Go Public
"When a good story is being told, listeners are not only engaged. They’re also involved — both in head and heart."
Make it Personal
Dry presentations of fact rarely convince anyone to act. What works is storytelling — explaining the issue through the stories of people who’ve lived it.
Even more potent: when people tell their own stories. Like in this story about the Baltimore Urban Wood Project aired on NBC News.
Above all, keep it vivid.
By now it’s clear that slide presentations don’t inspire people to act. They’re linear, and don’t allow you to move the conversation where your audience wants to go. Bullets put people to sleep. Stories energize them.
If presentations are a must, do them in the morning; people are sluggish after lunch. And don’t dim the lights too much. Online, use interactive tools when possible (like real-time surveys) and open opportunities for participants to join the conversation.
Make Your Message Sticky
You want people to pay attention — so your message needs to be relevant to them. But you also want them to remember it, and look forward to hearing more.
Try the grading gambit. For example, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation provides an annual report on the Bay’s health. This year’s grade: C. Policymakers pay attention, and so do their constituents.
Can You Grade Urban Forestry Programs?
Yes!
Demonstrate what you have, compare it to what you need. You may have to do it yourself unless another local group has already compiled one. Check with your municipal arborist or forester, and with other local tree groups. Many have public-access data sets you can draw on.
In some communities, reports like the one linked below have already been published on where the community is doing well, where its doing okay, and where it has to do a better job altogether.
Continue the Conversation
Be certain to thank anyone who’s taken the time to listen to your pitch, but don’t leave it at that. As you build relationships you’ll have other opportunities to enlist their support.