Nobody cares about your boring facts

Your pie charts & graphs aren't enough. Once you accept the fact that humans are illogical, your ability to be persuasive will soar to new heights. Don't fight human nature--work with it!

Facts and figures don't move people to action.

If you’re working in a field like architecture, engineering, planning, or construction, then you’ve been told your entire career about the importance of proper calculations and documenting facts. 

If your math is too far off, the bridge will fall down or the house will collapse. If your decimal is too far off, your bid for the contract will be too low. Accurate data is important when you plan or design a thing.

But…

• Raw data will never persuade a selection committee to choose your team.

• Dry facts won’t get the community to see the value of your proposal to eliminate parking minimums. 

• Even colorful bar chats about the harms of zoning are meaningless in the world of persuasion. 

Oh how white collar professionals love big data. Venn diagrams, heat maps, and pie charts are ubiquitous in reports and presentations about land use and infrastructure. The data is real, but the audience could not care less.

Most of us know someone who has a child with a peanut allergy. And most of us have heard a story about a near-death incident involving a peanut reaction. Those stories drive people to action.

Here’s a factoid for you: for every 1 peanut allergy death, the United States has 30,000 traffic deaths.

1 chemical death to every 30,000 traffic deaths. The threat of a deadly chemical reaction leads to dedicated activism. The biggest risk to a child with a peanut allergy isn't a peanut. The most dangerous scenario is driving the child to the doctor for the allergy test, because traffic crashes are the #1 killer of children.

Americans race to support a Peanut Vision Zero but can’t be bothered by a Traffic Vision Zero.

People react to scientific data with a shrug. Once you understand that, you’ll be a much more effective storyteller. 

Data alone is virtually meaningless. The good news is there are ways to persuade. 

You won’t win over everyone. In fact, the more emotion someone has invested in a topic, the more likely they will remain steadfast in their opinion.

Architects, engineers, planners, construction professionals need to venture into new territory—marketing tactics. Psychology! The next time you're preparing a presentation or a blog post, consider how to make an emotional impact with your facts and figures. Introduce an idea or experience that will surprise and motivate people.

I promise you there's a way, no matter how boring you think the topic is. Pie charts, line graphs, and bar charts are only as good as the tweetable caption. 

Tell bold stories with your data. That’s the secret to catch people’s fleeting attention, inspire big ideas, and provoke critical thought.

• How did traffic evaporate when the downtown highway was removed?

• The pedestrian counts are zero at this intersection because everybody’s jaywalking where it’s safer.

• Here’s why this neighborhood is forced to drive 15 minutes instead of walking 5.

It’s easier than you might think. Start with the raw data, then make some sense of it.