangers in the current situation, then he cannot “soothe” anything. The pain must be felt if it’s to be “soothed.”

    Doesn’t most intellectual inquiry begin with a problem statement, which allows for a focused and relevant consideration of solutions?

    Isn’t the most popular sales training book in recent memory SPIN SELLING, by Neil Ratcliff? SPIN is an acronym that stands for:
    – situation
    – problem
    – implication
    – needs payoff

    In this system, it seems the sales person is encouraged to define the problem and help the client discover solutions.

    This reminds me that the Chinese character for “crisis” includes the characters that represent “danger” and “opportunity.”

    In my work with clients, as we develop the flow of an important presentation, I start with the current situation, then move to the challenges within that situation, and then try to build a vision of the opportunity if only the challenges could be overcome.

    In the investment world, they call this risk/reward, and no smart investor goes after reward without first considering risk.

    FUD and GOG are two sides of a coin. Our clients are motivated by both.

    I believe this

  9. FUD or GOG

    In his current posting, Sims Wyeth argues the validity of using FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) as a means of pursuading and selling. This is a hotly debated subject.

    Not long ago, Charlie Green wrote a post arguing against the use of FUD in most cases. I took issue with Charlie’s aversion to so useful a tool. Certainly, there are big, bad things out in the world and if a client is unaware of them, it’s appropriate to bring them to his attention. In other words, to use FUD.

    Today, for variety, I will take issue with Sims. There are many cases in which FUD is inappropriate, and some clients are annoyed when the professionals they deal with resort to fear tactics, reminding them of threats that they are well aware of. These are people who are more interested in greed, opportunity and glory (or GOG, if you will). GOG sells, too. It sells much better than FUD to people who are achievement-oriented, and that’s a category that includes some important people. Most CEOs, for example, are achievement oriented. With such people it is often more effective to focus them on the good things that would result if they take the right action, instead of on impending disaster. Instead of painting a picture of a scorched earth, paint one in which they are rich and famous, in which they create business history.

    Achievement oriented people are easy to pick out. They’re the ones who see opportunity at every turn, instead of problems. They’re the ones who talk continually about growth, profits and all the neat things they plan to do. In addition to CEOs, many Chief Marketing Officers, and heads of research think this way. Ask these people questions like:

    How fast could this company grow, if you could get the right stars to align? If you could bring your new version out ahead of the competition, how would that change your position in the market? If you weren’t being held back by x, what would you do with this company?

    So, over the next few weeks, try selling GOG a couple of times. It can be a lot more fun than dealing in FUD.

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