Sage Enviro Blog

This time of year, my mailbox fills with letters from charities asking for year-end donations. Some of them call me instead. They often start the call with: “First I’d like to thank you for your past support . . .”

They use this phrase because it works. If they remind me that I have given them money in the past, I may be more likely to listen instead of hanging up.

“Thank you for your past support” works because we want to be internally consistent. We don’t want our behavior or ideas to conflict; it makes us uncomfortable. This is known as cognitive dissonance. We are likely to change an attitude, belief or action in order to be consistent again.

I may think, I’ve given them money before, so I must believe it’s a worthwhile organization. Since I like to support good causes, perhaps I should give them money again. My behavior (donation) would be consistent with my belief (good cause).

Prediction is another way to engage our desire for consistency. Researchers have found that just asking people to predict whether they will perform a socially desirable behavior makes them more likely to do it. If I predict that I will go to the health club, I’m more likely to go and work out. Prediction has been found to work with voting, recycling, volunteering, reducing cheating in school and, yes, fundraising.

Asking people to make a prediction makes them aware of both what they should do and what they have done (or not done) in the past. The person may think, “A good person would exercise, but I have not exercised lately.”

Most of us have a self-concept as a moral, competent, and good person. People who have made a prediction reduce cognitive dissonance by doing a normative behavior they otherwise would have been unlikely to do.

If you’re trying to persuade someone or change their behavior, it’s worth thinking about how you can use consistency to help your cause. Perhaps you want to try “Will you . . . “ or remind them of their past (positive) behavior.

Stay tuned for more on this topic tomorrow.

Annette Frahm is principal of Sage Enviro, www.sageenviro.com, which specializes in green marketing communications and creating strategies for a green future.