How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Know, Do, Feel

Techniques > General persuasion > More methods > Know, Do, Feel

Know | Do | Feel | Example | See also

The sequence of know-do-feel is a simple but useful model for understanding and planning when persuading other people. (Note: 'Think' and 'Decide' could be added after 'Know' -- these are implied and left out in order to keep the model simple).

Know

First of all, in order to do anything, we need to know things, such as what the options are, what they cost and how long they might take. With good information, decisions are easy. Without knowledge, we must guess, which leads to poorer and riskier choices.

Do

When we know about what we can do, the next stage is to act, to decide and and do. Actions may vary according to the situation, from simply going somewhere to taking actions that will change our lives.

Feel

When we act, there are outcomes. We usually intend to feel good about what we do, and it is the gap between what we expect and what we experience that often leads us to feeling delighted, satisfied or disappointed.

How we feel about what happened determines what we do next. It gives us more knowledge and may lead us to seek further knowledge in order to make a better decision next time.

Example

Here's an example of applying 'know, do, feel' to tourism planning in a town.

Know

Tourists want first to know things: where they can stay, how to get places, what they can do, etc. Hence there needs to be an information project that gathers and maintains everything that the tourist needs to know. This also needs to be implemented in accessible forms, from websites to mail shots.

Knowledge is at the heart of marketing and sales, including knowing what you are selling, knowing who your customers are and many factors about them. But most of all, you need to understand what they need to know in order to decide. As their choices are based on what they know, in tourism you need to paint an attractive pictures of the destination and activities there.

Do

When they know enough about the town and area (eg. from marketing literature and other sources), the most important decision is for tourists to pay a visit. When they get there, they will want to engage in all kinds of tourist activities, from shopping to skiing. This of course requires that they are given the right information.

Doing is also about spending. In tourism, this includes paying for accommodation, food, activities, general shopping and so on, although tourists may just be visiting, walking, climbing or engaging in activities that do not pay anything. Overall, though, tourists bring the benefit of money and the goal of most destinations is to entice tourists to spend as much as possible by providing lots of activities, great food and so on.

Feel

As a result of what they do, tourists then feel good, 'ok' or bad. As much as they feel good, they will come again and tell their friends (which is a powerful persuasion in itself). Even one bad experience can lead to a negative overall assessment, so emotions must be managed carefully. This is where 'experience design' can be important (a great exponent of this is Disney).

See also

Emotions, Decisions