Say What They Can’t Unhear

The 9 Principles of Lasting Change

Tamsen Webster

Nine principles of persuasion to motivate, not manipulate.

Change isn’t an easy sell. And, in business, pivoting in a new direction requires teams to work together cooperatively. While a half-hearted agreement to adopt a common goal may get you short-term momentum, if you want to initiate lasting change that creates sustained action, you need to give your audience a reason to believe. You need, as the title of this book suggests, to say what they can’t unhear.

From renowned strategist, author, and speaker Tamsen Webster comes this compact and actionable guide that will get you thinking differently about where change comes from and how to initiate it. By introducing and exploring nine “persuasion proverbs,” Webster highlights the behavioral, cognitive, and psychological principles that underpin lasting change, and offers a powerful alternative to the standard tactics of influence and persuasion. The outlined concepts are easy to remember, simple to implement, and will give you the tools to transform any audience of lukewarm prospects into passionate believers.

If you’re looking to spark change in your audience in a way that has them excited and motivated, that pushes them beyond temporary action, and that makes them feel empowered instead of manipulated, then Say What They Can’t Unhear is the resource you need in your back pocket.


Reviews

“A tour de force. Tamsen Webster has managed to distill a complex idea—how to use language and messaging to make behavior change stick—into a simple and actionable framework that any leader can leverage to drive more successful outcomes.”

“If you’re a changemaker, you know just how hard it can be to have an impact. This book will make your job 10x easier… and make the world better.”

“Nobody understands the psychology of buy-in quite like Tamsen Webster. Her unique principles will turbocharge your ability to create true believers in your vision.”

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Say What They Can’t Unhear presents clear and actionable solutions for shifting our focus for change from victory to actual improvement and alignment.”

“An indispensable manual for leaders, this book teaches the foundational principles of the vital, yet rarely taught, skill of securing support for transformative change.”

“I’ve long admired Tamsen Webster’s unique perspective on driving change. She’s a brilliant strategist and communicator, and her work never fails to push my thinking in new directions.”

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TAMSEN WEBSTER helps impact-focused leaders build buy-in for big ideas. As a message designer and speaker, she has helped organizations, including nonprofits and startups, craft their case for change. She spent over nine years as an executive producer and idea strategist for TEDxCambridge and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar in 2022. Her trademark Red Thread storytelling approach was the subject of her first book. She and her husband, two sons, and two retired racing greyhounds (Hazel and Walnut) live in Boston, where she’s now lived long enough to develop a Bostonian alter ego named Karen O’Sullivan.


ISBN 978-1-77458-353-1
$21.95 CAD $17.95 USD
Published October 8, 2024
5 × 7 208 Pages
paperback, ebook, audiobook