Build Motivation With These Verbal Strategies	Print

Want to motivate your workforce better? You can persuade people to follow your vision by building one or more of these factors into whatever kind of communication you’re planning:

• Reciprocation. People tend to feel obligated to return favors, gifts, compliments, etc. “I’ve rewarded you for your hard work in the past. Now I’m asking you to _____.”
  
• Consistency. People want to feel that they’re behaving in tune with their promises, agreements, and attitudes. “You’re here because you’ve expressed a desire to work with the best company in the business. In order to achieve that goal, we need you to _____.”
  
• Social validation.People are most comfortable in situations where they’re acting along with other people. “All of us are united in our determination to _____.”
  
• Personal rapport. Not surprisingly, people will tend to do things for colleagues and leaders they like personally. “We’ve been through a lot together. That’s why I know I can ask you to _____.”
  
• Authority. People respond to formal authority, but also to authority that rests on greater experience and knowledge. “I’m your boss, and I’ve also worked in this field for 15 years, and I think the correct course is _____.”
  
• Limited options. If people see that they have few alternatives to what you’re proposing, they’ll be more likely to follow your directions. “There’s only one solution to this crisis, and that is _____.”