Identify and Remove Risk

Survival and Engagement demand an awareness of RISK. Our bias towards survival is a bias for the safer of two options when possible. The brain has two goals: SURVIVAL and SAVING ENERGY.  Research shows people are 4-5X more likely to engage when RISK has been lowered… That’s a HUGE difference. RISK AWARENESS and LOSS FRAMING are amplifiers of Engagement.

A species survives by REPEATING the behaviors that lead to survival AND BYBEING AWARE IN ADVANCE of those that can lead to LOSS.  The most critical survival skill in any species is the ability to quickly identify risk in a situation and eliminate it.

Danger and Potential LOSS, what scientists call FORCING MECHANISMS, are Triggers of Attention. We PAY ATTENTION when the potential for loss is framed clearly for us and minimized. Sometimes the safest choice in a risky situation SEEMS TO BE to not do anything. It’s not just fight or flight—it is also FREEZE that leads to survival. But Freeze (avoidance) is the opposite of Engagement.

When someone says, “I need to think about it” what they are really saying is “I do not feel safe right now”. It’s why people buy a Brand-name product MORE QUICKLY than a non-brand and are willing to PAY MORE for BRANDS… A BRAND IS A PROMISE of Consistency, Predictability… the perception of something being SAFER. Brands lower Risk.

The brain is like a pharmaceutical factory producing drugs to support decisions… the fear of loss triggers the release of cortisol and adrenalin (two fight or flight drugs which can keep us alive—and also are the source of stress and anxiety—which will lower engagement.)

If we do not feel Psychologically Safe and or have thoughts of Reputational Risk we are less likely to engage.

To Create an environment where people are MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE WITH YOU, ask three SITUATIONAL AWARENESS Questions… 

1. HOW MUCH do you know about THEIR SITUATION? (specifically, what could GO WRONG for them?) 
2. What is AT RISK for them?  (Do they SEE YOU as SAFE or RISKY? 
3. And HOW CAN YOU ELIMINATE THEIR RISK? (Can you show that YOU are the SAFE CHOICE?)

CREATE AWARENESS, identify and eliminate Risk where possible.